hey ocd diary 🙂 I was gonna ask a dumb question lol somthing I’m thinking about now. Do you think everyone does some reassurance seeking and everyone has some OCD? or do you think you either have it or dont? I know everyone does things like googling or asking for reassurance but theyre’s just doesnt get as bad? maybe its just they have less anxiety or better grip on it, what do u think? 🙂 Im not sure whether I need to get diagnosed, I would have to wait ages to go on treatment anyway and cant see myself going through with it. I might call the OCD helpline lol. I think its best to accept that anxiety is real, at first I was just in denial partly because everyone one else was like theres nothing wrong with you, even my friend who has a degree in psych said theres nout wrong but I got diagnosed with the anxiety and probably if the doc listened I would have got diagnosed with OCD too. But its best to get intouch with how you feel rather than resist them because it only makes it worse dont it?
i think everyone has obsessive thoughts and even compulsions at times. we are a all a little quirky. it becomes OCD and a problem when it interferes with how you live your life. there are also many many anxiety disorders and if you feel like OCD may not be whats going on with you, then it could be something else. just remember, its a case of how much trouble you are having living your life because of anxiety. everyone gets a little, but not everyone gets disabled by it.
hey I just did this test online and this is what my results said:
Based on your score on the screening device, it would appear that you probably do not have OCD. However, only a mental health professional can make an accurate diagnosis and if you are experiencing psychological distress it might be advisable to see a clinician for further evaluation. You might also want to keep in mind that most so-called ‘normal’ people have some obsessive thoughts and some ritualistic behaviour in their lives. It’s only when their obsessions and compulsions start becoming an overwhelming primary focus in a person’s life that a person has clinical OCD.
maybe you do and maybe not, but i would say if you are having trouble dealing with life and find that anxiety or depression is really getting to you, then seeking help is very important.
Almost a year ago when I found out what OCD was and thought I might have it, I obsessed a lot about whether or not I had it. It took me two months after finding out that I might have OCD to go to a therapist (pls find someone who specializes in treating OCD if you think you might have it!) and get diagnosed. She diagnosed me after only 5 minutes. The problem with those online questionnaires is that they assume you really have a deep understanding on what an obsession is. If you haven’t read a lot about OCD or been to a therapist, you probably don’t fully know. I am still discovering new O’s and C’s that I just thought were normal or just me feeling depressed. In any case, Greg, I would suggest you talk to an OCD therapist and find out. Maybe you have OCD and maybe you don’t, but it sounds like talking to someone might help clear up the question for you.
yeah, no I think I have a normal level of OCD and I dont need any help with managing it, it sorts its self out on its own. If it was realy bad then I would get help. I tried acceptance and it didnt work because I did’nt need to do it. Anyway where I live I dont have health insurance so I would have to wait for a long time to see a psych and even then I doubt I would take on board what they say. I think I might just have general anxiety, Im going to look into that more. Thanks for your advice. I dont think my reassurance seeking is much above a normal persons, it’s just hard knowing how much a normal person reassures. I dont reassure for hours on end each day, more like intermittantly, how much do you all do?
One thing I notice is I dont spike, my OCD is very structured and I feel in control of it. Im going to try and do CBT for my other issues, I tried some online CBT today and its amazing. I was learning about how what we think affects how we feel and our actions. I hope to see a therapist eventually so I can help myself. 🙂
interesting article. ive never done CBT so i cannot attest to its effectiveness, but I do feel like it’s easy to forget about what you learned in therapy once you start to feel better and then when something “bad” happens, old habits that were once second nature can perk up. I find benefit from maintenance therapy meaning, going to sessions maybe not as often, writing down tools that help and practicing exercises at home. the part in the article about the mood differences between Brits and Americans was interesting too!
Inositol can help OCD because it can help your body absorb some B vitamins. And sometimes B deficiency is a huge problem, but if that isn’t what causes your ocd, then it probably won’t do anything. I have a supplements video coming up to explain this more 🙂
Thank you for the information my friend. I look forward to your video on supplements.
I scored 20 on part A and a 20 on part B of the online test. And I was completely honest with my responses on the test. And the test indicated that I did not have OCD. And I have scored low other OCD tests, the Hamburg Assessment showing that I only had minor compulsions. But I know that I have OCD, for I am wearing latex gloves even now as I use my Kindle Fire to write this messages, lol. And I wash my hands much more than the average person does. I have contamination issues. But, apparently, compared to people that have a severe form of OCD, my OCD may be relatively minor. However, it bothers me tremendously that I have such a lack of control of my behavior and contamination issues. And I feel for the people that have a severe form of OCD. I can function in society fairly well, and I survive by wearing gloves in stressful situations, or I wash my hands when the my stress levels are high. I had adult onset of OCD, and even though my case is apparently considered minor, I would not wish OCD upon anyone.
There are different severeities of OCD as you know, and just because yours may be milder than some, does not negate the fact that you ate going through something quite possibly difficult and painful. How you feel day to day is what determines who you are, not an online test 🙂 Stay strong
I am working on being strong. Thank you for the help and insight that you offer all of us.
🙂
I have read a lot of information on how inositol has helped people with anxiety, depression, and OCD. Apparently, taking inositol can function like a SSRI, and it can increase serotonin levels in the brain. I have been taking inositol for about a week, and even though it takes about a month to notice the full effects of taking inositol for OCD, I have already noticed enough improvement in my OCD symptoms that I am able to apply exposure techniques without experiencing as much anxiety. I do not know if inositol is actually helping me with my OCD or if it has been a placebo effect or if other factors are reducing my OCD symptoms, but I will keep taking the inositol and report back my experience with it. Here is a somewhat interesting Youtube video by an Australian medical doctor on using inositol to treat depression and anxiety. But there are a lot of interesting articles and research investigations into the success of uaikg inositol to treat OCD. I will keep everyone updated on my experience with inositol. It has already helped me.
I am sorry for the slow reply. I have been taking inositol for a couple of months now, and it completely eliminated my OCD. It is like a miracle for me. I cannot fully explain why it works. All I know is that I have overcome OCD after taking inositol. And I feel so free of the torture that has plaugued me for quite a few years. I found out that about five grams of inositol a day works for me. And an extra benefit of taking inositol is that I have burned away some fat around my stomach. I am a believer in taming inositol for anxiety now. I tried it for I had nothing to lose. And I am so happy that I found relief from OCD by taking inositol.
Here are a couple of articles about inositol:
Thursday, October 18, 2007 LISTENINGTOINOSITOL:CLINICALNOTES The following is a revised and updated version of my article published in the Medical Post on April 24, 2007.
What if, in the future, a drug with the therapeutic properties of an SSRI but free of SSRI side-effects was developed? What if it was available over the counter? What if the future is already here? About 15 years ago I came across scientifically valid reports from researchers in Israel on the use of inositol for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, and began prescribing it to my patients for those indications. The results impressed me. In speaking with colleagues I am struck by a general lack of awareness of this therapeutic option, but a willingness to learn more. In order to fill this void, I offer the following as a summary of the medical literature (for details search PubMed at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed ), as well as my own clinical experience with what one of my teenage patients dubbed “psycho-powder.”
