What to Talk About With Your Doctor?

What to talk about with your doctor? The aim essentially is to discuss the best medication for each individual. There is no one size-fits-all prescription. Some patients would do well without medication but will undergo therapy. Others are more receptive to doses of medication. Then there are those who respond better to both. 

Ideally the aim is to identify medication which targets the need of each individual at the lowest possible dosage. There will be a big likelihood of trying out several drugs before you find the proper kind that will help manage the condition. This is why it is very important to be under the supervision of a doctor. It is possible for a doctor to prescribe more than one drug to manage the OCD symptoms better and it may take more than a couple of months to see positive results. 

Another reason why it is important to be under the care and supervision of a doctor when undergoing medication is because of the side effects that may come along with the drugs. Drugs interacting with each other are not unusual since we are all made up differently. Some of these drugs will be anti-depressants and there is a suicide risk in young people and adults who are on it especially for the first few weeks after taking them. Suicidal thoughts are said to also happen when the dosage is changed. The risk doubles exponentially when the medication is suddenly ceased. 

Putting It All Together

Discontinuation syndrome is a physical dependence on the prescribed medication aimed at OCD. This is very different from addiction but has withdrawal-like appearances. Even if you are feeling well, it is not advisable and risky to cease taking medication without discussing it first with your physician. You will need the supervision of your doctor so that they can help you lower and decrease your dosage gradually over time.  

Mixing prescribed medications with herbal supplements and other mind impairing substances such as alcohol or street drugs is very dangerous. It is certainly not wise to do this but it is still something you want to be honest about with your doctor. There are patients who do not respond to medication and or psychotherapy and research continues toward deep brain stimulation to treat OCD. Those who do not respond to the usual approach of treatment could discuss DBS as an option with their doctor.