OCD Action

OCD!
Member

hi there just spoke to the doc she says to come off the sertraline (which have made me worse
going to try some st johns wort while im coming off them

i was just wondering what everyone else has been taking to get some ideas of what meds i could try while the sertraline comes out of my system...
i have tried other SSRI's in the past (prozac and seroxat) and they made me feel as bad as on the sertraline.
also ive had clomiprimine which didnt give me the anxiety like the SSRI's i mentioned above, but then again the clomiprimne didnt do anything for the OCD either, they just made me feel very hazy

thanks

Wed Jun 1 2011 9:20:51 #
Cuthbert ffoliott
Moderator

I use paroxetine (seroxat), 40 mgs/day. They work fairly well, against urgent fears; against the hoarding they're less successful. However, the checking is definitely less grave.

How medication works is very personal, in mental disorders. Much can be gained by applying a very strict regimen, combined with well-organized sleeping patterns (e.g. 11PM-7AM every day, and not 'varying' on that according to one's impulses); and a healthy diet on fixed times in the day.

Sleeping in is not a good idea. Waking up when the whole world is already in motion can be negative for one's state of mind; and it's harder to fall asleep in the evening. Watching a lot of TV or internet is not so good either, flash imaging and screen radiation don't work out that well, and neither do negative stimuli (violent movies and suchlike).

Well, all of this sounds pretty cliché-like; but the thing with clichés is: they happen to be true most of the times.

Good luck, Cuthbert.

Wed Jun 1 2011 10:31:38 #
Truddles
Member

Hi OCD!,

You shouldn't take St John's Wort whilst taking SSRIs. The St John's Wort interacts with the SSRIs and will make you feel worse. You need to get the SSRIs out of your system before even contemplating taking the St John's Wort and this can take a while.

Speak to your Consultant about this and also see if they will refer you to a medically qualified Homoeopathic Consultant.

Trudy

Wed Jun 1 2011 11:26:53 #
swan
Member

What tablets do I take too many!!!
Rivertil, risperiden ( new) and escrpitam ( think that is a very bad spelling of it) I seem to find now what Im given I dont get an improvement. Hope you get yours sorted
Take care

Wed Jun 1 2011 17:48:22 #
Tess
Member

Hi OCD
I take seroxat 10mg daily and it works wonders for me. But as the SSRIs don't wok for you and you don't think you have depression then maybe you need something for anxiety. I know GPs don't like prescribing valium long term but there must be other tranquilisers which are not addictive which you could try.

Wed Jun 1 2011 17:58:47 #
OCD!
Member

thanks for all your replies, yes im going to look into the non ssri meds, maybe i should try the amitriptylene again, i'll do a bit of research, how would i know if i am depressed though? i have always felt like i have, and thats not great, eg low self esteem, the only thoughts i have about the future are the horrible obsessive ones, etc etc so maybe i am..i'm certainly never overly happy...the fear of contamination and the obsessive thoughts cause most of my anxiety, always have
i have an assessment appointment with the pyscology dept coming up, i think next week, so i'll see what they say,
i wont be taking st johns wort as i saw the price of it today!
i dont watch any TV or movies and bar the last two months i got by on 5 hours sleep, i find i dont need anymore than that

thanks for the tips

Wed Jun 1 2011 21:39:35 #
Ratwomble
Member

Well fluvoxamine works well for me.......

Wed Jun 1 2011 21:59:34 #
OCD!
Member

just looked that up, its a SSRI, i would have reservations about tryin any other SSRI now due to what they do to me,
im having non stop anxiety at the mo, im thinkin its the SSRIs making it worse too, the last 12 days have been awful, ive been restless fidgety and the anxiety has been off the planet, i stopped all caffiene too, and at the weekend i tryed a cup of coffee and felt no different...
think i may try the tricylcic anti D's again, they are sedating too which is what i need at the moment,
thanks

Wed Jun 1 2011 22:43:16 #
sweeteater
Member

Hi OCD!
I tried fluoxetine and it didn't work for me at all, although the dose was fairly low and I hadn't told my doctor how bad it was! (no-one likes talking about their ocd symptoms do they?), but have recently been advised to take sertraline as it has good results. Your post underlines the fact that taking medication is very much an individual thing and that's because all sufferers with ocd seem to have individual symptoms- there is no one size fits all. All I can say is that I've recently tried vit B and it has calmed me down, plus my thinking is a bit clearer. Also, I've read about inositol ( a form of vit b3)that supposedly works on seratonin regulation and has been trialed successfully for OCD sufferers. Could be there are other things out there that work?? It's interesting because I can never work out whether we take the meds to boost seratonin and therefore ease the obsessions, or take them to ease anxiety in order to cope better. It's helpful to know what works for other people though
Hope you find what's right for you

Thu Jun 2 2011 7:06:25 #
Ratwomble
Member

Hi sweet eater. I'm on fluvoxamine, not fluoxetine. It is a much milder ssri but is specifically used for OCD in the us.

D

Thu Jun 2 2011 15:27:54 #
sweeteater
Member

Ratwomble- did it ease the anxiety or make the obsessions seem less real?

