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OCD, Paxil, success .... So far

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Posted 11/20/2011 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
I'm a 40 year old married male with three kids. I've always had OCD type issues, but I figured it was normal so I've always lived with. Also, I was embarrassed to go see a doctor and talk about what might be construed as me having some kind of 'mental defect.'

The last couple of years, I've noticed ... Mostly through my kids (aged 12, 9, and 2) ... That they stopped asking me to do things with them. I decided that my kids and wife were more mportant than my pride, so I went to see a doctor. I had a variety of OCD issues, but that bad ones were: counting things when I was stressed, checking locks and doors constantly, spending 30 minutes or more each night checking and testing my alarm clock, buying ammo every time I thought about it (over $8000 in te last six months), always having to have something in my hand to 'stem' off of, having to constantly check the volume on tv/stereo to make sure it was on an even number, not being able to eat in restaurants unless my back was to the wall.

Long story short, I've been taking 20mg Paxil and one .25mg Xanax daily for about 5 weeks now. I've read all the horror stories about Paxil, but I decided to try it anyway. 100% of my OCD issues are now completely gone. I've got no serious side effects (yet?). Life is not perfect, never expected it to be, but I've never been happier. I enjoy playing with my kids now, and they can see that. My wife has noticed huge differences also ... All positive.

I wish I would have gone to a doctor 15-20 years ago, but I wanted to post this so others with OCD issues might be willing to give an SSRI a chance to help. I was lucky that the first one I tried worked for me. If I realized before that I could ever feel the way I do now, I would have been willing to go through hell to find the right medication.
Posted 11/20/2011 3:20 PM (GMT 0)
OCD Guy,

I am glad to hear you took the big step and went to your Dr.  You may also want to look into therapy which I have found has helped me with my mental health issues.  Always keep an open mind when it comes to asking for help with your problems.  Too many of us suffer alone when there is so much help out there.

I admire you for accepting that you have a problem and I am thrilled to know you are doing better.  Very inspiring story and I hope you stick with us.  We love new members.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 11/20/2011 3:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hello and welcome!

I am so glad that you took that huge step! You have not only done something great for yourself, but have also given your family a great gift...and you can now be the husband and father that you want to be...Well done:)

I know that it is hard to get past the stigma of mental health issues, but we need to stand up for ourselves and be proud to take the necessary steps toward treatment.

People from all walks of life have anxiety issues, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. If you were dealing with any other disorder/disease, you wouldn't think twice about going to the dr. for treatment, and this is no different:)

If you don't mind me asking, have you also considered looking into therapy for your OCD tendencies? Many people have successfully improved through seeing someone, and learning the skills to retrain the negative/fearful thinking that drives the disorder. I was dealing with panic disorder (obviously different, but both are in the anxiety spectrum) and with therapy went from having panic disorders daily, to recovery from them:)

I am really glad that you posted, as I am sure that you will inspire others who need to take the next step, as you did!

Keep posting here with us if you like. We understand what it is to deal with anxiety, and would love to support you in your journey.

Take care,

Scaredy Cat
Posted 11/21/2011 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the positive comments. I have never seen a therapist, although I have tried a variety of 'mental exercises' (such as meditation) to cope with the panic I would get when confronted with certain situations. (i.e. If I was at a friends house and noticed that the volume on t.v. was not an even number, I would just leave ... didn't want to bother them with my problems ... but as a result I didn't go to friends houses very often).

Before I went to see my 'normal' doctor, I kept a very detailed diary for 2 months. I had decided if I was going to get help I needed to be blatantly honest about everything, and I wasn't sure if would be able to 'say' certain things to the doctor, so I printed out a copy of my diary and gave it to her. She read the whole thing, but after about the first 5 pages she said I was absolutely 'textbook ocd' in the moderate to severe category. She gave me the option of seeing a therapist. She didn't push me either way, and she was very open and thorough about the available medications (include side effects, withdrawal -- if I ever stopped, etc). I felt she was objective, and in the end I thought trying an SSRI would be the best for me. For what it's worth, if I ever felt like I was depressed, or was diagnosed with depression, I think I would try a therapist first. That might not make sense to anyone, but I am what I am.

