medication or not bother?

[Guest Claire88]

Hi guys,

Im just thinking whether meds are really worth it.

I have been on prozac for some weeks now...upped 1 week ago to 40mg per day and I still feel no different.

Hit and run fear and camera fear are still through the roof and im sick of it.

Any advice?

I am sticking with the little journeys and today didnt go so well as I felt id done it too fast and had to go back out and re-check 2.5 times.

Just not sure what else to try and scared im destined to be like this for the rest of my life.

:helpsmilie: :helpsmilie:

[Guest Steviemfc]

Hi Claire,

I upped my prozac from 20mg to 40mg 5 weeks ago and i think i am starting to feel only a slight difference now, but I can remember the last time I was on it, it took betwen 6-8 weeks to start noticing a difference so my advice would be too stick with it. The longer you are on it at this dose the better you will feel and if you dont notice much change you could always see your GP about going on to a higher dose.

Cheers

Stevie

[Guest Claire88]

Hi Stevie,

Thank you for replying, I have been on prozac for 6 weeks and this started at 20mg and the last 2 weeks on 40mg. Suppose it is still early days but I never realise until I actually count back.

Just hope improvements do start.

Its also hard to judge as ive pretty much stopped driving now and only doing 2 miles a day

Maybe one day ey?

Thanks again

[Guest Jonas]

It can take a very long time before maximal benefit of the drug is achieved. In the order of several months.

[Guest Claire88]

Thats good to hear if im honest.

Ive always been someone where meds have little effect other than anti-biotics when Im ill.

I have to take certain headache tablets if I have one otherwise they have no effect.

Maybe im just one of the unlucky ones where it wont have effect.

Just be my luck in life I think

[Guest pringles]

Hi Claire,

I havent been on for a while, been working away, hope you are ok, I started mine about the same time as you, and sometimes I take 60mg on spike days, and only 20mg on others, doctor says I can take a max of 60mg in one day, and it will take a couple of months to notice the difference, I'm on fluoxatine.

Driving can be a pain cant it :blushing: Checking after the slightest thing. nightmare.

Love pringles

[Guest Claire88]

Well its now got to the point where I barely drive.

I went out today but my mum did mention something and thats I need to stop checking. There is no point in me doing the small journeys if I am still going to re-check.

3 times I went back tonight and it would have been more if I could but I couldnt bare it any longer and managed to keep myself occupied.

I dont want to live this hell for the rest of my life. I want to be able to drive anywhere whenever I want.

C

Am I ever going to be able to beat it? Am I too weak?

So many questions that remain unanswered......

[whitebeam]

it would have been more if I could but I couldnt bare it any longer and managed to keep myself occupied.

Am I ever going to be able to beat it?

Hi Claire,

You are already beating it - you would have checked more times - but in the end you got out of the checking cycle and finished your journey.

Your recovery may be up and down, two steps forward and one back - but it will be going in the right direction.

You will get there!!

Take care :original:

whitebeam

[Guitar playing sufferer]

Hey Claire,

Like you, i wasnt sure whether to go on the meds, but ive now been on clomipramine for 3 months and finding that they stabilised me (i was really quite wound up and suffering terrible panic) and are aiding me on the road to recovery.

Most say that the most effective way of beating OCD is a combination of meds and CBT. I think its best to try these, rather than persevere for years and wish you'd started getting things back on track sooner.

Remember, plenty of support with any options you decide on here.

GPS

[Guest SallyB]

Meds have been a lifesaver for me. I am currently on 60mg of paroxetine and 20mg of clomipramine. This combination works well for me in terms of keeping depression at bay, helping me sleep and lowering my anxiety. I was desperate and suicidal when I first started on medication and it really did save me.

I have managed to continue working (with a blip last year when I had 3 months off with work related depression) throughout my life and don't think I would be still able to lead a 'relatively' normal life without these drugs.

Sally

PS Having said that I did put off having medication for a long time and only took it because I was so desperate and couldn't cope.

