I'm a 36 y.o. guy from Bulgaria struggling with OCD, GAD mild depression and burnout. After years of sweeping my problems under the rug I finally decided to see a psychiatrist and a psychologist (a double session). And was diagnosed with the stated above. My treatment started with Zoloft, Siranalen (1-0-1, I had to stop taking the one during lunch because I started feeling dizzy and sleepy) and Hedonin (I'm not sure if the latter two have different names over in America). I took Zoloft as prescribed, as with the other two. Nothing worked (I only had the side effects like low libido and tremors and kicking and moving while sleeping). So I went to a check up with my psychiatrist and was prescribed Anafranil (two in the morning and three in the evening) and Fluanxol (two in the evening) in the place of Zoloft and Hedonin accordingly.
I wanted to ask if anyone else has experienced problems with urinating. Sometimes I have to stay for 3to 4 minutes and try to urinate unsuccessfully and then try again and again... And I feel like I don't pee enough. Also my mouth is dry all the time. Are those side effect going away eventually?
I have another appointment in two weeks and I will talk to my psychiatrist, but meanwhile I wanted some insight from other people going through the same and, also, if possible specialists.
Thank you in advance.
Sorry if I wrote something non-understandable, I'm self-taught in English and I may explain myself incorrectly at times.
Hope y'all are having a good day/evening/whenever you're reading this.
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vannpire
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Good for you in getting treatment! I'm afraid most drugs have side effects - it's a matter of getting one that suits you. Each one of us is different, and each one of us reacts to a particular drug in a different way.
I took clomipramine (Anafranil) for many years at the same dosage you are taking. It suited me very well, though I constantly felt dopey and sleepy. I had been know to go to sleep on my desk at work! I switched to sertraline about 15 or 16 years ago and don't have a problem with sleepiness with them.
Clomipramine (Anafranil) is known to cause a dry mouth. It can, and frequently does, wear off after you've been on it for a while.
Often medication is a matter of weighing up the benefits of taking a particular medication against the side effects - and only you can decide if the benefits are worth it. Do have a word with your psychiatrist about medication.
It's also good to attack OCD with CBT. Medication can only help so far. CBT can help you deal with the OCD at the root - and medication can help make the CBT easier to do.
Thank you for your reply, much appreciated insight. I will, indeed, consult with my psychiatrist. And I am looking forward to CBT, I will talk to the psychotherapist soon, I hope, so we can start working both fields, as I am aware I wouldn't be able to shake off my problems with just medication. I've had OCD for so long, that I no longer remember if I ever knew what it was not having it. It's only recently that I started feeling like it was the right time to take control of the situation and actually seek help. Ugh, I know I have to be patient and wait for a couple of weeks, so I can feel some improvement, but I can't wait to feel a little more... "normal".
I too fall asleep occasionally at work, but thankfully for a brief nap only... maybe 5 to 10 minutes... I don't know.
Also, I hope that the dry mouth and peeproblem will go away sooner.
I didn't feel any improvement with Zoloft, but I only took it for a little over 2 months, I think. And didn't feel the need to take naps, but I would wake up exhausted and then feel like I've partied till dawn.
How long do you reckon I will need to take the Anafranil before I start to feel the actual effects? My psychiatrist thinks it will help, but I read somewhere that it may take 10 to 12 weeks or something. Is there something that is stronger as effect than Anafranil or that's as far as it gets for meds for OCD?
I think I forgot to mention that the other day I had a kind of a... uhm, I don't know if it can classify as severe, but rather strong headache that I had to take painkillers (OKItask) for and it took about an hour to work, so I could get back to sleep. I'm gonna ask my doctor when I see her, but do you think it may be from the Anafranil or Fluanxol?
I don't remember having headaches with Anafranil, but I can't say whether or not yours is due to it. It could be related, or it could just be related to stress - and OCD causes a lot of stress!
I adjusted to Anafranil fairly quickly - I started on another antidepressant called Limbitrol and I remember how vile I felt for a couple of weeks - I've described it as feeling as though my head had been taken off, stuffed with cotton wool, and then put on upside down! Then after a couple of weeks, my spirits started to lift and I felt a lot better. The doctor then switched me to Anafranil and I felt pretty well on it, apart from the sleepiness.
