Why do OCD symptoms return after stopping medication?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 36-year-old woman and I take Paxil for OCD, 40 mg a day. When I went off the medicines several years ago, I had a long period of time before I had symptoms again, but then they did return. So after some time, I began the Paxil again. I had been very slowly weaning off and I had been taking 7 mg or less per day for five months before I noticed any problems. Before that, I was taking about 14 mg per day for another five months.

Is that normal?

I mean it makes me wonder if I really need the medication because I had a long time on a low dose or none at all without symptoms.

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Medicines are prescribed in little high doses to quell the acute symptoms and then maintenance doses to maintain the minimum threshold.

Weaning off is to maintain the satisfactory threshold and to stop. But in the majority of the cases, weaning off or rather the whole process of treatment should be augmented with psychotherapies associated with the diagnosed condition. In your case, CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) should be augmented with the medicine.

Combining medicines with CBT provides the brain with the much-required equilibrium and help maintain the chemical balance. Thus, when you wean off the medicine, the natural threshold can be maintained without medicine and with CBT. Talk to your psychiatrist or therapist regarding the procedure.

I hope it helps.

Thank you.