OCD Scott

Just wondering what your experience is regarding caffeine, especially coffee, and OCD? Does it make your symptoms worse, or no difference (or even better?) I find drinking products with some caffeine makes little if any difference, but earlier when I opted for a coffee as no decaf coffee was available I had an anxiety spike. It may be me mixing up correlation and causation. What’s your experience? I think sometimes us OCD sufferers perhaps pay too little attention to the regulation of our diet and food and drink intake.

Thanks Lauren. I just read this now. I am actually thinking of switching to Prozac as I haven’t had much luck with Sertraline. Are you saying your doctor is saying wait 8 weeks from when you started 80mg of Prozac?

Sorry, *we decided after speaking to the GP on Thursday.

Thanks for the reply. My GP agreed it was a good idea after some success on 150mg to see if 200mg furthered my progress. She said to stay on it for six weeks and to evaluate then.

Thanks for your reply. Yes, it’s chicken or egg territory. I am aware that in theory it is my doctor, but I am not speaking to her for another six weeks and she said she didn’t know much about OCD and she says these SSRIs can take time. I’ve read up about it a lot and frankly I often find many doctors don’t know a great deal about OCD.

Thanks for the tip re beta-blockers and Propranolol. Something to consider, indeed.

Hi all, I spent 3/4 weeks on 50mg of sertraline, then 100mg for 3/4 weeks (no impact) then I upped again to 150mg after another 3/4 weeks. After the third dose increase I started feeling increasingly better although it could just be the timing I’d be on meds in total. Since Thursday night I decided to try 200mg to see if it furthered my progress. However, it has made me more anxious and jittery and I feel like I’ve gone somewhat backwards with OCDs causing me anxiety. Obviously none of you have a crystal ball, but is it common that there can be these type of side effects in the first few days or weeks before disappearing as the body adjusts? I don’t think it’s a psychological reaction as I had been positive. I know you guys aren’t doctors, just looking for first hand experience if there’s any. I’ve tried to ‘Google’ about how common it is but am struggling to yield results other than when you first start on SSRIs in general. Any advise would much appreciated.

Thanks for the reply. Yes that was my sense as well, as I’ve already built up a tolerance.

thanks for the response I’m not sure I entirely understood that first paragraph, can you dumb it down for me? Are you saying that SSRIs only help OCD indirectly by reducing anxiety symptoms? If so yes I agree, that’s my experience. 50mg for 3.5 weeks did nothing 100mg for 3.5 weeks did nothing 150mg for 3.5 weeks had a modest impact, but seemed to have an immediate impact (possibly placebo, or just the timing of how long I’d been on SSRIs, and therefore coincidental, but I sensed not.) So, we thought there’s no harm in doing in 200mg seeing as I have had no problematic side effects. Yes, CBT stuff has been an ongoing process.

SSRIs are often said to take 4-6 or 6-8 weeks to take effect and that with OCD it can even take 8-12 weeks with OCD. I was wondering how long does it take to feel the effects of an increased dosage? I was on 150mg of Sertraline and have just gone up to 200mg as of yesterday. Is the 200mg effect (as opposed to 150mg) going to take another 4-6 weeks until my body fully embraces it?

Hey Lauren and original poster. We all share the same type of OCD. This guy helped me and is especially useful when you’re down.

I get it: everyone is different, but nevertheless, there is from what I’ve read evidence that Sertraline is usually more effective at 100mg than z50mg. However, after 100mg there’s little evidence of an improved efficacy but that’s not to say it isn’t true. My experience is 50-100mg did little but 150mg seemed to have stunted the edges of anxiety, and panic. I took 150mg after about 7-7.5 weeks, so it could be the meds kicking in or the additional dosage, or both. Who knows, it’s just good that I am feeling better. I am considering however upping to 200mg. I am intrigued, what’s peoples experiences on sertraline in relation to dosage and time it takes to have an effect? There was an interesting study recently done by a London university which showed positive effects may continue after six weeks, with weak evidence that the benefits of depression won’t kick in until between 6-12 weeks. This therefore makes me question the 12+ weeks benefits as well. Would love to hear some anecdotes, but of course don’t read into them individually too much, as everyone reacts differently. It’s just nice to get some real life stories.

Hi PB, thanks for the response. It does help because I find positives experiences uplifting and interesting. I wasn’t going to have a drug based on an anecdotal experience, it’s just interesting to read people’s experiences as there’s such a range of meds to choose from. It’s also interesting to exchange info on what drugs have been proven to work and to what extent. I don’t want it to be a bag of jelly babies where I just try flavours at random. I’ve read the NICE guidelines and spoke to my Doctor but it is nice to hear real life and reliable experiences amongst those who share OCD. What antipsychotic drug are you on if you don’t mind me asking?

Hi Felix, Thanks for the response, glad this combo has worked for you, it’s always interesting to hear different OCD sufferers’ experiences.

I’ve done extensive research about the most effective SSRI. And whilst not recommended for OCD due to limited evidence, Escitalopram is actually rated the highest in various review based sites. Its efficacy is well documented in Generalised Anxiety Disorder, which is often interlinked with OCD. I am only aware of one major peer reviewed study on Escitalopram and OCD, and the limited evidence suggests it may be as or more effective than other SSRIs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2655080/ Out of interest has anybody taken this drug and if so how did you find it?