I am dealing with a lot of rumination. I do ERP with a specialized therapist, but need to know if meds in addition to therapy will help me more. My anxiety is a lot lower and I feel I can do exposures, but the thoughts are still there.
Thank you and I will appreciate your feedback
Hi joleb ! I think you should try meds if you haven’t before. They do seem to take the edge off and may help you do your therapy easier.
I found they made it easier to do exposures.They don't take away the anxiety completely, but they do help to make the anxiety "quieter" so that you can overcome it easier.
I spent a year trying to decide on whether to take meds or not, when I finally decided to take them, I was so glad I did and wish I had done it sooner.
Thank you so much for your feedback. I am happy to hear you are better. It's been a year for me as well since being diagnosed. Best wishes to you!
Yes, it certainly made a noticeable difference. I am on year 2 since diagnosis, but only 1 year of taking meds.
I would say, just try them, if they don't work out, then either change to a different brand or stop taking them.
You won't know unless you try. Also, keep in mind that it can take quite a while for them to kick in fully.
For me, I instantly felt better, mainly because I had been umming and erring for a year, so when I decided to take them, it was a big weight off my mind and 1 less daily battle with myself. So that was instant relief in that sense, I then noticed real improvement in my "compulsions" and being able to give in to them, gradually got better over the weeks/months.
So it can take up to about 12 weeks to fully work, so try and stick it out if you can. As for side effects. I was lucky I didn't get any, but from other people's comments, side effects appear to only last a couple weeks. So if you can push through any side effects, you shall hopefully come out the other side ready to tackle your OCD.
Thank you so much for your thorough response to my question. Would you mind sharing which medicine worked for you? I appreciate your feedback and advice. If you don't want to share, I totally understand. Best wishes to you!
Hi Joleb! I feel like a normal person with the meds. It helps tremendously. The thoughts come from time to time but they don’t bother me
Hi! I eventually started taking meds and they helped my anxiety go down a lot, but I didn't notice a drop in thoughts when I started taking them. The amount of intrusive thoughts I experience appears to me lessening, but slowly and I couldn't tell you if the meds are contributing to that or just the fact that I am continuing to do ERP
Medication really helped me! The mental compulsions for me can still be hard and they do sneak in but I am sooo much better! Don’t be afraid to try it!
Thank you for your feedback. I am considering it . Do you also do therapy like ERP in addition to the medication?
I am in therapy once a week. I believe that the combination of therapy and medication is what has worked best for me. It did take a little time to find the right dosage and combination of meds. You have to be patient and find what works. I was started off with very low doses and it was increased as needed. I would notice improvement and then things would get harder again as we were finding what worked for me. So be mindful that recovery is not in a straight line. It definitely has highs and lows and is all over the place. My OCD did fight back and it did get harder before it got better but it does get better and it is worth it! It took time and patience but I am in a much better place! My only regret is not taking back my life sooner! I hope this helps!
Thank you so much!
I've been on medication for many years - now on sertraline for about 15 years, before that on clomipramine. It can work really well for a lot of people, but make sure you understand that it takes about 4-6 weeks to kick in when you first start taking it.
For me, it damps down the worst of the OCD, and makes it easier for me to do CBT. It helps me to be, if not normal, then as near normal as I'm likely to be.
They're not the whole answer, but they do help.
Thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate you giving me your advice. Best wishes to you.
My experience matches most of the other replies. SSRI meds (fluoxetine/Prozac in my case) help lessen the strength of the obsessions so it is easier for me to do ERP therapy. No serious side effects.
One thing I'll add is that I haven't had much success with sedative drugs. I once asked my doctor for something that would help me relax when I'm in the midst of a bad episode (thoughts racing, threats seem real, etc). What she prescribed helped a little but not much. I realized that any dose that would have a significant benefit would also put me out of commission for awhile -- I wouldn't trust myself to drive, do my job, make important decisions, or whatever. Since a bad OCD episode can occur anywhere and any time, I decided I was better off handling these episodes with non-pharmaceutical means (therapy, relaxation, or just putting up with it every now and then).
But I think the SSRIs are a valuable aid to therapy and well worth trying.
For me personally I have found it helps a little it doesn't make it go away but helps me think a bit clearer about what I'm stuck on but both therapy and meds have helped me in the past and would like to keep doing it
Lessons learned from OCD
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suffering from OCD, with no support. Narcissistic mother 
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