Indications: Inositol has been shown to be useful for the treatment of depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder and bulimia. In bipolar depression and PMS, results have been mixed (but it is useful to treat lithium-induced psoriasis and lithium induced polyuria). My clinical experience is that inositol can have a calming effect in patients with hypervigilant states such as generalized anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder, hypochondriasis and chronic anger states. As inositol has a powerful tension reducing effect, it is not surprising that it has been used successfully to treat trichotillomania and compulsive skin picking, two behaviors that are rooted in habits aimed at tension reduction. An area where there is no research at this time is its use in teenagers (where SSRI use is problematic) and in geriatrics (where polypharmacy is a significant issue). My experience with both of these patient populations, while limited, shows reason for optimism with inositol helping such patients.
When I prescribe inositol, the target symptom I ask my patients to pay attention to is repetitive mental “looping”. Inositol seems to clear the mind of “chatter,” a term that resonates with the my patients. It seems particularly effective at reducing “pillow chatter,” the repetitive yackity-yack that emanates from the mind when trying to fall asleep at night. This response is seen in patients whether inositol is taken in the morning or at night.
I have found that inositol augmentation of SSRIs and SNRIs can be very useful (despite literature published to the contrary). When a patient is at the maximum recommended SSRI dose, rather than risk serotonin syndrome with higher dosage or by mixing SSRIs, I have successfully added inositol. In fact, I have had a few cases where remission of both depression and OCD have been achieved with this combination. See the comments on drug interactions for warnings about this.
Mechanism of action: Similar to SSRIs, the exact mechanism by which inositol exerts its positive effect is unclear. It is a key component of cellular signalling systems via the phosphatidyl-inositol second messenger cycle (thus influencing not just serotonin signalling, but other neurotransmitter systems as well). Inositol is endogenously produced from glucose and the average diet contains one gram daily. Inositol is a gliotransmitter. Since the brain is composed mostly of glial cells, I would suspect that this is one of its therapeutic targets. Manipulation of glial cells therapeutically is an area that is waiting for players. I believe that inositol is already in the game.
Dosage: The original studies used 12 g daily for depression and panic disorder and 18 g daily for OCD. Some of my patients have responded to doses as small as 500 mg daily (the dose usually found in tablets). I usually start my patients on one teaspoon of inositol POWDER daily (approximately 3 g) mixed with the beverage of their choice. Inositol does not dissolve very well, so I usually recommend that users put the entire daily dose in a glass of water, stir, and drink the water while it is still in motion. I have had patients add the powder to their morning tea (antioxidant bonus) or coffee as a sweetener. Despite claims on the internet that caffeine makes inositol ineffective, I have serious doubts about this claim based on my clinical experience. I encourage my patients to increase the dosage by one teaspoon every three or four days, although most prefer to increase the dose every week or two. I leave the pace of increase up to the individual. It is hard to tell at times what my patients are taking in terms of dosage as I rarely can get anybody to use a measuring spoon (although by my measure a “heaping teaspoon” can amount to two teaspoons). There is no maximum dosage. I suggest taking the entire dose in the morning, based on my suspicion that this is chronotherapeutically the best time of day to deliver the inositol to the body. The powder is mixed with water or juice. It does not matter if taken on an empty stomach. If gastrointestinal symptoms emerge (gas, bloating, diarrhea), I suggest that the dose be split to bid up to qid, although this type of splitting usually becomes a psychological barrier to its use. One alternative is to put the mixture in a drinking bottle and sip on it throughout the day. It is important to give the medication a fair trial. I usually have patients increase the dose to a level where there is no improvement after one month. At that time, for those taking large doses, I suggest slowly reducing the dose to the point where symptoms may break through again and, once response has been restored, maintaining that dose. Treatment duration depends on the condition, but in contrast to SSRIs, inositol seems to stabilize the brain as a biological “system restore,” and that being the case, there is a different exit strategy for this medication as opposed to the SSRIs. In sharp contrast to the SSRIs, I have never seen any discontinuation syndrome/withdrawl symptoms from missed doses or even discontinuation of inositol. Symptoms of the original condition may re-emerge once the inositol is discontinued, but this should not be confused with inositol withdrawal. In fact, I have used inositol to successfully manage discontinuation from SSRIs, using an aggresive dosing regimen.
Side-effects: Inositol’s side-effects are usually limited to the gastrointestinal system (gas, bloating, loosening of the stools, diarrhea) but these symptoms usually pass with time. Patience in dose titration usually overcomes these obstacles.
One side effect that I have noticed on occasion over the years is inositol’s property of inducing paradoxical panic in those vulnerable to this side effect. In these cases, the calming effect can be overwhelming: the patient feels out of control, not being familiar with a state of relaxation. I have seen the same paradoxical panic in patients with chronic anxiety who are being taught relaxation exercises (e.g. progressive muscle relaxation, breathing techniques). As such, it is not a drug reaction as much as a part of the anxiety picture.
Some patients have complained of feeling “stoned” when first starting inositol. This is a transient effect that is dosage dependent, so the pace of dosing has to be modified. I would also proceed cautiously in patients with a tendency towards dissociation.
People who gave a tendency to bottle up/stuff their emotions can experience disinhibition while taking inositol initially. This can be quite disturbing as the patient will often blame the medication instead of realizing that it is time to let go of some of these toxic feelings as they emerge for processing. My only advice is to go slow with the dose in these cases.
I have had one patient develop a transient case of hippus that cleared with discontinuation of the inositol. I am not sure what to make of this.
I had one interesting case of a patient whose asthma resolved while on inositol. Asthma may involve the second messenger system, and perhaps the inositol acted in a positive way on this system in this patient. Another alternative explanation was that the patient’s anxiety was a major trigger of his asthma, but I was not impressed in this case that his anxiety responded particularly well to the inositol, so I tend to favour the former explanation. I would love to hear from colleagues if they have ever observed this effect in their patients.
One of my patients complained that she had to shave her legs more often due to hair growth stimulation she attributed to inositol. Unfortunately, I have never had a male patient happily note that his baldness has been cured by inositol, despite rumours of this effect on the internet.
Drug Interactions: As already mentioned, inositol can boost the effects of SSRIs. When adding inositol to an SSRI, be aware that SSRI side effects can emerge, similar to what happens when starting or increasing an SSRI. That means that symptoms such as headaches, nausea, weirder dreams, etc are not due to the inositol but due to the juiced up SSRI, and usually pass within 7-14 days as is the usual cases with SSRI dosage adjustments.
On a completely different note, some of my marijuana using patients have noticed a decreased urge to smoke when on inositol. Some have even been able to use inositol to break free from their marijuana addiction. Furthermore, patients who are regular or even recent past users of marijuana have responded to smaller doses of inositol than non-users. This evidence makes me suspect that inositol may have an effect on the endocannabinoid system. I have not been able to find any literature to support this hypothesis, but it is clinically interesting. An alternative hypothesis is that, since inositol is a gliotransmitter, and glial cell stimulation has been impicated in marijuana’s effect of making users feel “stoned,” stimulation of glial cells by inositol may have similar effects to marijuana through a shared mechanism. As noted earlier in this article, some inositol users complain of feeling stoned initially, but this effect wears of over time (although it may take days to weeks, it is usually mild and tolerable).
