effexor for OCD

[tadeusz]

Is Effexor / Venlafaxine a suitable treatment for OCD?

"It can treat depression, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder"

It's cool it can treat anxiety, but has anyone found it useful for OCD?

"Venlafaxine is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs)."

is its action on norepinephrine relevant to OCD? tyvm

[Ashley]

No medication can treat OCD.

But medication can help a person cope better with the anxiety.  But like we post all the time when it comes to meds, your question is somewhat pointless because what helps person A medication wise can have a very different impact (from good to bed) on person's B, C and D etc.  So medication is a very individual thing.

In terms of treating OCD, that comes from therapy (CBT) and lots and lots of hard work on our part   

[tadeusz]

Lexapro worked for me several years ago ... so I thought I was cured, and stopped taking it .... so the OCD returned

now, a high dose 30mg of lexapro has little effect on the OCD

how about Effexor / Venlafaxine ? this has a different effect to SSRIs, targeting a different neurotransmitter. Anyone with good experiences?

[Ashley]

28 minutes ago, tadeusz said:

Lexapro worked for me several years ago ... so I thought I was cured, and stopped taking it .... so the OCD returned

Exactly my point, which you seemed to have glossed over. Medication doesn't treat OCD, to treat OCD we have to change the way we interpret and respond to our thoughts and medication cant do that, but that is exactly what CBT tries to help teach us.

So your question should not be 'which medication to take' but 'how do I access CBT to treat my OCD?'.

[PhilM]

Ashley I think you are spot on. I always say - well not always (!) it's just my opinion but having been round the roundabout for 20+ years with various drugs ineffectively. I personally do not believe medication can "cure" OCD or other anxiety/mental health conditions. Historically in the 1950s they thought they had found a wonder drug for schizophrenia (Thorazine?) and thought wow here's the cure - but it wasn't and had horrible long-term side effects from my understanding. A lot of drugs I think mask symptoms but I do not think address the underlining problem. A combination of drugs and therapy for OCD - still not sure? It's like my journey with tranquillisers - never helped with OCD but kept me calm but then I built up a dependency on them which I which I have addressing for the last year. So in my view, there is no magic pill and the appropriate CBT route is the way to go if you can access it. Just a thought(s). Best wishes, Phil.

Edited March 12, 2017 by PhilM

[worriedjohn]

I had been on Venlafaxine for a couple of years. It worked just wonder for me. Anxiety came under control and specifically it worked very good on depression. The depression was totally under control. But I discontinued the medicine because I have read on web that this medicine is notorious for horrible withdrawal symptoms. Reaction to SNRIs are different with different people and I can't guarantee that it will work for you. But even if it work, beaware that this medicine is infamous for nasty withdrawal symptoms and very hard to discontinue for some people.

[Ashley]

4 hours ago, worriedjohn said:

I can't guarantee that it will work for you.

Again I want to reiterate to the thread don't take medication expecting it to cure OCD, it simply cant. It can help, but it can't treat or cure OCD on its own.

[tadeusz]

6 hours ago, worriedjohn said:

I had been on Venlafaxine for a couple of years. It worked just wonder for me. Anxiety came under control and specifically it worked very good on depression. The depression was totally under control. But I discontinued the medicine because I have read on web that this medicine is notorious for horrible withdrawal symptoms. Reaction to SNRIs are different with different people and I can't guarantee that it will work for you. But even if it work, beaware that this medicine is infamous for nasty withdrawal symptoms and very hard to discontinue for some people.

Specifically, did venlafaxine work "wonders" for your OCD? I have no depression and little anxiety with lexapro, but my OCD is quite severe.

I tried CBT and it didn't work, I wasn't able to stop doing the compulsions.

[Ashley]

52 minutes ago, tadeusz said:

Specifically, did venlafaxine work "wonders" for your OCD?

Are you deliberately ignoring what I am writing?  I am not typing for the sake of it, believe it or not I am actually trying to help you find a way forward.

52 minutes ago, tadeusz said:

I tried CBT and it didn't work, I wasn't able to stop doing the compulsions.

So try again....   It takes time, and practice, lots and lots of practice but if you stop just because it did not work the first time then CBT will never, ever work for you.   Many people don't learn to ski in one day, it takes several days of falling over.  Many people don't pass their driving test at the first time of asking, they need two or more courses of lessons, often with different instructors before they pass their test.

[worriedjohn]

24 minutes ago, Ashley said:

Again I want to reiterate to the thread don't take medication expecting it to cure OCD, it simply cant. It can help, but it can't treat or cure OCD on its own.

I absolutely agree Ashley. Although some medication including Effexor worked very nice for me, while reducing dose I faced horrible withdrawal/discontinuation symptoms. After trying to discontinue SNRIs, I even got relapsed. After this experience I have come to a conclusion that medicines are never a long term fix. They are just temporary helping hand when starting CBT. But you can't cure your OCD with medications. One should not even become too much dependent on medications, they have side effects on your health. Later I have practiced CBT on my own and improved a lot. Then I realised that CBT is the way and only way to manage OCD.

Edited March 13, 2017 by worriedjohn