Is medication worth pursuing?

I have ocd depression and anxiety and I have worked with psychiatrist in the past to try to find a good medication that worked for me. So far I haven’t had any success, I’ve tried about 5-6 different medication’s over the past 5 years but haven’t had much luck. I’m disappointed because I was really hoping that one of them would bring me some kind of relief, but they always end up giving me side effects (rashes, sweating, sleep problems, lowering libido). I read online that medication has been a big game changer for a lot of people and it motivates me to keep trying but the side effects affect my quality of life and I’m not sure if it’s worth it. Has anybody had a similar experience with medication? Should I keep trying? Also, my psychiatrist once mentioned that there’s genetic testing you could do to see which medication’s interact well with an individual, has anybody ever done that or had any luck?

GoingToReduc...

Date posted: 1y

Obviously not a doctor here but for some it appears to help. The side effects do wane for some. You may need to go with a medication you can tolerate the most. As for the test I have never tried it, sorry.

defunctfinches

Date posted: 1y

@Anonymous Yeah maybe I’ve just not given them enough time but it can be hard when it almost feels as if it’s making your life a little bit more miserable. Thanks for the response :)

Brooke cookie

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

I’ve also heard about the genetic test. I’m thinking about getting it done because I’ve had chronic depression. I take Effexor at maximum dose and that seems to help me a little bit. I don’t know what all you’ve taken.

defunctfinches

Date posted: 1y

@Brooke cookie I’ve taken fluvoxatine, fluvoxamine, lamotragine and a few others that I can even remember at this point. I think I’ll look into the whole genetic testing thing and see what it’s about and maybe report back here if I think it was worth it. I haven’t heard of Effexor yet I’m gonna look into it:)

Brooke cookie

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

@defunctfinches I’m thinking about doing the genetics too because I’ve had long-term depression and I’ve tried a lot of different meds and that I have not had any luck with that . only thing I’ve had luck with so far is Effexor for ocd not depression. Effexor is supposed to do both ocd and depression. If you end up getting genetic testing, please do tell me if it works.

georgia.grae

Date posted: 1y

I think meds are great but sometimes require an expectation adjustment. I have had a hard time with SSRIs and have been on almost all of them with little success and major side effects over the last 7 years. I’m on viibryd now which has helped a lot with my anxiety and I’ve been on it for 9 months now. (I’ve been on high dose bupropion for years as well for my depression). That being said, I do still have some side effects. With the guidance of my doctor, I ultimately decided that some side effects were worth the amount of relief I got from the medication but that’s a decision only you can make for yourself. Before I started them, I was having a REALLY bad time and I would have traded a kidney for any type of relief. But, once I get a better grip on my anxiety/OCD, I’m hoping to come off them. As far as the genetic testing, I haven’t done it because my insurance didn’t cover it but it might be worth checking out.

lemon tears

Date posted: 24w

Looking for insight on OCD/depression medications

(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?

trinii

Date posted: 13w

Medication or treatment?

I understand that everyone is different but lately I have been debating on medication just because of past experiences but does anyone have any good experiences with medication that has helped them with their OCD as well as therapy or treatment? As of now I’m dealing with it by myself but it feels like it may be getting worse

Young adults with OCD

sarah.ek

Date posted: 12w

Meds for OCD + Depression (Burnout), mood swings

As my current mental health has definitely reached a new low, I will probably soon start with medication. However, since I am actually somewhat afraid of the typical side effects of antidepressants and mood-stabilizers, I wanted to ask anyone who is or has been taking medication for OCD and or depression (and mood-swings). I recently got also diagnosed with depression (I’ll be further tested for burnout) and I also suffer from pretty intense mood swings and anxiety, both really draining the last bit of energy that I currently have. You can honestly be as specific and descriptive as you want since I don’t know any people in my personal life that take any medication for their mental health and I’m genuinely curious about side effects, how long the different meds take to kick in, etc. The only meds I’m familiar with are beta blockers, specifically bisoprolol but I want to switch to propranolol.

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Is medication worth pursuing?

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