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Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 7w ago

Medication

Hello. I am a mom of a 15 yo who has been diagnosed with severe OCD and also depression and anxiety disorders. Medication was recommended. Specifically clomipramine. As of now he refuses to take it. Says he 50 % of the way considering it. He was not able to complete most of his HW last week, spends much of the day feeling anxious, isolates in his room for hours. Says he wants to try to manage it - says he’s doing better bc he was able to focus in his math class - says he doesn’t want med bc he is afraid it will mess w his mind (numb his feelings). Any advice for how to get him over this hump? Any good experience from med? It’s hard for me to watch him suffer knowing that med is an option and he could be feeling better. Also hard to watch him get zeros in classes when he is smart and capable. Thank you ahead of time. Also, his NOCD therapist is on vacation but had recommended med as well to help my son engage better in ERP

Username: 1000anonymous10001000anonymou...

Date posted: 7w ago

I wonder if he has the same feeling as me I’m afraid to take medication because I feel like I don’t know who I am anymore with taking it since I already have to take medication for my severe anxiety and depression. And if I take my medicine I fear that I will lose who I really am and it makes my brain think I’m in denial or something idk how to explain it or if he feels that way but he probably does but I can’t read his mind.

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 7w ago

@1000anonymous1000 Thank you for sharing! Yes I think he feels that way. He says he is afraid it will numb his feelings. I have tried reasoning: (1) you can always stop taking, (2)side effects may not be any worse than feeling anxious, frustrated, unable to function (spent 7 hrs in his room on Mon), and (3)the brain is an organ like heart and thyroid - when there are problems w organs people take med. I just can’t understand how he can be ok w being so miserable when there is a solution to try. You said you don’t know who you are with medication. I have told him that anxious and angry and blowing up are not who he is. And medication would bring the chemicals in the brain to where they should be so that he could think clearly and manage himself. He is trying to do everything his peers do (HW) but with a deficit that they don’t have. It would be like expecting a person with a sprained ankle to run a marathon. Was there anything that helped? Are you taking medication that has helped?

Username: 1000anonymous10001000anonymou...

Date posted: 7w ago

@Anonymous My medication is actually making me feel like it’s not working anymore maybe because I developed ocd not too long ago and I been taking it ever since I was diagnosed with GAD, but I’m going to a psychiatrist real soon to learn how to deal with it if they Suggest something I’ll post about it. My ocd is pretty bad right now so I also relate to him staying up all night and in my room all day

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 7w ago

@1000anonymous1000 Thank you for this insight. I was under the impression that medication for GAD is not specific to OCD so maybe your psychiatrist will recommend another medication for OCD. Our psychiatrist nurse practitioner said the med she prescribed will take away the intrusive thoughts (?). Not sure if that means all. I hope you find something that addresses the OCD. And yes, please keep me posted.

Username: Zoë_84Zoë_84

Date posted: 7w ago

@Anonymous Well, a medical professional saying that medication will take away intrusive thoughts is really weird. Medican CAN reduce the symptoms of OCD to zero, but I have never experienced that myself (only for the first two weeks I ever took an SSRI, after that OCD had been back), nor has a friend of mine, who also suffers from OCD. If your son starts medication with the expectation, that a pill will cure him, he might get frustrated, when it doesn't happen for him. For me some of the SSRIs I tried took the edge off of things and stabilized me. As hard as it is, ERP is the best way to get a grip on OCD, imo, medication can help to be able to do ERP in the first place.

Username: airotcivdairotcivd

Date posted: 7w ago

I’ve been prescribed medication myself and haven’t taken it yet. It’s not my first choice, but there comes a time when it may be necessary. Have him get the gene test. You can go to your GP or psychiatrist for it. It’s a simple swab test that will tell you what medicine will actually work for him instead of playing a guessing game. If he has the right medicine, I don’t think the numb feelings should be as bad. You may also consider getting labs to see his vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is important to brain function and his levels need to be on the higher end, so he made need a supplement for that. You could also look into Neurofeedback. It’s different from TMS, but has helped me a lot.

Username: djfloriodjflorio

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 7w ago

I'm skeptical of the pharmaceutical approach when it comes to anxiety/OCD, but I do believe there is a time and a place for it. I took Prozac for about 2 years in my mid 20's. I was resistant to taking it at first because I didn't like the idea of relying on a pill to "feel" a certain way. But I changed my mindset about it, and instead saw it as an opportunity to grow. Rather than thinking about medication as a crutch, I thought of it like putting training wheels on my bike. I made a promise to myself that while on medication, I would do everything I could to improve my mental health so that I could eventually stop taking it. And that's what I did. I went to therapy consistently, changed my diet, started learning about mindfulness, and worked on my social life. Eventually my therapist and I agreed that it was time to taper off of the medication, and now I haven't been on one for about 8 years. So if he's afraid of being reliant on medication for the rest of his life, maybe see if he likes the temporary training wheels analogy.

