OCD treatment w/o Antidepressant?

[mjs190]

Anybody familiar with treatment of OCD that doesn't include antidepressants like SSRI's? I can't take them as I've realized they have been making me hypomanic.

[CeremonyNewOrder]

I'd check out clomipramine. It's not an SSRI and is usually used for OCD.

[iaawal]

The saphris helped with my intrusive thoughts. 

[nexus788]

I would not go for clomipramine as in one systematic review the rate of manic switch on tricyclics was 10% and for other antidepressants 3.2%. However, this was from short term trials. I have ocd and have found that seroquel as an adjunct didn't really do anything for me. I have just started on zoloft and some other stuff.

 

You could try cbt (although it's expensive) or a lower dose of an ssri.  Also a mood stabilizer like valproate could be added to the ssri. It's recommended that mood is stabilised before starting on an ssri.

[StolenDance]

The saphris helped with my intrusive thoughts. 

 

I tried that drug for a week; horrible! Made everything worse. It's cliche but it's startling how uniquely we each respond to drugs.

[StolenDance]

I would not go for clomipramine as in one systematic review the rate of manic switch on tricyclics was 10% and for other antidepressants 3.2%. However, this was from short term trials. I have ocd and have found that seroquel as an adjunct didn't really do anything for me. I have just started on zoloft and some other stuff.

 

You could try cbt (although it's expensive) or a lower dose of an ssri.  Also a mood stabilizer like valproate could be added to the ssri. It's recommended that mood is stabilised before starting on an ssri.

 

Fair warning. I have severe OCD ( along with something on the psychotic-spectrum) and I found Zoloft very stimulating. Made me feel strong dissociation, and almost certainly made my psychosis worsen. 

[StolenDance]

Anybody familiar with treatment of OCD that doesn't include antidepressants like SSRI's? I can't take them as I've realized they have been making me hypomanic.

 

AAP'S basically. Seroquel, Risperdal, etc. I find Risperdal helpful, I think...There's new and exciting research into mood-stabilizers that affect glutamate possibly being effective in treatment refractory OCD. I'm digging around on here to see if anyone has any experience with this. The drugs in question would be Lamictal and Topamax. Possibly Lyrica and Gabapentin as well. There's a drug called Memantine used in the treatment of Alzheimers which as used in a small OCD study as well.

[mjs190]

 

Anybody familiar with treatment of OCD that doesn't include antidepressants like SSRI's? I can't take them as I've realized they have been making me hypomanic.

 

AAP'S basically. Seroquel, Risperdal, etc. I find Risperdal helpful, I think...There's new and exciting research into mood-stabilizers that affect glutamate possibly being effective in treatment refractory OCD. I'm digging around on here to see if anyone has any experience with this. The drugs in question would be Lamictal and Topamax. Possibly Lyrica and Gabapentin as well. There's a drug called Memantine used in the treatment of Alzheimers which as used in a small OCD study as well.

 

 I'm currently taking 500 mg of extended release valproate, which, on top of increasing GABA levels, also effects Glutamate transmission by Na and Ca ion channels. I've noticed a profound effect on my anxiety and repetitive thoughts, as well as compulsive behaviors.

 

Of note, I was weening down on Seroquel at the time, so I believe that alone proves that Seroquel wasn't helpful in treating OCD for me. In the past few days, I've replaced Seroquel with Latuda with hopes of trading depression, but its too soon to report anything good or bad, other than I'm pleased with the lack of side effects.

Edited November 18, 2014 by mjs190

[StolenDance]

 

 

Anybody familiar with treatment of OCD that doesn't include antidepressants like SSRI's? I can't take them as I've realized they have been making me hypomanic.

 

AAP'S basically. Seroquel, Risperdal, etc. I find Risperdal helpful, I think...There's new and exciting research into mood-stabilizers that affect glutamate possibly being effective in treatment refractory OCD. I'm digging around on here to see if anyone has any experience with this. The drugs in question would be Lamictal and Topamax. Possibly Lyrica and Gabapentin as well. There's a drug called Memantine used in the treatment of Alzheimers which as used in a small OCD study as well.

 

 I'm currently taking 500 mg of extended release valproate, which, on top of increasing GABA levels, also effects Glutamate transmission by Na and Ca ion channels. I've noticed a profound effect on my anxiety and repetitive thoughts, as well as compulsive behaviors.

 

Of note, I was weening down on Seroquel at the time, so I believe that alone proves that Seroquel wasn't helpful in treating OCD for me. In the past few days, I've replaced Seroquel with Latuda with hopes of trading depression, but its too soon to report anything good or bad, other than I'm pleased with the lack of side effects.

