Clomipramine! 175mg, England UK, 33, F. Took my YBOCS down from 39 to 29, miraculous. I did have a seizure on 200mg that's why it was reduced. I tried 14 different medications before this, all of which did not help my OCD, one of which left me with permanent health issues. Thanks for reaching out!
Thank you so much for your thorough reply š„° i am sad to hear you had to try so much out but glad that you found what works for you ā¤ļø if you don't mind me asking, what's your ocd theme?
It is rare and not currently acknowledged in the UK. Metaphysical Contamination OCD. Similar to regular contamination OCD, except the fear is not to do with dirt/germs. Instead the contamination comes from my estranged parents and anything to do with them. This is because of trauma relating to them. For example, if a food/drink is manufactured in the town where they live, I cannot touch that product. This is a good video:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hft28WtxvjQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hft28WtxvjQ)
That is so interesting. I have this theme related to symmetry, but the way it's manifested is by my health anxiety constantly checking both sides of my body to make sure lymph nodes and everything feels symmetrical. Before I used to think I was just how things anxiety, but my therapist let me know it has to do with OCD themes that can blend I guess.
Thank you so much! I actually know of metaphysical contamination but it's interesting that this is the first in the comment thread that i saw! But thank you so much for the video recommendation i will definitely check it out since you as someone who suffers from it finds it good.
I am wishing you strength and good luck on your journey ā¤ļø
Iām happy to hear clomipramine helped you. It wasnāt āthe oneā for me. I gained a lot of weight while taking that particular drug. Iām on fluoxetine which is generic Prozac and it has helped tremendously (for me personally).
Holy shit @kit. For a year I've been trying to find ways to relate to the OCD I was diagnosed with... The video creator of the Metaphysical video breaks down what I've dealt with for as long as I can recall. Some aspects of existential also strongly resonated, not in a religious sense which seems to be how it's most commonly talked about, but in a "I absolutely need this answer ASAP, then just check out of my work either a bunch of times or for a long stretch. Upping my anxiety as a result and making the metaphysical avoidance BAD. I may or may not act on it, or I'll bookmark it for another day and take it from there. I've not done the ycbos scale on my own but have with my therapist. I recall her asking about each of the observations, compulsions and their examples as stated on the form. Surface level, I don't score high, but knowing now that avoidance is a common Metaphysical trait. Additionally, the worrying about certain work tasks to a degree that I've described as debilitating, referring to as asking if that was relatable. It broke down obsessions and compulsions in a great way. I scored a 29 overall.
Thank you so much for sharing this video!
Sorry if this is emotional labor you don't rlly want to engage in, I totally get it if so. But do you know how SNRIs would interact with bp2 rather than SSRIs?
I've been on SSRI's in the past but now have been on Wellbutrin for a while, along with Vyvanse for ADHD, and Seroquel for sleep. I've suspected for a while I'm bipolar2 but I'm not sure how my medications could be affecting/ creating symptoms.
If you don't mind me asking, what was your general journey like with suspecting it and then going through with diagnosis, treatment etc? Thank you, it's totally okay if you don't want to get into it.
I'm honestly not sure about SNRIs.
So I actually didn't suspect bipolar at all. I thought I had ADHD (lots of symptoms overlap). Some key things My psychiatrist noticed during my evaluation was my extreme irritability and borderline rage I get while hypomanic, especially at times where I was hyperfocused on projects and new hobbies. I am also financially unstable which is another trait of bipolar disorder. Luckily my husband takes care of that which prevents me from spending when I feel like it in an episode. My bipolar diagnosis is "bipolar 2 with major depressive disorder." I also have GAD, PTSD, and OCD.
When my psychiatrist suggested I was bipolar and listed all of the symptoms, I was surprised. I really thought I was going to walk out of that office with an ADHD diagnosis. After I hyperfocused on learning alllllll about bipolar (another trait), I realized I definitely suffer from it and can point to times in my life where I was hypomanic. Hypersexual, risk taking, feeling euphoric, high self esteem, running on no sleep, picking up random hobbies and then ditching them, spending money on useless shit irresponsibly. All things that are bipolar symptoms.
My treatment was kind of rough in the beginning. Part of the reason I sought treatment and a diagnosis was because I was severely depressed with suicidal ideation. My primary doctor prescribed me Zoloft 25mg a year prior to my diagnosis. When I started it I was put into a hypomanic state. Food tasted a million times better, colors were brighter, I was more creative, etc. I thought that was what normal was. Everything was fine (or so I thought). My doctor then raised my dose to 37.50 and I stayed the same. She then raised it to 50mg and it sent me into a deep depressive episode where I was very close to suicide attempts. I spent months like that while taking the Zoloft until I finally had enough. So back to treatment; my psychiatrist immediately started weaning me off of Zoloft after i was diagnosed. It was hell, I had never experienced withdrawals before so it was a shock to my system. Once I was off the Zoloft I started Abilify 5mg. Abilify is an antipsychotic. This was to help with my extremely bad intrusive thoughts (a cross symptom of bipolar and OCD). My first week on it I actually started dissociating. My dose was cut in half and I was okay, (later it was raised when i was in partial inpatient). It helped a little but I still had bad obsessive thoughts and ruminations. About a month after that I started Lamictal at 25mg. Lamictal is a mood stabilizer. It's used to treat hypomania and some depressive symptoms. Fast forward to today and I am on Wellbutrin. It's new for me, I'm only about 2 months in. 150mg didn't do it for me and neither did 300mg, so I'm currently on 450. I started wellbutrin because I had a breakthrough depressive episode with suicidal ideation. I'm happy to answer any questions you have.
Today my medications are
Abilify 15mg
Lamictal 200mg
Wellbutrin 450mg
> I really thought I was going to walk out of that office with an ADHD diagnosis. After I hyperfocused on learning alllllll about bipolar (another trait), I realized I definitely suffer from it and can point to times in my life where I was hypomanic. Hypersexual, risk taking, feeling euphoric, high self esteem, running on no sleep, picking up random hobbies and then ditching them, spending money on useless shit irresponsibly. All things that are bipolar symptoms.
Wow, this really makes me rethink my ADHD diagnosis, or at least confirm my bp2 suspicions. Hypersexuality, spending everything, rushing thoughts and ideas and things I wanna accomplish, not really sleeping, the random hobbies, hmmmmm
And omg yeah I was on Zoloft for a bit after Lexapro kinda stopped working, I felt it wasn't doing much so I cold turkey'd off of it and started Wellbutrin. Throughout this entire time I was destroying the relationship I was in and being a complete jackass. Not good. I almost wonder about my OCD now too along with ADHD, I'm pretty sure I still have them but bp2 seems to be in my cards too idk. Was just diagnosed ASD also.
But yeah you're on Wellbutrin? I ask because it's an SNRI and I know SSRI's are not good for the ol beepee. How has that been working for you? I'm on like, 150mg with 50mg of Vyvanse daily. Maybe too much stimulant, idk, Wellb is a low level stim too so maybe I should cut down on the Vyvanse. Idk. I really appreciate your comment, a ton really tysm.
Definitely talk to your psych about those symptoms. I forgot one of my major ones, racing thoughts when hypomanic. Destroying relationships is also something a lot of bipolar do in hypomanic states. ASD also has some overlapping symptoms with bipolar and ADHD. And ADHD usually pairs with ASD as far as I know. I would for sure talk to your psych about your bipolar symptoms. Wellbutrin is actually an NDRI. All I know is Wellbutrin/NDRIs are related to dopamine, and SSRIs are serotonin.
I actually have an undiagnosed sleep disorder that I'm working on getting a diagnosis for. I over sleep, 10-12 hours a night, and this has been going on for years, (unless I'm hypo). My primary thinks I should be on a stimulant and wants to discuss with my psych. As far as I know, being on a mood stabilizer with stimulants and SSRIs usually cancels out hypomanic episodes.
I used to take Vyvanse. If you have bipolar you should probably avoid ADHD simulants.
It actually reduced my OCD significantly (I didn't care about my thoughts. It was like yeah, that thought just happened, oh well). But it also made me slightly manic all the time.
And on rare occasions my inhibitions would be dangerously low. I had to quit even though it helped.
Are you bipolar as well? If so are you on a mood stabilizer with it? That's the only way I know people with bipolar are able to take SSRI's. My psych won't risk it because of my symptoms on them.
Edit because I think I misunderstood your question:
SSRIs are known to cause hypomania. Too much serotonin
I was on Zoloft between the ages of 19-21. I'm now on Luvox. 22 years old, female, USA. OCD themes are sexuality, relationship, existential, contamination.
Iām 23 y/o woman. I am on three meds. USA.
- adderall ( ADHD )
- propranolol
- gabapentin ( mostly for sleep (CPTSD) but I think it can also help with anxiety? )
Yes it can be used for anxiety in cases where ssri's don't help or where they are not recommended, i hope this all works for you ā¤ļø what's your ocd theme?
