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Medication - Before you post (important for non UK residents)


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Over the last few weeks, perhaps mirrored by an influx of overseas users on our forums, I have seen more and more posts about medication, and 'Can XYZ medication do this?' or 'Does XYZ medication help?' or 'Anyone tried XYZ medication' type of questions.

All questions which have been asked 100's of times before on this forum, and the majority of those topics have received the same three responses:

  • Firstly, the forum is not facilitated by health professionals, so we can't discuss medication in-depth.
  • Secondly, medication is not a treatment on its own that OCD-UK recommend for OCD. We recommend it in terms of being a helpful tool for many, but only alongside psychological therapy like CBT. I.e. We recommend CBT with or without medication depending on individual choice and circumstance. Or whilst waiting for CBT, but we don't suggest it will treat OCD on its own.
  • Thirdly, we are all individual, we are all unique, we have different anxiety problems, different OCD problems and most importantly different bodies. So how medication impacts on person A will have a different impact on person B. 10 people could be on the same brand and dosage of medication and we could have 10 different results.

So what I am saying is, partly that your questions are unlikely to get a response that is definitive for you. I am also saying the chances are your question is already likely to have been asked many times before, so please use our search facility before you post.

For overseas users

OCD-UK by definition is a UK based charity that exists to support people across the UK affected by OCD. Our support forums were originally intended for the same purpose. We hope that our work and our services (including the forum) can be of benefit to people from further afield, and we welcome users from far and wide, but our purpose remains the same to focus our work for the benefit of people in the UK.

Here in the UK we primarily (not always) follow NHS and NICE guidance on the treatment of OCD, and with regards medication the guidelines are clear:

  • The meds usually prescribed are SSRI's (http://www.ocduk.org/medication) but sometimes Clomipramine and/or anti-psychotics.
  • Benzodiazepines are not recommended in the UK for OCD at all, and for anxiety are only recommended for 2-4 weeks maximum. They're highly addictive and the forum strongly discourages users from suggesting they're helpful for OCD.
  • Anti-psychotics are sometimes used by specialists alongside SSRI's, but there is a suggestion if they're not working at 4-weeks, are unlikely to work at all.

How OCD is treated in other countries is not necessarily how we deal with OCD in this country and overseas visitors whilst welcome to use our forums are asked to respect the forums and the charities approach to treatment for OCD.

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I know from other USA forums, we are not allowed to practice medicine without a license. That would include suggesting medications, but we are allowed to talk about our own experiences with them.

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But discussing the usage of medications by USA members muddies the waters for people in the UK who are using this forum to really get info to ask their GP about or to find out how the services work over here. It is good that Ashley had pointed this out because it's easy for the waters to become muddied especially when desperate for help.

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but we are allowed to talk about our own experiences with them.

That is to miss the point/s that Ashley has raised, namely

  • Thirdly, we are all individual, we are all unique, we have different anxiety problems, different OCD problems and most importantly different bodies. So how medication impacts on person A will have a different impact on person B. 10 people could be on the same brand and dosage of medication and we could have 10 different results.

One persons experience with medication cannot indicate what anothers will be. It will be an individual outcome

With regard to Benzodiazepines, we do not recommend them for the treatment of OCD or anxiety except for crisis and in the very short term

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Heroin users abuse benzodiazepines because they act similarly. THAT'S how addictive and dangerous these drugs are. So 'popping a Xanax' is not such a good idea. They are only ever meant to be used in times of short term crisis.

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This is a great reminder. With my experience (in the US) - SSRI's are the primary medication for OCD, and in people who don't respond well - antipsychotics like risperidone, seroquel, etc., are sometimes added. However, they do have many risky side effects. I think benzos are over prescribed. What I've seen (as a student in medicine) is that patients who are prescribed benzo's usually have more than OCD. They might also have PTSD, panic disorder, insomnia, etc.

Every person responds differently to medication. There are many variables to consider that just aren't common knowledge. I think the best bet for medications is to ask your doctor directly.

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Guest OCD_Est.1982

I was prescribed risperidone and seroquel when I was desperate, but never again. One tablet made me feel as drunk as a Lord. I could barely make it up the stairs to bed!

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I am going to re-pin this for a bit, and give careful consideration to allowing discussions about medication on our forums for many of the reasons posted above.  Focus your recovery on therapy, not medication.

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  • Ashley pinned this topic

As the senior bear from Canada (little humor there), I try to follow the UK's guidelines when it comes to meds. Primarily SSRI's, sometimes with an anti-psychotic, always as an informed decision between the sufferer and the prescribing physician. No to Benzos, tree bark, ear of bat soup or any other wing nut home remedy.

And yes, we have been getting a lot of questions thrown our way about meds lately.

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11 hours ago, PolarBear said:

I try to follow the UK's guidelines when it comes to meds.

Indeed you do and we are grateful for your support in following our guidelines, thank you.

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  • Ashley unpinned this topic

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