Need to change meds

My main symptoms of my OCD is obsessive hand washing. I wash my hands 50+ times per day. I use steroid creams and ointments on my hands because they cut due to how dry they get because of the excessive washing. Sometimes the bleed.

I started on 50mg Sertraline and had minimal effect so upped it to 100mg, which helped with my anxiety but not my OCD. So my doc suggested trying a TCA, Chlomipramine starting at 10mg upped by 10mg per wee until 30mg. Which had no benefit, so upped to 50mg.

I am getting some side effects though, increased OCD symptoms, I have this constant faint headache, tired all the time, and feel like I keep spacing out, its like I am daydreaming, but without the dream.
So thinking of asking my doc to change my meds again. But I cannot go on a medication that causes weight gain.

My doctor will let me make a suggestion based on research I do.

So any suggestions on meds that have really good results for OCD?

Thanks

I did start an identical thread in the meds section, but had a suggestion to try here.

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Clomipramine changed my life the first time I used it, but I had to go to a very high dosage (200mg a day). Then an idiot doctor took me off it (I'd originally gotten it from a psychiatrist, but he didn't like that I hated my aunt--he was a Christian--and kicked me out), even though I told him it was a bad idea (I'd done a lot of research on it). I got worse, and then he put me back on it, but it no longer worked as well as it did that first time. I'm on it again, and it does help, but not like it did in the beginning.

I know what you mean about side effects. I can't tell you what will and won't affect you. I get side effects from just about everything. My current doctor thinks my meds are part of the cause of me being overweight (not just Clomipramine, but also Xanax for anxiety) and also, I sleep a lot. I might or might not be up all night--sometimes I can get to sleep around 11:00 p.m., other times it might take until after 8:00 a.m.--but I almost always sleep until around 4:00 p.m.

Paxil did well for my OCD, but I had weird side effects from it. Weird dreams, where I'd wake up calling out (sometimes for my dad), or have something shock me awake, or I'd suddenly be sure I'd just pooped in my bed, but there would be nothing there. I mean, it physically felt like I'd passed something.

Everyone has different results with different medications.

Have you tried an SSRI like Prozac, I find that Prozac has helped me greatly with my OCD.

Prozac worked great for me as well. I had to get off it due to mania. Adderal made the ocd much worse

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Yes, Sertraline. It was good for my anxiety, but not my OCD

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I was also on Prozac, but it didn't do much for me. Clomipramine is also an SSRI.

I hope you guys/gals don't mind me asking, but what sort of symptoms do you have that it did or didn't help with?

I am looking for something that tends to get good results with cleanliness issues... My hand washing and cleaning thing is becoming seriously debilitating.

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Oh, I mainly know about the more commonly prescribed meds, didn't realize Sertraline was an SSRI. The Prozac helps me with the obsessive thoughts alot, although the Zyprexa may be helping alot with that aswell too. I am a pretty compulsive hand washer myself, although it's not to a severe extent, but I find my med combination has been helping me with compulsive spitting aswell (Yeah it's a weird compulsion I know) I find that my ritual compulsions seem to be unaffected for some reason. Anyways, I hope I was of some help.

I've been a hand washer since I was very young trying to cope with trauma. I also wash and re wash dishes, throw away any Tupper ware if it doesn't squeak clean, don't use the same pans I cook my husband's meals with and have a different color sponge for each task. I also have reoccurring violent thoughts which are very hard to handle, and I pick at my scalp when anxious.

A good tip is try to use all natural cleaning products. This will lessen the damage to your skin and lungs. I make mine with vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide etc. I try to wear rubber gloves, and I do use lysol to spray on door knobs and light switches. I also live by having a couch cover that I can wash.

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And what has been the best medication for you?

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The best thing was prozac. I want to go back on it if my pdoc says ok. I'm bipolar I and prozac can trigger or fuel mania.

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I have made an appointment to see my GP and get reffered to another specialist. Also going to change my meds to prozac hopefully. Especially as this was discontinued in the UK before he prescribed it to me, so really he should never have given me this...

The constant head ache is really bothering me.

Just feel zombified constantly.

Hi 1iam5mith... I am in the EXACT position as you so I pre apologize if I am of no help but maybe just knowing someone else is in the same boat as you. I saw a psychiatrist back in May and he said I didn't have OCD but just an overactive part of my brain (forget the technical term for it). I started on 50 Mg of zoloft, and it helped with my anxiety at first and then tapered off. Switched to 100 mg after a panick attack but that has been no help. Saw two therapists in the last month that both said my anxiety had turned into OCD (contamination....SO much hand washing). It made complete sense. I am still on the 100 mg, but I feel no relief and don't know where to go from here. I am getting CBT (cog behavioral therapy next week).....but wish I had a medication that helped with my compulsions!! Would love to keep in contact and know how things work out for you.