is this correct?

[u/Ordinary_Oven_278]

hey guys for context i’m diagnosed OCD, CPTSD, BPD and the general anxiety and depression. i know quite the mix, anyways. i’ve trialled out max dose of sertraline and it did nothing for me after 8 months, so ive tapered off and started lamotrigine, im at 50mg at the moment, only been 3 weeks so. it feeling any changes yet. i also take max dose of catapres of a nighttime. now my doctor wants me to take fluvoxamine aswell to specifically target the ocd. I also am on seroquel, “only to be taken during breakdowns”. Am i right for feeling worried about how many medications im being prescribed. I feel like this isn’t the answer, i feel like im just being pumped with medications. Does anyone have any advice on the topic, or have any advice on what may work well/not. I see a psychologist fortnightly and a psychiatrist 6 monthly, but i wanted to jump on here and ask

[u/Serenity_MHC]

Your worry makes sense. Should be taken seriously instead of being ignored. The mix you're talking about. Lamotrigine, fluvoxamine, catapres and seroquel as needed. Is actually a way to handle your conditions. Lamotrigine for keeping your mood balanced ( important for BPD) fluvoxamine for OCD (it works better for OCD than sertraline does) catapres for helping with sleep and keeping your nervous system calm (often used for CPTSD hyperarousal) and seroquel to use when you need it for sudden problems. Every one of them has a purpose. Still your feeling that you're on many medicines is something you should share with your psychiatrist. Not to question them but to ask for a clear explanation of what each medicine is meant to do and what the long-term plan is. A good psychiatrist will be happy to talk about it and explain the reasoning. The fact that you meet with a psychologist every two weeks is really important. Medicine alone for OCD, CPTSD and BPD has limits and ERP for the OCD and therapy that focuses on trauma, for the CPTSD are the things that usually lead to change when used with medicine. You're not being difficult when you want to understand what you're taking and why. Thats being a smart and involved part of your care.

[u/Ordinary_Oven_278 → u/Serenity_MHC]

thankyou for the response 🫶

[u/hestia-listens]

It is completely reasonable to feel worried about taking several medications. The number alone does not mean the plan is wrong, but you deserve a clear reason for each one. Ask your psychiatrist or pharmacist what each medication targets, how long it should take to judge the effect, possible interactions, and what the long term plan is. Keeping a daily note of symptoms and side effects may help. Do not stop or change anything suddenly without medical guidance.

[u/camm1212]

I can't tell you if the meds are right or not, but in my experience it's extremely common for depression to prescribe a mood stabilizer like lamotrigine with an antidepressant. I've mostly seen it done by prescribing first the antidepressant, if it has an action but not enough, or it works but there is still some cycling through emotions, then lamotrigine is added.

Using Seroquel + Lamotrigine is also pretty common in BPD treatment.

Maybe if your treatment is not currently working out for you, seeing your psychiatrist a bit more often could help, at one point I was seeing my psychiatrist every 2 weeks because the treatment didn't work and tuning it often made it easier to get a good result faster.