- Date posted
- 4y
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
I went through trials. I tried celexa and it did nothing. Then i tried paxil (paroxetine) and slowly built up to 30 mg. I have been on that dose since. I believe the medication has given me the strength to live my life and has reduced the intensity of thoughts (i will have one or two bad thoughts a day as opposed to constant firings from the brain before the meds). I am now doing erp and it has been even more helpful. I find meds to be the foundation for recovery and erp the actual solution. If you are on a new med, give it time and work on erp in the mean time.
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- 4y
Thank you for this.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
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- 4y
@Anonymous I went through trials, so i would say about 3-4 months. It is different for everyone.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
@Anonymous Speak to your psychiatrist. I started on a med and i remember we raised it every two weeks until i felt better. When the doctor felt that the med is not for me, we switched to another one. Not every ssri will work.
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@Anonymous I really think at week 7 if its not getting any better, I would definitely want to try something else. You deserve it. Thats a long time.
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- 4y
i’m on zoloft and it definitely reduced my anxiety but i still have harm ocd thoughts too
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- 4y
:/ I’m sorry to hear that. Are they as prevalent as they were before? Are you also doing ERP? Even on days that I have less anxiety when I get the harm ocd thoughts, I’m convinced I’ll eventually act on them 😔 it’s so exhausting, even when I successfully sit with the thoughts and let the anxiety subside.
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- 4y
@Drew73 They’re not as prevalent but they aren’t easier to deal with for me. I haven’t started ERP yet but I am soon. And i’m feeling the same way tonight i’m convinced that this is going to lead me down a bad path and i can’t get that thought out of my head
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- 4y
@saranothgee Well, ERP in the short time has helped make the thoughts a little less prevalent and they don’t seem to come as vivid images any more. I’m hopeful that between the erp and Zoloft that you’ll go in remission. Feel free to reach out if you need support
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@Drew73 thank you!!
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@Anonymous Maybe you should switch ? Doesnt sound like its working to much
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- 4y
@saranothgee What do you mean by this. If your anxiety is gone shouldn't it help the thoughts go as well being easier to pass the thoughys
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- 4y
@Kls2121 my anxiety symptoms are gone for the most part-beating heart, difficulty breathing-but my medicine doesn’t help with the intrusive thoughts. i still get them but i don’t experience the same physical symptoms of anxiety that i normally would off my medication
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- 4y
@saranothgee That definitely sounds like a good thing.
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- 4y
@Kls2121 yes and no. it is kind of scarier to me because i’ll have scary thoughts and i won’t have an anxious reaction so it makes me question if i would do these things.
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@saranothgee Ohhhh ok now I understand. Hmmm that sounds kind of scary.
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@saranothgee I wonder if there is something else you can try. Or higher dose.
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What dosw were you on? Ocd yku nerd higher doses roght?
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Sorry I type to fast lol. I heard bigger doses are better for ocd
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I was on lexapro 10mg for close to 4 years. However, it was prescribed for GAD , as no one had ever even considered ocd. It wasn’t until I noticed like a month ago. that since like 16 that my anxiety was always extremely severe and seemingly always tied to one topic. The lexapro was upped to 20mg (max dosage for lexapro) but it was too late, it actually made things worse.
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So what do you do now? How do you deal?
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Got to be something else
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@Kls2121 I responded below, my bad.
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Currently, I am on Wellbutrin for my depression. It’s been a bit of a trade off, I have boat loads of energy and more willpower so I have been exercising and eating better to cope. Right now, I am just doing ERP. From an objective point of view, it has definitely started to help even after only two formal sessions (I started erp on my own prior). So I practice the ERP from my therapy sessions, and just try to follow the advice of my therapist. I also meditate, use a gratitude journal and am working on developing a more structured schedule so I have distractions.
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I do have an appointment with a psychiatrist on Tuesday to iron out my med situation.
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Thats great. Sounds like your doing pretty good.
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@Kls2121 I got put on Effexor today. It’s used off-label for ocd. I was hoping for something else but going to trust the psychiatrists decision and pray that it works out.
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@Drew73 Good luck. Let me know how it goes
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Pristiq 75mg has truly been a game changer
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In reducing intrusive thoughts? Or for all symptoms?
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- 4y
@Drew73 Both
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
I am taking paroxetine for 8 years now. The ssri has taken away physical anxiety, constant crying and gave me the ability to focus at work and sleep again. I have experienced times of remission. With the pandemic, my intrusive thoughts have come back full force and i am doing erp now in addition to taking meds. I feel like the combo of the two truly helps. I am learning to sit with the thoughts and resist all compulsions.
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- 4y
How was it when you started it?
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
You're welcome. Starting meds can be nerve wracking, but you will figure out which one works for you. Wishing you luck with meds and erp 🙂
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- 4y
🥰
Related posts
- Date posted
- 15w
This is kind of a weird question, but I recently increased my SSRI dosage and have experienced tremendous relief. It has quieted my intrusive thoughts so much and my compulsions are no longer as all-consuming. However, I don’t want to be on this high of a dosage forever and know that medication alone shouldn’t be my only fix. I’m seeing a new psychiatrist on Wednesday and am wondering if the recent decrease in frequency of my symptoms will be a bar to my getting ocd treatment? In other words, if in this present moment I’m doing better, but up until a few days ago my compulsions were taking up pretty much every moment of my waking day, will I still be classified as having ocd? I start getting worried when I feel better that I don’t actually have ocd and just use it as a defense mechanism to avoid consequences of my actions/I’m secretly a terrible person
- Date posted
- 11w
For those who have had success with medication for OCD/anxiety, how is your life different now compared to before starting medication?
- Date posted
- 10w
Hi everyone, I’m new to the community. I was diagnosed with OCD just a couple of months ago and have been doing some reading and other research to try and understand the disorder. With this, I have been actively seeing a great therapist who has been helpful to build tools to deal with my intrusive thoughts ( contamination OCD is my worst theme). Do help learn to deal with the compulsions, I start on Sertraline or “Zoloft” I believe since November 2024. Currently I’m on 50mg and have been doing this for just over a month. My question for those who are also taking Sertraline and it has been successful, how do you know it has really provided a benefit and how long did it take to get there? I sometimes feel the medication works, and sometimes I feel it doesn’t (maybe that’s my OCD trying to mess with things). Thanks!
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