Question to those who have had sucess with medication

[Guest guest]

Hello,

This is a question for families who have found a medication that works for their

child. What does sucess with medication look like for you? My son has been on

4 different medications in the last 4 years. He has also been in therapy for

the last 5 and a half years. The therapy has been CBT and now ERP. The

medication has helped with his mood. He is less depressed and able to cope

daily with his anxiety, but his OCD symptoms are still there, everyday (in a

milder form). My son is getting tired of trying new medications and is feeling

frustrated that they are not working. I always point out that they do help him

cope better then when he wasn't on medication. I guess my question is do others

consider what he is experiencing as the medication working or do we still need

to keep experimenting until we find the medication that really works?

Thanks,

[Guest guest]

Hi , that's a tough question. Because just like one med doesn't work for

all, each person is different as to the degree meds help; or perhaps how much

their particular med is helping....

Some have symptoms/OCD totally go away so that there is nothing to work on in

therapy. And they go with that, just the meds. Some parents have even lowered

the dose to try to get a bit of OCD back to give their child something to work

on in therapy! While others are like your son, things get easier to manage but

OCD doesn't disappear. But it's easier to participate in therapy too.

Therapy is really the KEY to winning against OCD. It can actually " re-train "

the brain. Even if some OCD is still present, it's much more manageable, easier

to shrug off, boss back.... Do you think his therapy has helped any, or is it

more the medication helping.... Any idea on that? Do you feel his therapist is

a good one for treating OCD?

That said - with , he was on Celexa for 9th and 10th grades and that is

the only med we tried. It worked well for him. His OCD went away so far as *I*

could see. But he said it was still there when I asked. So I pictured it as

just way more in the background and he could ignore it. Life was normal again

in the family, OCD seemed gone.

Prior to Celexa, we had used inositol powder thru middle school. It also worked

well for him, same answer when I asked him about OCD.

We did try inositol again twice later after the Celexa (yes, I let him stop

taking it) and it didn't touch his OCD; and he's refused to go on meds again.

He did go to therapy with this " bad thought " OCD but the therapists felt he

didn't have good insight to it, couldn't get him to a point to work on things.

It was easier for him to see the physical compulsions, rituals, as OCD than

these thoughts. (When OCD began he had the compulsions/rituals; later in high

school, it turned into the bad thoughts/scrupulosity)

OCD is still around daily but he has managed. Pretty much it is " bad thoughts "

now. Some very rough times but now is calm tho OCD is still around daily. I've

got what I call a " touch " of OCD, periods in my life (counting, germs, bad

thoughts...) but I've always been able to get past it, unlike our kids!

Wish I could be more help with an answer!

>

> Hello,

> This is a question for families who have found a medication that works for

their child. What does sucess with medication look like for you? My son has

been on 4 different medications in the last 4 years. He has also been in

therapy for the last 5 and a half years. The therapy has been CBT and now ERP.

The medication has helped with his mood. He is less depressed and able to cope

daily with his

[Guest guest]

Hi , i have often wondered the saame. My son is currently on

prozac and abilify. We consider it " working " on the easier days, and

then on the days that are a little less " normal " , my husband and I

argue over whether its working or making him worse. He is less

obsessing over bad thoughts, but makes noises all day that can drive a

very patient person to losee it! Plus, repeats things constantly and

begs for different ridiculous things all day. I feel like just giving

up some days. Such a difficult illness to get under control. Plus his

issues make my own OCD and anxiety much worse! Hugs to you. I feel like

if your son is functional, than that is a good place to be. Hang in

there, Jodi