Medications - I think I need a new antidepressant

[PleaseHelp]

Hi

I just wondered what medication people are on? I have been on 60mg fluoxetine for 11 years, it completely changed my life when I first went on it - I was level headed, confident, felt like I knew my own mind and had clarity for the first time in a long time.

A lot has changed in 11 years, I’m now in my late 30s and married, I’m currently in the grips of a very severe episode of ROCD. My doctor has added 50mg quetiapine recently but I don’t feel like any of it is touching the sides. I’ve always thought Fluoxetine is the best antidepressant, but I am wondering now if there might be something better for me. I’ve also tried beta blockers for anxiety but I think they may have exacerbated it to be honest.

[PolarBear]

Don't put your hopes on a med to improve your OCD. The typical response to an SSRI. is a lessening of overall anxiety that allows you to engage with CBT.

You need CBT and you need to do a lot of hard work.

[PleaseHelp]

I get that, but my brain and my body are so tired from this. I don’t know if I have the fight in me to do the work anymore. I just want my brain to go to sleep and let me remember what is good about my life.

[Gemma@OCDUK]

13 minutes ago, PleaseHelp said:

I get that, but my brain and my body are so tired from this. I don’t know if I have the fight in me to do the work anymore. I just want my brain to go to sleep and let me remember what is good about my life.

Hi PleaseHelp,

I know it's tough right now but you will get there, you just need a little support to help you do it. Like PolarBear said the treatment recommended for severe OCD is a combination of CBT and an SSRI. If you don't feel like the medication is helping you, then speak to your prescribing doctor about it, they might suggest a change of medication or a dosage change. Usually, you will have to wait at least 4-6 weeks before reviewing your medication, so if it hasn't been that long, then try your best to be patient with yourself. 

There isn't an SSRI medication that is better than the others, and our experience suggests that medications work so differently for each individual that you can't really compare experiences. All you can go off, is how you are feeling day to day.

Gemma

 

[Angst]

It might mean that the quetiapine might need more time to act as a supplement to the fluoxetine. In severe cases of OCD a dopamine affecting drug can be used alongside a SSRI. Have you had CBT?

 

[Summer9173]

I’m on escitalopram 10mg currently but tomorrow I’m hoping to discuss increasing it to 15mg then 20mg eventually which is the max. You know what’s best for you and as polarbear said, medication is more for lowering the anxiety to engage in the cbt. I feel like medication helps slow down the thoughts a little bit more and there always worth it - even if it helps a little bit it’s better than nothing. I’d definitely wait and see if the quetiapine helps you, but if not there’s always loads of other medications out there for you. 11 years is a long time to be on Fluoxetine too and as you said, you’ve had many life changes since then all of which I've been told can effect the efficiency of the antidepressant. I was on Sertraline for 2 years which helped massively in the beginning, however my anxiety started to creep back so I decided to switch. The only trouble is getting appointments with the psychiatrist’s!!