Best medication for anxiety, ocd.

[isthisasgdasitgets]

Hi all, I'm having a blip after a really good period of mental health. Gp has suggested changing meds. I've been taking 40mg paroxetine for years. Should I stick with this or try another medication. What are people's experiences of changing meds? And can you recommend one for anxiety and ocd. Of course it's making me more anxious & I'm stuck and getting down and don't want to spiral deeper. Thanks for reading and hope someone replies

[panic_down_under]

Hi all, I'm having a blip after a really good period of mental health.

Did something happen which might have triggered the blip and how long has it been going on?


Gp has suggested changing meds. I've been taking 40mg paroxetine for years. Should I stick with this or try another medication.

You could try going up to the recommended maximum 60mg/day, but the odds of this working are likely to be no better than 50/50.


What are people's experiences of changing meds?

Switching overnight from one SSRI to the equivalent dose of another, except to/from fluoxetine (Prozac), is usually straightforward. Any side-effects are usually mild and short lived.


And can you recommend one for anxiety and ocd.

As a rule no antidepressant (AD) is intrinsically better/more effective than the others either generally, or for a particular disorder though one or two usually are for an individual. As with most such rules there are exceptions and in this case two ADs, the SSRI fluvoxamine (Luvox) and the TCA clomipramine (Anafranil) seem to have an edge for OCD. Personally, I'd opt for clomipramine, but your GP is likely to be more comfortable prescribing fluvoxamine as these days most GPs have little experience with TCAs and switching from a SSRI to TCA is a little more complicated than between SSRIs.

[isthisasgdasitgets]

Hi panicdown under. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.
I'm not entirely sure what triggered my blip, it's like a switch flicked in my brain and I'm back to square one! I was also over sensitive to something at work, which sent me into panic mode.
Now my brain is questioning everything, overthinking and all the other wonderful anxiety, ocd symptoms.
I wish I could just run away and hide!
Thanks for your advice. My gp never got back to me and I don't have the energy to try again. So think I will carry on as I am for the moment. Till I really can't cope 🤯
Thanks again.

[panic_down_under]

My gp never got back to me and I don't have the energy to try again. So think I will carry on as I am for the moment. Till I really can't cope

I don't this is a good idea as it may take some weeks for the new AD to work and being at rock bottom plus maybe coping with side-effects may prove overwhelming.

[isthisasgdasitgets]

Thanks I appreciate your reply.

[panic_down_under]

Are you now on an effective treatment?

[isthisasgdasitgets]

Are you now on an effective treatment?

No sorry, just struggling to get by.

[Scissel]

That is ok ... its okay to not be OK ... sometimes we just struggle and 'fake it till we make it'! I hope things improve for you soon and regarding your medication.

[panic_down_under]

No sorry, just struggling to get by.

Is therapy an option if you don't want to go onto a med? I assume there would be a longish waiting list, but the sooner you're on it the sooner you'll rise to its top.

[isthisasgdasitgets]

That is ok ... its okay to not be OK ... sometimes we just struggle and 'fake it till we make it'! I hope things improve for you soon and regarding your medication.

Thank you for your kind words. I just feel such a failure at the moment and the faking is getting harder. I hope you're doing well.

[isthisasgdasitgets]

Thanks

[Scissel]

You're welcome, of course, and I know its get really hard sometime just to manage the basics. I have (somewhat) good days and (more) bad days as of late and I'm struggling myself if I'm being honest; but thank you for asking. We're here for you and you're not alone.

[pulisa]

Thank you for your kind words. I just feel such a failure at the moment and the faking is getting harder. I hope you're doing well.


Please don't feel a failure. It's exhausting trying to pretend you're ok but most of us do it endlessly.

My advice would be to stick with your current dosage of paroxetine and not change meds. You need to work towards some stability and not put pressure on yourself with all the anxiety a med change can bring? You need to accept that you are going through a blip and that this is ok. It happens..especially with anxiety and OCD. The fact that paroxetine has worked so well for you is a real bonus but you don't need to depend on a med to feel safe. You'll get through this but don't do yourself down because that won't help at all.

[isthisasgdasitgets]

Please don't feel a failure. It's exhausting trying to pretend you're ok but most of us do it endlessly.

My advice would be to stick with your current dosage of paroxetine and not change meds. You need to work towards some stability and not put pressure on yourself with all the anxiety a med change can bring? You need to accept that you are going through a blip and that this is ok. It happens..especially with anxiety and OCD. The fact that paroxetine has worked so well for you is a real bonus but you don't need to depend on a med to feel safe. You'll get through this but don't do yourself down because that won't help at all.

Thanks for your kind words. I'm doubting it does work now. But I guess I'm doubting everything. 😞

[isthisasgdasitgets]

You're welcome, of course, and I know its get really hard sometime just to manage the basics. I have (somewhat) good days and (more) bad days as of late and I'm struggling myself if I'm being honest; but thank you for asking. We're here for you and you're not alone.

Sorry to hear you're struggling. I hope the good days become more ��