Can OCD Be Treated with Medication? Understanding Your Diagnosis and Treatment

Millions of people across the world suffer from OCD. Thankfully, hundreds of thousands also undergo treatment to turn their debilitating disease into a manageable condition.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental health condition that can manifest in various ways. As the name suggests, patients develop a series of obsessions and compulsions that trigger unwanted thoughts and repetitive responses. People of all ages and backgrounds can develop OCD, which affects up to 2.5% of the population, or a whopping 8 million people in the United States alone.?

Although many people experience some variation of intrusive thoughts or compulsions, OCD is a cyclical form of this behavior. For a diagnosis to occur, the patient must spend more than one hour a day engaging in compulsive and obsessive behavior. Plus, the intensity is so extreme that it causes significant distress and diminishes functionality and quality of life.?

What are the symptoms of OCD??

OCD can manifest itself in several ways, but there is no official classification scheme to differentiate symptoms. While many patients experience a wide range of symptoms, research from Yale has identified four?subtypes of OCD?with symptoms that revolve around symmetry and order, cleaning and contamination, hoarding, and/or forbidden thoughts. Some examples:?

Symmetry and order?

• Intense anxiety over symmetry?
• Extreme need for balance and alignment?
• Need for symmetry in actions
• Arranging items until they feel “right”?
• Rituals and specific ways of organizing?

Cleaning and contamination?

• Intense anxiety over being exposed to germs?
• Feeling physically or mentally dirty?
• Excessive washing of hands or body?
• A compulsion to wash and clean?
• Rituals and specific ways of cleaning

Hoarding?

• Unexplainable need to collect items, even when there’s no space for them?
• A compulsion to buy multiples of the same item even when they’re unnecessary?
• Persistent fear that something bad will happen if an item is thrown away?
• Feeling of incompleteness when an item is lost
• Keeping items that most people would consider trash?

Forbidden thoughts

• Disturbing thoughts often involving sex or religion?
• Extreme fear of committing an unwanted action?
• Guilt and distress about the nature of thoughts?
• Seeking reassurance from others that they are not a bad person?
• Avoiding triggers of intrusive thoughts, such as places or people?

These four subtypes exemplify what we most often think of when we think of OCD, and they can feel debilitating and overwhelming to those who experience them.

What causes OCD?

While there is no concrete answer as to why people develop an obsessive-compulsive disorder, some evidence suggests that certain factors may make some individuals more prone to the condition. Possible causes of OCD include:?

• Family history of OCD or similar issues
• Environmental factors such as trauma, abuse, or other distressing events
• Brain chemistry, such as an impaired function of the brain?

Treatments for OCD?

Many OCD patients use medication to increase serotonin levels and improve the symptoms of their disorder. The most common medications used to treat OCD are?antidepressants, more specifically, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This type of medication is thought to prompt a direct response to the underlying causes of OCD. Although there is no concrete evidence for the exact cause of OCD, doctors seem to think that an imbalance in serotonin levels is primarily to blame, especially because the outcomes of SSRI treatment tend to be quite good.?

As to the specific medications used to treat OCD, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the following:

• Clomipramine (Anafranil)?
• Fluoxetine (Prozac)?
• Fluvoxamine (Luvox)?
• Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva)?
• Sertraline (Zoloft)?

The most effective OCD treatment combines prescription medication with?cognitive-behavior therapy, a type of psychotherapy that involves gradually exposing the patient to their feared objects or obsessions. After repeated practice and plenty of patience, patients learn to resist or control their compulsive and obsessive behaviors.

Potential side effects of OCD prescription medication?

It’s worth noting that drugs will react very differently across patients, so make sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations carefully. Potential side effects of OCD medication can include:?

• Insomnia
• Nausea
• Drowsiness
• Reduced sexual desire
• Erectile dysfunction?
• Blurred vision?
• Nervousness?
• Diarrhea?
• Headaches?

The best way to tell which drug is the most helpful and causes the least?side effects?is to be persistent and try each medication for a minimum of three months. Most patients will experience at least one or more side effects, but sometimes an adjustment in dosage levels is enough to correct the problem.?

Making medication affordable?

Trying to manage an obsessive-compulsive disorder while battling the?rising costs?of prescription medication can often feel like an uphill struggle. But RxSpark makes it easy for customers to save money on their prescriptions.?

Our?price comparison tool?is easy-to-use and, most importantly, free of charge. And you can save up to 90% on your prescription simply by finding the best discounted offers in your area. All you need to do is sign up, compare prices, save a voucher, and take it to your pharmacist.?

RxSpark also offers customers the opportunity to accumulate reward points in exchange for redeemable gift cards for even greater cost savings. You can earn points by signing up for the program, filling a prescription through our service, and referring friends and family.?

Don’t hesitate to get started with your prescription savings –?create a free RxSpark account today!

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