Contraindications: In high doses, inositol may theoretically cause uterine contractions and is therefore contraindicated in late pregnancy. However, Italian researchers have been using inositol successfully in pregnancy for women with PCOS as well as women with gestational diabetes, without the feared consequence of uterine contractions. The dosages they have used have been on the low side, so at this time I cannot make any recommendation on its use in pregnancy. It is best to use clinical judgement and a resource such as Motherisk in such situations. Of note, recent research has shown that inositol may be useful in the prevention of neural tube defects, especially in those for whom folic acid supplementation is ineffective. Again, the dosage used throughout pregnancy was small (1 gram per day along with 5 mg folic acid).
Of related interest, premature infants born with high blood levels of inositol or those fed with high dose inositol formula have less severe retinopathy and bronchopulmonary dysplasia compared with other premature infants.
One of my patients who was breastfeeding while on inositol noted that her baby seemed to be developmentally advanced. Of course, most mothers think that their babies are better than other babies, especially those who grow up in Lake Wobegon. As for breastfeeding, I suggest that people consult Motherisk about this as well.
One study in patients with ADD showed worsening of this condition. I do not see this a contraindication but something the prescriber should be aware of. My experience with patients with the attention deficit disorderS (ADD is not one uniform condition) is that inositol may reduce the impulsivity and anxiety that often accompany attention maintenance deficits of ADD, and as such, can improve the clinical picture, especially for patients already on stimulants.
Structurally, inositol is a sugar and tastes sweet. Some reports in the literature suggest slight elevation of blood glucose levels with its use, while others suggest it may be useful in normalizing blood glucose levels. Myo-inositol oxygenase, the enzyme responsible for inositol’s catabolism, is primarily found in the kidneys. Diabetic complications have been correlated to low inositol levels but there is no proof that inositol supplementation can prevent the long-term complications of diabetes. Future diabetic treatment may target this enzyme with inhibitors. Of note, inositol has been used to treat PCOS and seems to be effective in reducing insulin resistance in these patients, some to the point of re-establishing normal menstrual cycles, with some patients able to become pregnant with its use.
It is probably wise to proceed with caution in patients with renal failure as inositol is both produced and catabolized in the kidney and the overall balance in this state is unclear. Nevertheless, at therapeutic doses inositol has not been shown to impact hematological, renal or liver function tests in otherwise healthy individuals.
Purchasing: With all products bought at the health food store, the rule is, buyer beware, until effective federal regulations ensuring safety are in place. Side effects attributed to inositol often clear up with a change in brand. Patients buying in bulk should be aware that cocaine dealers buy inositol powder to dilute their product because it has a similar consistency. I have had patients who have had comments directed at them by sales clerks about this. Availability can be an issue as many health food stores do not stock it in powder form. Ordering over the internet is often an economical option. As well, make sure that you direct patients to buy myo-inositol (usually labeled as inositol), not IP6, which is much more expensive and not studied for mental health conditions.
The Future: From its use to restore precancerous lung cell changes in smokers to their former healthy state, to its ability to improve fertility (both by increasing the maturity of oocytes for IVF harvesting and by improving sperm function in those with OAT), the future clinical applications of inositol ouside of its mental health benefits are encouraging. As for its use in mental health, inositol should be offered to all patients as an alternative to SSRIs for any condition where repetitive “looping” is a feature.
Hopefully this article will motivate you to start prescribing inositol. I would appreciate feedback on your successes and, just as importantly, your failures with the use of inositol. I have yet to accurately predict who will benefit and who will be wasting their money by using this product. Any insights from my colleagues will be appreciated. I can be reached at dr pupko (one word) at g mail. I check my mail there about once per month.
Updated April 9,2012 Posted by Harold Pupko M.D. at 5:42 PM No comments:
Thanks for the comment! I myself, cannot really prescribe anything, but I can talk about my experiences and make personal suggestions. I personally did not notice too much improvement with inositol alone, though it is a part of my vitamin routine and I do like it.
At the American Psychiatric Association (APA) conference in 1996, a paper was delivered on the treatment ofObsessive-CompulsiveDisorder with inositol, one of the B-vitamins. It seemed to indicate that this might be a viable treatment for OCD. As someone who treats OCD and related disorders, I am always onthe lookout for new approaches. I did some further research, and found that since the early 1970s, a number ofpapers have beenpublishedonthe use of inositol in the treatment of OCD, depression, and anxiety. It seems that inositolis converted by the body to two secondary neurotransmitter chemicals that enhance the action of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin, as we know, is a brain transmitter chemical that has been implicated in OCD and related disorders. Not all of these studies were conducted in the most scientific manner, but nevertheless, my curiosityhadbeenpiqued. After several discussions with one of the psychiatrists at my clinic, we looked into its safety and possible interactions withotherdrugs.Itappearedthat most people took in an average of about 1 gram of inositol each dayintheirdiets. We discovered that apart from some harmless digestive tract side effects, it appeared to be quite tolerable, and would not interact harmfullywithanyofthe SSRIs our patients were taking for their OCD. At about the same time, (September, 1996) a double-blind placebo-controlled study on the use of high doses of inositol was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Dr. Mendel Fux andcolleagues in Israel conducted the study. Although it was only a small study involving thirteen individuals, inositol was found to have a significant effect upon the symptoms of OCD. It was showntowork as well and as quickly as the SSRIs Prozac and Luvox. The patients inthisstudyhadeither not been able to find relief via standard medications, or were unable to tolerate medication side effects. Dosages in the study were gradually built up to 18 grams per day. The article proved to be the convincerforus.We hada numberofOCDpatients, who were only getting partial relief from prescription antidepressants, so we decided to suggest the possibility of their trying inositol as an augmenting agent, in addition to what they were alreadytaking. I should mention here that our clinic is a ratherbusy treatmentcenter,andunfortunately,not reallygeared toward conducting research, so we really didn’t collect any data on this. I know my learned colleagues will shake their heads at this, and they would be right. In any case, we started to see some positive results among some of those who tried it. In most cases, these results ranged from at least mildtomoderate relief of symptoms. A fewreportedeven more improvement. We have generally built up our patients over a six-week period, starting with 1 teaspoon(2gms) twice per day, and going as high as 3 teaspoons, three times per day. It turned out that not everyone required the full 18 grams used in the Fux study. One person was seen to improve on just 2 grams daily. Since that time, we have also seen some positive results child cases as well. I have also received some positive e-mails and phone calls from O-C aroundthe country who have heard of inositol, and tried it. Although itwas probablynot as precise as we would have liked, we based our children’s doses onbody weight, figuring roughly that a 40-lb. child could tolerate a maximum dose of up to 6gms. of inositolperday. I do not believe that inositol is a ‘miracle drug’ for everyone with OCD. There are no miracle treatments. I am sharing this information with sufferers out there in hopes that it may help at least some people who have not otherwise been able to get relief, or who are too afraid of prescription medications to try anything. I also decided to write about this because I felt that some people might hear of this through some other sources, and tryinositolwithoutany guidance. **Please note the following: This advice is purelyinformational,andnot inany way meant to be a substitute for treatment by a licensed physician. Do not try this, or anything else, without first consulting your physician. IfyourM.D.has not heard about it, refer them to the AmericanJournal ofPsychiatry article and let them decide. Obviously, before you run out and tryanythingnew, you should always consult your physician. If your physician recommends trying this, you might also want to mention the followinginformation tohim orher:
