Changing meds

[sufferer]

Hi all,

Just a question - I'm over a month into taking Sertraline and I'm not loving the side effects, which sadly aren't showing any sign of fading any time soon.

I have a DR appt in a few weeks and am considering asking to try a different SSRI. My question is, if I was to start on another medication would it be like starting all over again? Or as I've already been taking one for a while would it just continue on from there?

[Guest OCDhavenobrain]

Most probably yes and you could also have withdrawls from your current. I really need to advice you to not think to big of SSRI, it could be that meds doesn't really effect your OCD that much. 

But this is obviously just a guess, nobody knows, some people tries all kinds of meds and some find one which works better than other, but there are such risks yes

Edited June 8, 2019 by OCDhavenobrain

[sufferer]

Just now, OCDhavenobrain said:

it could be that meds doesn't really effect your OCD that much. 

I definitely feel better, and was sliding towards getting depressed too which the medication has helped. I want to stay on medication, but not my current one.

[Guest OCDhavenobrain]

If you take let's say citalopram and change to escitalopram then maybe your side-effects won't be that big but if you change to something totally different (active ingredient) then there is a risk. 

I just want to add one more thing, try to attack it with CBT, something I think is common is that you get helped by meds and then you just relax but keep on doing compulsions, and you end up at the same place but also "dependent on meds". So if you are getting a boost use that boost to recover

Edited June 8, 2019 by OCDhavenobrain

[sufferer]

43 minutes ago, OCDhavenobrain said:

If you take let's say citalopram and change to escitalopram then maybe your side-effects won't be that big but if you change to something totally different (active ingredient) then there is a risk. 

Fair enough. I'll have to look into meds with the same active ingredient then I guess.

 

44 minutes ago, OCDhavenobrain said:

I just want to add one more thing, try to attack it with CBT, something I think is common is that you get helped by meds and then you just relax but keep on doing compulsions, and you end up at the same place but also "dependent on meds". So if you are getting a boost use that boost to recover

I intend to use the boost to recover. And then come off meds altogether.

Thanks for the information 

[PolarBear]

It has been my experience that many people who think they are foing much better snd no longer need meds fail to understand that the meds are causing them to feel better. Stopping the meds ends up in a crash and burn scenario.

Also, never, ever stop meds on your own. Do it slowly and always under a doctor's supervision.

[Handy]

Setraline clears your body in a few days but side effects can last for months.  Also, I would suggest you stay on it longer like 8 to 12 weeks which is recommended. 

[sufferer]

9 hours ago, PolarBear said:

It has been my experience that many people who think they are foing much better snd no longer need meds fail to understand that the meds are causing them to feel better. Stopping the meds ends up in a crash and burn scenario.

 I was looking at coming off them in a year maybe, assuming I feel ready then. Hoping to have some decent CBT under my belt by then, but will see how it goes I guess.

Do you have any experience, PB, as to whether one SSRI largely follows on from another, or whether I'd be starting from scratch again?

[sufferer]

7 hours ago, Handy said:

Setraline clears your body in a few days but side effects can last for months.  Also, I would suggest you stay on it longer like 8 to 12 weeks which is recommended. 

I intend staying on meds a lot longer than that, but this particular one is making me feel awful.

[PolarBear]

Well, go see your doctor. These things happen.

[dksea]

On 09/06/2019 at 03:05, sufferer said:

My question is, if I was to start on another medication would it be like starting all over again? Or as I've already been taking one for a while would it just continue on from there?

With the exception of Citalopram/Escitalopram, which are related, each SSRI is a bit different from the others, although they have the same general effect, how the body processes the drugs, how long they last, how they affect a person are each a bit different.   In that sense you could characterize it as "starting over" in that you will need to build up to the new medication.  That said, the common practice, at least in the US and I would not be surprised to find out elsewhere, is to taper off one medication while simultaneously beginning the second medication.  I know I did this when switching from fluoxetine to citalopram.  Its pretty straightforward, lets say you take 100 mg of one drug and are going to be taking 40 mg of the other (remember, different drugs have different "sizes" so they don't equate mg to mg.  Week 1&2 might be 75 mg of drug A and 10 mg of drug B, Week 3&4 would be 50 mg of drug A and 20 mg of Drug B, week 5&6 would be 25 mg of drug A and 30 mg of drug B, finally from week 7 on, its 40 of drug B only.  

Basically the best thing to do is talk to your doctor and see what your options are.

[sufferer]

14 hours ago, dksea said:

With the exception of Citalopram/Escitalopram, which are related, each SSRI is a bit different from the others, although they have the same general effect, how the body processes the drugs, how long they last, how they affect a person are each a bit different.   In that sense you could characterize it as "starting over" in that you will need to build up to the new medication.  That said, the common practice, at least in the US and I would not be surprised to find out elsewhere, is to taper off one medication while simultaneously beginning the second medication.  

Thanks @dksea - that's really helpful.