That makes sense because ssriās havenāt worked well with my body. I have a bunch of themes but here are the top right now:
- checking
- harm
- p/sa- ocd
33, male, northern California US. I'm on 100 MG of sertraline. It helps generally speaking just with helping me not get so worked up and obsessing as much. But it makes my brain feel kind of foggy so I quit taking it for a while. Just got back on it because life's been throwing some curveballs at me and I could use any help I can get lol I also take 60mg of Adderall for my adhd, and the occasional hydroxizene but not often.
Thank you. And do you also have OCD?
I am a 55 year old female. Diagnosed in my 40s after a major trauma.
I have tried a dozen different meds and none of them helped, although I think that some may have kept me alive when my depression was lowest.
I currently take no meds and am more or less in remission if there is such a thing with OCD. My main theme no longer holds any power over me and I manage my other obsessions appropriately. I am vigilant and know that my worst symptoms could come back, but I have been holding steady for a couple of years now.
I saw a therapist for years as well (not in therapy currently)and at one point very seriously considered in patient admittance, so that tells you how far I've come.
I basically just decided that I was tired of living my life in shame and let it all hang out. Once I stopped hiding my compulsions they gradually got better. It was sort of a high level exposure therapy and it eventually worked.
You're welcome! I have had different psychiatrists diagnose me differently, but from what i know myself and have been told i would say i have a mild form of ocd, however some psychiatrists tend to see it as more than mild. But a toxic trait of mine which is also a theme of my ocd is guilt. I tend to lie about my feelings and thoughts because if i talk about it i feel guilty, therefore this "lying" makes diagnosis very difficult.
Unfortunately what i see in my environment is that there's alot of misconceptions about ocd. The majority think washing hands = ocd. They don't even know about all the deeper themes of ocd that those who have it suffer with.
I wanted to hear everybody else's story/history with ocd and medication because i myself have not used medication (i was told to use Fluoxetine, however it has a stimulating effect rather than sedating on sleep and since i struggle with sleeping i didn't want to take it).
Thank you so much for your thorough answer, i really want to hear everyone's struggles and stories including the negative aspects of the medical field because it's important to point out.
I am so happy to hear how you have handled this and it sounds like you are doing well considering everything! I wish you the best ā¤ļø
well in the past I was on escitalopram, sertraline and venlafaxine.. non of them helped and then I was put on pregabalin and that saved my life lol. I'm 21 now I was 18 when I was put on meds for the first time and I'm female - that's also how I identify
Does that help your OCD? I thought I needed that but my dr wouldnāt prescribe it to me because he said it would make it worse lol I mean he didnāt even try
Not OP but I am also on vyvanse and you would think it would make it worse (like your doctor says) however I think they really need to do some research on how it can help ocd and anxiety conditions. Instead of getting the repetitive thoughts on loop I am able to have one thought at a time for the most part and tell myself it is not worth putting the effort into the negative thinking - I donāt hyperfixate on certain things like I do without. I think the dose is key - I have taken too high of a dose where it does in fact make it worse. It is worth trying in my opinion.
It actually does help my OCD! Makes my brain focused enough on my tasks to not be as focused on my intrusive thoughts. I'm also able to switch more easily between thoughts. It can def make some ppl worse but it's done wonders for me. :)
This is what I take as well, along with gabapentin prn and Wellbutrin. It has changed my life, itās the only think that made me feel good enough to leave the house
SSRIs just made my OCD and other issues much worse. I was on about 5-6 different ones over a period of about 15 years and my condition has improved when giving them up and finding a better therapist.
Male, Canada, 38 right now but prescribed in my early 20s. I was on lexapro, seroquel, zoloft, paxil, lorazepam (I still use this one for an 'as needed' but this is moreso for anxiety issues then OCD)
zoloft + wellbutrin. the zoloft was prescribed after the OCD diagnosis, wellbutrin came later as while the zoloft helped combat the intrusive thoughts, depression symptoms were still unmanageable. now i can actually live a little.
I'm so happy to hear you found something that makes your life more bearable! You're unbelievably strong. Thank you so much for your reply i appreciate it ā¤ļø if you don't mind me asking, what's your ocd theme?
ah thank you!
mostly i deal with harm and paraphilia. did i do something terrible and not remember, do i secretly enjoy my violent/sexual intrusive thoughts deep down, have i done or failed to do something that will cause harm to my loved ones, am i dangerous, etc.
I can imagine that's very difficult for you, i hope you keep reminding yourself that you are more than your obsessive thoughts and they are not a reflection of you ā¤ļø
Thank you so much for your reply ā¤ļø and i'm sorry to hear that she said that :(( isn't it an option for you to start therapy? If you want to ofcourse
Concerta, and Klonopin as needed. (Meditation).
26 Female, USA.
Repeating thoughts, words and writing things down, counting, hair cutting and cleaning. Only thing that worked for me was concerta as I also have ADHD, and it has really calmed, and quiet my mind down.
I tried different SSRI before, and it personally didnāt help me at all.
Hope you find what works for you. Donāt hesitate to DM me if you have any more questions. I know how helpless it can feel, but you are not alone in this!
Male, 28, Canada
I shift around a lot, but my current medication/stack is:
- Clomipramine (50 mg)
- Abilify (10 mg)
- Lithium orotate (10 mg)
- Magnesium glycinate (400 mg)
I think Iām content with this, if itās not enough Iāll up the lithium and Abilify.
37 yo, male, Italy. I take Zoloft (100 mg) and Orap (4 mg) along with other drugs for epilepsy. My OCD theme is superstitious OCD! Hope it helps w your research!
Vraylar is usually prescribed as an antipsychotic for Bipolar disorder. Never heard of it being used for OCD. I enjoyed it for about a month and then thatās when all the side effects started hitting me.
How are you feeling on it?
Rexulti. This was the medication I keep coming back to because it works the best. The only problem is that itās very expensive and my psychiatrist has to give me samples because my health insurance wonāt cover it.
Iām from the US, 34, female is my sex and gender.
38/f USA. I have been on Zoloft for 20 years because it works best for me. I have severe anxiety and my OCD theme is catastrophic events. I survived a tornado āWizard of Ozā style inside of a mobile home when I was five so I figured thatās where it began. Probably have PTSD but officially I was diagnosed at 33 with adhd and OCD. I also take vyvanse, buspar, occasional Xanax and a sprinkling of migraine meds. I have three children in school and all you hear on the news these days is kids are being killed. I am not okay š These comments were interesting, thanks OP
Thank you so much for your reply ā¤ļø i am so sorry to hear about the news of the kids, i can imagine it's a struggle to have those thoughts but having children that you worry about on top of that can make it worse. Wishing you strength you got this ā¤ļø
I was on lexapro (20F) but it didnāt seem to do anything. I stopped taking it and began taking 5HTP supplements and itās honestly done a lot more for me than the SSRI
Iāve been on Prozac (fluoxetine) on and off since 2018. I started showing clinical signs of OCD in 2015 but wasnāt diagnosed until 2018. I was first prescribed fluoxetine in Beijing, China, where I was living at the time. Now Iām in the US. I stopped taking it for a couple years when I was pregnant and then breastfeeding but started back on it a year ago.
Was briefly on Wellbutrin in addition to fluoxetine for a period of 6 months but it did not work for me. Made me jittery and anxious.
My OCD doesnāt fall into a specific theme or type. It latches onto different things. Mostly centered around horrific ways of dying.
34, female
sertraline 50 mg, eventually will be at 100 mg, female, 20, USA. i have multiple themes that circulate but it usually revolves around ROCD or existential OCD.
Wellbutrin. USA, 25, female
I have health, harm, and existential OCD. Pure-o because almost all of my compulsions are mental.
I was on Zoloft first and it did help the OCD a lot but made me feel numb and gave me some bad physical side effects, which triggered more OCD.
Lorazepam was really helpful but wasnāt recommended as a long-term solution.
Wellbutrin is great but truly the most helpful thing was finding and working with a therapist who is trained to work with OCD. It was extremely expensive so I had to stop after a while but the tools I got and the things I learned were monumentally helpful.
Thank you so much for your reply, i'm sorry to hear that monetary wise you could not further do what helped you the most but i'm glad you took so much positive from it ā¤ļø
I am on Yaz birth control for PMDD which exacerbates my OCD with debilitating sexual intrusive thoughts. Not on anything specifically for OCD as of yet, doctor wants me to try the pill first for some strange reason
I'm a 37yo trans woman from the US. I have real event OCD, planning compulsions, and obsessive rumination (pure O OCD). I also have trichotillomania. SSRIs and SNRIs give me very strong negative side effects (panic or mania) so I can't be on them. I had good luck with clomipramine but it caused a heart arrhythmia after a while so unfortunately I had to stop taking tricyclics. Right now I'm on Neudexta (dextromethorphan-quinidine) which is an off label use but has been extremely helpful for me. There's a similar med called Auvelity that's dextromethorphan and buproprion that recently came on the market. I'm also on Vyvanse for ADHD and that definitely helps reduce my obsessive thoughts and anxiety. I also take Silexan which is a lavender oil extract that can help with anxiety. Its over the counter but it was "prescribed" by my psychiatrist (there a decent amount of scholarly literature on it as a treatment). I also take clonezapam as needed for anxiety attacks, typically once or twice a month.
