Possible increase on SSRI even with the possibility of worsening tinnitus

I hope people with OCD can relate or others can help me here.

 

I think I am going to increase my SSRI due to debilitating OCD even with it spiking tinnitus.

 

I hope that if I do this, tinnitus goes back to the baseline with time. But the two times I tried updosing fluvoxamine it made my tinnitus more piercing temporarily but went back to the baseline as soon as I went back to the previous dose. I am at 100mg which is sub-optimal for OCD.

 

I know it's dangerous, but Idk if anyone here can relate. I have severe pre existing OCD and I am also dealing with adrenal fatigue now, in parts I guess the stress of OCD is contributing to it. There is also the diazepam withdrawal that might be causing glutamate excess possibly contributing to it.

 

Note that the severe OCD is pre-existing, before tinnitus and there are different obsessive thoughts that are making me suffer, I am NOT taking it for the tinnitus. I am doing CBT therapy but it isn't enough.

 

I don't know if anyone here have decided for something similar given the quality of life considering OCD and considering tinnitus.

 

Your thoughts or any motivation are welcomed.

I can't offer you much advice. But I can add this. I am autistic, and my perseveration has sometimes been through the roof during withdrawal. Perseverating and OCD share similar traits. I really think the glutamate excitotoxicity has been driving my perseveration. It's probably exacerbating you OCD too. I hope you can find something that helps without aggravating w/d problems.

I have no formal tests mor DNA tests but almost surely autistic too. My therapist seems this as something likely despite her not showing too much interest in discovering that to proceed with the therapy.

 

Perseveration over the roof seems good and productive, but Idk the suffering you go through. I also think our baseline glutamate is kinda in excess.

 

Is there something that you do regarding your lifestyle or diet that helps with such a symptom? It feels like I am with my thoughts racing.

I have no formal tests mor DNA tests but almost surely autistic too. My therapist seems this as something likely despite her not showing too much interest in discovering that to proceed with the therapy.

 

Perseveration over the roof seems good and productive, but Idk the suffering you go through. I also think our baseline glutamate is kinda in excess.

 

Is there something that you do regarding your lifestyle or diet that helps with such a symptom? It feels like I am with my thoughts racing.

 

My niece had been on various SSRI/SSNRI meds for OCD over the years. She went to a new psychiatrist. On a hunch, he referred her to a psychologist who evaluated her and told her she has autism. She weaned off her last med.

 

Thoughts racing? Yup. I feel like my brain is stuck processing information like a computer. I go online, pick something to perseverate on, and just go with it. I lie down late morning to process things through my head, I might daydream or play songs in my head. In the afternoon, I meditate to try and quiet everything down.

 

Right now, I am using my tendency to perseverate researching NAD+. So, I research the heck out of it. I just pick an interest and go with it. I try not to perseverate on the withdrawal process and my taper. Before withdrawal and benzos, I could control the perseveration. I think it is much harder to control OCD. I just learned to vary my interest and activities so I'm not perseverating on the same thing for long periods. I try not to let myself get overwhelmed. Easier said than done.

I have no formal tests mor DNA tests but almost surely autistic too. My therapist seems this as something likely despite her not showing too much interest in discovering that to proceed with the therapy.

 

Perseveration over the roof seems good and productive, but Idk the suffering you go through. I also think our baseline glutamate is kinda in excess.

 

Is there something that you do regarding your lifestyle or diet that helps with such a symptom? It feels like I am with my thoughts racing.

 

My niece had been on various SSRI/SSNRI meds for OCD over the years. She went to a new psychiatrist. On a hunch, he referred her to a psychologist who evaluated her and told her she has autism. She weaned off her last med.

 

Thoughts racing? Yup. I feel like my brain is stuck processing information like a computer. I go online, pick something to perseverate on, and just go with it. I lie down late morning to process things through my head, I might daydream or play songs in my head. In the afternoon, I meditate to try and quiet everything down.

 

Right now, I am using my tendency to perseverate researching NAD+. So, I research the heck out of it. I just pick an interest and go with it. I try not to perseverate on the withdrawal process and my taper. Before withdrawal and benzos, I could control the perseveration. I think it is much harder to control OCD. I just learned to vary my interest and activities so I'm not perseverating on the same thing for long periods. I try not to let myself get overwhelmed. Easier said than done.

 

Oh, it was totally easier before the taper. Glutamate excess together with pre existing OCD can be very rough. Hm, is there a particular reason to wean off those meds when you have autism or the meds just wasn't helping her?

 

Can discovering it being that helpful? Because in my current mindset I kinda embrace the autism if that is what I have but if there are tools to have a better life I will be willing to try.

 

The sad part is that high doses of SSRI used to help me in the past (I quit, tapered, had some time without it, then used again), but now if I try to updose there is a chance of my tinnitus spiking and that is a symptom that I surely don't want to make worse.

 

Given that, I am left with the glutamaergic path. NAC seems to help but I am afraid about what some say regarding it hindering the process of recycling cells. Ketamine scares me as I still have traumas and existential crisis to deal and some say it can make them worse. Would love to try riluzole but no one would prescribe me this and maybe it would be reckless to try such an uncharted territory.

 

Please share if NAD+ can help with OCD symptoms if you find that out.

 

 

Oh, it was totally easier before the taper. Glutamate excess together with pre existing OCD can be very rough. Hm, is there a particular reason to wean off those meds when you have autism or the meds just wasn't helping her?

 

Can discovering it being that helpful? Because in my current mindset I kinda embrace the autism if that is what I have but if there are tools to have a better life I will be willing to try.

 

The sad part is that high doses of SSRI used to help me in the past (I quit, tapered, had some time without it, then used again), but now if I try to updose there is a chance of my tinnitus spiking and that is a symptom that I surely don't want to make worse.

 

Given that, I am left with the glutamaergic path. NAC seems to help but I am afraid about what some say regarding it hindering the process of recycling cells. Ketamine scares me as I still have traumas and existential crisis to deal and some say it can make them worse. Would love to try riluzole but no one would prescribe me this and maybe it would be reckless to try such an uncharted territory.

 

Please share if NAD+ can help with OCD symptoms if you find that out.

 

 

The meds never helped my niece, that's why doctors kept changing them. The psychologist who diagnosed her, told her she didn't need the "crazy meds" (his words!) anymore. She didn't have any of the various diagnosis's she had been given since a teen. She has autism.

 

I found out about my autism as I just became a middle-aged woman. It answered a lot of questions I had. I had been trying to compensate for it for years, so well, that I hide it from others. It's not obvious to others unless I'm stressed or too much sensory overload.

 

In my research, I have not found anything showing that NAD+ helps in any way with OCD. There is limited evidence showing possible help with depression and/or anxiety in some individuals. But these people need to continue with regular treatment. 

I see, it must be very frustrating to receive a wrong diagnosis and buy doctors authority for it. In this sense, I am grateful that I had a good youth with the OCD properly diagnosed and without people trying to push antipsychotics or ADs with short half life such as venlafaxine (although I used paroxetine which doesn't have a long half life I guess).

 

The autism is something kinda new to me too and I am on my 30s. I also discovered late that I am left handed and was taught to write with my right hand. So many things make sense now.

 

Oh, it's a bummer NAD+ doesn't have at least yet evidences of therapeutic effect on OCD. Maybe it at least help with recovery from adrenal fatigue so with less stress OCD gets more manageable? I am considering NAD+ injections. NMN pills doesn't seem to do much for me but Idk if that is a good parameter though.