1. It cannotbe takentogether withLithium,as itseems toblockits action. 2. The chief side effects of inositol are gas and diarrhea. Some people get this for the firstfewdays andthen itclears up.Manyofthosetakingit never have this side effect, and some only get it when they take more than a particular amount. 3. I have heard reports that caffeine lowers inositol levels in the body, so if you are a heavy coffee drinker, you might consider cutting down or eliminating this from your diet. Actually, stimulants such as caffeine can sometimes contribute toanxiety,jitteriness,etc. 4. It should be purchased in powdered form, and taken dissolved in water or fruit juice. It has a sweet taste, and is chemically related to sugar. If it is allowed to stand for about 10 minutes after mixing it, it seems to dissolve better. Vigorous mixing for a few minutes also helps. If it still doesn’t dissolve well (not allbrands do), stir it up and drink it quickly before it settles. The use of powder is recommended,as the largerdoses required could require taking as many as 36, 500 mg. capsules per day. 5. Inositolis a water-soluble vitamin, so although the doses appeartobe large, it will not build up to toxic levels in the body. Whatever the body doesn’t use is excreted. The average person normally takes in about 1 gram of inositoleach dayvia the food theyeat. Thereare noreports of any harm associated with the long-termuse ofinositol. Some of our patients have been taking it as long as eight years now, with no problems.6. It can be built up according to the following schedule (1 teaspoon=2 grams,andbe
sure to use a measuring spoon) for an adult:
Week 1 – 1 teaspoon/2x per day Week 2 – 1 teaspoon/3x per day Week 3 – 1.5 teaspoons/3x per day Week 4 – 2 teaspoons/3x per day Week 5 – 2.5 teaspoons/3x per day Week 6 – 3 teaspoons/3x per day
A child can be built up to 3 teaspoons per day over the same six-week period. Dosages for adolescents can be adjusted according to weight. In either case, it is best to allow side effects to be the guide. If they begin to occur, it is not considered wise to increase the dosageunlessthey subside. Once a person has reached either the maximum dosage, or the greatest amount they are able to tolerate, it is best to try staying six weeks at that level to see if there is any noticeable improvement. If there is none by the endof that time, it should probably be discontinued. As with any treatment, those who are absolutely positive that it will help are only setting themselves up, and may wind up more than disappointed. Everything works for someone,butnothing works for everyone. One further note. I know personally of one case where an adolescent with trichotillomania was administered a combination of inositol and a substance known as 5-HTP, which is a breakdown product of the amino acid L-Tryptophan. The body manufactures serotonin from 5-HTP, andserotonin is believed to be one of the brain transmitter chemicals implicated in trichotillomania. Taking this is believed to raise serotonin levels in the brain. This adolescent got partial results with inositol, and seemed to get a complete remission of the urge to pull with the additionof100mg.of5-HTP daily. 5-HTP can cause drowsiness, and is usually taken at bedtime. It should never be taken with any prescription antidepressant (such as an SSRI) orherbal products such as St. John’s Wort, as it can cause a veryserious condition calledserotonergic syndrome. Again, none of the above is meant to be a substitute forexpert medical advice. As with inositol, 5-HTP should not be taken without the supervision of a licensed physician. I find reports such as this rather interesting. and further study is clearly needed. It may have implications for the future treatment of trich. *** As an interesting side note,a studywas published(Seedatet al,2001) since this article was written, in which three womenwithhairpulling andcompulsive skin picking were treated with inositol. All three were seen to improve andthis improvement was seen to continue through a 16-week follow-up period. Hopefully, there will be further studies on the usefulness of this compound. If you would like to read more about what Dr. Penzel has to say about OCD, you may be interested in his self-help book, “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders: A Complete Guide To Getting Well And Staying Well,” (Oxford UniversityPress, 2000). You can find out more aboutitat http://www.ocdbook.com.
It’s always great to get suggestions on here! And maybe others will find benefit from Inositol as well. I like it as a part of my routine, though on it’s own, it doesnt do much for me. But, really it’s jsut a vitamin and not much harm in trying that 🙂
OThank you my friend. I had a minor case of OCD. And perhaps this is why inositol helped me. And inositol seemed to alieviate my OCD symptoms enough when I first started taking it so that I could apply exposure\response techniques. So perhaps since I had a minor case of OCD a combination of inositol and ERP techniqulues may have been what eliminated my OCD. All I know is that it is so nice to finally be free of OCD.
Ot is sort of funny. For when I had OCD I had like this major fear of battery acid. And the otjer day I bought a new battery for my car. And I installed the battery myself. And there was like dried battery acid all over the battery cables of my car. But it did not bother me. And I changed my battery without wearing gloves. And I laughed all the while that I did this. I know that I sound crazy. But this was like a major victory for me over my OCD. When I had OCD I was like very afraid of chemicals. And battery acid was the number one chemical that I was afraid of. And now I am handling car batteries and battery terminals that are corroded with battery acid. It was such a major victory for me.
Haha, in the past I wanted to try “magic mushrooms” to alieviate my OCD symptoms. For I had read that a compound in the mushrooms alieviated OCD symptoms. But I was too afraid to take the mushrooms because of my OCD. And it is ironic that I was afraid to take something that might of actually given some relief from OCD. But the other day a friend had some mushrooms that he was talking for recreational purposes. And even though I did not take any of the “magic mushrooms,” I was not afraid to take them. And I helped my friend get through a bad trip. And there was a time that I would have gladly suffered through a bad trip just to have a few months of relief from OCD. There was so much irony in all aspects of this.
I am finally free of the monster of OCD. And I know that you have all but eliminated your symptoms of OCD. And I hope that our experiences can be of help for other that have this condition. It is pure hell to experience OCD. But there is always hope to overcome and conquer this monster. And what may work for one person may not work for another. But there is always hope. And I appreciate all of the help that you have given me and others. And I deeply appreciate you my friend. Thank you for everything.
