Yeah, my wife has particularly severe OCD in that regard and was constantly dealing with either little things that were somehow going to lead to one of our deaths, or that “danger function” presenting her with a veritable buffet of self harm options.
Funnily enough, when she finally found a combination of meds that got her OCD more under control we found out that it had been masking pretty bad ADHD her entire life. That was a wild time. Like, it’s not that she didn’t believe me about my own ADHD symptoms, but it hits different when you’re actually experiencing them yourself y’know?
Oh she had to go on a bunch. It was like the Max daily doses of both Prozac and Buspar to get it down to only occupying like 4-6 hours of her day, then they added a tiny dose of Abilify and all that’s what finally got it to shut up in all but the worst days.
Interesting. They gave me Buspar and it drugged me hard and somehow made me hostile, lol. But Abilify sounds interesting, I had no idea it was used for anxiety. What are the side effects she’s seen or you’ve noticed?
I think the only thing she really complained to me about was it boosting her appetite? Hard to remember off the top of my head, I’ll have to ask her when she wakes up. But she’s also on a tiny dose of the Abilify. Like she started on the first dose on the schedule to titrate up and that tiny amount was enough.
Thanks, I would really appreciate knowing her thoughts on it as someone else with OCD.
As long as I can still function with Abilify, Buspar made me so tired that I started napping for three hours a day, on top of my regular sleep schedule. I’m not even a napper, lol.
Yeah I checked with her when she got up and the appetite boost was the only side effect she had with the Abilify. which was pretty much entirely countered by discovering that her OCD was masking ADHD and getting medicated for that.
But again that might be different for you since she’s on a super tiny dose of it.
I’m sure if Buspar doesn’t work for you then another one might. The combo for my wife seems to be the combination of the antidepressant, the anxiety medication, and the small amount of anti-psychotic Prozac and Buspar were just the ones she’d had success with previously cutting down the amount of time the OCD is occupying. But I mean there’s a reason psych meds are such an ordeal, everyone reacts differently to them.
Not as much as it sounds honestly, to her massive credit. She’s done a lot of work managing it and I work with her trying to keep it manageable. But that’s what partnership is right? She helps me where I struggle, I help her where she struggles.
Yeah, my wife has particularly severe OCD in that regard and was constantly dealing with either little things that were somehow going to lead to one of our deaths, or that “danger function” presenting her with a veritable buffet of self harm options.
Funnily enough, when she finally found a combination of meds that got her OCD more under control we found out that it had been masking pretty bad ADHD her entire life. That was a wild time. Like, it’s not that she didn’t believe me about my own ADHD symptoms, but it hits different when you’re actually experiencing them yourself y’know?
I have a similar problem with OCD, what medications did she find helpful?
Oh she had to go on a bunch. It was like the Max daily doses of both Prozac and Buspar to get it down to only occupying like 4-6 hours of her day, then they added a tiny dose of Abilify and all that’s what finally got it to shut up in all but the worst days.
Interesting. They gave me Buspar and it drugged me hard and somehow made me hostile, lol. But Abilify sounds interesting, I had no idea it was used for anxiety. What are the side effects she’s seen or you’ve noticed?
I think the only thing she really complained to me about was it boosting her appetite? Hard to remember off the top of my head, I’ll have to ask her when she wakes up. But she’s also on a tiny dose of the Abilify. Like she started on the first dose on the schedule to titrate up and that tiny amount was enough.
Thanks, I would really appreciate knowing her thoughts on it as someone else with OCD. As long as I can still function with Abilify, Buspar made me so tired that I started napping for three hours a day, on top of my regular sleep schedule. I’m not even a napper, lol.
Yeah I checked with her when she got up and the appetite boost was the only side effect she had with the Abilify. which was pretty much entirely countered by discovering that her OCD was masking ADHD and getting medicated for that.
But again that might be different for you since she’s on a super tiny dose of it.
I’m sure if Buspar doesn’t work for you then another one might. The combo for my wife seems to be the combination of the antidepressant, the anxiety medication, and the small amount of anti-psychotic Prozac and Buspar were just the ones she’d had success with previously cutting down the amount of time the OCD is occupying. But I mean there’s a reason psych meds are such an ordeal, everyone reacts differently to them.
Gosh that sounds like a bull-ride! Huge relationship tax, too…
Well done riding through it
Not as much as it sounds honestly, to her massive credit. She’s done a lot of work managing it and I work with her trying to keep it manageable. But that’s what partnership is right? She helps me where I struggle, I help her where she struggles.
That’s exactly it! Great team work