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 7w ago

@djflorio Yes, we are not big medication fans and declined the med route w our other son for ADD. But at this point we feel the OCD is debilitating for our son. And we have told him this will help him to manage and he might be able to go off at some point. I like the training wheel analogy a lot. I will definitely use it with him tonight when we most likely will have a conversation about the day and the option of medication. Thank you!

Username: hanysm@gmail.comhanysm@gmail...

Date posted: 7w ago

Hello, I faced a similar situation with my son and his mother regarding medications. What helped was sharing my experience with Ozempic, which I use for diabetes. I explained that it works on the brain to control appetite with no side effects for me. I also emphasized that he can stop it if he feels uncomfortable, but it typically takes 4-6 weeks to show effects. Good luck to you both!

Username: Zoë_84Zoë_84

Date posted: 7w ago

I started taking an SSRI, when I was 14, it did numb my brain, but then I switched to another SSRI. There are many different SSRI on the market, if one is not helping, and/or having (severe) side effects one can always try another. The thing is, that the first few weeks of being on a new medication can be hard, so it's important to keep a close eye on your son then. Would it be an option for him to go to a clinic to start taking an SSRI?

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 7w ago

@Zoë_84 Thank you. That is a good reminder that this is trial and error with medication. Why do you say it is imp to watch my son? Suicidal concerns? The clomipramine medication recommended for him is not an SSRI but a tricyclic antidepressant. The nurse practitioner said a side effect could be sleep disturbance. Did not seem concerned about any other side effects. I’m just wanting him to try something bc he is miserable now so what can it hurt to do some trial w med.

Username: Zoë_84Zoë_84

Date posted: 7w ago

@Anonymous Oh, okay, I mainly ever took SSRIs. And yes, there is the risk: "... However, other investigations suggest that antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal behavior, particularly among pediatric and adolescent patients. ..." https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6493906/#:~:text=An%20analysis%20of%2027%20trials,increased%20risk%20of%20suicidal%20behavior. I never experienced that side effect, but people taking medication (and their parents) should be aware of the possible risk. If I may ask, why are you seeing a nurse practitioner and not a psychiatrist?

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 7w ago

@Zoë_84 She was the first available to see for medication prescription. He sees a therapist twice a week with NOCD however he has been on vacation. The NOCD therapist recommended med to help him engage w ERP therapy. We were going to do med before finding out about NOCD - cancelled appt - tried ERP alone for 3 weeks. My son spends hours in room ruminating or praying. The NP only prescribes and follows up w med. She said it would calm his anxiety down.

Username: Lavender Fields!! Lavender Fie...

Date posted: 7w ago

Tell him the medication can help him unstick the thoughts because they can get sticky like glue. Yes, he might feel a little numb in the beginning when he starts taking the medication because his body has to get used to it so he can ask his doctor for a anxiety to take along with it to help until his body gets used to the medication. ❤️🙏

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 1y ago

Medication advice needed

My daughter is 8 and is diagnosed with OCD, poor insight and ADD. During the school year, she was taking both Prozac and Jornay PM(comparable to old school Ritalin but time released so you take at night). We had trouble filling it at beginning of summer, so we decided to take a break from the Jornay PM. We immediately noticed that she was a much happier child. Fast forward 3 weeks and we gave the Jornay to her before gymnastics camp 2 days in a row. Her compulsions increased tremendously and she was agitated, extremely intolerant to all noises, and I could go on. She needs to be on something for her ADD for school but I don’t want her to be miserable in the process. In my mind, the side effects are not worth the educational benefit at this point. Any advice on medications for ADD that have not exacerbated the OCD and do not cause extreme mood swings? TIA

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 1y ago

LisaGrossman

Hi, I have a 15 year old son who is an identical twin and both boys suffer from OCD. With one it’s under control, the other one is kind of in a crisis, every single thing that the boy does is built around his rituals. He is late to school, he hardly sleeps, and is up all night, he avoids touching things, washes his hands all the time, refuses to sit down, or sit on a certain chair, or walk through the kitchen a certain pathway, or even enter the living room. He does this ritual in the morning with his sneakers before he puts them on and has been late to school so far 4 times this year even though his alarm is set for 45 minutes earlier than it was last year. He told me a while ago he’s scared, and he wants to talk to somebody, and the psychiatrist recently put him back on sertraline. It’s killing me to see my kid like this & the family (6 of us, me & my husband & 4 kids) has no patience for him anymore.

Username: Bihernan

Date posted: 1y ago

My Teen Son

I don’t know what to do! My 13 year old son has suffered with intrusive thoughts for years. He feels guilty of things he’s done in the past when he was super young and obsesses over it to the point that he has to come clean about everything!! He fears that he may be a phedophyle at times because of intrusive thoughts. He’s on Zoloft 75 for it, it was getting better for a bit but it’s getting aggressive again! He is so kind and such a good son and person. He is in counseling but his counselor doesn’t specialize in OCD. I don’t know if I should have them change his medication, idk if there’s a medication that will help him more. I’m so scared I suffered with intrusive thoughts as a kid and teen, I never got help but I’m good now.

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