Posted by bookgurl99 on September 10, 2002, at 22:43:14
In reply to OCD Developments and Advice Needed, posted by freedom2001 on September 9, 2002, at 5:24:10
At least the positive side of ocd is that it helps you to be organized and focused in dealing with managing it. I admire your thoroughness in pursuing a solution. It's also great that you're doing what you can on a multitude of levels.
When I had untreated hypothyroidism, I began experiencing ocd-style symptoms. I have read that thyroid problems, both either too high or too slow, can cause ocd for women. (Once my thyroid balanced out, my ocd symptoms improved greatly, btw.)
It seems like you're on an awful lot of stuff. I'll assume that this is because the OCD has been quite difficult to manage, and not because your doctor enjoys putting people on lots of pills. But yet, I wonder if it's necessary to be on so much?
Suggestions I'd have, from another armchair psychiatrist:
- get a physical, if you haven't already, getting thyroid, blood sugar levels, etc. checked.
- going to regular (rational-emotive) therapy, not just cog. behavioral. there may be roots to your feelings. i found that ocd made me very serious, and judgemental towards myself. therapy helped me to lighten up my attitude and enjoy life more.
- exercising regularly. you know, the academy for the sciences just upped its recommendation to an hour a day of aerobics. that exercise has gotta burn off some of that extra energy.
- giving up the caffeine. probably the hardest step, i know, but caffeine leeches your body of the precious magnesium/calcium you need in order to have calm nerves.
- visiting a naturopath (if you haven't already) in order to learn how these things work in combination. (I'd recommend one who went to a real naturopathic college such as national college of naturopathy in portland, rather than one that went to a mail-order program such as clayton college.)
- if possible, cut down on your xanax and trazodone. i think sometimes the body sets up a negative feedback loop -- not only will it become less sensitive to these, but over time it may become sensitive to your own natural self-calming substances. i know cutting down could take some doing.
- and, if it comes to it: experiment with something other than prozac. prozac is famous for making folks feel agitated; maybe you wouldn't need the benzo/trazodone without it. i would really suggest serzone, an SSNRI, which is what i originally took for ocd. it made me a little sleepy, but didn't cause a speedy ssri feeling. i know someone else who's had great success on luvox.
I'm not saying you should do all this at once -- it'd be quite a shock to your system. but if you do decide to try something, let me know how it goes.
Good luck!
poster:bookgurl99
thread:119340
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020906/msgs/119511.html