Question:
Hey everyone! I hope those who have read or are reading my post can
please help me. My boyfriend has had problems with OCD/Anxiety/and
Depression since November. It's been a pretty weird roller coaster
ride with things. It all started when he became a really bad
hypochondriac which lead to OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). He
would have reoccuring thoughts..and strange ones at that. Those
thoughts would torment him to the point that he wouldn't leave his
house, had to quit his job and college, and not even visit me and at
times not want to even speak on the phone. He went to a psychiatrist
and they gave him Zoloft (this was in December). He was sadly very
allergic to it :( He went on for about a few weeks and he was put on
Lexapro. Again that one didn't work because he threw up once. He later
went to a therapist from his church and she recommended St. John's
Wart which is an herbal pill that treats depression. THAT pill worked
great on him till it started giving him strange headaches which made
him think that he had a tumor and such (again with the hypochondriac
symptoms). He then finally went to a new psychiatrist and he gave him
Risperdal for his OCD. He first put him on .25..then .50..and finally
to a 1. He was doing great once again..he started going out..going
over my house..acting normal again. Until....just recently he broke
down with a really really bad depression :( This was actually just
last Wednesday. He went back to the psychiatrist and he upgraded his
Risperdal to a 2 (which is actually the AVERAGE dose) and he also put
him back on Lexapro 10mg. It hasn't even been a week yet, but I've
seen no signs of impovement. Of course I truly don't expect results
and neither should he till about 2 weeks or so. The full effects
aren't even felt until 4-6 weeks. This time he has had reoccuring
thoughts about death and such. No, he is not suicidal nor has
attempted cutting himself or none of the sort. He is not THAT bad
depressed-wise. But of course a main reason because he's not to that
extent is because he is a Christian. It is very hard dealing with a
boyfriend who has depression/anxiety/OCD. If anyone here has a
friend/boyfriend/relative who has had any of those disorders and has
survived it. Please tell me your story. OR if anyone out there knows
someone who has taken either Lexapro or Risperdal. Has it worked?
Etc..etc... THANKS A MILLION God Bless :o) :( :( :(


Answer:
Jen- I feel really badly that you are going through such a tough time
with your boyfriend. Because he is in such turmoil, it might be time
to try another psychiatrist? Would he be willing to do that?


Answer:
Instead of the lexapro.. I would probably talk to the doctor about
putting him on paxil.. This drug is really good for OCD but will also
help reduce the anxiety he is experiencing.. Risperdal should be very
helpful for him also but an alternative could be to use seroquel....
Hope this helps


Answer:
Hey Ladii_J, how are you doing? A calm supportive family
environment in which parents and/or caregivers actively can support
the child's coping strategies also should improve outcome. Many
clinicians believe that most children with OCD benefit from the
combined treatment. Other anxiety disorders, tic disorders, and
disruptive behavior disorders, as well as learning disabilities, are
common comorbidities with OCD. Other obsessive-compulsive type
disorders, such as body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania, and
habit problems (eg, nail biting) are less common, but certainly not
rare. Typically, these sets are described best as just so
behaviors, in which certain things have to be arranged or performed in
a particular way to relieve the anxiety. These excessive thoughts
result in the common compulsive behaviors of washing, repeating,
checking, touching, counting, arranging, hoarding, or praying.
Initial successes in treatment of OCD with selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have led to a neuropsychiatric explanation
of a serotonin-mediated "grooming behavior" that has been disrupted.
In addition, clear family genetic studies demonstrate that, in some
cases, both OCD and Tourette syndrome may represent expressions of the
same gene. Successful treatment of this chronic disorder involves
both the judicious use of SSRIs and structured psychotherapy designed
to provide the patient with the skills to master the obsessive
thoughts and accompanying compulsive behaviors. SSRIs do not have the
cardiac arrhythmia risk associated with tricyclic antidepressants.
In December 2003, the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory
Agency (MHRA) issued an advisory that most SSRIs are not suitable for
use by persons younger than 18 years for treatment of depressive
illness. After review, this agency decided that the risks to
pediatric patients outweigh the benefits of treatment with SSRIs,
except fluoxetine (Prozac), which appears to have a positive
risk-benefit ratio in the treatment of depressive illness in patients
younger than 18 years. In October 2003, the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory regarding reports
of suicidality in pediatric patients being treated with antidepressant
medications for major depressive disorder. The FDA has asked that
additional studies be performed because suicidality occurred in both
treated and untreated patients with major depression and thus could
not be definitively linked to drug treatment. For excellent patient
education resources, visit eMedicine's Anxiety Center. Also, see
eMedicine's patient education articles, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and
Hyperventilation.