MyOCDdiary 
hey ocd diary 🙂 I was gonna ask a dumb question lol somthing I’m thinking about now. Do you think everyone does some reassurance seeking and everyone has some OCD? or do you think you either have it or dont? I know everyone does things like googling or asking for reassurance but theyre’s just doesnt get as bad? maybe its just they have less anxiety or better grip on it, what do u think? 🙂 Im not sure whether I need to get diagnosed, I would have to wait ages to go on treatment anyway and cant see myself going through with it. I might call the OCD helpline lol. I think its best to accept that anxiety is real, at first I was just in denial partly because everyone one else was like theres nothing wrong with you, even my friend who has a degree in psych said theres nout wrong but I got diagnosed with the anxiety and probably if the doc listened I would have got diagnosed with OCD too. But its best to get intouch with how you feel rather than resist them because it only makes it worse dont it?
i think everyone has obsessive thoughts and even compulsions at times. we are a all a little quirky. it becomes OCD and a problem when it interferes with how you live your life. there are also many many anxiety disorders and if you feel like OCD may not be whats going on with you, then it could be something else. just remember, its a case of how much trouble you are having living your life because of anxiety. everyone gets a little, but not everyone gets disabled by it.
hey I just did this test online and this is what my results said:
Based on your score on the screening device, it would appear that you probably do not have OCD. However, only a mental health professional can make an accurate diagnosis and if you are experiencing psychological distress it might be advisable to see a clinician for further evaluation. You might also want to keep in mind that most so-called ‘normal’ people have some obsessive thoughts and some ritualistic behaviour in their lives. It’s only when their obsessions and compulsions start becoming an overwhelming primary focus in a person’s life that a person has clinical OCD.
maybe I dont have it
lol.
http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/support-info/do-i-have-ocd/
maybe you do and maybe not, but i would say if you are having trouble dealing with life and find that anxiety or depression is really getting to you, then seeking help is very important.
Almost a year ago when I found out what OCD was and thought I might have it, I obsessed a lot about whether or not I had it. It took me two months after finding out that I might have OCD to go to a therapist (pls find someone who specializes in treating OCD if you think you might have it!) and get diagnosed. She diagnosed me after only 5 minutes. The problem with those online questionnaires is that they assume you really have a deep understanding on what an obsession is. If you haven’t read a lot about OCD or been to a therapist, you probably don’t fully know. I am still discovering new O’s and C’s that I just thought were normal or just me feeling depressed. In any case, Greg, I would suggest you talk to an OCD therapist and find out. Maybe you have OCD and maybe you don’t, but it sounds like talking to someone might help clear up the question for you.
yeah, no I think I have a normal level of OCD and I dont need any help with managing it, it sorts its self out on its own. If it was realy bad then I would get help. I tried acceptance and it didnt work because I did’nt need to do it. Anyway where I live I dont have health insurance so I would have to wait for a long time to see a psych and even then I doubt I would take on board what they say. I think I might just have general anxiety, Im going to look into that more. Thanks for your advice. I dont think my reassurance seeking is much above a normal persons, it’s just hard knowing how much a normal person reassures. I dont reassure for hours on end each day, more like intermittantly, how much do you all do?
One thing I notice is I dont spike, my OCD is very structured and I feel in control of it. Im going to try and do CBT for my other issues, I tried some online CBT today and its amazing. I was learning about how what we think affects how we feel and our actions. I hope to see a therapist eventually so I can help myself. 🙂
check out this article it talks about cbt and the difference between Americans and Brits lol.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-412252/Therapy-NHS-What-crazy-waste-600-million.html
cool, thanks; ill check it out!
interesting article. ive never done CBT so i cannot attest to its effectiveness, but I do feel like it’s easy to forget about what you learned in therapy once you start to feel better and then when something “bad” happens, old habits that were once second nature can perk up. I find benefit from maintenance therapy meaning, going to sessions maybe not as often, writing down tools that help and practicing exercises at home. the part in the article about the mood differences between Brits and Americans was interesting too!
I think that it is amazing that your OCD is ninety percent gone. If I were at that level I would feel very good.
Recently I read some interesting research findings about how inositol helps OCD suffers. Are you familiar with this? If so, please share.
Thank you for sharing of your experience with the world.
With appreciation,
Nicky
Inositol can help OCD because it can help your body absorb some B vitamins. And sometimes B deficiency is a huge problem, but if that isn’t what causes your ocd, then it probably won’t do anything. I have a supplements video coming up to explain this more 🙂
Thank you for the information my friend. I look forward to your video on supplements.
I scored 20 on part A and a 20 on part B of the online test. And I was completely honest with my responses on the test. And the test indicated that I did not have OCD. And I have scored low other OCD tests, the Hamburg Assessment showing that I only had minor compulsions. But I know that I have OCD, for I am wearing latex gloves even now as I use my Kindle Fire to write this messages, lol. And I wash my hands much more than the average person does. I have contamination issues. But, apparently, compared to people that have a severe form of OCD, my OCD may be relatively minor. However, it bothers me tremendously that I have such a lack of control of my behavior and contamination issues. And I feel for the people that have a severe form of OCD. I can function in society fairly well, and I survive by wearing gloves in stressful situations, or I wash my hands when the my stress levels are high. I had adult onset of OCD, and even though my case is apparently considered minor, I would not wish OCD upon anyone.
Thank you for letting me express myself.
Love,
Nicky
Hi Nicky,
There are different severeities of OCD as you know, and just because yours may be milder than some, does not negate the fact that you ate going through something quite possibly difficult and painful. How you feel day to day is what determines who you are, not an online test 🙂 Stay strong
I am working on being strong. Thank you for the help and insight that you offer all of us.
🙂
I have read a lot of information on how inositol has helped people with anxiety, depression, and OCD. Apparently, taking inositol can function like a SSRI, and it can increase serotonin levels in the brain. I have been taking inositol for about a week, and even though it takes about a month to notice the full effects of taking inositol for OCD, I have already noticed enough improvement in my OCD symptoms that I am able to apply exposure techniques without experiencing as much anxiety. I do not know if inositol is actually helping me with my OCD or if it has been a placebo effect or if other factors are reducing my OCD symptoms, but I will keep taking the inositol and report back my experience with it. Here is a somewhat interesting Youtube video by an Australian medical doctor on using inositol to treat depression and anxiety. But there are a lot of interesting articles and research investigations into the success of uaikg inositol to treat OCD. I will keep everyone updated on my experience with inositol. It has already helped me.
Thank you, I’ll check it out!
I am sorry for the slow reply. I have been taking inositol for a couple of months now, and it completely eliminated my OCD. It is like a miracle for me. I cannot fully explain why it works. All I know is that I have overcome OCD after taking inositol. And I feel so free of the torture that has plaugued me for quite a few years. I found out that about five grams of inositol a day works for me. And an extra benefit of taking inositol is that I have burned away some fat around my stomach. I am a believer in taming inositol for anxiety now. I tried it for I had nothing to lose. And I am so happy that I found relief from OCD by taking inositol.
Here are a couple of articles about inositol:
Thursday, October 18, 2007 LISTENINGTOINOSITOL:CLINICALNOTES The following is a revised and updated version of my article published in the Medical Post on April 24, 2007.
