Moderate contamination OCD -solution

[riyab96]

Hi everyone

I have been suffering from moderate/mild contamination OCD for almost a decade. I am very particular about cleanliness, take a long time to clean my room and have a hard time in public using washrooms. I have tried therapy but it hasnt helped much. I tend to have ruminating thoughts when im triggered with something unclean. I would really appreciate if someone who has had the same experience as me could share what kind of therapy has helped and would medicines be a good option? I have tried fluoxamine but had adverse side effects and hence stopped within a month. Any kind of info would be highly appreciated.

Thank you

[LuvSun]

Hi riyab96!

I have suffered with contamination OCD for over 30 years. I have not really tried ERP for any length of time but have been taking Prozac ( fluoxetine ) for a long time and definitely feel it has helped calmed the obsessions to at least a point where I can live happily. Have you tried it??

[riyab96 in reply to LuvSun]

Hi , thanks for your reply.

do you have severe or moderate ocd ?

I did try that and had lots of side effects , like palpitations and ibs.

Did you have any side effects ? have you taken therapy?

[LuvSun in reply to riyab96]

I’d say that I have moderate OCD. I have lived with this for so long that I have learned ways to live with the obsessions and compulsions to a point that I am able to live my life without too much problem. The OCD definitely hampers a lot but I guess I’m just not ready to face all my fears. I would encourage you to seek therapy- I just have not found the right therapist I guess. As far as the Prozac I really don’t seem to have any troublesome side effects . You have to just try different medications to see what works for you.

[riyab96 in reply to LuvSun]

Thanks for your reply! i am still debating whether i should start medication as i am afraid i will suffer from side effects and become reliant on them... how long have you been taking medications and what dosage ? when do you stop the meds? also have you tried any other supplements (like GABA) that might have helped?

i have tried therapy from various different therapists tbh and really struggling to find a right one ,along with someone who is affordable as they are in general pretty expensive 😅

[LuvSun in reply to riyab96]

I have been taking Prozac for over 30 years. I take 40 mg /day but in the past have taken up to 80 mg/day. Again I have not noticed any side effects and do notice a difference when I don’t take it. I have tried a few different meds but feel like the Prozac seems to help me the most. Like someone else said you have to sometimes try different meds to see what works for you. I have also read and tried a magnesium supplement that seems to help a bit. Like you I have tried some therapists but have found that all they do is tell me what I already know- I just have to do the work of ERP but like some others I am too afraid to take the risks. I would encourage you to maybe try medication if you haven’t already. Also there are wonderful self help books out there. One that I highly recommend is by Jonathon Grayson “Freedom from OCD”. Also magnesium seems to help with palpitations as well.

[riyab96 in reply to LuvSun]

Hi Thanks for your reply !

I did try fluoxetine / fluoxamine but the psychiatrist put me on 100mg and now to think of it , the high dose could be the reason for my side effects , I shall definitely try medications since you have mentioned they do bring some relief … I’m 27years old and it’s really interfering with my life and career . Even writing this post for me feels so overwhelming at times because I hate this part of me and it’s made me so depressed lately . I do hope I find some relief some day and can live a normal life . Thank you so much for the info about magnesium and the book I’ll definitely try this ! Currently I’m taking gaba supplements but I’m not sure if they are helping …

Therapists have been really a pain and I totally agree with you .. they do not tell me anything new … they don’t even help by telling what I should be doing in moments when my thoughts are almost like a war in my head . I hope to find some relief from medications .

Thank you so much once again for your message

[LuvSun in reply to riyab96]

You are so welcome! Keep in touch- we suffer the same I feel. I really have gotten better on my own through lots of reading about OCD. There is a ton of literature out there. Take care

[Weeping_Willow]

Each person will respond to medications a different way. I think you mentioned that you tried Prozac, which ironically is the one that has helped me the most, whereas I had side-effects or no clinical effect from others. So it is usually a trial and error, but it is important that you get a clinician that is familiar with OCD as doses and combinations differ when the medications are used for other issues such as depression. So a good clinician will start you on one that has the highest probability of working for your situation, and then if you cannot tolerate it, or there is no effect then they will try another. Unfortunately it is a bit of trial and error.

I have quite severe contamination OCD and was actually exceptionally bad in the last few years. The main way to get over it is ERP, but mine was so bad I needed the medication first and it has been a slow process to get at least functional again. Saying that this is largely because I fear exposing myself to things and I haven't pushed myself as much as I should, but I have had quite a hard time where I went downhill fast and I have to be careful not to let that happen again, but I know that I need to work harder at actively doing ERP with my therapist.

So, basically medication if it is bad enough to need it to start ERP, and then ERP to teach your brain not to have a fear response to things that pose no actual harm.

Saying that, when I started medication first when I was younger I was able to do more things and then I pretty much got better on my own, so sometimes medication can work on its own, but I wish I had still done ERP, because it would have allowed me to handle it better when I had things happen that made it worse again.

[mmmmww]

I'm in the same boat, if you have a look at the posts I've written on this site, it will hopefully help you.

I'm on fluoxetine, and I was told that it takes a few months to take full effect, I was also told that side effects do subside as your body gets used to it. Any new drug, your body/system is going to need time to get used to, so you will need to stick it out for a couple months or so before throwing in the towel and trying a different one.

[riyab96 in reply to mmmmww]

Thanks for your reply! Do you have moderate contamination ocd? also have you tried therapy or any other supplements (like GABA) that might have helped?

i am still debating whether i should start medication as i am afraid i will suffer from side effects and become reliant on them... how long have you been taking medications and what dosage ? when do you stop the meds?

[mmmmww]

I started with pretty severe contamination OCD to the point of I couldn't go near bins to put rubbish or even recycling in them without washing my hands after (sometimes even a change of clothes!) I did CBT but I found it very difficult to do before I tried meds. I too was scared to take meds at first, as like you, I feared side effects and becoming reliant on them. It took me about a year to finally decide to try them and it was the best decision I made in terms of mt OCD.

I was lucky and didn't get any side effects besides a few headaches, but once my body had got used to the meds, those side effects went.

The meds didn't take the OCD away, but it "quietened" the OCDemon that was in my head telling me to "wash your hands/don't touch that.... Blah blah blah"

Having that OCDemon quieter in my head made it much easier for me to do the CBT and exposures. So as I said, meds won't take it away completely but they should make it easier for you to help yourself.

I'm on 20mg fluoxetine a day, I have been in it for just over 2 years now and I'm not reliant on it, as lately I've been forgetting to take my daily dose on the odd occasion and it's been fine.

With meds like this, you don't just stop talking them one day, you have to taper off, and I think this is the way to do it and how you will know if it's time to stop taking meds, just reduce your dosages gradually. If you find that your OCD heightens when you don't take it, then best not to stop just yet. But if like me, you have managed to gather the mental tools needed to deal with OCD and reducing dosage doesn't affect your OCD, then I'd say it's a good time to "stop"