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- 6y ago
Everybody reacts so differently to medications. I’m on fluoxetine, which doesn’t work very well for me (in fact, my doctor wants to switch me), but it could be perfect for someone else. We all have different liver pathways that break down medications and determine their impact on us. You’re not going to know if they’re worth it or not for sure unfortunately until you try. But there’s a lot of research supporting their usage. If you and your doctor believe it’s the best option then it’s definitely worth considering! Hope you’re ok! d a i s y
I’m on Lexapro. Alot of medical articles I have read really prove SSRI’s help due to the chemical inbalance in your brain. I am prescribed an anti-anxiety with it as well. The SSRI will take a little while to get going in your system but absolutely recommend them.
Yes, absolutely. They’ve all been very helpful for me, it’s just been a matter of finding one with minimal side effects for me
I’ve found it to be helpful!
Zoloft was a miracle drug for me and kept me very stable for 12 years, then I decided to come off and that did not go well. Now I am back on! It takes a lot of time to work and there can be rough side effects getting started, but worth it in my experience.
Yes, I think SSRI’s help!! I’m on one right now that I take once every night, and then throughout the day, I take a gabapentin pill (300mg) , three times a day.
I’m very scared to take meds! I’m trying to just do ERP and go the natural way. I’m scared once I get on meds... it’s only gonna work temporarily for me or I’m going to be addicted to them and someone told me it might ruin my liver. Love y’all and also I’m taking Magenisium and B-12 vitamins. Also guys is ur meds temporarily or u have to take it for the rest of ur life? But since you guys are saying good things about it I wanna give it a try cuz I trust you ❤️
I have heard of the effects wearing off over time for some people, but that was not my experience. When my OCD was under control I would reduce the dosage to a maintenance dose, then if I felt the spikes increasing significantly then I would up the dosage (with Dr. approval) and it would get back under control. There are some side effects for me, but very minor compared to the OCD. Most of the worst side effects only occurred in the first few weeks of starting. OCD also typically requires higher doses of an SSRI than depression requires.
I was afraid of meds for a long time. My first experience with them did not go well. I finally found the courage to try again. My quality of life has significantly improved. It’s all about finding the one that works best for you and having the patience for trial and error. When you do find the right one, it can be a life changer.
SSRI success story: so far... It’s been 5 months since my POCD flare up. And it’s been by far the worst experience of my life. I was terrified to even leave my house and go to work (I work in child care) in December I decided enough was enough and went to see a specialist for a diagnosis. She diagnosed me instantly with OCD and recommended I gave medicine a shot. I started on Lexapro 4 weeks ago yesterday and the change has been incredible. That with a mix of ERP and Acceptance of the thoughts (Acceptance has been the biggest help, and very easy to do when the Lexapro makes me not care about the thoughts) Now, I won’t say I don’t get thoughts. I still absolutely do, but I get less of them. And when I get an extremely hard convincing one, I accept it in, and sit in any guilt I have until it naturally dissipates. I’m not recovered, not by a long shot. But I have a small piece of me back, and it feels good. I’m hoping with hard work, and not letting OCD thoughts get under my skin. Recovery will be possible. If you’re scared to try an SSRI. I completely understand. I was lucky enough to have the first one work for me. The side effects were HORRIBLE, almost worse than the OCD for well over a week. But the benefits I have now outweigh the negatives of that week. I’m not promising a fix with an SSRI. But I think it’s worth a shot. Hell, this could all come back to bite me in the ass, who knows? I believe in you guys, and I’m starting to believe in myself again. We can do this. We’re one big family here, and we need each other. (But no reassurance ??)
Does anyone have any good experiences with SSRIs for OCD?
For people who have experienced successes with SSRI’s or other antidepressants, what symptoms did they treat? The intrusive thoughts, anxiety, compulsions, all of it? I have tried other ssri’s in the past, with moderate success in reducing anxiety, but it didn’t reduce the unwanted thoughts. However, at that time, the theme of my intrusive thoughts weren’t as troublesome. So while the thoughts still existed, it didn’t limit my functionality. I feel like even if a new SSRI reduces my anxiety and compulsions, but not the intrusive thoughts, that I will not return to the functionality I had just a short time ago.
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