Our Health Library information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Please be advised that this information is made available to assist our patients to learn more about their health. Our providers may not see and/or treat all topics found herein. You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor's recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them. Get the Compare Your Your Quiz Your Summary Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a potentially disabling disorder that often causes anxiety. A person who has OCD has intrusive and unwanted thoughts and repeatedly performs tasks to get rid of the thoughts. For example, if you have OCD, you may fear that everything you touch has germs. And in order to ease that fear, you repeatedly wash your hands. The effects of OCD range from mild to very serious. Treatment can help. And although some symptoms may continue after treatment, you can go on to have an active social life, raise a family, and work. Medicines called antidepressants can help balance the chemicals in your brain and reduce your symptoms. Antidepressant medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (for example, Prozac), are most commonly used. Your doctor may increase the amount you take or may switch you to another SSRI if the first one doesn't help or if it causes side effects you can't live with. You may start to feel better within 1 to 3 weeks after you start to take antidepressant medicine. But it can take as many as 12 weeks to see more improvement. If you have questions or concerns about your medicines, or if you do not notice any improvement by 3 weeks, talk to your doctor. Your medicine may cause side effects, but they will probably go away after your body gets used to the drug. Common side effects include: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an advisory on antidepressant medicines and the risk of suicide. Talk to your doctor about these possible side effects and the warning signs of suicide. Women who take an SSRI during pregnancy may have a slightly higher chance of having a baby with birth defects. If you are pregnant, you and your doctor must weigh the risks of taking an SSRI against the risks of not treating OCD. If you have mild symptoms, you may be able to control OCD with a type of counseling called exposure and response prevention. This is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy. Your doctor might recommend medicine if: Compare What is usually involved? What are the benefits? What are the risks and side effects? These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions. I constantly wash my hands. Sometimes even after I have just washed my hands, I feel my hands may not be clean, and so I wash them again. If I touch a public doorknob, shake hands with someone, or touch something another person may have touched, I worry about germs or dirt and feel the need to wash my hands. This behavior is interfering with my life. I think medicines may help control the urge to wash my hands while I continue with professional counseling to learn how to stop this behavior. Jesse, age 41 I like to have things in my home and office in place and neat. I worry a few times throughout the day whether I left an appliance on or the doors unlocked in my home. I check the locks a few times before I go to work, but I'm not usually late for work due to checking the locks. I don't think the behaviors are interfering in my daily living too much yet. I think I will try to control these worries through professional counseling only. Kyle, age 28 I worry all the time about my grades at school and how other people see me. I tend to rewrite my papers for school numerous times before I feel like they are good enough to turn in, especially if any of my writing looks messy. I take several showers a day because I worry about how I look. I have also stopped eating in hopes of losing some weight because I worry I weigh too much. In the mornings when I wake up, I can't get out of bed until I have prayed for every family member and friend because I am afraid something bad might happen to them if I forget to pray. If I forget someone, I have to start my prayers all over again, and this often makes me late for school. I have been seeing a professional counselor, but I think I might get more out of counseling if I take medicines that can help me control these urges. Jasmine, age 17 I spend most of my day reorganizing cupboards and closets in my house. I just can't seem to get them clean enough. I am still able to tend to my children during the day, but when they are napping, I usually spend that time cleaning my house again. I also sometimes think that my buttons are not done up on my clothes and check those throughout the day. But I can usually stop thinking about my buttons and whether the house is clean when I am involved with my children or have other commitments during the day. I think I will talk with someone about how to resist these urges before they get out of hand, but I don't think I need medicines yet. Carla, age 38 Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements. Reasons to take medicine for OCD Reasons not to take medicine for OCD I want to do whatever I can to get rid of my obsessions and compulsions. I can deal with my obsessions and compulsions on my own. I'm willing to try medicine, because I think it will help ease my symptoms and anxiety from OCD. I think the side effects of the medicine would bother me more than my symptoms and anxiety do. I don't feel that counseling is helping my symptoms enough. I'm happy with the way counseling is helping my symptoms. My other important reasons: My other important reasons: Now that you've thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now. Taking medicine for OCD NOT taking medicine for OCD Check the facts Decide what's next Certainty 1. How sure do you feel right now about your decision? Here's a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a potentially disabling disorder that often causes anxiety. A person who has OCD has intrusive and unwanted thoughts and repeatedly performs tasks to get rid of the thoughts. For example, if you have OCD, you may fear that everything you touch has germs. And in order to ease that fear, you repeatedly wash your hands. The effects of OCD range from mild to very serious. Treatment can help. And although some symptoms may continue after treatment, you can go on to have an active social life, raise a family, and work. Medicines called antidepressants can help balance the chemicals in your brain and reduce your symptoms. Antidepressant medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (for example, Prozac), are most commonly used. Your doctor may increase the amount you take or may switch you to another SSRI if the first one doesn't help or if it causes side effects you can't live with. You may start to feel better within 1 to 3 weeks after you start to take antidepressant medicine. But it can take as many as 12 weeks to see more improvement. If you have questions or concerns about your medicines, or if you do not notice any improvement by 3 weeks, talk to your doctor. Your medicine may cause side effects, but they will probably go away after your body gets used to the drug. Common side effects include: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an