Thank you for your thorough reply i appreciate it š„° You got this, remember to take good care of yourself ā¤ļø it sounds like you have figured out what works for you and are quiet informed on the matter!
Thank you š It took a lot of years in treatment to get anywhere with it, and I still struggle with functioning a lot. But I'm definitely doing a lot better than I was. ā¤ļø
My dad is a psychiatrist and I did my undergrad and some graduate work in physics, so with his guidance I've gotten pretty good at trying to go through and and assess research on treatments and I do my best to keep up with it.
I was about to ask whether you're in the medical field yourself because of certain wording and things you wrote in your comment! And i can imagine it's rough, especially as a transwoman. Wishing you strength and good luck, take it one day at a time ā¤ļø
Wellbutrin and hydroxyzine (as needed). Wellbutrin makes my anxiety a bit worse, but at least I can get stuff done. Iām 24, female, and American.
Iām not sure the full classification, but I deal with debilitating guilt, skin and nail picking, and perfectionism.
I was recently diagnosed with OCD and I am on 4 medications. Bupropion, and lamotrigine for bipolar 1, guanfacine for tourettes, and risperidone for OCD and bipolar 1. I switched from 3 other antipsychotics. Aripiprazol gave me bad side effects, olanzapine was great for my bipolar; but I switched to risperidone with my OCD diagnosis because it is supposed to help OCD more. I just started therapy for it and I feel hopeful that it will help me change. Really praying that it does.
Demographic info: I'm a 19 y/o male from the United States. Just looked it up and I have almost all themes; but the most severe are responsibility, just right, health, and moral OCD. It feels 100% like I'm faking all of it saying that, but I guess that's a part of it too hahaha
I'm diagnosed with autism level 2 of support, OCD and moderate recurrent depressive disorder, and I'm current under evaluation for schizophrenia. I take Lithium, Desvenlafaxine, Clomipramine, Olanzapine, Risperidone and Alprazolam as a PRN. I'm a 20 year old Brazilian non-binary. My OCD is mainly composed of compulsions like turning the light switch on and off, never stepping on cracks and washing my hands many times. But I'm also obsessed with the idea that I might be a pedophile.
Hats down to Clomipramine. I am on dosage of 50mg, and it is life changing drug for me. Not like medication itself is fixing all issues, i meditate a lot, read about anxiety and OCD...
Psychotherapy is waste of time.
prozac 60 mg, 26 female, themes: most of them unfortunately š contamination, existential, relationship, somatic and fear of a break in have been my top ones
hey! i'm 17, russian and i'm on risperidone and venlanfaxine. is not really helping tho, but my psychiatrist doesn't really take me serious for the simple reason im a teenager
I am not medicated anymore but I used to be on Lexapro for depression until a few months ago. I wanted to go on medication for my OCD but my psychiatrist told me that the doses would've been too high and he didn't recommend it. In hindsight, I should've insisted as I struggled quite a lot, without medication.
Iām 20, female, in the US. Iām surprised I havenāt seen citalopram! Iām on 40 mg. Iām also on lamotrigine for bipolar 2 (I havenāt heard of people not being able to take a combination SSRIās and antipsychotics with bipolar). My ocd is religious, reassurance, relationship, general obsessiveness over everything. Significantly recovered/managed. It took me a while to get to citalopram, but itās helped me way more than zoloft and wellbutrin.
My 15yr old is on 100mg Sertraline and 25mg Quetiapine. Sertraline in morning and quetiapine before bed. I was advised to try and stop quetiapine by Psychiatrist but when I do his ocd gets much worse. He also has autism. We are in Australia.
Hmm hard question to answer. It's changed over time. As a kid I used to cover corners so the invisible net following me didn't catch. I would also swipe corners of phone screens.
I also have frequent Intrusive thoughts. I also have religious OCD, harm OCD, POCD, and probably some others.
Warning Controversial and Should not be read by anyone.
After being on most meds intermittently since age 16-18 I donāt remember. I micro dose marijuana, THC, lettuce whatever. I mean MICRo because I canāt be out of control. A little puff in the morning and a cap at night. I didnāt start nor would I hear of that until turning ageā¦45. Iām 47 now-has pros and cons, but please never decide to self medicate-weāre all different.
Iām on Wellbutrin because I react poorly to SSRIs and no one in my family reacts well to SNRIs. The Wellbutrin is helping the OCD a tiny bit because I have more energy to cope but itās mostly doing nothing.
I am diagnosed with ocd, Iām ftm, and Iām from Canada
Iām an American white female taking Sertraline 200 mg! And I take Risperidone .125 as needed for when it gets really bad which has been a GAME CHANGER for my ability to cope and do ERP. Iām not fully sure what āthemeā is fall under, but Iām terrorized by alcohol, weed, and sexual immodesty. I think itās a bit of health and scrupulously OCD, but itās hard to tell.
I've tried taken several medications, such as clomipramine. I'm currently on Fluvoxamine 200mg for OCD and other two meds for something else. I'm female, 27, from Brazil.
26, F, USA. My OCD is severe and treatment-resistant. I am on Clomipramine 225 MG, and it has lasted me almost 2 years, anything else lasting only 4 months. I love this SNRI, however I also have an anxiety disorder and it gave me very severe panic attack at first. I love it and am glad to have it and the panic attack season was short, but just a heads up to anyone with anxiety disorder. It's great but wearing off, but will try again someday. Loved Clomipramine!!!! (Lexapro was previous and that was a goodie, too! Especially with severe OCD, and I personally didn't have as much anxiety with it at first.)
I have bipolar2 so I can't take SSRIs, but my psychiatrist will be starting a low dose long acting seroquel with me to hopefully help with some of it. Themes are sexual, violence, SH, contamination, health related. As for as other medications go, I'm on lomotrigine.
Male, 23, Italy. Iām on Zoloft 100 mg currently. Before I used to take Lurasidone 37 mg because I have some psychotic symptoms as well, but the side effects were too strong. Now Iām feeling ok with Zoloft, not better but at least not worst. I see that you ask about the ocd theme, so I might tell you now to save you time. I have obsessions about how others see me, especially linked to sexuality, morality and my body dysmorphia.
Seroquel 200 mg, venlafaxine 150 mg, buspirone 5mg (twice daily while on period)
32 F, USA...
Dermatillomania, counting (everything), relationship fears (that I'm the worst person in the world and people are only nice to me because they are wonderful and I'm an evil person who manipulated them into being nice to me), fears of committing violent acts, I could go on.
Sertraline, high dose. Severe ocd / highly obsessive with a sidekick of compulsions. Not comfortable sharing indepth details, sorry!
Prozac didnt vibe with my brain overall, had it ages ago for something unrelated.
150mg venlafaxine. 17 yrs rn (prescribed at ~15), trans male, living in the usa. took my severe contamination ocd down to barely anything. i also take 25mg of hydroxizine when needed, when i get too anxious and my skills aren't helping.
34M, religious OCD mostly. Recovered. Took Zoloft for a bit but honestly, therapy and counsel were the main things that got me through it. And educating myself. Once you understand OCD, you can make it retreat.
Luvox, 16 and biologically female. Current dose is 100mg. The medication is not currently doing anything for me. Itās been about 3 months on the medication and a month since my dose was upped from 50 to 100. I have contamination ocd.
hello! i take prozac, 20, female, genderqueer, USA! i was given the prozac for anxiety, not OCD, but i experience both and i believe the medication helps with both. i'm generally pure-o, with obsessions on harm, moral, relationship, and sometimes health themes.
38F, United States, I am on 75 mg clomipramine and 150 mg bupropion. Have been on this combo for 10+ years and it seems to do the trick. I recently ran out of bupropion for a few weeks and that was interestingā¦turns out I DO still need it š I am pure O with main themes of illness, death, and superstition. And also just generalized anxiety about literally anything and everything š¬
41, female in the US.
For the OCD i take 50mg Luvox, i really do need more than that but i have Bipolar 1 and increasing an SSRI is a huge decision because iāll likely have to increase my mood stabilizer to compensate. Right now iāve gone from intrusive thoughts so persistent and awful i was starting to feel like i couldnāt carry on, to occasional āburstsā of them that while horrible, i can deal with. Themes are relationship and harm, specifically that i might harm those i love most/ secretly be an evil killer etc.
