Has anyone seen any improvements taking Prozac for contamination OCD?

Thanks for the update! I’m on 60 mg but I didn’t really start seeing any effects until the 20-40mg range

I got tested today by having to go into an establishment that I considered to be contaminated. The anxiety was more manageable, but it was definitely noticeable and the contaminated feeling hung around for a long time. Can’t wait for the day when that contaminated feeling goes away for good. Hope you are hanging in there and are able to slow things down a bit this weekend! Appreciate you and your encouragement!

June will be here before you know it! Finish strong with school and then regroup and look at your options with Prozac. And don’t forget to look into the MTHFR gene mutation that could be causing your anxiety as well.

Yes!! I have been on Prozac for a while and I suffer from contamination ocd along with other types of OCD, the first month or so was rough but I have definitely seen some improvement, that being said I am also in therapy

I’m on 60mg at the moment, I went from 10 to 20 to 40 and to 60 over about three months

Wow nole I’m on the same boat as you! I am about to start Prozac for contamination ocd but have major concerns about this. School and work have been super demanding for me and if the side effects are what they are I won’t be able to keep my grades up. So I’m definitely worried. What’s deplin like?

Emily hoping you can help explain the first month. How bad was the side effects? Right now my school and work is so demanding and while I spend an hour with contamination OCD each day if the side effects will last all day then I will be worse off than just not taking it. I’m torn as there are some rough days. Thanks!

Hi there! I’m so sorry I fell asleep! The side effects weren’t that bad! I found that for the first few weeks I felt very flustered, and I kept forgetting things, I noticed slight improvements maybe three weeks in and then more after that as I raised the dose, other than feeling flustered for a few weeks I didn’t get many other side effects other than I do remember feeling very emotionally numb for about a week the second or third week in, but it only lasted a few days!

Thanks Emily!

Nole. I struggle with one hour showers on days I feel contaminate which is 5-6x a week. On ok days my shower lasts 10 minutes so it’s tha bad. Plus another hour of obsessive cleaning to follow

Ok, I am underway at 10 mg Prozac. Also 15 mg Deplin. Will keep y’all posted. When I am trying to get back to my clean world, my showers last about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Then I have to brush my teeth and take a much shorter shower that can last up to 30 minutes. So needless to say, I hope Prozac works!

Good luck nole! Let me know how the first week goes for you.

Best wishes to you as well! We’ll compare notes along this journey. Keep those grades up in school!

Almost two weeks in at 10 mg Prozac and 15 mg Deplin. Have not experienced any changes yet. No side effects. Will go up to 20 mg Prozac this weekend. Hope you are doing well.

Thanks for the update. It has been such a rough week at school and work that I can’t deal with Prozac yet but hoping your new dosage works for you. I heard it can take 5-7 weeks so stay patient!

Sorry to hear that you are struggling. Hang in there! Have you asked your doctor about blood test to see if you have the MTHFR gene mutation? I am homozygous for this, hence the Deplin.

Not yet. Le me look it up. While things are not busy I cannot complain. My compulsions are at 1 hour level which is manageable even after being at work and school for 10 hours. thanks. !

Emily and Lark, I am almost 1 week at 20 mg Prozac. Not really any improvements, but thankfully no side effects. Have appointment with psychiatrist on Tuesday to see what is next dose amount. You two let me know how you are doing and hang in there!

Hi Nole. Glad to hear you don’t have side effects but hang in there on the improvements! I hear it can take awhile. I am feeling lucky these past two weeks. Maybe the busy schedule helped but the ocd is still here but I am able to manage. I’m trying to reduce compulsions and it’s at a very slow and steady pace. Trying to keep all of it at 1-1.5 hours max. I’m still considering starting meds in a few weeks since there are just things I want to be able to do and enjoy without this added anxiety. I would love to do laundry again and not have it take 30 minutes or finally not have peeling hands. Keep us posted and best of luck!!

I spoke too soon. I consider laundry super contaminated and what used to take me 5 min now takes me 15 min along with major major distress. This is definitely a moment that makes me really consider Prozac. I’ll probably be on it come June when school is out but then I’ll be working full time so hope it doesn’t boggle me down either. Have a ocd free weekend!!

Good to hear from you nole. Hang in there, I heard it can take awhile but you are probably getting close. Believe it or not, I think my ocd is making taking meds an obsession. I still haven’t brought myself to it. I’ve had good days and bad days.

Ok, just a quick update, I am now at 40 mg Prozac and holding at 15 mg Deplin. No side effects. I have big challenge coming up Sunday. Hopefully meds will calm my brain down. How are things going with you? Are you seeing improvements?

Hey Nole. Good luck with your challenge. How did it go. Things are not going well for me when I’m around my trigger which is 4x a week. Every other day is ok. I may really have to get on them but I’m still terrified it will make the other days where I’m ok so much worse with side effects.

Hi Lark! I survived the day. And I did better than I thought I would do. Had to be around a lot of people but the anxiety wasn’t bad at all. It was weird, I thought I was going to have anxiety because I didn’t have anxiety where I normally would have. What meds are you looking to start with? I’m thinking the Deplin with 40 mg Prozac might be slowly working, but have a long way to go. What is your trigger if you don’t mind me asking?

Good to hear Nole. I’m glad it went well wit little anxiety. My ocd is around contamination on public bathrooms and I have to use them often unfortunately. Most days it’s ok but half the time I see something there that triggers me and leaves me with major anxiety.

I went through the public restroom and contamination ocd phase several years ago. Somehow it eventually faded away and new anxieties replaced it. So hang in there and know that it can go away. I went back to church for second Sunday in a row and did pretty well. Although some people can make me feel contaminated when they hug me. But I feel that it would be bad if I jumped back or something, so I just grin and bear it. Have you looked into the MHFTR gene mutation yet?

Hey Nole. I didn’t know you had that good to know that you were able to recover from it. I too have a variety of issues before it was public bathrooms it was a fear of saliva on the ground and trash. Go figure! Not yet. I’ll find out about that gene mutation

Don’t let them convince you that you need to have a DNA Genesight to test for the MHFTR mutation. Your doctor should be able to have that blood test ordered. Genesight will charge a lot of money.

Thanks for the tip. Does the psychiatrist need to order it or your general doctor?

My general doctor did for me. Keep me posted!

Hello! Are you still using this app? I haven’t been on here in a long while. How is your OCD?

Very cool! I am taking dietary supplement called Deplin as well. Will start Prozac this weekend at 10mg for two weeks before going up to 20mg. What dose do you take?

How long before you noticed improvements? And at what dose did improvements kick in?

Deplin hasn’t been a problem. It is a food grade supplement since I am homozygous for the MHFTR mutation, which means folate has problem crossing blood brain barrier. This folate is needed to create neurotransmitters.....

Doc wanted to see if just taking Deplin alone would help before starting SSRI. This gene mutation can be found by a simple blood test.

May want to look into this. Lots of good information about Deplin out there. I am taking 15 mg day.

One of my issues is long showers when I “decontaminate.” Do you have this issue as well? And did Prozac help with this?

Can you share some of your improvements? I am curious as to what to look for to see if I have any success.

Hey Lark and Emily! Still holding at 20 mg Prozac with 15 mg Deplin. Not noticing any improvements, but anticipate going up in dose with Prozac after I meet with the doctor in early June. How are you doing? Seeing any improvements?

Thanks Lark! You hang in there too!