Contamination OCD medication

[BlueBear111]

Anyone on SSRI medication has a good control of contamination OCD? What medication are you on? I am on fluvoxamine and resperidone but they do very little effect on me.

[MothFir]

I took fluoxetine for 20 years and it helped some, but I've only made significant improvements since starting ERP therapy a couple years ago. The fluoxetine helps me do therapy by toning down the intrusive thoughts, but it wasn't enough on its own because my behaviors were keeping the OCD going.

[BlueBear111 in reply to MothFir]

I started ERP few months ago, but haven't see a big improvement yet. I feel contaminated when touching things. My medications might reduce a bit the urge but the feeling is still very intense.

[MothFir in reply to BlueBear111]

Keep in mind that the feelings aren't as important as what you do with them. With ERP, you will still have intense feelings that things are contaminated; the important thing is not to act on them (by washing, avoiding, or whatever). It helps to decide beforehand when it is normal to wash and try to follow that as a protocol, even when the OCD feelings are telling you that everything is filthy and you need to wash all the time. If you consistently challenge the OCD, eventually the feelings of contamination should get weaker and weaker.

[mmmmww]

I'm the same as mothfir, I am on 20mg daily of fluoxetine, it doesn't control the OCD on its own, but it helps to "quieten" that voice that tells you to do the complusions.Using meds along with CBT and ERP, it does help.

Before meds, that "voice" was so loud, that I always gave in to the compulsions it was telling me to do. But with meds, that voice gets quieter, so that I am able to ignore it easier and not give in to the compulsions.

I am also taking a daily multivitamin. Not sure if they are also helping to lift my mood/energy a bit. May just be a placebo, but I don't care, what I care about is that I genuinely feel better in myself.

[BlueBear111 in reply to mmmmww]

Hi mmmmww, it's great meds work on you. I take meds almost a year now, but I feel it might help a little bit or maybe not, I can't tell the difference. I still doing compulsions a lot.

[ThereISHope222]

Hi! I’m on 300 mg of fluvoximine (generic for Luvox) and it has saved my life. I also recently started EMDR therapy. Very new to it so don’t know if it will help or not. I had an OCD “spike” or “breakthrough” not long ago and my doctor added the antipsychotic Vraylor. I had horrific side effects and stopped immediately. Trying to get through this spike via talk therapy and EMDR. Maybe give EMDR a try? Good luck to you! You’re not alone!

[BlueBear111 in reply to ThereISHope222]

Hi ThereISHope222, thank you for sharing! Me too on fluvoxamine 250mg! But it didn't do much on me. I am also on antipsychotic drug, respiradone. But I feel a bit better without it tho. I will be on TMS treatment in 2 weeks. There are mix reviews about it. Not sure if it works on me. Good luck to you too!