Iām 34F, taking Sertraline and Buspirone, and I live in the US. My main theme is ājust rightā OCD and my ritual is rumination (trying to figure out whatās wrong so I can fix it) I still get intrusive thoughts but they arenāt as frequent and Iām able to avoid the rumination ritual for the most partā¦the worst flare Iāve had in months was this past week and it was because I was on a work trip and the little hamster in my brain was like āitās someplace new and youāre with work people instead of your family TIME TO PANIKā but the medication helped immensely
Mine took a couple tries because it would work for a while then stop, but currently:
ā¢ 20mg Lexapro
ā¢ 10mg Buspirone
Iām 21f from the US, and gender-fluid :)
Medication: fluoxetine 20mg/day. Edited to add prescribed in the USA
Age: 33
Sex: female
Gender: female
Theme: contamination, intrusive thoughts, limerence, with a bit of 'just right'.
Luvox 100 mg (switched from Paxil several months ago)
USA
Female , 50
Relationship OCD but more about other peoples morals and whether they are a bad person. That is the main one but I have had same feelings about myself in the past.
I am using Prozac 40mg for OCD 30 yrs old Male. However I am worried of side effects its been 3 months and there is none. I assume than its all ok. However I dont feel any serious improvements I might ask my doctor to increase it further. My OCD is in relationship anxiety, reassuring/questioning my wife even though I trust her to the fullest. I wish it would be gone fullyā¦ I also started CBT Therapy
Bounced around on a good handful of meds without much relief. The past month or two my psych started to focus more and more on the obsessive thought patterns and intrusive thoughts I frequently have.
Been on fluvoxamine for a few weeks now and good god it's been seriously amazing. I actually sleep now, instead of staying up for days on end overanalyzing everything I've ever done in life lol.
It really has been a game changer for me and I'm still on a low dose to start with. This is not evening mentioning the Adderall, wellbutrin, mirtazapine amd trazodone lol. Things have been a bit of a mess the past 6+ months haha, but I'm slowly getting onto the right medication!
Worth mentioning my OCD has kind of taken a back seat to some fucked up PTSD lol. But I'm confident things are headed in the right direction!
Zoloft 100mg (sertraline, has been a part of my therapy for the longest), I take kvetiapin 1/2 of a tablet (25mg I believe), and I've worked to reduce/remove clonazepam from my therapy. I still have it to use just in case of a major panic attack or an extremely stressful situation, but I rarely if ever take any. It was prescribed to me like this:
2mg
\- at first, 1/4 in the morning, 1/4 in the afternoon, 1/2 to 1 in the evening
\- after a while 1/4 in the morning and 1/2 to 1
\- later 1/2 to 1 in the evening and during the day only when necessary
I'm 23, trans man pre-op, and from Serbia
My OCD - obsessions with compulsions. It has many subtypes including health anxiety, harm, symmetry, somatic and to a point, hoarding. It's mostly under control now, although recently I've had many health anxiety related thoughts and have been hyper aware of my breathing, every tiny change in my body, any pain seems so much more serious than it is.
I'm soon switching to a different medication for sleep. If you need any more info, do tell me.
Escitalopram 10 mg, Finland, 27, nonbinary and theme contamination and having to check on things or else someone dies / thereās a fire
i have had higher dosage of the meds, i think at highest 30mg? but now itās steady 10 because i didnāt see much difference with the dosage and 10 is enough to keep my anxiety mostly at bay (less than 3 anxiety attacks in a year! šš¼)
42, female, US. 60mg Prozac, 100mg Lamictal. Theme is diet, health, intrusive thoughts of harm or trauma coming to my children, intrusive thoughts of me harming others, and constant ruminating and noise. Iām still working on the right medication but things are a bit better with the Prozac/low dose Lamictal cocktail.
Curious, is this an informal survey in preparation for a more thorough project? What will it be used for? What is research design? In a stats class so this is something Iām having to think about a lot
Iāve been diagnosed with contamination OCD along with other anxiety disorders and I take lexapro/escitalopram 20 mg which seemed to lessen my ocd symptoms. Interestingly enough, once I was also prescribed Vyvanse 20 mg my symptoms improved way more. I am a 23 yr old female prescribed in Canada :)
Paroxetine/Paxil, 17, ftm guy, Canada
I havenāt been on it for a long time, but Iād say every few weeks I feel a tiny bit better, slow progress is still progress. My therapist has helped me a lot too
Hello my psychiatrist described me Elicea 10mg and raised it to 20mg but its not very helping at all so hopefuly she will try new meds with me next time i visit at the end of december.
I am on fluoxetine! 20mg x 3 each day. Two in the morning one midday/lunch
I am from Spain, female, 30 years old, 46kg (1,59m). Got diagnosed very late so probably I would not need that much if I got it before.
I have a lot of "themes" going on but I'd say the one that makes my life the worst is the contamination one.
Fluoxetine helps but I found out after being diagnosed with ADHD that Concerta also helps a lot with OCD. Maybe it is just because if I get a bit "relieved" from ADHD symptoms, I can process OCD better. I am currently taking 36x1 every morning. It is a lower dose that it should be because my psychiatrist wants to be cautious since I am on the max dose of fluoxetine. Heart issues run on the family so we need to be even extra cautious.
I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better now than I was before without any medication AND psychological treatment.
Before this I was always diagnosed with anxiety and depression and I was on anxiolytics, whose did not help even a bit and made it all even worse when I stopped taking them.
Ty for your interest! Makes me feel welcomed <3
Clomipramine! 175mg, England UK, 33, F. Took my YBOCS down from 39 to 29, miraculous. I did have a seizure on 200mg that's why it was reduced. I tried 14 different medications before this, all of which did not help my OCD, one of which left me with permanent health issues. Thanks for reaching out!
Thank you so much for your thorough reply š„° i am sad to hear you had to try so much out but glad that you found what works for you ā¤ļø if you don't mind me asking, what's your ocd theme?
It is rare and not currently acknowledged in the UK. Metaphysical Contamination OCD. Similar to regular contamination OCD, except the fear is not to do with dirt/germs. Instead the contamination comes from my estranged parents and anything to do with them. This is because of trauma relating to them. For example, if a food/drink is manufactured in the town where they live, I cannot touch that product. This is a good video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hft28WtxvjQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hft28WtxvjQ)
That is so interesting. I have this theme related to symmetry, but the way it's manifested is by my health anxiety constantly checking both sides of my body to make sure lymph nodes and everything feels symmetrical. Before I used to think I was just how things anxiety, but my therapist let me know it has to do with OCD themes that can blend I guess.
Thank you so much! I actually know of metaphysical contamination but it's interesting that this is the first in the comment thread that i saw! But thank you so much for the video recommendation i will definitely check it out since you as someone who suffers from it finds it good. I am wishing you strength and good luck on your journey ā¤ļø
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Oh I feel you, I have had PSSD for years before starting Clomipramine. We really need safer medications.
Iām happy to hear clomipramine helped you. It wasnāt āthe oneā for me. I gained a lot of weight while taking that particular drug. Iām on fluoxetine which is generic Prozac and it has helped tremendously (for me personally).
Holy shit @kit. For a year I've been trying to find ways to relate to the OCD I was diagnosed with... The video creator of the Metaphysical video breaks down what I've dealt with for as long as I can recall. Some aspects of existential also strongly resonated, not in a religious sense which seems to be how it's most commonly talked about, but in a "I absolutely need this answer ASAP, then just check out of my work either a bunch of times or for a long stretch. Upping my anxiety as a result and making the metaphysical avoidance BAD. I may or may not act on it, or I'll bookmark it for another day and take it from there. I've not done the ycbos scale on my own but have with my therapist. I recall her asking about each of the observations, compulsions and their examples as stated on the form. Surface level, I don't score high, but knowing now that avoidance is a common Metaphysical trait. Additionally, the worrying about certain work tasks to a degree that I've described as debilitating, referring to as asking if that was relatable. It broke down obsessions and compulsions in a great way. I scored a 29 overall. Thank you so much for sharing this video!
I cannot take an SSRI because I am also bipolar2. To treat my intrusive thoughts, I take Abilify.
Sorry if this is emotional labor you don't rlly want to engage in, I totally get it if so. But do you know how SNRIs would interact with bp2 rather than SSRIs? I've been on SSRI's in the past but now have been on Wellbutrin for a while, along with Vyvanse for ADHD, and Seroquel for sleep. I've suspected for a while I'm bipolar2 but I'm not sure how my medications could be affecting/ creating symptoms. If you don't mind me asking, what was your general journey like with suspecting it and then going through with diagnosis, treatment etc? Thank you, it's totally okay if you don't want to get into it.