As the months go on, I'll continue to post objective feedback on my Paxil/Xanax regime. I think that people will benefit from more comprehensive type reviews of this kind of medication. There's so many horror stories out there, but I think for the most part that people with good experiences don't blog about them, so it makes it seem like they cause more problems than they do.
Posted 1/6/2012 3:05 PM (GMT 0)
Not sure how many people read these posts, but I wanted to provide an update. I've been taking Paxil now for almost 3 months. (20mg). I felt like the efficacy of it was diminishing a bit, so I went to see my doctor yesterday. I was somewhat relieved to find out that OCD treatment usually requires higher doses than for anxiety or depression. I've changed my dose to 30mg and will see how that works. So far, I have not had any lasting negative side effects, so I'm hoping dosing up to 30mg will not cause any problems.

I did notice about 5 weeks ago that I thought I was eating (snacking) more than normal. I downloaded an app on my iPhone (myfitnesspal) and started counting calories. I was somewhat shocked to see how much I was actually overeating. I'm 41 now, 6 feet tall, and weighed about 210 when I started taking paxil. I'm probably more muscular than normal, but I definitely was 10-15 lbs overweight. Once I started using this iPhone app to track what I ate, I dropped 10 pounds in the last 5 weeks. Talked to my doctor about that yesterday, and she said that's nothing to worry about ... probably isn't the Paxil, it's just me eating healthy.

Not much else to say, but Paxil has helped me tremendously, and to be honest I think all the negative online info about it is lopsided ... I think a higher percentage of people that had a bad experience tend to post it online.
Posted 1/6/2012 4:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hey OCD guy,

I'm glad to have stumbled across your post as I started Paxil almost a month ago for OCD. I have been on 20mg and go back to the dr on Wednesday to add Xanax. At first, I had some nausea with the Paxil, but I think it was still just the anxiety being out of control. Although my head has slowed down a lot, I think the Paxil needs to be upped. Im no doctor, but I think I'm still obsessing way more than a "normal" person, although my compulsiveness has gotten better.

I actually have the myfitnesspal app too! Though... I haven't used it in awhile! When I went to my first visit with this dr, I was really at my worst. I feel like I can handle the appt next week much better than the last one, but I hope that my "progress" doesn't keep her from adding the Xanax or upping the Paxil. Although I'm better, I know I'm not "myself"... It's crazy, I am myself whenever I leave town. I think it will be better once I am again comfortable where I live, but I'm working on that through therapy.
\
Anyway, thanks!
Courtney
Posted 1/6/2012 4:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hi AOG!

I am so glad that you are feeling better and getting some relief from your symptoms! Great job on being pro-active about your recovery and working to get your dosage right, ect.

It is also great how you recognized the weight gain connection and did something about it with the tracking of your food intake. This is a really positive step, and will encourage others who may be reluctant to try a med, because they believe it will lead to inevitable weight gain.

You are really helping a lot of people out here by balancing out the negative things posted about side effects, ect. You are right...there may be just as many positive outcomes that don't get reported.:)

Keep in touch with us, and post anytime about your triumphs and/or struggles. I hope that you and your wife and kids continue to be well in this new year!

Talk to you soon,
S.C.
Posted 1/6/2012 5:46 PM (GMT 0)

greenbean885 said...
Hey OCD guy,

I'm glad to have stumbled across your post as I started Paxil almost a month ago for OCD. I have been on 20mg and go back to the dr on Wednesday to add Xanax. At first, I had some nausea with the Paxil, but I think it was still just the anxiety being out of control. Although my head has slowed down a lot, I think the Paxil needs to be upped. Im no doctor, but I think I'm still obsessing way more than a "normal" person, although my compulsiveness has gotten better.

I actually have the myfitnesspal app too! Though... I haven't used it in awhile! When I went to my first visit with this dr, I was really at my worst. I feel like I can handle the appt next week much better than the last one, but I hope that my "progress" doesn't keep her from adding the Xanax or upping the Paxil. Although I'm better, I know I'm not "myself"... It's crazy, I am myself whenever I leave town. I think it will be better once I am again comfortable where I live, but I'm working on that through therapy.
\
Anyway, thanks!
Courtney

I'm glad you thought this was helpful. From what I understand, Xanax can be very addictive. When I first started seeing a doctor, I was taking 0.5mg of Xanax 3 times per day. This horrified me because of all the addiction stories I had heard. I was fortunate after a week or two to take down the Xanax dose. I don't remember exactly how I figured it out, but I found that if I take the Paxil dose at 7AM every day WITH a 0.25mg Xanax dose, it helps to 'set the tone' for the day. I've never felt the need for a higher dose of Xanax, nor do I ever feel I like I need it more than once a day. My doc says the low dose only once daily does not give her any concerns about addiction problems. I hate taking anything, but honestly my life is so much better. Good luck to you!
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