SSRIs forever?

[stringbean]

Just a bit of background - i started with obessive thoughts and anxiety when i was 22years old and had highs and lows with just a year without any significant symptoms until i was 27 years old. I then had therapy and resulted to medication, since then (i am now 44years old) i have gone off and on meds but it always hits me hard.

I have been struggling for six months and have upped my cipralex from 5 mg to 20mg over this time, I have now been on 20mg less than a week but feeling like poo!

Can anyone advise if they know anyone that has been on this sort of medication long term as i am now thinking that IF this ever gets better that i will resort to medication for life! Has anyone else come to this conclusion or know anyone that has to take it for life?

I am really interested to know as i feel like a real failure

 

[Andy]

Re: ssris for ever???

Hi stringbean

I have been on Cipralex before but it was not long term as it didn't help me. Maybe you need to give the higher dose a little longer to see if it will help? If not then it might be a good idea to talk to your doctor about trying something else.

Personally, I am on medication for life unless the future holds great promise of that one time"magic pill", I won't be waiting on that.

Have you gone to therapy and learned some tools that you can use for your anxiety and when your obsessive thoughts get to be to much? Using both medication and those tools might work for a while until the tools work well enough for you that medication isn't needed any longer. May I ask what type of therapy you have had?

There is nothing wrong with having to take medication. Your not a failure for having to take it. If you had diabetes would you use your insulin to keep you going? Same thing. Not a failure at all. Some of us just need a little help to keep these bodies going.

 

[stringbean]

Re: ssris for ever???

hi STP,

Thank you for replying and so quickly.

You name it, I have tried it, I had analytical therapy which actually made me worse, (i know why I am like I am just want to stop obsessing) I tried that for 8 years. I also had hypnosis only to be told after spending a shed load of money that I couldn't be hypnotized! I then had a course of CBT on the NHS which helped me enormously but was on meds at the time so not sure if that was combined, it really helped with what I was worrying about at the time but i dont seem to be able to apply it to my situation. Its a catch situation i know I am obsessing about is irrational and can think myself through it but the doubt is still there and causes me to working on half a brain all the time(if that makes sense)

anyway that's that really but thank you for your words and thoughts. And maybe one day we will get that magic pill! Can i ask what you are taking?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Three points:

1. Individuals with OCD do often need higher doses of an SSRI than those taking the medication for depression or general anxiety.

2. Individuals with OCD may often find that they need to increase their doses during times of above average stress or anxiety.

3. Medication alone probably will not achieve the results you desire for OCD. Some coping or management skills, e.g., cognitive skills, are generally needed to augment the medication.