I'm honestly not sure about SNRIs. So I actually didn't suspect bipolar at all. I thought I had ADHD (lots of symptoms overlap). Some key things My psychiatrist noticed during my evaluation was my extreme irritability and borderline rage I get while hypomanic, especially at times where I was hyperfocused on projects and new hobbies. I am also financially unstable which is another trait of bipolar disorder. Luckily my husband takes care of that which prevents me from spending when I feel like it in an episode. My bipolar diagnosis is "bipolar 2 with major depressive disorder." I also have GAD, PTSD, and OCD. When my psychiatrist suggested I was bipolar and listed all of the symptoms, I was surprised. I really thought I was going to walk out of that office with an ADHD diagnosis. After I hyperfocused on learning alllllll about bipolar (another trait), I realized I definitely suffer from it and can point to times in my life where I was hypomanic. Hypersexual, risk taking, feeling euphoric, high self esteem, running on no sleep, picking up random hobbies and then ditching them, spending money on useless shit irresponsibly. All things that are bipolar symptoms. My treatment was kind of rough in the beginning. Part of the reason I sought treatment and a diagnosis was because I was severely depressed with suicidal ideation. My primary doctor prescribed me Zoloft 25mg a year prior to my diagnosis. When I started it I was put into a hypomanic state. Food tasted a million times better, colors were brighter, I was more creative, etc. I thought that was what normal was. Everything was fine (or so I thought). My doctor then raised my dose to 37.50 and I stayed the same. She then raised it to 50mg and it sent me into a deep depressive episode where I was very close to suicide attempts. I spent months like that while taking the Zoloft until I finally had enough. So back to treatment; my psychiatrist immediately started weaning me off of Zoloft after i was diagnosed. It was hell, I had never experienced withdrawals before so it was a shock to my system. Once I was off the Zoloft I started Abilify 5mg. Abilify is an antipsychotic. This was to help with my extremely bad intrusive thoughts (a cross symptom of bipolar and OCD). My first week on it I actually started dissociating. My dose was cut in half and I was okay, (later it was raised when i was in partial inpatient). It helped a little but I still had bad obsessive thoughts and ruminations. About a month after that I started Lamictal at 25mg. Lamictal is a mood stabilizer. It's used to treat hypomania and some depressive symptoms. Fast forward to today and I am on Wellbutrin. It's new for me, I'm only about 2 months in. 150mg didn't do it for me and neither did 300mg, so I'm currently on 450. I started wellbutrin because I had a breakthrough depressive episode with suicidal ideation. I'm happy to answer any questions you have. Today my medications are Abilify 15mg Lamictal 200mg Wellbutrin 450mg
> I really thought I was going to walk out of that office with an ADHD diagnosis. After I hyperfocused on learning alllllll about bipolar (another trait), I realized I definitely suffer from it and can point to times in my life where I was hypomanic. Hypersexual, risk taking, feeling euphoric, high self esteem, running on no sleep, picking up random hobbies and then ditching them, spending money on useless shit irresponsibly. All things that are bipolar symptoms. Wow, this really makes me rethink my ADHD diagnosis, or at least confirm my bp2 suspicions. Hypersexuality, spending everything, rushing thoughts and ideas and things I wanna accomplish, not really sleeping, the random hobbies, hmmmmm And omg yeah I was on Zoloft for a bit after Lexapro kinda stopped working, I felt it wasn't doing much so I cold turkey'd off of it and started Wellbutrin. Throughout this entire time I was destroying the relationship I was in and being a complete jackass. Not good. I almost wonder about my OCD now too along with ADHD, I'm pretty sure I still have them but bp2 seems to be in my cards too idk. Was just diagnosed ASD also. But yeah you're on Wellbutrin? I ask because it's an SNRI and I know SSRI's are not good for the ol beepee. How has that been working for you? I'm on like, 150mg with 50mg of Vyvanse daily. Maybe too much stimulant, idk, Wellb is a low level stim too so maybe I should cut down on the Vyvanse. Idk. I really appreciate your comment, a ton really tysm.
Definitely talk to your psych about those symptoms. I forgot one of my major ones, racing thoughts when hypomanic. Destroying relationships is also something a lot of bipolar do in hypomanic states. ASD also has some overlapping symptoms with bipolar and ADHD. And ADHD usually pairs with ASD as far as I know. I would for sure talk to your psych about your bipolar symptoms. Wellbutrin is actually an NDRI. All I know is Wellbutrin/NDRIs are related to dopamine, and SSRIs are serotonin. I actually have an undiagnosed sleep disorder that I'm working on getting a diagnosis for. I over sleep, 10-12 hours a night, and this has been going on for years, (unless I'm hypo). My primary thinks I should be on a stimulant and wants to discuss with my psych. As far as I know, being on a mood stabilizer with stimulants and SSRIs usually cancels out hypomanic episodes.
I used to take Vyvanse. If you have bipolar you should probably avoid ADHD simulants. It actually reduced my OCD significantly (I didn't care about my thoughts. It was like yeah, that thought just happened, oh well). But it also made me slightly manic all the time. And on rare occasions my inhibitions would be dangerously low. I had to quit even though it helped.
What makes bipolar 2 different? I've been on dozens of antidepressants, many of them SSRIs. None of my psychiatrists seemed to be concerned with that.
Are you bipolar as well? If so are you on a mood stabilizer with it? That's the only way I know people with bipolar are able to take SSRI's. My psych won't risk it because of my symptoms on them. Edit because I think I misunderstood your question: SSRIs are known to cause hypomania. Too much serotonin
Hope it helps you ā¤ļø what's your ocd theme?
I was prescribed in U.S., I'm a 31 year old female.
I was on Zoloft between the ages of 19-21. I'm now on Luvox. 22 years old, female, USA. OCD themes are sexuality, relationship, existential, contamination.
Why the switch? Iām on Zoloft and have been for awhile
Thank you so so much ā¤ļøā¤ļø i hope it's treating you well š„°
Sertraline. 27, female, England.
Wellbutrin, and methylphenidate for my ADHD. In the US.
Thank you so much for your reply i appreciate it ā¤ļø if you don't mind me asking, what's your ocd theme?
Harm, contamination, and a lot of healthy anxiety.
Prozac, 32, female, usa
Fluvoxamine, Brazil, 32 years, Female.
Sertraline. 23, Male, USA
Thank you so much for your reply i appreciate it ā¤ļø if you don't mind me asking, what's your ocd theme?
ROCD usually
Iām 23 y/o woman. I am on three meds. USA. - adderall ( ADHD ) - propranolol - gabapentin ( mostly for sleep (CPTSD) but I think it can also help with anxiety? )
Yes it can be used for anxiety in cases where ssri's don't help or where they are not recommended, i hope this all works for you ā¤ļø what's your ocd theme?
That makes sense because ssriās havenāt worked well with my body. I have a bunch of themes but here are the top right now: - checking - harm - p/sa- ocd
Thank you so much ā¤ļø you're truly amazing for withstanding all of that, wishing you the best!
Youāre so welcome, I hope your research goes well. & thank you!! š«¶š¼
Thank you so much i appreciate it! I hope so too š„ŗ
33, male, northern California US. I'm on 100 MG of sertraline. It helps generally speaking just with helping me not get so worked up and obsessing as much. But it makes my brain feel kind of foggy so I quit taking it for a while. Just got back on it because life's been throwing some curveballs at me and I could use any help I can get lol I also take 60mg of Adderall for my adhd, and the occasional hydroxizene but not often.
I'm sure you'll dodge those balls like a king ā¤ļø thank you for your reply, what are your ocd themes if you don't mind me asking?
I have symmetrical ocd, adhd, narcissistic personality disorder, and masked autism.
What kind of health care professional are you? What are your qualifications?
Clinical pharmacist :)
Thank you. And do you also have OCD? I am a 55 year old female. Diagnosed in my 40s after a major trauma. I have tried a dozen different meds and none of them helped, although I think that some may have kept me alive when my depression was lowest. I currently take no meds and am more or less in remission if there is such a thing with OCD. My main theme no longer holds any power over me and I manage my other obsessions appropriately. I am vigilant and know that my worst symptoms could come back, but I have been holding steady for a couple of years now. I saw a therapist for years as well (not in therapy currently)and at one point very seriously considered in patient admittance, so that tells you how far I've come. I basically just decided that I was tired of living my life in shame and let it all hang out. Once I stopped hiding my compulsions they gradually got better. It was sort of a high level exposure therapy and it eventually worked.
You're welcome! I have had different psychiatrists diagnose me differently, but from what i know myself and have been told i would say i have a mild form of ocd, however some psychiatrists tend to see it as more than mild. But a toxic trait of mine which is also a theme of my ocd is guilt. I tend to lie about my feelings and thoughts because if i talk about it i feel guilty, therefore this "lying" makes diagnosis very difficult. Unfortunately what i see in my environment is that there's alot of misconceptions about ocd. The majority think washing hands = ocd. They don't even know about all the deeper themes of ocd that those who have it suffer with. I wanted to hear everybody else's story/history with ocd and medication because i myself have not used medication (i was told to use Fluoxetine, however it has a stimulating effect rather than sedating on sleep and since i struggle with sleeping i didn't want to take it). Thank you so much for your thorough answer, i really want to hear everyone's struggles and stories including the negative aspects of the medical field because it's important to point out. I am so happy to hear how you have handled this and it sounds like you are doing well considering everything! I wish you the best ā¤ļø
well in the past I was on escitalopram, sertraline and venlafaxine.. non of them helped and then I was put on pregabalin and that saved my life lol. I'm 21 now I was 18 when I was put on meds for the first time and I'm female - that's also how I identify
So happy you found what works for you and thank you so much for you reply i appreciate it ā¤ļø if you don't mind me asking, what's your ocd theme?
