Fluoxetine / Prozac for OCD?

[ElleBelleLou]

Hello Mumsnet!

I'm back again for some support - I've made other threads about my OCD and how much I struggle after being diagnosed 2 years ago now.

I've really not been doing great over the last 2 months - I've lost a stone in weight, I can't eat or sleep. All day every day I am thinking about vomiting, feeling sick, being sick - constantly visioning myself violently throwing up in every situation. I'm sat in meetings at work taking nothing in because I'm just thinking about running out or throwing up everywhere, I'm having conversations with my (luckily very supporting and understanding!) partner and taking nothing in because my head is just constantly playing imagery of me vomiting.

I struggle really badly with emetophobia alongside my OCD and finally spoke to my doctor about how bad it's been. I was honest about how it's impacting me, I cried and probably rambled but he listened. I had CBT therapy when I was first diagnosed but I didn't find it something that could help for me.

I've now been prescribed fluoxetine (or prozac), I've never taken any sort of medication for my mental health before and I wondered if anyone would mind sharing their experiences with it?

In the last year, I've stopped eating meat completely - I live on potatoes, green veg and occasionally beans, stopped drinking alcohol, stopped leaving my house for anything other than work - I don't see my family or friends because I get so anxious I convince myself I will be sick or someone near me will be sick. I feel like I need to be somewhere I'm in control - my home which I can keep clean, my desk which I can keep clean, I'm struggling badly.

If anyone would be able to share their experience I would really appreciate it - I'm desperate to get back to the me that I know is here under the OCD.

My 18 year old ds has recently started escitalopram, prescribed by a psychiatrist. He has moderate to severe ocd (ruminations leading to high anxiety).

He started on 5mg, now on 10mg and will prob continue up to 20mg.

Very tired the first week on 10mg and more anxious. That seems to be tapering iff but it's early days.

I've done lots of research & this drug seems to be a good fit for ocd with fewer side effects than sertraline.

Best of luck.

Also whoever drug you take it's essential to continue with CBT therapy as the medication alone isn't the answer.

@mirabella84 Thank you for your reply - I've not heard of that one, but I understand if this one doesn't work they will try me on a different one so it may come up!

I'm on a waiting list for more specialised therapy with a psychologist, I stopped the CBT 18 months ago but hopefully I'll find a psychologist a better support

I'm on fluoxetine and have been for about 8 years now. It was prescribed for several conditions in myself which includes OCD and they changed my life. I was suicidal, couldn't sleep because of obsessive thoughts and my anxiety was unbearable. I'm still anxious, the OCD sometimes rears its head to remind me it's never going away but I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for the medication.

@BloodandGlitter thank you for your reply - that sounds amazing, it sounds like it could really be a step closer to normality, whatever normality is. I'm sorry to hear you struggled so badly, but really glad to hear you found it a help.

If you can remember, how long were you on it before you started to feel benefit? Did you have any side effects? x

I'm on fluoxetine for OCD and anxiety and it definitely helps. I still get blips but they're short lived.

The first few weeks of an SSRI can make you feel worse before they start to make you better. Try and stick it out and good luck x

Hey; not on the same drug as you but antidepressants helped my OCD massively! It was a little worse before it got better (I’m only talking a few weeks) and then I had to get the dosage right (it needed to go right up for a while then started to come down again to what I think would be classed as a maintenance dose). Good luck and push through the initial bit. It does get better x x x

Op, how are you getting on with it?
I was prescribed this yesterday for my OCD and ARFID.