Fri Jun 3 2011 7:32:03 #
OCD!
Member

david thats an interesting thing you said about fluvoxamonine being milder, the fluoextine was the worst experience i had of an SSRI, maybe i'll have a chat to the doctor and try it.
im just taking a sertraline (25mg) every other day to come off them now and will go to the doctors next week,
i'm looking at amitriptyline again also due to being mildly sedative, i did have some before but they made me very naseuous so i didnt bother after taking one! that was some time ago
thanks

Fri Jun 3 2011 8:15:08 #
Ratwomble
Member

First of all, let's just say that I'm not a doctor and I don't reckon fluvoxamine is the miracle cure we all want. It works for me, that's all I can say. I should also say that I believe strongly in taking the Meds I am prescribed, in the doses I am prescribed, avoiding alcohol if so directed. I reckon that the doctors know what they are doing better than I do, and so I don't believe in self adjusting dosages. I do know that all the mental health drugs rely on slowly building up constant levels. Taking one pill or irregularly taking a third of the dose isn't ever going to help.

About a year ago I was on mirtazapine and chloripromine (forgive me if I've got the names wrong). My psychiatrist put me on fluvoxamine. Within a week I thought I could see signs of obsessions weakening. I managed to make progress with my cbt and it was very encouraging. Unfortunately I was completely zonked. I went back to the psychiatrist and asked if I should come off the fluvoxamine. She recommended that instead I should come off the others, this greatly reduced the sedative effects.

I was told to expect results in 4-6 weeks, but in practice I found my obsessions easier to deal with almost immediately. It was slow, and maybe I'm wrong about it but I think it was key to my recovery.

I've been on the maximum dose (300mg per day) for a year now. I'm back at work, my obsessions at home are under control and I have my life back. I don't understand why no one else here has been on fluvoxamine, with the exception of one Mexican contributor.

I get mild sleep disruption and the occasional very slight upset stomach. I am delighted to accept these side effects for the benefit it gives me. Oh, and I stopped drinking for a year. I have recently started drinking small amounts. I used to use alcohol a lot to deal with anxiety but now believe that it probably made things worse.

I repeat, this is just my experience.

HTH

David

Fri Jun 3 2011 12:21:52 #
OCD!
Member

thanks david glad it helped you, ive had a few drinks tonight, it was either that or more valium. dont feel to bad at the mo, the restlessness has gone still feelin a little anxious tho, the tablets i have been on in the past have never been a magic tab, in fact all of them bar clomiprimine made me worse. these sertraline have put my anxiety thru the roof, and im getting the agitation feeling and severe restlessness so i think it best to come off them. just feels like im poisoning myself with the tabs and making myself worse...the cleaning compulsions have definately got worse and i tried to walk down the high street last friday an damn near freaked out! (crowds and contamination)

i have always had some reservations about tablets when the insert says "may cause mania or suicidal thoughts" thats why ive avoided them as much as i can in the past...
have been looking into medicinal cannabis oil today, i have had a joint or 2 in the past an is great for the anxiety, and takes the edge off the OCD too...but the fuzzy feeling is something that i dont particularly like...i do think alcohol is a worse drug though. seen a couple of friends ruin their lives through drinking so i'm goin to stay away from it as much as i can, ive been through the heavy drinking stage because of the OCD and anxiety, i was in a bit of debt so i had to get off incapacity benefit and back into driving so i knocked the booze on the head right then...it was bus driving so i had problems handling the money but couldnt handle the debt collectors etc they just dont leave u alone

im glad you got a good result from your therapy, i did a group therapy course but i really didnt get much from it, apart from meeting other people with the OCD, didnt feel so alone with it then. i have an appointment on the 21st july with the psychology dept so will see what that brings
all the best

Fri Jun 3 2011 21:03:22 #
wannabefree
Member

anyone else on Olanzapine? It started off real well, but then I found I need sometimes to prop it up with diazepam. Already on fluoxetine, I'm turning into a junkie... Just to try and reduce the intensity of the triggers...

Fri Jun 3 2011 21:27:39 #
OCD!
Member

thats a new one on me,
i cant see the point of takin tablets if we have to use diazepam to lower the anxiety...i'd rather deal with the OCD than be in a haze too
i do think that drug companies are more interested in profits tho...just my thoughts on it!
i do like a good valium now an again though!
pity they are addictive as they would be perfect for me, they've saved me a few major freak outs in the last few weeks, i even managed to go bowling an wore those hired shoes, somethin i cannot normally do, or come to think of it i cant do much that involves going out at all in a normal situation, unless i know i'll be drinking...as thats a great OCD killer, but i have to drive as i live a bit far out so the few times that ive been out in the last few years hasnt been enjoyable at all

Fri Jun 3 2011 21:48:43 #
rounder97
Member

Hi OCD, I am taking Cipralex. was on 10mg recently and just moved up to 20mg. I think the uptake in the meds has given me an increase in Anxiety at the start. I know when I started the 10mg my symptoms got worse for about 10 days then started to subside. Sometime it is like a light switch goes off and I suddenly feel like I am moving forward. This morning I was on the line with the distress hotline and all of a sudden I feel better tonight. It might be that last night I opened up to my wife again and she lost it on me but today she seems to want to move forward. The cipralex seems to work well for me but when I start it, it sure sucks so I always hate the first few weeks. I am hoping I am over it with the does increase but will let you know how it goes.

Sat Jun 4 2011 3:13:49 #
sweeteater
Member

Dear OCD!
Be careful of the joint thing as I've read it can ultimately mess up your brain and cause irrational thinking- not what you need if you've got OCD...

Sat Jun 4 2011 7:32:23 #
OCD!
Member

thanks guys
ha ha my brains messed up anyway! dont think it could be any worse...i know people whove smoked it all there lives and they fine, just makin the point that the side effects of some of the drugs the doctors hand out are a lot worse...theres an interested film out called run from the cure, hes using for cancer treatment, there must be something in as the major drug companies are looking into it...though sayin that i did some of my own research a lot of the drugs out are based on natural things

Sat Jun 4 2011 21:03:55 #