“I am taking medication for my OCD, but I don’t feel very good. What should I do?”
I am on medication for OCD, but I am experiencing some side effects. Like I'm starting to feel very nervous and jittery, what should I do for this? Are there any other treatments for OCD?
13 Answers
Medication in treatment of OCD are helpful. They, however, need to be prescribed in higher doses than for depression. If one causes side effects, it is prudent to try a different one.
1 on 1 therapy may be very beneficial. Therapy and meds work better than either one alone. There are self treatment materials available (books, exercises, etc. Google it. Very helpful stuff). The best treatment I believe is recently approved by FDA d.TMS (Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation). Look it up at www.brainsway.com
1 on 1 therapy may be very beneficial. Therapy and meds work better than either one alone. There are self treatment materials available (books, exercises, etc. Google it. Very helpful stuff). The best treatment I believe is recently approved by FDA d.TMS (Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation). Look it up at www.brainsway.com
Discuss these potential side effects with your prescriber to find out if there are other alternatives, or if they are expected to be time limited.
Behavior therapy, and change medication. It is usually best with both exposure therapy, response prevention therapy, and medication.
Depends on what medication you are taking, so you need to contact your provider to adjust your medications. These very common side effects from the anxiolytics can make anxiety worse.
One of the most well-researched and empirically supported treatments for OCD is ERP (exposure with response prevention). This is a behavioral therapy and you should ask if the psychologist you are considering has expertise in the use of this therapy technique. To find someone who specializes in treatment for OCD you might want to look at the website (www.iocdf.org) for the International OC Foundation, where you can search different geographic areas to find an expert in this modality.
Tell the doctor who prescribed the medication and ask for a different medication. Don’t keep taking something that doesn’t agree with you
Hello,
First, I'd need to know if you are diagnosed right for OCD. Also, what medication are you taking? There is a variety of medications that are FDA-approved for OCD treatment. The medication of choice is clomipramine. The other medications that are approved for OCD are Prozac, Zoloft, Paxel and Luvox. Discuss your symptoms and side effects with your doctor and he/she will find better treatment for you.
First, I'd need to know if you are diagnosed right for OCD. Also, what medication are you taking? There is a variety of medications that are FDA-approved for OCD treatment. The medication of choice is clomipramine. The other medications that are approved for OCD are Prozac, Zoloft, Paxel and Luvox. Discuss your symptoms and side effects with your doctor and he/she will find better treatment for you.
Jan Fawcett
Psychiatrist
It would help to know what medication you are taking at what dosage. There are basically two type of medication available: There are a number of SSRI's given for OCD --- Luvox, Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, to name a few. Then there is a tricyclic clomipramine - that has more side effects, but is more effective.
There are different types of meds, SSRIs, fluvoxamine, and all are common.
OCD is often treated using CBT. Go see a psychologist who is experienced in treating OCD. A good resource is the OCD Workbook by Hyman.
Your symptoms of feeling jittery and nervous could be side effects of medications. You need to discuss this with your doctor so that your dose may be adjusted or you may try another medication. Typically, OCD treatment requires time and higher doses of medications (the increased dosing is done gradually so patients can tolerate the medicine). In addition to medications, psychotherapy and behavioral strategies to deal with the obsessions and compulsions have to be part of the treatment process.
You should contact your psychiatrist as the medication you are taking may not be the best one for you. Sometimes we need to test a couple of medications until we find out the one that fits best for your body. Yes, psychotherapy is the best treatment for OCD and is the only way to control it as a long-term effect. Medications would only control it temporarily. If you don't work with the root cause of it, then it is harder for it to go away on its own.
If you are not feeling well due to side effects of medication, I strongly encourage you to follow up with the prescribing physician as soon as possible. Because I am not a medical doctor, I am unable to provide any additional recommendations regarding other medicinal treatments for OCD. However, as a psychologist, I can tell you that there is counseling treatment available for OCD. This particular disorder requires a specialist mental health provider. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for OCD is a gold-standard treatment.