What if, in the future, a drug with the therapeutic properties of an SSRI but free of SSRI side-effects was developed? What if it was available over the counter? What if the future is already here? About 15 years ago I came across scientifically valid reports from researchers in Israel on the use of inositol for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, and began prescribing it to my patients for those indications. The results impressed me. In speaking with colleagues I am struck by a general lack of awareness of this therapeutic option, but a willingness to learn more. In order to fill this void, I offer the following as a summary of the medical literature (for details search PubMed at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed ), as well as my own clinical experience with what one of my teenage patients dubbed “psycho-powder.”
Indications: Inositol has been shown to be useful for the treatment of depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder and bulimia. In bipolar depression and PMS, results have been mixed (but it is useful to treat lithium-induced psoriasis and lithium induced polyuria). My clinical experience is that inositol can have a calming effect in patients with hypervigilant states such as generalized anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder, hypochondriasis and chronic anger states. As inositol has a powerful tension reducing effect, it is not surprising that it has been used successfully to treat trichotillomania and compulsive skin picking, two behaviors that are rooted in habits aimed at tension reduction. An area where there is no research at this time is its use in teenagers (where SSRI use is problematic) and in geriatrics (where polypharmacy is a significant issue). My experience with both of these patient populations, while limited, shows reason for optimism with inositol helping such patients.
When I prescribe inositol, the target symptom I ask my patients to pay attention to is repetitive mental “looping”. Inositol seems to clear the mind of “chatter,” a term that resonates with the my patients. It seems particularly effective at reducing “pillow chatter,” the repetitive yackity-yack that emanates from the mind when trying to fall asleep at night. This response is seen in patients whether inositol is taken in the morning or at night.
I have found that inositol augmentation of SSRIs and SNRIs can be very useful (despite literature published to the contrary). When a patient is at the maximum recommended SSRI dose, rather than risk serotonin syndrome with higher dosage or by mixing SSRIs, I have successfully added inositol. In fact, I have had a few cases where remission of both depression and OCD have been achieved with this combination. See the comments on drug interactions for warnings about this.
Mechanism of action: Similar to SSRIs, the exact mechanism by which inositol exerts its positive effect is unclear. It is a key component of cellular signalling systems via the phosphatidyl-inositol second messenger cycle (thus influencing not just serotonin signalling, but other neurotransmitter systems as well). Inositol is endogenously produced from glucose and the average diet contains one gram daily. Inositol is a gliotransmitter. Since the brain is composed mostly of glial cells, I would suspect that this is one of its therapeutic targets. Manipulation of glial cells therapeutically is an area that is waiting for players. I believe that inositol is already in the game.
Dosage: The original studies used 12 g daily for depression and panic disorder and 18 g daily for OCD. Some of my patients have responded to doses as small as 500 mg daily (the dose usually found in tablets). I usually start my patients on one teaspoon of inositol POWDER daily (approximately 3 g) mixed with the beverage of their choice. Inositol does not dissolve very well, so I usually recommend that users put the entire daily dose in a glass of water, stir, and drink the water while it is still in motion. I have had patients add the powder to their morning tea (antioxidant bonus) or coffee as a sweetener. Despite claims on the internet that caffeine makes inositol ineffective, I have serious doubts about this claim based on my clinical experience. I encourage my patients to increase the dosage by one teaspoon every three or four days, although most prefer to increase the dose every week or two. I leave the pace of increase up to the individual. It is hard to tell at times what my patients are taking in terms of dosage as I rarely can get anybody to use a measuring spoon (although by my measure a “heaping teaspoon” can amount to two teaspoons). There is no maximum dosage. I suggest taking the entire dose in the morning, based on my suspicion that this is chronotherapeutically the best time of day to deliver the inositol to the body. The powder is mixed with water or juice. It does not matter if taken on an empty stomach. If gastrointestinal symptoms emerge (gas, bloating, diarrhea), I suggest that the dose be split to bid up to qid, although this type of splitting usually becomes a psychological barrier to its use. One alternative is to put the mixture in a drinking bottle and sip on it throughout the day. It is important to give the medication a fair trial. I usually have patients increase the dose to a level where there is no improvement after one month. At that time, for those taking large doses, I suggest slowly reducing the dose to the point where symptoms may break through again and, once response has been restored, maintaining that dose. Treatment duration depends on the condition, but in contrast to SSRIs, inositol seems to stabilize the brain as a biological “system restore,” and that being the case, there is a different exit strategy for this medication as opposed to the SSRIs. In sharp contrast to the SSRIs, I have never seen any discontinuation syndrome/withdrawl symptoms from missed doses or even discontinuation of inositol. Symptoms of the original condition may re-emerge once the inositol is discontinued, but this should not be confused with inositol withdrawal. In fact, I have used inositol to successfully manage discontinuation from SSRIs, using an aggresive dosing regimen.
Side-effects: Inositol’s side-effects are usually limited to the gastrointestinal system (gas, bloating, loosening of the stools, diarrhea) but these symptoms usually pass with time. Patience in dose titration usually overcomes these obstacles.
One side effect that I have noticed on occasion over the years is inositol’s property of inducing paradoxical panic in those vulnerable to this side effect. In these cases, the calming effect can be overwhelming: the patient feels out of control, not being familiar with a state of relaxation. I have seen the same paradoxical panic in patients with chronic anxiety who are being taught relaxation exercises (e.g. progressive muscle relaxation, breathing techniques). As such, it is not a drug reaction as much as a part of the anxiety picture.
Some patients have complained of feeling “stoned” when first starting inositol. This is a transient effect that is dosage dependent, so the pace of dosing has to be modified. I would also proceed cautiously in patients with a tendency towards dissociation.
People who gave a tendency to bottle up/stuff their emotions can experience disinhibition while taking inositol initially. This can be quite disturbing as the patient will often blame the medication instead of realizing that it is time to let go of some of these toxic feelings as they emerge for processing. My only advice is to go slow with the dose in these cases.
I have had one patient develop a transient case of hippus that cleared with discontinuation of the inositol. I am not sure what to make of this.
I had one interesting case of a patient whose asthma resolved while on inositol. Asthma may involve the second messenger system, and perhaps the inositol acted in a positive way on this system in this patient. Another alternative explanation was that the patient’s anxiety was a major trigger of his asthma, but I was not impressed in this case that his anxiety responded particularly well to the inositol, so I tend to favour the former explanation. I would love to hear from colleagues if they have ever observed this effect in their patients.
One of my patients complained that she had to shave her legs more often due to hair growth stimulation she attributed to inositol. Unfortunately, I have never had a male patient happily note that his baldness has been cured by inositol, despite rumours of this effect on the internet.
Drug Interactions: As already mentioned, inositol can boost the effects of SSRIs. When adding inositol to an SSRI, be aware that SSRI side effects can emerge, similar to what happens when starting or increasing an SSRI. That means that symptoms such as headaches, nausea, weirder dreams, etc are not due to the inositol but due to the juiced up SSRI, and usually pass within 7-14 days as is the usual cases with SSRI dosage adjustments.