advisory on antidepressant medicines and the risk of suicide. Talk to your doctor about these possible side effects and the warning signs of suicide. Women who take an SSRI during pregnancy may have a slightly higher chance of having a baby with birth defects. If you are pregnant, you and your doctor must weigh the risks of taking an SSRI against the risks of not treating OCD. If you have mild symptoms, you may be able to control OCD with a type of counseling called exposure and response prevention. This is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy. Your doctor might recommend medicine if: These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions. "I constantly wash my hands. Sometimes even after I have just washed my hands, I feel my hands may not be clean, and so I wash them again. If I touch a public doorknob, shake hands with someone, or touch something another person may have touched, I worry about germs or dirt and feel the need to wash my hands. This behavior is interfering with my life. I think medicines may help control the urge to wash my hands while I continue with professional counseling to learn how to stop this behavior." — Jesse, age 41 "I like to have things in my home and office in place and neat. I worry a few times throughout the day whether I left an appliance on or the doors unlocked in my home. I check the locks a few times before I go to work, but I'm not usually late for work due to checking the locks. I don't think the behaviors are interfering in my daily living too much yet. I think I will try to control these worries through professional counseling only." — Kyle, age 28 "I worry all the time about my grades at school and how other people see me. I tend to rewrite my papers for school numerous times before I feel like they are good enough to turn in, especially if any of my writing looks messy. I take several showers a day because I worry about how I look. I have also stopped eating in hopes of losing some weight because I worry I weigh too much. In the mornings when I wake up, I can't get out of bed until I have prayed for every family member and friend because I am afraid something bad might happen to them if I forget to pray. If I forget someone, I have to start my prayers all over again, and this often makes me late for school. I have been seeing a professional counselor, but I think I might get more out of counseling if I take medicines that can help me control these urges." — Jasmine, age 17 "I spend most of my day reorganizing cupboards and closets in my house. I just can't seem to get them clean enough. I am still able to tend to my children during the day, but when they are napping, I usually spend that time cleaning my house again. I also sometimes think that my buttons are not done up on my clothes and check those throughout the day. But I can usually stop thinking about my buttons and whether the house is clean when I am involved with my children or have other commitments during the day. I think I will talk with someone about how to resist these urges before they get out of hand, but I don't think I need medicines yet." — Carla, age 38 Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements. Reasons to take medicine for OCD Reasons not to take medicine for OCD I want to do whatever I can to get rid of my obsessions and compulsions. I can deal with my obsessions and compulsions on my own. I'm willing to try medicine, because I think it will help ease my symptoms and anxiety from OCD. I think the side effects of the medicine would bother me more than my symptoms and anxiety do. I don't feel that counseling is helping my symptoms enough. I'm happy with the way counseling is helping my symptoms. My other important reasons: My other important reasons: Now that you've thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now. Taking medicine for OCD NOT taking medicine for OCD 1.
I may not need to take medicine for OCD if my symptoms are mild. 2.
My decision may depend on whether my symptoms bother me more than the side effects from the medicine would. 1.
Do you understand the options available to you? 2.
Are you clear about which benefits and side effects matter most to you? 3.
Do you have enough support and advice from others to make a choice? 1.
How sure do you feel right now about your decision? 2.
Check what you need to do before you make this decision. Current as of: June 24, 2023 Author: Healthwise Staff Clinical Review BoardObsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Should I Take Medicine for OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Should I Take Medicine for OCD?
1
Facts2
Options3
Feelings4
Decision5
Yourself6
Get the facts
Your options
Key points to remember
What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?
What can you expect if you take medicine?
What can you expect if you don't take medicine?
Why might your doctor recommend taking medicine for OCD?
Compare your options
Personal stories about taking medicines to treat OCD
What matters most to you?
Where are you leaning now?
What else do you need to make your decision?
Your Summary
Your decision
Next steps
Which way you're leaning
How sure you are
Your comments
Your knowledge of the facts
Key concepts that you understood
Key concepts that may need review
Getting ready to act
Patient choices
Credits
Author Healthwise Staff Clinical Review Board Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Should I Take Medicine for OCD?
1. Get the Facts
Your options
Key points to remember
What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?
What can you expect if you take medicine?
What can you expect if you don't take medicine?
Why might your doctor recommend taking medicine for OCD?
2. Compare your options
Take medicine for OCD Use counseling only What is usually involved? What are the benefits? What are the risks and side effects? Personal stories
Personal stories about taking medicines to treat OCD
3. What matters most to you?
4. Where are you leaning now?
5. What else do you need to make your decision?
Check the facts
Decide what's next
Certainty
By Healthwise Staff Clinical Review Board Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
Note: The "printer friendly" document will not contain all the information available in the online document some Information (e.g. cross-references to other topics, definitions or medical illustrations) is only available in the online version.
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
FAQs
Take medicine for OCD Take medicine for OCD
Use counseling only Use counseling only
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Credits
You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor's recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them.
Here's a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision.
FAQs
More important
Equally important
More important
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Equally important
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Leaning toward
Undecided
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That's right. Counseling alone often works to control OCD in people who have only mild symptoms.
That's right. You will want to weigh which bothers you more—the side effects of the medicines or your symptoms and anxiety from OCD.
Not sure at all
Somewhat sure
Very sure
Credits