OCD Action

Unregistered

Hi

Prof Salkovskis believes that the side effects of mediction outweigh the good. I am about to test this theory. I have around 85% control now. I walked on all those nasty drains in London on Saturday (even the underground vents and the drains with the holes in) and wiped my hands on the bottom of my shoes and then rubbed them over my hair, with no backlash.

I have huge side-effects from citalopram. I have put on 10lbs, am a bit lethargic and have less concntration than I should have. So, today I have cut down to 10mg a day to see if I keep 85% control without citalopram. I will be walking on drains every day and going to bed without showering as I am doing at present. In one month's time I will then cut them out completely. I will let you know whether or not my thoughts come back and whether or not I get more anxious. I think this will be useful for the project.

Has anyone else successfully tried this before with no relapse?

Anne

Mon Feb 8 2010 10:28:53 #
aishah
Member

Hi Anne, I came off Seroxat after 5 years ago and within two weeks started going downhill rapidly and then started taking citalopram, which I have been on now for 2 years or so.
I have recently had a bad experience with clomipromine as you know. I take 60mg of citalopram daily and am thinking of reducing it as soon as i get back on my feet again. I would like to be medication free one day like you. I hope you are successful in coming off it without a relapse. I would think you would be ok as you are on a very low dose anyway.

Good Luck
Bridget
x

Mon Feb 8 2010 12:12:01 #
Unregistered

Anne, good luck sweetie. Let me know how you get on

Giles

Mon Feb 8 2010 14:35:47 #
Unregistered

Hi Anne
I'd love to know if it's possible to give up meds but I'm not going to take the risk. I have managed to get my Seroxat down to 10mg daily, side effects are minimal - stomach acidity but can be controlled by sensible eating - or if I binge on crisps and chips and cream cakes I accept the punishment.
My son tried weaning himself off his Seroxat after 2 years and disaster.
Be careful - and if you start to slide grab those meds and don't feel a failure. Being a human guinea pig for the Project is beyond the call of duty.

Mon Feb 8 2010 18:41:23 #
Unregistered

Hi Joyce

I know I will be ok on 10mg and will go back if I cannot cope on none. Meds have never worked on me in the past and I think that it is the CBT which has made me better and not the meds. Strangely homeopathy always worked better than anafranil. One drop a day worked better than 250mg of anafranil. In fact twenty years back, a psyhiatrist in the area was using a mixture of drugs and homoepathy on his seriously ill patients.

But I will grab the meds if I need them. The point is that I make mistakes if I am on citalopram. I found this when I was correcting my thesis last year. The moment I came off them I stopped making errors -- worrying.
Anne

Mon Feb 8 2010 18:52:01 #