I am having obsessive thoughts. I am on oleanz plus medicine for 18 days. How much time will it take to see full benefits on my thoughts and triggers?

Question

It would really help if you took an antidepressant medication for the ocd symptoms. Request your psychiatrist to add low dose escitalopram or sertraline. He could also reduce the dose of oleanz plus as it can worsen obsessive symptoms. Please take a consultation so that all your doubts can be cleared. After starting medications it usually takes about 15-20 days to show effects. However if if there's no improvement at all then it's better to change the medication.

Rashmi Navelkar · Accepted Answer

It would really help if you took an antidepressant medication for the ocd symptoms. Request your psychiatrist to add low dose escitalopram or sertraline. He could also reduce the dose of oleanz plus as it can worsen obsessive symptoms. Please take a consultation so that all your doubts can be cleared. After starting medications it usually takes about 15-20 days to show effects. However if if there's no improvement at all then it's better to change the medication.

Juhi Parashar · Answer

Hey thanks for reaching out it takes time and patience. Give it a month and a half. It also depends on how severe your ocd is. Complete the full course and do not quit medicine in between or even when you get better while on medicine take therapy side by side cbt to help you with unhelpful thoughts consult with me or any psychologist for therapy and counseling all the best.

Pragya Sharma · Answer

The medicine works on your anxiety, thereby reducing it. Once the anxiety is reduced, you do not feel the need to do compulsions as often. Obsessions (thoughts) take time to go away. The medicines can be taken along with psychotherapy sessions which work directly on your compulsions (repetitive behaviors) and obsessions (thoughts). Psychotherapy is very effective in ocd and when done along with medicine, promising early results can be seen.