Paxil and OCD
 

Hi everyone. I'm new here and this is my first thread. I've struggled with OCD like symptoms since I can remember, and they've intensified thoroughly in the past few months. I don't have compulsions, only very intense irrational fears/obsessions. Two years ago I had a bad bout of obessional thoughts and went on 12.5 mg of paxil cr. It was wonderful. I went off of it a year later thinking I was fine. A few months ago it happened again. The obsessions came back with a vengence. My doctor thought I should up the dosage from last time, and I'm now on 20mg of regular paxil every day. I also complement paxil with klonopin which really really helps with my anxiety attacks. Here is my problem: I've been on the med for less than a month. The first two weeks were psychologically hellish. They was the worst depression/obsessional episodes I'd ever experienced. After the intial first few weeks its been up and down. Some days I'm on cloud nine. Other days I'm obsessed and depressed to the point of severe anxiety. What should I do? I'm starting to think that my general practioner can only do so much and I should maybe see a psychiatrist. Does paxil take a long time to kick in? Why did it work so well last time and not this time? Would a psychatrist be better able to handle my situation? I'm convinced that I have an anxiety disorder or maybe pure O. Any info would be greatly helpful. Thanks so much.

Hi and welcome

perhaps your system does better on the lower dose? Also have you considered that it may be the combination of the two drugs that is causing a problem?

From my experience with both son and dh who both have OCD with their Tourette Syndrome, meds can sometimes intensify the problem they are supposed to be helping, so do talk to your doctor about the effects you are noticing. Both of my family members now use supplements more successfully to help their OCD as the side effects from the meds just wasnt worth it.

Have you considered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? Trained psychologists help with this and it is very beneficial for OCD

We have some helpful info on it and other OCD stuff on our sticky thread above here
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread1395.html

hope that helps

OCD and Paxil Response to your Q.
 

Hi there, I really hope that you get this message. The fact is that Paxil 20 mg. is, as you probably know, not CR, not time released. I tried the generic 20mg. and fell into a depression worse than any I'd had. I don't take paxil for depression, rather for my pure ocd. If you need to increase the paxil from the 12.5 mg, go to the 25mg CR. I am speaking from experience. Use the name brand. I also find that the generic Wellbutrin is not the same as the name brand. If paxil CR worked for you once, it will probably work for you again. You will know if the dose (at 25mg) is too high if you seem to have more anxiety. For me, name brand Paxil CR is a great drug. Try it again. Joni