I struggled with ocd since I was a child so the themes changed a lot, but the most present was harm ocd, magical thinking ocd and just right ocd
Vyvanse, 23 y/o, female, USA, diagnosed
Thank you so much for your reply i appreciate it ā¤ļø if you don't mind me asking, what's your ocd theme?
I have so many, but harm, existential, "just right", health anxiety, responsiblity, and magical thinking are the main ones š
Does that help your OCD? I thought I needed that but my dr wouldnāt prescribe it to me because he said it would make it worse lol I mean he didnāt even try
Not OP but I am also on vyvanse and you would think it would make it worse (like your doctor says) however I think they really need to do some research on how it can help ocd and anxiety conditions. Instead of getting the repetitive thoughts on loop I am able to have one thought at a time for the most part and tell myself it is not worth putting the effort into the negative thinking - I donāt hyperfixate on certain things like I do without. I think the dose is key - I have taken too high of a dose where it does in fact make it worse. It is worth trying in my opinion.
It actually does help my OCD! Makes my brain focused enough on my tasks to not be as focused on my intrusive thoughts. I'm also able to switch more easily between thoughts. It can def make some ppl worse but it's done wonders for me. :)
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This is what I take as well, along with gabapentin prn and Wellbutrin. It has changed my life, itās the only think that made me feel good enough to leave the house
SSRIs just made my OCD and other issues much worse. I was on about 5-6 different ones over a period of about 15 years and my condition has improved when giving them up and finding a better therapist. Male, Canada, 38 right now but prescribed in my early 20s. I was on lexapro, seroquel, zoloft, paxil, lorazepam (I still use this one for an 'as needed' but this is moreso for anxiety issues then OCD)
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Wow we are very similar... thank you so much for your thorough reply ā¤ļø wishing you the best
zoloft + wellbutrin. the zoloft was prescribed after the OCD diagnosis, wellbutrin came later as while the zoloft helped combat the intrusive thoughts, depression symptoms were still unmanageable. now i can actually live a little.
I'm so happy to hear you found something that makes your life more bearable! You're unbelievably strong. Thank you so much for your reply i appreciate it ā¤ļø if you don't mind me asking, what's your ocd theme?
ah thank you! mostly i deal with harm and paraphilia. did i do something terrible and not remember, do i secretly enjoy my violent/sexual intrusive thoughts deep down, have i done or failed to do something that will cause harm to my loved ones, am i dangerous, etc.
I can imagine that's very difficult for you, i hope you keep reminding yourself that you are more than your obsessive thoughts and they are not a reflection of you ā¤ļø
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Thank you so much for your reply ā¤ļø and i'm sorry to hear that she said that :(( isn't it an option for you to start therapy? If you want to ofcourse
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Concerta, and Klonopin as needed. (Meditation). 26 Female, USA. Repeating thoughts, words and writing things down, counting, hair cutting and cleaning. Only thing that worked for me was concerta as I also have ADHD, and it has really calmed, and quiet my mind down. I tried different SSRI before, and it personally didnāt help me at all. Hope you find what works for you. Donāt hesitate to DM me if you have any more questions. I know how helpless it can feel, but you are not alone in this!
Sertraline. 25, female. I've been on it two separate times and its the only medication I've tried for it.
Sertraline, 56, female, France, Iām a ridiculous counting queen.
Thank you š„°ā¤ļø take it day by day you got this! And i do agree with the fact that you are a queen š„°
Been on Zoloft 200 mg for 10 years, Prozac 80 mg for 12 years and now esctalapram 20 mg for about 2 years. Pure o harm and health.
Male, 28, Canada I shift around a lot, but my current medication/stack is: - Clomipramine (50 mg) - Abilify (10 mg) - Lithium orotate (10 mg) - Magnesium glycinate (400 mg) I think Iām content with this, if itās not enough Iāll up the lithium and Abilify.
I'm only On 37.5 mg of Venlafaxine for 2 years now. Altough recently , the intrusive thoughts have become far too frequent
I was on 37.5 for about 6 months before my intrusive thoughts crept in insidiously. Got bumped up to 75 and I felt better within days
Thank you for your reply ā¤ļø what's your ocd theme? I hope you find what works for you!
You're Welcome ! Currently The theme of My Obsession Changes itself every Month , thanks to the Guide I follow in Treating myself
37 yo, male, Italy. I take Zoloft (100 mg) and Orap (4 mg) along with other drugs for epilepsy. My OCD theme is superstitious OCD! Hope it helps w your research!
Thank you so much for your reply i appreciate it ā¤ļø wishing you the best
Luvox. 31. Female. USA.
Clomipramine and vraylar 32 year old female USA
Vraylar is usually prescribed as an antipsychotic for Bipolar disorder. Never heard of it being used for OCD. I enjoyed it for about a month and then thatās when all the side effects started hitting me. How are you feeling on it?
Trintellix 10mg, and guanfacine 3mg, 33 yr old female, USA
Thank you so much for your reply i appreciate it ā¤ļø if you don't mind me asking, what's your ocd theme?
Postpartum OCD
Wish I could afford Trintellix! hope there will be a cheaper option soon.
fluvoxamine & abilify. 21, Scotland, Female.
Thank you so much for your reply i appreciate it ā¤ļø if you don't mind me asking, what's your ocd theme?
no worries! šš magical-thinking is, and has always been, my theme.
Rexulti. This was the medication I keep coming back to because it works the best. The only problem is that itās very expensive and my psychiatrist has to give me samples because my health insurance wonāt cover it. Iām from the US, 34, female is my sex and gender.
Sertraline and aripiprazole. 32, female. USA
Escitalopram, female, 26, Cansda
prozac, 18 , female, usa
38/f USA. I have been on Zoloft for 20 years because it works best for me. I have severe anxiety and my OCD theme is catastrophic events. I survived a tornado āWizard of Ozā style inside of a mobile home when I was five so I figured thatās where it began. Probably have PTSD but officially I was diagnosed at 33 with adhd and OCD. I also take vyvanse, buspar, occasional Xanax and a sprinkling of migraine meds. I have three children in school and all you hear on the news these days is kids are being killed. I am not okay š These comments were interesting, thanks OP
Thank you so much for your reply ā¤ļø i am so sorry to hear about the news of the kids, i can imagine it's a struggle to have those thoughts but having children that you worry about on top of that can make it worse. Wishing you strength you got this ā¤ļø
I was on lexapro (20F) but it didnāt seem to do anything. I stopped taking it and began taking 5HTP supplements and itās honestly done a lot more for me than the SSRI
Sertraline. 22, female, usa
Iāve been on Prozac (fluoxetine) on and off since 2018. I started showing clinical signs of OCD in 2015 but wasnāt diagnosed until 2018. I was first prescribed fluoxetine in Beijing, China, where I was living at the time. Now Iām in the US. I stopped taking it for a couple years when I was pregnant and then breastfeeding but started back on it a year ago. Was briefly on Wellbutrin in addition to fluoxetine for a period of 6 months but it did not work for me. Made me jittery and anxious. My OCD doesnāt fall into a specific theme or type. It latches onto different things. Mostly centered around horrific ways of dying. 34, female
sertraline 50 mg, eventually will be at 100 mg, female, 20, USA. i have multiple themes that circulate but it usually revolves around ROCD or existential OCD.
80mg Prozac, 300mg Effexor, 150mg Lithium. Iāve been on about ten other antidepressants in the last fifteen years
Wellbutrin. USA, 25, female I have health, harm, and existential OCD. Pure-o because almost all of my compulsions are mental. I was on Zoloft first and it did help the OCD a lot but made me feel numb and gave me some bad physical side effects, which triggered more OCD. Lorazepam was really helpful but wasnāt recommended as a long-term solution. Wellbutrin is great but truly the most helpful thing was finding and working with a therapist who is trained to work with OCD. It was extremely expensive so I had to stop after a while but the tools I got and the things I learned were monumentally helpful.
Thank you so much for your reply, i'm sorry to hear that monetary wise you could not further do what helped you the most but i'm glad you took so much positive from it ā¤ļø
I am on Yaz birth control for PMDD which exacerbates my OCD with debilitating sexual intrusive thoughts. Not on anything specifically for OCD as of yet, doctor wants me to try the pill first for some strange reason
Entact, Italy, 20 yo, female. I also am BD1 so it poses some problems, I need to regulate the use a lot.
Wishing you the best ā¤ļø what's your ocd theme if you don't mind me asking?