 

 

I appreciate the feedback! I'm seeing my pdoc tomorrow and am going to make a plea for some sort of mood stabilizer. Currently on nothing but Risperidone (officially). Got my hands on Topamax, which taking the always present placebo possibility into effect, I believe to be helping. 

[AnxietyGirl74]

I was on anafranil for a while, which worked for me. If the topamax doesn't work, it may be worth a shot; just be pretty careful and know it is a tricyclic antidepressant.

[Paranoidling]

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Edited March 6 by Paranoidling

[StolenDance]

(I feel like I keep repeating myself every time someone asks something like this haha)

I was put on Intuniv. Helped the intrusive [violent] thoughts and anxiety immediately. It was a life saver for me.

 

I appreciate the feedback, but in my experience, anything remotely stimulating increases the severity of my OC symptoms. 

[StolenDance]

I was on anafranil for a while, which worked for me. If the topamax doesn't work, it may be worth a shot; just be pretty careful and know it is a tricyclic antidepress

 

 

 

By taking a peak at your current regimen, I think it's safe to say that OCD is highly heterogeneous. I've tried multiple drugs in your regimen, and they all made me worse. Particularly the Prozac and Welbutrin. I think the Topamax is helping, but I'm going to make a play for another NDMA drug with potential for treating OC symptoms: Lyrica. 

[Paranoidling]

-

Edited March 6 by Paranoidling

[StolenDance]

 

 

(I feel like I keep repeating myself every time someone asks something like this haha)

I was put on Intuniv. Helped the intrusive [violent] thoughts and anxiety immediately. It was a life saver for me.

I appreciate the feedback, but in my experience, anything remotely stimulating increases the severity of my OC symptoms. Not a stimulating drug.

http://www.intuniv.com/adhd-information.aspx

 

 

That's a really interesting drug

 

 

Anybody familiar with treatment of OCD that doesn't include antidepressants like SSRI's? I can't take them as I've realized they have been making me hypomanic.

 

AAP'S basically. Seroquel, Risperdal, etc. I find Risperdal helpful, I think...There's new and exciting research into mood-stabilizers that affect glutamate possibly being effective in treatment refractory OCD. I'm digging around on here to see if anyone has any experience with this. The drugs in question would be Lamictal and Topamax. Possibly Lyrica and Gabapentin as well. There's a drug called Memantine used in the treatment of Alzheimers which as used in a small OCD study as well.

 

 I'm currently taking 500 mg of extended release valproate, which, on top of increasing GABA levels, also effects Glutamate transmission by Na and Ca ion channels. I've noticed a profound effect on my anxiety and repetitive thoughts, as well as compulsive behaviors.

 

Of note, I was weening down on Seroquel at the time, so I believe that alone proves that Seroquel wasn't helpful in treating OCD for me. In the past few days, I've replaced Seroquel with Latuda with hopes of trading depression, but its too soon to report anything good or bad, other than I'm pleased with the lack of side effects.

 

 

Hey Mj's, how do you like Latuda?

[larkspur]

When I was going through the med go round for bipolar there was a while where my pdoc didn't feel comfortable letting me take an antidepressant. My OCD symptoms were dramatically reduced by lithium, though I have generally found SSRIs to be better and more effective. Lithium helped a lot with intrusive thoughts though.

[mjs190]

Depakote has been incredibly helpful

I echo Intuniv being helpful, too. Intuniv is life changing in so many ways. Since posting this thread, I have truly managed to get my OCD and other issues under solid control.

Latuda has been helpful. It messes with my sleep too much (at night its too stimulating and in the morning it's too sedating; but everyone is different) and additionally I have a hard time finding the calories to take it with, so I'll be switching to Risperdal to see if a low dose of that might assist the Depakote and the Intuniv.

Edited November 25, 2014 by mjs190

[Beliah]

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Edited December 18, 2014 by Beliah

[mjs190]

Lithium is the only medication that's ever properly dampened my OCD. 

 

The mood stabilizers have received praise from a lot of people on this thread. I know there's a lot of research right now into treatments outside of those that effect serotonin, like glutamatergic disfunction, and the aforementioned mood stabilizers tend to inhibit glutamate in some way. Perhaps they're on to something...

Edited December 11, 2014 by mjs190

[StolenDance]

Lithium is the only medication that's ever properly dampened my OCD. 

 

 

Risperidal has had a major impact on my OCD; more so than Zoloft ever did.