When will increased Sertraline start improving OCD symptoms?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have depression, OCD, and anxiety. I got these problems five months back. I started taking Sertraline 25 mg a month later when my general practitioner diagnosed it. After a week, I took 50 mg, and then after three weeks, I took 75 mg for five to six weeks. I felt better after taking Sertraline. But each time, I had some relapse of symptoms and so I have increased the dose. Now I am taking 100 mg. I am feeling good. How long should I need to take Sertraline by increasing its dosage? I was really good on 75 mg and it took five weeks for me to become normal.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Sertraline is a good choice of medication for depression, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), and anxiety. Currently, you are taking 100 mg daily. It helps you a lot. If there is any recurrence of symptoms, then you need to increase the dosage further. For OCD, you can take a maximum dose of 200 mg daily. Discuss this with your general practitioner and increase it by 25 mg at a time. You can wait for a week to see the response. Along with medication, you need to do psychological therapy such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. It can act along with the medicines and it also helps in reducing the relapse of symptoms after stopping the medicine.