On a completely different note, some of my marijuana using patients have noticed a decreased urge to smoke when on inositol. Some have even been able to use inositol to break free from their marijuana addiction. Furthermore, patients who are regular or even recent past users of marijuana have responded to smaller doses of inositol than non-users. This evidence makes me suspect that inositol may have an effect on the endocannabinoid system. I have not been able to find any literature to support this hypothesis, but it is clinically interesting. An alternative hypothesis is that, since inositol is a gliotransmitter, and glial cell stimulation has been impicated in marijuana’s effect of making users feel “stoned,” stimulation of glial cells by inositol may have similar effects to marijuana through a shared mechanism. As noted earlier in this article, some inositol users complain of feeling stoned initially, but this effect wears of over time (although it may take days to weeks, it is usually mild and tolerable).
Contraindications: In high doses, inositol may theoretically cause uterine contractions and is therefore contraindicated in late pregnancy. However, Italian researchers have been using inositol successfully in pregnancy for women with PCOS as well as women with gestational diabetes, without the feared consequence of uterine contractions. The dosages they have used have been on the low side, so at this time I cannot make any recommendation on its use in pregnancy. It is best to use clinical judgement and a resource such as Motherisk in such situations. Of note, recent research has shown that inositol may be useful in the prevention of neural tube defects, especially in those for whom folic acid supplementation is ineffective. Again, the dosage used throughout pregnancy was small (1 gram per day along with 5 mg folic acid).
Of related interest, premature infants born with high blood levels of inositol or those fed with high dose inositol formula have less severe retinopathy and bronchopulmonary dysplasia compared with other premature infants.
One of my patients who was breastfeeding while on inositol noted that her baby seemed to be developmentally advanced. Of course, most mothers think that their babies are better than other babies, especially those who grow up in Lake Wobegon. As for breastfeeding, I suggest that people consult Motherisk about this as well.
One study in patients with ADD showed worsening of this condition. I do not see this a contraindication but something the prescriber should be aware of. My experience with patients with the attention deficit disorderS (ADD is not one uniform condition) is that inositol may reduce the impulsivity and anxiety that often accompany attention maintenance deficits of ADD, and as such, can improve the clinical picture, especially for patients already on stimulants.
Structurally, inositol is a sugar and tastes sweet. Some reports in the literature suggest slight elevation of blood glucose levels with its use, while others suggest it may be useful in normalizing blood glucose levels. Myo-inositol oxygenase, the enzyme responsible for inositol’s catabolism, is primarily found in the kidneys. Diabetic complications have been correlated to low inositol levels but there is no proof that inositol supplementation can prevent the long-term complications of diabetes. Future diabetic treatment may target this enzyme with inhibitors. Of note, inositol has been used to treat PCOS and seems to be effective in reducing insulin resistance in these patients, some to the point of re-establishing normal menstrual cycles, with some patients able to become pregnant with its use.
It is probably wise to proceed with caution in patients with renal failure as inositol is both produced and catabolized in the kidney and the overall balance in this state is unclear. Nevertheless, at therapeutic doses inositol has not been shown to impact hematological, renal or liver function tests in otherwise healthy individuals.
Purchasing: With all products bought at the health food store, the rule is, buyer beware, until effective federal regulations ensuring safety are in place. Side effects attributed to inositol often clear up with a change in brand. Patients buying in bulk should be aware that cocaine dealers buy inositol powder to dilute their product because it has a similar consistency. I have had patients who have had comments directed at them by sales clerks about this. Availability can be an issue as many health food stores do not stock it in powder form. Ordering over the internet is often an economical option. As well, make sure that you direct patients to buy myo-inositol (usually labeled as inositol), not IP6, which is much more expensive and not studied for mental health conditions.
The Future: From its use to restore precancerous lung cell changes in smokers to their former healthy state, to its ability to improve fertility (both by increasing the maturity of oocytes for IVF harvesting and by improving sperm function in those with OAT), the future clinical applications of inositol ouside of its mental health benefits are encouraging. As for its use in mental health, inositol should be offered to all patients as an alternative to SSRIs for any condition where repetitive “looping” is a feature.
Hopefully this article will motivate you to start prescribing inositol. I would appreciate feedback on your successes and, just as importantly, your failures with the use of inositol. I have yet to accurately predict who will benefit and who will be wasting their money by using this product. Any insights from my colleagues will be appreciated. I can be reached at dr pupko (one word) at g mail. I check my mail there about once per month.
Updated April 9,2012 Posted by Harold Pupko M.D. at 5:42 PM No comments:
Thanks for the comment! I myself, cannot really prescribe anything, but I can talk about my experiences and make personal suggestions. I personally did not notice too much improvement with inositol alone, though it is a part of my vitamin routine and I do like it.
Here is another article:
Inositol and OCD
Inositol and OCD By Frederick Penzel, Ph.D.
At the American Psychiatric Association (APA) conference in 1996, a paper was delivered on the treatment ofObsessive-CompulsiveDisorder with inositol, one of the B-vitamins. It seemed to indicate that this might be a viable treatment for OCD. As someone who treats OCD and related disorders, I am always onthe lookout for new approaches. I did some further research, and found that since the early 1970s, a number ofpapers have beenpublishedonthe use of inositol in the treatment of OCD, depression, and anxiety. It seems that inositolis converted by the body to two secondary neurotransmitter chemicals that enhance the action of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin, as we know, is a brain transmitter chemical that has been implicated in OCD and related disorders. Not all of these studies were conducted in the most scientific manner, but nevertheless, my curiosityhadbeenpiqued. After several discussions with one of the psychiatrists at my clinic, we looked into its safety and possible interactions withotherdrugs.Itappearedthat most people took in an average of about 1 gram of inositol each dayintheirdiets. We discovered that apart from some harmless digestive tract side effects, it appeared to be quite tolerable, and would not interact harmfullywithanyofthe SSRIs our patients were taking for their OCD. At about the same time, (September, 1996) a double-blind placebo-controlled study on the use of high doses of inositol was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Dr. Mendel Fux andcolleagues in Israel conducted the study. Although it was only a small study involving thirteen individuals, inositol was found to have a significant effect upon the symptoms of OCD. It was showntowork as well and as quickly as the SSRIs Prozac and Luvox. The patients inthisstudyhadeither not been able to find relief via standard medications, or were unable to tolerate medication side effects. Dosages in the study were gradually built up to 18 grams per day. The article proved to be the convincerforus.We hada numberofOCDpatients, who were only getting partial relief from prescription antidepressants, so we decided to suggest the possibility of their trying inositol as an augmenting agent, in addition to what they were alreadytaking. I should mention here that our clinic is a ratherbusy treatmentcenter,andunfortunately,not reallygeared toward conducting research, so we really didn’t collect any data on this. I know my learned colleagues will shake their heads at this, and they would be right. In any case, we started to see some positive results among some of those who tried it. In most cases, these results ranged from at least mildtomoderate relief of symptoms. A fewreportedeven more improvement. We have generally built