Anafranil had been the gold standard medication, but has since been superseded by the SSRI class of antidepressants which includes sertraline. But Anafranil can still be prescribed for those who don't get on well with the SSRIs. It sounds as though you could be one of them.
Most antidepressants do take a few weeks to start working properly - this can be anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months. Some people don't get on with them at all.
Also take into consideration the fact that having OCD is exhausting in itself - it takes up a lot of energy just getting through your day. That could partly account for your feelings of exhaustion in the morning, particularly if it happens that you don't sleep well.
Although CBT is hard going and hard work, it is worth doing. Go at it at your own pace - it's a matter of stretching yourself sufficiently to have an effect, but not so much that you feel traumatized and relapse. Start on the easiest things.
I'm afraid there is not really anything stronger than Anafranil, but there have been studies on inositol (a natural substance that can be bought over the counter at some drug stores and health food shops) - large doses are needed, and it isn't yet prescribed as a front line treatment, but it appears to help with really bad cases of OCD. A healthy gut, eating foods that help with this, and if necessary, supplementing this with pro- and pre-biotics, has also had promising results.
I don't think Limbitrol is prescribed any more - it's an older drug and there are better ones. But I must stress that feeling bad on them was only for the first couple of weeks - I felt better after that!
It might be worth getting a CBT-based self help book - Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and The OCD Workbook are good ones, and there are others - just make sure they are CBT-based! There may be some in or translated into Bulgarian - but I think your English is pretty good!
Here are some links to information about inositol:
Remember that inositol for OCD is still at the experimental stage and your doctor might not be enthusiastic about it. And if you get it over the internet, make sure it's from a reliable and trustworthy source.
I’m glad you got help. That’s the first step. I have been on setraline ( Zoloft) for years with little side effects. I hope your psychologist helps you with CBT . Hopefully you’ll be feeling better soon.
Your English is excellent! SSRIs take 8 to 12 weeks to get the maximum benefit but some people only partially respond to them and some people don’t respond at all. Some people find them very helpful. The dosage required for OCD is usually higher than that for other conditions. Dry mouth is a very common side effect. As you already mentioned, medication alone isn’t enough to treat OCD. ERP, a type of CBT, is the gold standard treatment for OCD because it has the best evidence for effectiveness. It needs to be done by an OCD specialist. Most mental health professionals don’t have the specific training to treat OCD even though they claim that they do. Some therapists claim to be OCD specialists who aren’t. Some types of CBT can make OCD worse. iocdf.org is an excellent resource. The book, Freedom from OCD by Jonathan Grayson, Ph.D. is another. Jon Grayson, Jon Hershfield and Jon Abramowitz are some of the top OCD experts.
So, I need to be more patient then, 8-12 weeks. I can do that. I hope I'm not one of those people who don't respond to their treatment. That's what irks me the most - the uncertainty. If I had guarantee I was gonna get better, I think I'd be able to afford more patience.
I don't know if the psychotherapist is an OCD specialist per se, but she said that we can work on that, so right now we're waiting for the meds to start kick in and then we will start working with her. I will ask my doctor next week if she will greenlight me to start going to the therapist.
Thank you for the book recommendation, I will try to find it, I desperately need something to give me a little hope to hold on to while I start to potentially feel better in those 8 to 12 weeks.
That’s what irks all of us with OCD, the uncertainty and no guarantees. The mental and physical compulsions we do are attempts to achieve a certainty that doesn’t exist. OCD is appropriately nicknamed the doubting disorder.
I didn't know that was the nickname for OCD, but now that I think of it - it fits perfectly! Dang it... I wish I had sought help sooner, but oh, well... I guess better late than never. I literally doubt everything and everyone, even my close ones. :/
Good thing my partner and family are somewhat patient with me.
The IOCDF has helpful livestreams which provide hope, motivation and education. They are also recorded for later viewing. You can learn more about them on their website, iocdf.org. Click on Support, then click on Livestreams.
yes, it’s hard work but you can do it!! Remember OCD distorts your thinking process. Things “ feel” real even when they are not. And most of us respond with things that only make OCD stronger. CBT and Exposure and Response teach how to respond in a way that doesn’t feed the beast. There are some good videos on You Tube by the IOCD foundation that also may be helpful.
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