Medication not helping other disorders

Hello. I am currently diagnosed with social anxiety and GAD, but I am waiting for OCD and possibly panic disorder to be diagnosed. I am on Lexapro, which works like a charm for social anxiety, but it hasn't done much else than that. Lexapro is suppose to help all anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD, but it only helps social anxiety. My OCD tendencies have been getting worse, and I am waiting until my next appointment to be evaluated for OCD. I was given a checklist to fill out for OCD in June, but I haven't given it to her because I haven't seen her since June really because of complicated schedules. What should I do? Should I change medications or add another one? I currently want to add propranolol for panic attacks, but I don't know what else to do. Every flat surface feels dirty and I feel contaminated after touching these objects. It's terrible.

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Have you ever been on Paxil? That is pretty helpful for OCD symptoms in my experience

No, I have never been on Paxil. I was reading up about it and 2 SSRI's isn't really recommended at the same time according to the internet, which could be wrong. I can ask my pdoc about it when I see her next. Thanks for the response .

I've heard that antidepressants can worsen OCD because they're a kind of stimulant, and thus also stimulate the OCD before they start to work. How long have you been on lexapro now?

I have been on Lexapro for about 6-7 months. OCD is in hand-washing mode at the moment. When I did the screening for everything before, my OCD was considered normal levels because they wanted you to be OC in many different things but most people are just OC in 1 or 2 categories and I am so I put severe for the 1 and 2 that fit me and nothing in the others causing her to miss a diagnosis of OCD. Back then it was checking/rechecking.

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Unfortunately, SSRIs (which Lexapro is) are generally the go to drug for OCD, but some are supposedly better for it than others. Fluvoxamine (Luvox) is one, and Zoloft is another. And no, you shouldn't be on more than one SSRI at the same time because it can cause serotonin syndrome.

Maybe increase your dose of Lexapro? If not, then I guess try another med and hope for the best. But also remember that the best treatment is medication and therapy, so if you aren't in therapy already, get yourself there. Without some intense rounds of CBT, my OCD would probably still be extreme, taking up literally hours of my day. Yes, medication helps it, but I think it's the CBT that really hit it hard.

Yeah I know you can't mix 2 antidepressants, I meant as an alternative to the lexapro.

I was on Zoloft, but I always felt tired all the time, along with periods of extreme happiness every afternoon.

We did try to increase the dose of Lexapro, but then I get these shaking episodes that last like 1-2 hours and I'm just trembling. Not a panic attack, just this one symptom and it feels weird and awful.

I am in CBT, but I am waiting to be referred to a new place because apparently CBT might be better there. And all I have done CBT for is social anxiety.

Thanks for the response .

I would try it, but I don't how it would help my social anxiety. Social anxiety is the worst thing for me that is considered a mental illness, but OCD would be a second for sure. Even higher than my DX of GAD. Anyways, thanks for the response .

Hello Nike,

You can actually mix 2 or more antidepressants, but this is frowned upon especially if they do the same thing!~

You could totally add something to help control panic attacks, or/and OCD. Have you ever been on a benzodiazepine? If no, you should try buspirone as an augmentation agent to your SSRI. Try it maybe at a low dose, 15mg 3x a day and go up? If have been on a benzodiazepine maybe try something different, propranolol or hydroxyzine? Maybe even propranolol IR?

Thanks!

I know. I think I read it somewhere. But, Lexapro has only helped social anxiety. Nothing else.

I know I want to. No, I have not been on a benzo. I haven't been on much, as stated in my signature. I don't really want to try a benzo due to the fact that it can be sedating and cause a physical dependence. I wanted to try propranolol. I don't know what propranolol IR is and how it is different than propranolol by itself.

Lexapro did nothing for me except make my OCD symptoms worse.

I've had the best success with Seroquel, which totally stopped most of my anxiety and OCD symptoms. On the rare occasions when my anxiety is bad, I can add in Xanax as needed. However, I've been diagnosed bipolar 2, and my p-doc thinks that some of my anxiety was really a mixed state. There's no doubt I suffer from anxiety and OCD as well, but it was all made worse by being in a mixed state.

Propranolol IR is simply the extended release propranolol instead of the normal instant release propranolol. It might help control anxiety symptoms all day long instead of just prn. You haven't been sedated with a benzo before surgery even? I kinda meant ever, not just prescribed.

I have never needed a surgery for anything, no. I don't know as a baby, but for sure not as a toddler or older.

Oh okay. I just mainly wanted something to help panic attacks, but anxiety is still pretty bad.

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I say try the buspirone first, if that dosent help with panic attacks, move onto benzos.

Another therapy option for OCD is exposure-response therapy (I think that's what it's called--I know "exposure" is in there). Is your T trained in that by any chance? It could be worth finding one who is. I also have OCD, mainly contamination, and we were going to work on that kind of therapy after I did some CBT to help with panic attacks. But then other life stuff got in the way (marriage issues, etc.) and we focused on other things rather than going very far into the exposure therapy. I'm currently on Zoloft, which helps with the anxiety. Paxil helped me in the past, too, so consider trying that. Good luck!

Thank you. I have done some exposure therapy for social anxiety and not OCD. I'm not even diagnosed with OCD because it was missed because of the questions asked in the screening. I obsess over 1 thing majorly and other things minorly and the screening checks over everything. I don't OC about everything. Just certain things. Right now, it's germs and it's worse at school because everything is so dirty I feel terrible .

Zoloft was making me too fatigue to function normally. I have never tried Paxil. Thanks for the response .

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I'm sorry it made your OCD symptoms worse. I don't know if it has made my OCD worse, but it has chanced where my OCD is focused on. It used to be on checking/rechecking, now it's contamination.

I probably can't take seroquel because I don't have any form of bipolar. I also don't have anything to help prevent panic attacks, which I hope to have soon. Thanks for the response .

Exposure and response prevention therapy, maybe?