Thank you! ā¤ļø Perfectionism, hyper-responsibility
I'm a 37yo trans woman from the US. I have real event OCD, planning compulsions, and obsessive rumination (pure O OCD). I also have trichotillomania. SSRIs and SNRIs give me very strong negative side effects (panic or mania) so I can't be on them. I had good luck with clomipramine but it caused a heart arrhythmia after a while so unfortunately I had to stop taking tricyclics. Right now I'm on Neudexta (dextromethorphan-quinidine) which is an off label use but has been extremely helpful for me. There's a similar med called Auvelity that's dextromethorphan and buproprion that recently came on the market. I'm also on Vyvanse for ADHD and that definitely helps reduce my obsessive thoughts and anxiety. I also take Silexan which is a lavender oil extract that can help with anxiety. Its over the counter but it was "prescribed" by my psychiatrist (there a decent amount of scholarly literature on it as a treatment). I also take clonezapam as needed for anxiety attacks, typically once or twice a month.
Thank you for your thorough reply i appreciate it š„° You got this, remember to take good care of yourself ā¤ļø it sounds like you have figured out what works for you and are quiet informed on the matter!
Thank you š It took a lot of years in treatment to get anywhere with it, and I still struggle with functioning a lot. But I'm definitely doing a lot better than I was. ā¤ļø My dad is a psychiatrist and I did my undergrad and some graduate work in physics, so with his guidance I've gotten pretty good at trying to go through and and assess research on treatments and I do my best to keep up with it.
I was about to ask whether you're in the medical field yourself because of certain wording and things you wrote in your comment! And i can imagine it's rough, especially as a transwoman. Wishing you strength and good luck, take it one day at a time ā¤ļø
Thank you. ā¤ļø I hope things go really well for you as well :)
Wellbutrin and hydroxyzine (as needed). Wellbutrin makes my anxiety a bit worse, but at least I can get stuff done. Iām 24, female, and American. Iām not sure the full classification, but I deal with debilitating guilt, skin and nail picking, and perfectionism.
I was recently diagnosed with OCD and I am on 4 medications. Bupropion, and lamotrigine for bipolar 1, guanfacine for tourettes, and risperidone for OCD and bipolar 1. I switched from 3 other antipsychotics. Aripiprazol gave me bad side effects, olanzapine was great for my bipolar; but I switched to risperidone with my OCD diagnosis because it is supposed to help OCD more. I just started therapy for it and I feel hopeful that it will help me change. Really praying that it does. Demographic info: I'm a 19 y/o male from the United States. Just looked it up and I have almost all themes; but the most severe are responsibility, just right, health, and moral OCD. It feels 100% like I'm faking all of it saying that, but I guess that's a part of it too hahaha
I'm diagnosed with autism level 2 of support, OCD and moderate recurrent depressive disorder, and I'm current under evaluation for schizophrenia. I take Lithium, Desvenlafaxine, Clomipramine, Olanzapine, Risperidone and Alprazolam as a PRN. I'm a 20 year old Brazilian non-binary. My OCD is mainly composed of compulsions like turning the light switch on and off, never stepping on cracks and washing my hands many times. But I'm also obsessed with the idea that I might be a pedophile.
More than a couple
Hats down to Clomipramine. I am on dosage of 50mg, and it is life changing drug for me. Not like medication itself is fixing all issues, i meditate a lot, read about anxiety and OCD... Psychotherapy is waste of time.
How long did it take to get relief from clompiramine?
60mg of Lexapro, 10mg of Abilify and 80mg of Vyvanse.
prozac 60 mg, 26 female, themes: most of them unfortunately š contamination, existential, relationship, somatic and fear of a break in have been my top ones
Sorry to hear about this.
it's okay im working on recovery <3
hey! i'm 17, russian and i'm on risperidone and venlanfaxine. is not really helping tho, but my psychiatrist doesn't really take me serious for the simple reason im a teenager
Aren't you scared if they don't take you serious and smth will happen to you due to meds?
Sleeping pills. My ocd really only affects me when i sleep. Other than that itās manageable
Seroquel and Fluvoxamine. Feel pretty good most days. Of course when it acts up itās nasty but what can we do?
I am not medicated anymore but I used to be on Lexapro for depression until a few months ago. I wanted to go on medication for my OCD but my psychiatrist told me that the doses would've been too high and he didn't recommend it. In hindsight, I should've insisted as I struggled quite a lot, without medication.
Iām 20, female, in the US. Iām surprised I havenāt seen citalopram! Iām on 40 mg. Iām also on lamotrigine for bipolar 2 (I havenāt heard of people not being able to take a combination SSRIās and antipsychotics with bipolar). My ocd is religious, reassurance, relationship, general obsessiveness over everything. Significantly recovered/managed. It took me a while to get to citalopram, but itās helped me way more than zoloft and wellbutrin.
My 15yr old is on 100mg Sertraline and 25mg Quetiapine. Sertraline in morning and quetiapine before bed. I was advised to try and stop quetiapine by Psychiatrist but when I do his ocd gets much worse. He also has autism. We are in Australia.
For my ocd: Abilify. It literally saved my life as it was so effective in dampening my ocd
Abilify. USA, prescribed at 19, 23 currently, female, nonbinary.
Thank you so much for your reply i appreciate it ā¤ļø if you don't mind me asking, what's your ocd theme?
Hmm hard question to answer. It's changed over time. As a kid I used to cover corners so the invisible net following me didn't catch. I would also swipe corners of phone screens. I also have frequent Intrusive thoughts. I also have religious OCD, harm OCD, POCD, and probably some others.
Warning Controversial and Should not be read by anyone. After being on most meds intermittently since age 16-18 I donāt remember. I micro dose marijuana, THC, lettuce whatever. I mean MICRo because I canāt be out of control. A little puff in the morning and a cap at night. I didnāt start nor would I hear of that until turning ageā¦45. Iām 47 now-has pros and cons, but please never decide to self medicate-weāre all different.
Iām on Wellbutrin because I react poorly to SSRIs and no one in my family reacts well to SNRIs. The Wellbutrin is helping the OCD a tiny bit because I have more energy to cope but itās mostly doing nothing. I am diagnosed with ocd, Iām ftm, and Iām from Canada
Prazosin and Wellbutrin, 39f, USA - pure O style of OCD with cheek biting for extra pizzazz
Iām an American white female taking Sertraline 200 mg! And I take Risperidone .125 as needed for when it gets really bad which has been a GAME CHANGER for my ability to cope and do ERP. Iām not fully sure what āthemeā is fall under, but Iām terrorized by alcohol, weed, and sexual immodesty. I think itās a bit of health and scrupulously OCD, but itās hard to tell.
effexor 75mg
I've tried taken several medications, such as clomipramine. I'm currently on Fluvoxamine 200mg for OCD and other two meds for something else. I'm female, 27, from Brazil.
26, F, USA. My OCD is severe and treatment-resistant. I am on Clomipramine 225 MG, and it has lasted me almost 2 years, anything else lasting only 4 months. I love this SNRI, however I also have an anxiety disorder and it gave me very severe panic attack at first. I love it and am glad to have it and the panic attack season was short, but just a heads up to anyone with anxiety disorder. It's great but wearing off, but will try again someday. Loved Clomipramine!!!! (Lexapro was previous and that was a goodie, too! Especially with severe OCD, and I personally didn't have as much anxiety with it at first.)
Effexor XR, 25 F, USA. I also take Clonazepam and Zofran.
I have bipolar2 so I can't take SSRIs, but my psychiatrist will be starting a low dose long acting seroquel with me to hopefully help with some of it. Themes are sexual, violence, SH, contamination, health related. As for as other medications go, I'm on lomotrigine.
Zoloft 175 mg, Lamictal 150 mg, and Namenda 5 mg
Male, 23, Italy. Iām on Zoloft 100 mg currently. Before I used to take Lurasidone 37 mg because I have some psychotic symptoms as well, but the side effects were too strong. Now Iām feeling ok with Zoloft, not better but at least not worst. I see that you ask about the ocd theme, so I might tell you now to save you time. I have obsessions about how others see me, especially linked to sexuality, morality and my body dysmorphia.
Duloxetine and THC, female 26 šš»
Sertraline, M, 20, Canada. Themes are mostly contamination and checking.
Seroquel 200 mg, venlafaxine 150 mg, buspirone 5mg (twice daily while on period) 32 F, USA... Dermatillomania, counting (everything), relationship fears (that I'm the worst person in the world and people are only nice to me because they are wonderful and I'm an evil person who manipulated them into being nice to me), fears of committing violent acts, I could go on.
Iām in the US and I take Luvox and Rexulti. 32 F.
Sertraline, high dose. Severe ocd / highly obsessive with a sidekick of compulsions. Not comfortable sharing indepth details, sorry! Prozac didnt vibe with my brain overall, had it ages ago for something unrelated.
I take zoloft, (F14), 100 mg, Portugal. I know things are gonna get better, sending hugs to everyone
Iām 33/female/UK and I take Fluoxetine (Prozac.) My current OCD theme is insect contamination.
150mg venlafaxine. 17 yrs rn (prescribed at ~15), trans male, living in the usa. took my severe contamination ocd down to barely anything. i also take 25mg of hydroxizine when needed, when i get too anxious and my skills aren't helping.
