[nfsx]

Im 18 and have moderate OCD that has never been treated nor diagnosed yet. And I'm not planning on getting treatment too anytime soon and am still keeping it a secret (from friends/family). I have an oral surgery on Tuesday (2/5/12) and my oral surgeon prescribed me valium to reduce any anxiety. (of course he doesn't know about my disorder) Should I take the valium? I know its going to affect my brain chemistry temporarily and it could actually help but I'm kind of worried about any unpredictable consequences, esp. since he's not a psychiatrist. What should I do?

[pbutton]

Could you possibly call your surgeon's office and tell them the OCD and your concern?

I will say I have taken valium once prior to surgery. It had very little effect on me. I kept waiting to feel relaxed. Didn't happen.

[nfsx]

Hmmm, what I might just do is take Valium without telling them about my OCD. I don't want to go through the awkwardness and embarrassment of discussing my condition. By the way this will be the first time I'm taking any sort of anti-anxiety medication in my life.
Thanks and wish me luck!

[LiteraryLark]

It's not going to alter your mind, it's just going to make you numb temporarily.

And if you're not diagnosed, you're not taking any medications to treat the OCD which means there is going to be no chemical interactions. I wouldn't worry about it, but I'd go to the doctor to see if you are in fact OCD. There's a chance there may be nothing wrong with you at all!

--Dr. Skipper, 19, obsessive hand washer, germ-freak, not OCD. Just habits that make me human.

[LiteraryLark]

PS, they're not giving you the valium for anxiety, they're giving it to you for muscle relaxants to ease the pain. I was on antidepressants when I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed and I was still prescribed vicodin even after telling them of my medications. NBD. Relax! They know what they're doing!

[LiteraryLark]

PPS I was prescribed the vicodin, but I never even took any because the pain wasn't nearly that bad! No one is forcing you to take them, either. If you think you don't need it, then don't take them. It's not going to kill you.

[pbutton]

Originally Posted by nfsx

Hmmm, what I might just do is take Valium without telling them about my OCD. I don't want to go through the awkwardness and embarrassment of discussing my condition. By the way this will be the first time I'm taking any sort of anti-anxiety medication in my life.
Thanks and wish me luck!

How did it go?

[nfsx]

How'd it go? The surgery went very smoothly. I ended up not taking Valium since I'm such a risk avoider. I was put on laughing gas and that did a good job of calming me. Plus laughing gas isn't addictive and probably doesn't have those side effects. By the third day of recovery, I was back to eating normal food (very carefully, by chewing with my front teeth) despite having all four wisdom teeth removed. By now I've completely recovered.

As for the one who said I may not possibly have OCD, believe me I've done my research. I meet pretty much all the criteria and have a moderate amount of it. But I'm doing fine on my own, so I don't feel like I need extra help.

By the way, if you ever need a surgery and have anxiety here's a tip: don't listen to Weird Al's "Like a Surgeon" right before it like I did. You'll find it extremely disturbing