I took medication (Prozac) for about 2 months in the past, but it wasn’t long enough to fully know if it was actually effective. Since then my OCD has gotten a lot worse, but I feel a little shame at the idea that I might need medication again. Can anyone let me know if medication was helpful for you? And what were some of the positive and negative impacts it had on your OCD and you in general?
Medication honestly saved my life. And for many years I hated that I was on them, it also took me many years to figure which one was best for me. But I learned to accept that I was much happier and a better version on myself with them and that was enough to make me be ignore the stigma
Medication def helped me a little bit but often I’d still have my bad days due to ocd but it reduced my anxiety symptoms for a while ...recently I stopped taking it and regret it because I been having high anxiety . It’s like I can’t function now . I was consistent on taking them but I threw em away . I take flouexetine
What were the positive / negative impacts it had?
@floatingspirit Honestly it let me feel more calm and focused because if I hadn’t been on them I’d have difficulty concentrating due to stress ...therefore I can now drive even better most times . Umm I find that I’ve discussed triggers that come and go although it doesn’t change the fact I continue ruminating afterward , but it does help in the moment where you feel anxious .it reduces it . Logically speaking - this doesnt cure or rid ocd but it does improve ocd symptoms because ocd is anxiety disorder ...we have to put in our work . We can do this !
@Brian :) Negative impacts yes - there were side effects I noticed such as nausea, tiredness , mood switches, ...I regret throwing them away but reason why I did was because I accidentally skipped two days while I was on them which made me think It wouldn’t continue it’s effect . Also, I had a tantrum that day and mental breakdown so I was too flustered that I threw em away. Rn I’m having a lot of anxiery kicking in that feels very worse than ever because of how bad ocd has flared up.
@Brian :) Let alone j was already in a lingering episode to begin with , so I’m prone to having anxiety due to how distant I felt . I felt ok before today but still wasn’t fully back to myself . Rn I feel desperate, scared, anxious, idk what to do my thoughts feel very real.
@Brian :) Dismissed triggers *
@Brian :) Thank you for such a detailed response. It’s hard to tell if meds are effective because while I was happy while I took them, there have been many stressful situations I have had since then so it’s not clear if my stress is from the situation or the lack of medication
I was on Luvox before and it worked really well. One of my primary fears no longer bothered me, even when I went cold turkey. I don't recommend getting off of them because I have new themes now.
I’ve been on many medications over the years. I think some worked to an extent, & stopped. I stopped taking my meds a few times because I felt so frustrated. Not a good idea. However, my psychiatrist is still trying different meds. I have depression with my OCD. I’m not sure how much meds help?
Medicine has been very helpful for me. I've been on SSRIs for 20 years.
(25f) Before I was diagnosed with OCD I tried Lexapro (wasn’t bad but wasn’t great) and Citalopram (partially think it was a part of what caused me to develop severe anxiety that ignited my once not so active OCD.) After diagnosis tried Effexor and didn’t see an improvement. Was on Adderall for a good amount of my life and mentally did good on it, stopped about 2 years ago because the physical side effects started to become more noticeable. Maybe I go back on Adderall? Maybe SSRI’s and I aren’t a great fit? Anyone taking other medications that helped?
For those who have had success with medication for OCD/anxiety, how is your life different now compared to before starting medication?
I am having a really hard time with ocd and anxious thoughts and feeling extremely uneasy. I'm home alone today so it's really easy for me to get stuck in my thoughts. I'm on day 4 of prozac. I felt like yesterday I had a period of time of about 30 minutes where I felt really focused and like the anxiety lifted completely. But then an obsession started and it brought me right back down. Hopefully I feel relief again today. I'm going to go get some house work done to take my mind off of things. Does anyone have any first hand experiences with prozac? How long until you felt any relief? Any really bad side effects? Any unforseen pluses? Much appreciated.
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