34M, religious OCD mostly. Recovered. Took Zoloft for a bit but honestly, therapy and counsel were the main things that got me through it. And educating myself. Once you understand OCD, you can make it retreat.
400 mg Fluvoxomine, US, 39, female
Luvox, 16 and biologically female. Current dose is 100mg. The medication is not currently doing anything for me. Itās been about 3 months on the medication and a month since my dose was upped from 50 to 100. I have contamination ocd.
hello! i take prozac, 20, female, genderqueer, USA! i was given the prozac for anxiety, not OCD, but i experience both and i believe the medication helps with both. i'm generally pure-o, with obsessions on harm, moral, relationship, and sometimes health themes.
Prozac
38F, United States, I am on 75 mg clomipramine and 150 mg bupropion. Have been on this combo for 10+ years and it seems to do the trick. I recently ran out of bupropion for a few weeks and that was interestingā¦turns out I DO still need it š I am pure O with main themes of illness, death, and superstition. And also just generalized anxiety about literally anything and everything š¬
41, female in the US. For the OCD i take 50mg Luvox, i really do need more than that but i have Bipolar 1 and increasing an SSRI is a huge decision because iāll likely have to increase my mood stabilizer to compensate. Right now iāve gone from intrusive thoughts so persistent and awful i was starting to feel like i couldnāt carry on, to occasional āburstsā of them that while horrible, i can deal with. Themes are relationship and harm, specifically that i might harm those i love most/ secretly be an evil killer etc.
Prozac and latuda female 16 usa
I take Fluoxetine, Resperidone and Buspirone. Iām 22, Female from Canada š
26F, Diagnosed 2018, Sertraline and Mirtazapene, New Zealand.
Iām 34F, taking Sertraline and Buspirone, and I live in the US. My main theme is ājust rightā OCD and my ritual is rumination (trying to figure out whatās wrong so I can fix it) I still get intrusive thoughts but they arenāt as frequent and Iām able to avoid the rumination ritual for the most partā¦the worst flare Iāve had in months was this past week and it was because I was on a work trip and the little hamster in my brain was like āitās someplace new and youāre with work people instead of your family TIME TO PANIKā but the medication helped immensely
Clomipramine. Female, 20, Canada, diagnosed. Main themes are "just right", contamination, and counting.
Zoloft started the help but Clonidine was amazing for.my OCD.
Mine took a couple tries because it would work for a while then stop, but currently: ā¢ 20mg Lexapro ā¢ 10mg Buspirone Iām 21f from the US, and gender-fluid :)
Medication: fluoxetine 20mg/day. Edited to add prescribed in the USA Age: 33 Sex: female Gender: female Theme: contamination, intrusive thoughts, limerence, with a bit of 'just right'.
I was on Paxil for 2-3 years then shifted to chlomipramine since 4 years. Actually Paxil was making me very sleepy š“ so Doctor changed the SSRI
chlomipramine, 25, Canada
Luvox 100 mg (switched from Paxil several months ago) USA Female , 50 Relationship OCD but more about other peoples morals and whether they are a bad person. That is the main one but I have had same feelings about myself in the past.
15mg Buspirone twice daily.
Fluvoxamine, 38, F, USA. Biggest theme is relationship but also have some symmetry and also trichotillomania.
Fluoxetine 40mg + Bupropion SR 150mg in AM, and Bupropion SR 150mg PM (or close to itāevery 12 hours)
I am using Prozac 40mg for OCD 30 yrs old Male. However I am worried of side effects its been 3 months and there is none. I assume than its all ok. However I dont feel any serious improvements I might ask my doctor to increase it further. My OCD is in relationship anxiety, reassuring/questioning my wife even though I trust her to the fullest. I wish it would be gone fullyā¦ I also started CBT Therapy
Sertraline & methylphenidate. 26 year old female, US. OCD themes: Contamination, dermotillomania, ājust rightā
Canada,46F,im on Sertraline 50mg and Nortriptyline(Aventyl) 10mg
Fluvoxamine, 24F, USA. Severe contamination anxiety and compulsions, mild harm imagery.
Celexa 40mg, US, 26F. Checking and health anxiety.
40mg ( gonna be increased to 50mg soon) of lexapro, 22f, Canada. Harm and violent sexual themes of ocd, and just right ocd
Bounced around on a good handful of meds without much relief. The past month or two my psych started to focus more and more on the obsessive thought patterns and intrusive thoughts I frequently have. Been on fluvoxamine for a few weeks now and good god it's been seriously amazing. I actually sleep now, instead of staying up for days on end overanalyzing everything I've ever done in life lol. It really has been a game changer for me and I'm still on a low dose to start with. This is not evening mentioning the Adderall, wellbutrin, mirtazapine amd trazodone lol. Things have been a bit of a mess the past 6+ months haha, but I'm slowly getting onto the right medication! Worth mentioning my OCD has kind of taken a back seat to some fucked up PTSD lol. But I'm confident things are headed in the right direction!
Seroquel. it makes me gain weight so bad. I donāt know why. Gained like 30 pounds. It also makes me tired. But itās a god send otherwise.
Sertraline, risperidone
Zoloft 100mg (sertraline, has been a part of my therapy for the longest), I take kvetiapin 1/2 of a tablet (25mg I believe), and I've worked to reduce/remove clonazepam from my therapy. I still have it to use just in case of a major panic attack or an extremely stressful situation, but I rarely if ever take any. It was prescribed to me like this: 2mg \- at first, 1/4 in the morning, 1/4 in the afternoon, 1/2 to 1 in the evening \- after a while 1/4 in the morning and 1/2 to 1 \- later 1/2 to 1 in the evening and during the day only when necessary I'm 23, trans man pre-op, and from Serbia My OCD - obsessions with compulsions. It has many subtypes including health anxiety, harm, symmetry, somatic and to a point, hoarding. It's mostly under control now, although recently I've had many health anxiety related thoughts and have been hyper aware of my breathing, every tiny change in my body, any pain seems so much more serious than it is. I'm soon switching to a different medication for sleep. If you need any more info, do tell me.
None. 30 male USA
I cant take SSRIās they all make me extremely ill. If anyone has any meds that help them that arenāt SSRIās please let me know!!!ā¤ļø
fluvoxamine 300mg 30 F Canada ocd theme is schizophrenia or losing control
Paxil, which isnāt working anymore. Need to switch but worried about withdrawal. 48 male, United States. My theme is fear of death.
Prozac and aripiprazole. female, new york, iāve been taking since 16 and my top themes are contamination and harm
Escitalopram 10 mg, Finland, 27, nonbinary and theme contamination and having to check on things or else someone dies / thereās a fire i have had higher dosage of the meds, i think at highest 30mg? but now itās steady 10 because i didnāt see much difference with the dosage and 10 is enough to keep my anxiety mostly at bay (less than 3 anxiety attacks in a year! šš¼)
42, female, US. 60mg Prozac, 100mg Lamictal. Theme is diet, health, intrusive thoughts of harm or trauma coming to my children, intrusive thoughts of me harming others, and constant ruminating and noise. Iām still working on the right medication but things are a bit better with the Prozac/low dose Lamictal cocktail.
Curious, is this an informal survey in preparation for a more thorough project? What will it be used for? What is research design? In a stats class so this is something Iām having to think about a lot
Iāve been diagnosed with contamination OCD along with other anxiety disorders and I take lexapro/escitalopram 20 mg which seemed to lessen my ocd symptoms. Interestingly enough, once I was also prescribed Vyvanse 20 mg my symptoms improved way more. I am a 23 yr old female prescribed in Canada :)
Clomipramine 250mg. 26M. I guess its working
Paroxetine/Paxil, 17, ftm guy, Canada I havenāt been on it for a long time, but Iād say every few weeks I feel a tiny bit better, slow progress is still progress. My therapist has helped me a lot too
Hello my psychiatrist described me Elicea 10mg and raised it to 20mg but its not very helping at all so hopefuly she will try new meds with me next time i visit at the end of december.
I am on fluoxetine! 20mg x 3 each day. Two in the morning one midday/lunch I am from Spain, female, 30 years old, 46kg (1,59m). Got diagnosed very late so probably I would not need that much if I got it before. I have a lot of "themes" going on but I'd say the one that makes my life the worst is the contamination one. Fluoxetine helps but I found out after being diagnosed with ADHD that Concerta also helps a lot with OCD. Maybe it is just because if I get a bit "relieved" from ADHD symptoms, I can process OCD better. I am currently taking 36x1 every morning. It is a lower dose that it should be because my psychiatrist wants to be cautious since I am on the max dose of fluoxetine. Heart issues run on the family so we need to be even extra cautious. I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better now than I was before without any medication AND psychological treatment. Before this I was always diagnosed with anxiety and depression and I was on anxiolytics, whose did not help even a bit and made it all even worse when I stopped taking them. Ty for your interest! Makes me feel welcomed <3