Hello everyone

I have been suffering from OCD for as long as I can remember. I am 18 years old and it really interfears with everything I do and see. I have the constant thought that the world isn't real or that I am in this dream. It causes me to have terrible derealization and depersonization which lead to panic attacks. I feel so detached from everything even my family who I just see as images not the people I once loved. I was prescribed Zoloft by 1 doctor and Paxil by another yet I am terrified of the side effects. I have taken neither because of this. I am in great physical condition and I am afraid of the weight gain. I going to be attending college and meeting new people hopefully girls and I am worried about sexual dysfunction. I know these 2 side effects are very common. I am currently undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy which I am on my 3rd week of. I know it is a timely process but I see no change in my mood thoughts or anything. Anyone with experiences similar or just any advice about taking SSRI's or maybe a different type of medication for OCD with less side effects? I have been taking Xanax as needed for the panic attacks and waves of anxiety I feel because of my obsessive thoughts. I am really on the fence here. If the cognitive behavior therapy doesn't work, which I am staying positive and hoping it does, im guessing my only option is to take the meds. Can anyone give me any advice or feedback about my situation. It would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. The thoughts started after a bad trip after smoking pot. And have not gone away since.

(((jvin)))

I too was scared when I started my first AD, Zoloft, 3 months ago. I won't lie and say the SE's were easy to deal with, but they do go away in time. I think the hardest thing to deal with is the mood swings it caused for me. They lasted for at least 2 months, and were absolutely horrific. I'm not trying to scare you, just being real. Let me say though, that Zoloft really helped me in the long run. Now that I'm stable on it, I have very little anxiety and haven't had any panic attacks. Every so often the anxiety or mild depression creeps up, but it usually lasts for a short time and isn't very severe.

It really comes down to SE's vs. quality of life. Only you can make the choice on that one. If you want to try and continue with therapy, which I highly suggest, by all means do so. I did CBT and it helped me as much, if not more than the meds. Also I took Xanax while starting up on Zoloft which really helped me through those rough days and mood swings. I say stick with the therapy a bit longer and see how that goes. If you still feel like you aren't where you want to be, then it's likely worth it to give the meds a shot. Honestly, the SE's and start up sucks, but if the meds work, it's worth all that and more.

Zoloft and Paxil both have sexual side effects and if you're 18 I think you should go to the doctor and ask for something else that doesn't have sexual side effects. I don't think it's ever a good idea to take meds with sexual side effects because it'll just be destroying a major part of your life. Don't count on the side effects to go away soon either because sometimes the side effects don't go away as long as you're taking the pill.

This post has been edited by Ihatelife: Jun 18 2009, 07:45 PM

My pdoc just took me off Zoloft because it REALLY boosted my sex drive,haha! He said it caused me to have hypo-manic behavior (which is totally not me). However, I know of several people who have taken ZOloft with little to no change in their sex drive.

If I took a pill that really boosted my sex drive I'd keep taking it.

Sometimes other ADs don't work for people and sometimes they really need a medication. There are ways to work around the sexual side effects and that is more desireable than rejecting a medication for that reason alone.
Iowa