Medication advice?

[MRHMD]

I have tried a number of different medications for my OCD. Has anyone found a prescription or natural supplement that works for them?

[Sallyskins]

Medication is tricky, because it's difficult to know in advance what works for an individual. It's a bit of a hit-and-miss process.

I take sertraline at a high dose of 300 mg a day, supplemented by a low dose of 5 mg a day of aripiprazole. The aripiprazole is actually an anti-psychotic, but it is often prescribed to OCD patients in low doses alongside SSRI antidepressants. It has the effect of boosting the antidepressant and it can help.

Some people don't take to conventional medication at all, but there are some other things you could try. A substance called inositol can be bought over the counter in some chemists and health food stores. It needs to be taken in high doses - about 18 g a day - but it is safe, natural and side effects are rare. It takes a few weeks before you feel the effects, I'm told, but it has proved effective in some hard-to-treat OCD cases.

There has also been some research on the benefits of a healthy gut on OCD, and you might want to explore the option of prebiotics and probiotics. But in any case eat healthily, with plenty of fibre, for your gut. Fermented foods can also help here.

I've also heard of bone broth as having some effect on OCD, but I'd have to research it a bit more.

[aparente001]

Would you feel comfortable sharing what you have tried so far, the dosages, and any side effects that bothered you? I found it helpful to make kind of a table of what had been tried, and the results, to take to the doctor.

[bulldog71]

try adding lamictal. It had strong and immediate results for me.

[DoNotFear]

My daughter benefited from a drug interaction test to determine medications most compatible to her DNA. Might eliminate time intensive trial and error method.

[avoidingthebadthings]

As others have said, medication is a very individual thing, so unfortunately there's quite a bit of trial and error that has to happen before effective drugs and doses are found. Over the past 25 years, my OCD has been best helped by Celexa. I take that with Effexor (yes, there's a danger of QT prolongation with that combo, so one has to have EEGs regularly) and Klonipin. That combination seems to keep the OCD, depression, and anxiety manageable. My psychiatrist recently started all her patients who take SSRIs on 15mg L-Methyl-Folate due to studies showing link between difficulty metabolizing folic acid and depression. It's definitely helped my mind stop from going to the dark place.

The main thing is to keep track of your symptoms and side effects, along with your dosages, as you go through the medication trial process. Be very kind to yourself (difficult when one has OCD) because the trials are quite tedious and can be very frustrating. And definitely listen to your body. Doctors sometimes won't believe that something you mention is a side effect, so stick to your guns. You are the person who has to live inside your body, so don't let them talk you into staying at a dose that feels bad or staying on a med that feels terrible.

Once you find something that works, you will feel much better and the process will have been worth it.

[SCC1]

(This response is not meant to talk about myself, it is only to say what has helped me w/ my experiences.)

I have been on a variety of meds for most of my life. I am currently taking Effexor for OCD, but over time, it has lost its strength-so I was prescribed Luvox. (I am still taking Effexor to work w/ the Luvox.) The initial dose of Luvox at 25mg/day, was not working well, so my dr. increased the dose to a total of 75mg/day. I feel better than I did, even though I still have trouble w/ certain things. The increased dose of Luvox has helped take the edge off of the OCD. I am also on Seroquel, 75mg/day, for another problem. I notice that w/ the increased dose of Luvox, I can prolong taking my next dose of Seroquel (which also helps w/ my thoughts).

Luvox has helped me the most with the OCD, and seems to work better (w/ my non-ocd meds), than any other med I have taken for OCD.

I hope you find a medication that works well for you!