up our patients over a six-week period, starting with 1 teaspoon(2gms) twice per day, and going as high as 3 teaspoons, three times per day. It turned out that not everyone required the full 18 grams used in the Fux study. One person was seen to improve on just 2 grams daily. Since that time, we have also seen some positive results child cases as well. I have also received some positive e-mails and phone calls from O-C aroundthe country who have heard of inositol, and tried it. Although itwas probablynot as precise as we would have liked, we based our children’s doses onbody weight, figuring roughly that a 40-lb. child could tolerate a maximum dose of up to 6gms. of inositolperday. I do not believe that inositol is a ‘miracle drug’ for everyone with OCD. There are no miracle treatments. I am sharing this information with sufferers out there in hopes that it may help at least some people who have not otherwise been able to get relief, or who are too afraid of prescription medications to try anything. I also decided to write about this because I felt that some people might hear of this through some other sources, and tryinositolwithoutany guidance. **Please note the following: This advice is purelyinformational,andnot inany way meant to be a substitute for treatment by a licensed physician. Do not try this, or anything else, without first consulting your physician. IfyourM.D.has not heard about it, refer them to the AmericanJournal ofPsychiatry article and let them decide. Obviously, before you run out and tryanythingnew, you should always consult your physician. If your physician recommends trying this, you might also want to mention the followinginformation tohim orher:
1. It cannotbe takentogether withLithium,as itseems toblockits action. 2. The chief side effects of inositol are gas and diarrhea. Some people get this for the firstfewdays andthen itclears up.Manyofthosetakingit never have this side effect, and some only get it when they take more than a particular amount. 3. I have heard reports that caffeine lowers inositol levels in the body, so if you are a heavy coffee drinker, you might consider cutting down or eliminating this from your diet. Actually, stimulants such as caffeine can sometimes contribute toanxiety,jitteriness,etc. 4. It should be purchased in powdered form, and taken dissolved in water or fruit juice. It has a sweet taste, and is chemically related to sugar. If it is allowed to stand for about 10 minutes after mixing it, it seems to dissolve better. Vigorous mixing for a few minutes also helps. If it still doesn’t dissolve well (not allbrands do), stir it up and drink it quickly before it settles. The use of powder is recommended,as the largerdoses required could require taking as many as 36, 500 mg. capsules per day. 5. Inositolis a water-soluble vitamin, so although the doses appeartobe large, it will not build up to toxic levels in the body. Whatever the body doesn’t use is excreted. The average person normally takes in about 1 gram of inositoleach dayvia the food theyeat. Thereare noreports of any harm associated with the long-termuse ofinositol. Some of our patients have been taking it as long as eight years now, with no problems.6. It can be built up according to the following schedule (1 teaspoon=2 grams,andbe
sure to use a measuring spoon) for an adult:
Week 1 – 1 teaspoon/2x per day Week 2 – 1 teaspoon/3x per day Week 3 – 1.5 teaspoons/3x per day Week 4 – 2 teaspoons/3x per day Week 5 – 2.5 teaspoons/3x per day Week 6 – 3 teaspoons/3x per day
A child can be built up to 3 teaspoons per day over the same six-week period. Dosages for adolescents can be adjusted according to weight. In either case, it is best to allow side effects to be the guide. If they begin to occur, it is not considered wise to increase the dosageunlessthey subside. Once a person has reached either the maximum dosage, or the greatest amount they are able to tolerate, it is best to try staying six weeks at that level to see if there is any noticeable improvement. If there is none by the endof that time, it should probably be discontinued. As with any treatment, those who are absolutely positive that it will help are only setting themselves up, and may wind up more than disappointed. Everything works for someone,butnothing works for everyone. One further note. I know personally of one case where an adolescent with trichotillomania was administered a combination of inositol and a substance known as 5-HTP, which is a breakdown product of the amino acid L-Tryptophan. The body manufactures serotonin from 5-HTP, andserotonin is believed to be one of the brain transmitter chemicals implicated in trichotillomania. Taking this is believed to raise serotonin levels in the brain. This adolescent got partial results with inositol, and seemed to get a complete remission of the urge to pull with the additionof100mg.of5-HTP daily. 5-HTP can cause drowsiness, and is usually taken at bedtime. It should never be taken with any prescription antidepressant (such as an SSRI) orherbal products such as St. John’s Wort, as it can cause a veryserious condition calledserotonergic syndrome. Again, none of the above is meant to be a substitute forexpert medical advice. As with inositol, 5-HTP should not be taken without the supervision of a licensed physician. I find reports such as this rather interesting. and further study is clearly needed. It may have implications for the future treatment of trich. *** As an interesting side note,a studywas published(Seedatet al,2001) since this article was written, in which three womenwithhairpulling andcompulsive skin picking were treated with inositol. All three were seen to improve andthis improvement was seen to continue through a 16-week follow-up period. Hopefully, there will be further studies on the usefulness of this compound. If you would like to read more about what Dr. Penzel has to say about OCD, you may be interested in his self-help book, “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders: A Complete Guide To Getting Well And Staying Well,” (Oxford UniversityPress, 2000). You can find out more aboutitat http://www.ocdbook.com.
I am sorry for going on and on about inositol. But it worked for me. And I hope that my experience is useful to others suffering from OCD.
It’s always great to get suggestions on here! And maybe others will find benefit from Inositol as well. I like it as a part of my routine, though on it’s own, it doesnt do much for me. But, really it’s jsut a vitamin and not much harm in trying that 🙂
OThank you my friend. I had a minor case of OCD. And perhaps this is why inositol helped me. And inositol seemed to alieviate my OCD symptoms enough when I first started taking it so that I could apply exposure\response techniques. So perhaps since I had a minor case of OCD a combination of inositol and ERP techniqulues may have been what eliminated my OCD. All I know is that it is so nice to finally be free of OCD.
Ot is sort of funny. For when I had OCD I had like this major fear of battery acid. And the otjer day I bought a new battery for my car. And I installed the battery myself. And there was like dried battery acid all over the battery cables of my car. But it did not bother me. And I changed my battery without wearing gloves. And I laughed all the while that I did this. I know that I sound crazy. But this was like a major victory for me over my OCD. When I had OCD I was like very afraid of chemicals. And battery acid was the number one chemical that I was afraid of. And now I am handling car batteries and battery terminals that are corroded with battery acid. It was such a major victory for me.
Haha, in the past I wanted to try “magic mushrooms” to alieviate my OCD symptoms. For I had read that a compound in the mushrooms alieviated OCD symptoms. But I was too afraid to take the mushrooms because of my OCD. And it is ironic that I was afraid to take something that might of actually given some relief from OCD. But the other day a friend had some mushrooms that he was talking for recreational purposes. And even though I did not take any of the “magic mushrooms,” I was not afraid to take them. And I helped my friend get through a bad trip. And there was a time that I would have gladly suffered through a bad trip just to have a few months of relief from OCD. There was so much irony in all aspects of this.
I am finally free of the monster of OCD. And I know that you have all but eliminated your symptoms of OCD. And I hope that our experiences can be of help for other that have this condition. It is pure hell to experience OCD. But there is always hope to overcome and conquer this monster. And what may work for one person may not work for another. But there is always hope. And I appreciate all of the help that you have given me and others. And I deeply appreciate you my friend. Thank you for everything.
With Love and Appreciation,
Nicky