Edited September 2, 2009 by Guest

[Guitar playing sufferer]

Glad to hear the meds have helped Sally and that you're back on track. Don't be scared to give them a go Claire, they really may help you:)

Good luck both,

GPS x

[Guest Claire88]

Thank you.

I am currently taking prozac (fluoxetine) 40mg per day. Just trying to work out whether its making any change. I have thoughts quite a lot this week and not sure why. My checking is also getting strange, if I get off a bus I have to check I havent left anything. If I put bags down to rest I do the same and if I think I have dropped/left something I sometimes have to go back.

Does anyone know whether me also taking vitB with Fluoxetine is OK?

I did ask my gp and he said stay away from complete niacin but vitb is OK.

Im still learning/playing round with things to see what will work.

OOOO tonight I did the smaller journey, was very scared after my dream last night but I did it and didnt turn around to re-check. Going to do again tomorrow and see what happens.

I just want to be able to do the longer journey the same

C

[Guitar playing sufferer]

As mentioned earlier in the thread it often takes several weeks, even months before you begin to realise the real benefits of medication. Hang in there and see how you get on with it.

Just thinking about what you said regarding the need to check, an idea for you to look in to; it is the use of mindfulness. The concept behind this is concentrating only on the here and now and not anything else in the past or future; so for example, when getting off the bus it may be natural to check you have your bag or coat but instead of obsessing, focus only on the ground you've just treaded on or the weather or feeling of the wind on your face - the obsession regarding whether or not you have left anything should gradually subside as you begin to experience more things.

The quote I heard is this, it may help:

"Whatever your attention is on, that's what life is for you at any given time".

There are plenty of sites on line and books regarding mindfulness. Whilst it is merely an aid to help overcome OCD i think it really is useful to help you build or more peaceful and rounded way of life.

Hope this helps

GPS

[Guest Claire88]

Hi GPS and thank you.

I will give it ago and to me theres only 3 important things which I know never leave me...my phone, purse and keys. I need to focus on the fact anything else doesnt bother me (god knows why I carry so much around lol)

Thanks again

[Guest optimus99]

hi claire

I would agree with what others have said on here. I likewise have an obsession to check/re-check/need for certainty/need to remember obscure things etc so i perfectly understand some of your re-checking habits like looking around thinking you have dropped something etc- i have been through the same things- you just need to remember thats its OCD that is to blame not you and not get too downhearted- things can get better but the truth is OCD is not easily beaten- it does take time and hard work.

I tried to get through it by CBT alone for a few months and things did improve for me but unfortunately i had let my OCD get too severe and the urges were too strong so i required medication in addition to help push things along. As others have said it varies from person to person but it can take many weeks before it starts to really help. I have been on 60mg prozac per day since december last year. I would say it took at least 2-3 months before it started to help a lot. But you must recognize that medication is not a cure particularly if your OCD is severe- it simply reduces the anxieties/urges and makes CBT much easier to achieve. Life now is much more manageable for me and OCD no longer totally dominates my life like it once did but it is still there- i still have thoughts/urges to check and on bad days i do give in a bit and old habits come back in. I may well have to try a different medication to see if that can work better. Fighting OCD is tough and you just need to try to be as determined as you can be-everyone feels terrible at the beginning that they are never going to get better-life is terrible with severe OCD- but just try to be patient -most people can improve once they find the right treatment that works for them.

good luck claire- hope things start to improve for you very soon

chris

Edited September 2, 2009 by Guest

[Guest Claire88]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your reply. I agree that medication is no cure and maybe I am seeing a difference already (mentioned what happened today in my Diary post)

Just a matter of time and hard hard work and i think maybe something will start improving.

I also think my checking has had to show itself another way as I barely drive at the moment so this is where the left/dropped something has kicked in. I also have stronger contamination fear (anti-bac handwash then gel) some days.

Oh well its all part of the recovery I guess.

Thanks again