Hi all, I’ve recently been told I have symptoms that sound like OCD (no official diagnosis, not sure how to go about that?)
MH nurse prescribed me sertraline. I’m apprehensive but willing to take them if the positives out weigh the negatives. I’m interested to hear the experiences of those who are currently taking sertraline, especially those who have been on it for a while. Also on week two of CBT therapy.
My main questions are; did you have any side effects, if so what were they? How long did they persist? How did sertraline effect your ocd symptoms after taking it for 8+ weeks? Would you recommend it to other OCD sufferers?
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Penguin1234
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I don't personally take sertraline, but I did find these wonderful articles about common medications for OCD a while ago and I thought you might enjoy them.
The International OCD Foundation may be able to help you find someone to evaluate you for OCD, which might lead to a diagnosis. If there's no one listed in their database in your area, call them. They helped me find a diagnostic clinic an hour away, for my son.
My son takes Zoloft (Sertraline). He has had almost no side effects, but we were careful to ramp up slowly and I think that helps. My son was insulin resistant and we liked Zoloft because it didn't give him weight gain, as some SSRIs are known for.
He did have one side effect once, because the pharmacy changed the supplier and the new one had a different strength than before (because generic Zoloft can vary in strength more than the brand name, even when the number of milligrams stays the same). His quality of sleep suffered somewhat for several days while his body got used to the new tablets. Once the doctor explained this to us, neither of us felt frightened any more, and within a few days he adjusted.
This isn't a side effect, but my son does sometimes suffer from insomnia (totally unrelated to the change of strength that one time, that I mentioned), and he takes Zaleplon (Sonata), low dose, as needed to get back to sleep.
The clinic that evaluated him told us that Zoloft for OCD needs a much higher dose than is normally given for clinical depression. It took a long time to ramp up to the high dose (in his case 200 mg/day because he's a big guy).
If you do get an OCD diagnosis, you'll want to find someone trained in Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) for your treatment. This is the approach recommended by the Int. OCD Foundation.
ERP treatment starts by "mapping the OCD." This basically means listing your compulsions. Then you rank them by how strong you feel the itch to do them. Those two steps generally take one or two therapy sessions. Then the therapist will give you exercises to do in session and at home. Typically the first exercise will target the mildest of your symptoms. After that you'll work your way slowly through your symptoms. My son found it helpful for me to hold the clipboard and note down his reaction at each step during the exercise -- so if you find it difficult to keep up with your homework on your own, you might want to find someone to hold the clipboard, as I did for my son.
The home exercises should be graduated so that you don't try to make any big jumps. It's very step by step.
It took my son about ten minutes per day to do his exercise. It took about ten days to master an exercise and then we would take a couple days off, and then it was time for his next appointment and his next assignment.
With these exercises my son was able to, among other things, get over his specific phobia (an incapacitating fear of spiders). Also he experiences less anxiety than before he started his treatment.
One thing to be careful with, with any SSRI, and that is, please don't stop your treatment suddenly. If you decide to go off Zoloft at some point, you'll need to ramp down slowly.
Been on sertraline at a high dose for ocd for years. No side effects other than dry mouth and diarrhea for the first few weeks. Side effects faded quickly. It’s a good drug.
Good morning - I've been on a 75mg/day dose of Sertaline for about 4 years (I have a low BMI and have found higher doses to be difficult to tolerate). I struggle with OCD and PTSD. I have not experienced any noticeable side-effects and I feel it has helped stabilize chemical imbalances. While nothing is perfect, I feel it has been a beneficial med overall. I also agree that the IOCDF is a wonderful resource. Sending you support as you determine what is best for you!
I've been on sertraline for about fourteen years. On the whole I've found it a good drug. Before that I took clomipramine, which worked very well but made me feel really dopey constantly - on more than one occasion I went to sleep at my desk at work, and once came to with a jolt after dropping off while taking the minutes of a meeting! That doesn't happen with sertraline - I don't feel at all dopey on it.
The side effect that I get is a slightly runny nose, which is listed as a fairly rare, but documented side effect.
I think most antidepressants can make you feel funny for the initial weeks of taking them. I remember being prescribed them - I felt really weird for a few weeks, like my head was stuffed with cotton wool - and then my symptoms began to lift!
Give it a go - some people don't get on with meds, while others do. Side effects are different in different people. In any case meds are best used in conjunction with CBT - they really can alleviate symptoms and make CBT easier to do.
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