I do not have ocd but I do have generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. And every antidepressant I have been put on sends me right back into mania, so I suffer from my anxiety quite a bit, I am on xanax to help with that. I hope your med adjustment works for you. I am still going through them myself.

When I'm manic I appear to be VERY OCD. I get really weird with the garbage, diaper pails, and shopping in atleast pairs.

my klon and seroquel help with the bp as well as the ocd an ptsd, but ocd is also something that, as far as i am aware, most professionals recommend treating with therapy.

in my experience, the idea is to become consciously aware of the obsessive thoughts and then arrest the associated compulsive behavior either before you engage in it or while you are engaged in it and that, over time, both the obsession and the compulsion will subside...i have had some personal success with this type of therapy, but as always, ymmv.

in addition, i notice that the higher my stress level, the more my ocd manifests itself...hence the help from the meds...

good luck...it can be a long road...and takes a lot of practice and dedication...kind of like a diet...lots of self control...and a little backsliding here and there...and lots of self-forgiveness when you do...

xx,
beep.

I take Clomiprimine for my OCD is has changed my life. I too am bp but this other illness was having just as big an impact on my life. I have dx bp for many years and just this year dx OCD. It was a relief in a way because all my bipolar meds weren't working for it, just making the symptoms worse. I am not on any anti depressants, they through my right in to mania. I'm happy now and i have 2 good shrinks to thank for it.

Thanks, everyone. I am in therapy twice a week and we are going to start focusing on ways to handle the OCD - she's a Dr. and expert, she has OCD herself.

Oceanana - Luvox worked like a dream to quelch the OCD, but Dr. says it will interfere with the BP so took me off it...

Tonight, for the first time in weeks, I found myself unable to stop washing my hands. I counted 30 times, taking me more than 20 minutes. I couldn't stop. I got so anxious I ended up vomiting. In the end I just broke down crying, because I am back at square one with this and it isn't somewhere I want to be.

I tend to put on my chap stick over and over...every five minutes..I get the weirdest looks at work every time I do it...
And I ALWAYS rewrite everything...even a simple list like a grocery list...until my writing looks perfect all the way through. Ive gone through several notebooks because of this.
I hate it.
I have OCD tendencies...but its not extreme.

Yes I have OCD. ITs horrible but seroquel helps a bunch! I would have gone crazy if I didnt have my meds.

I have both. When i had insurance i was going to therapy, and they had put me on Paxil, clonazepam, and risperdal. All three together were helping me. I have also tried Xanax, but find it to be more of a band aid...it works right away, but wears off just as fast as it works. I hope you feel better by the day. Just know that you are not alone.

I am also OCD/bipolar. I am taking Zoloft, Seroquel and lithium. I am suprised that your doctor is trying to take you off Zoloft!

I am bipolar and have a few OCD's. Everything in my house has it's place. It's stronger than just a habit of doing things a certain way.
I feel ya.

I was diagnosed with both bipolar and OCD. The only times I am very OCD now (after several years of medication)is when I am tipping on the mania side. I am currently on Abilify, Lithium, bupropion, and effexor. I dont know if this helps, but here's hoping you have had a good day! Susan

I have never been diagnosed BP because I never delved into it with pdoc. I used to be alot worse before the med regimine that I am on which is buspirone for anxiety, clonazapam for anxiety when needed, risperal, anti-psych and trgretol, mood stabilizer.
I still have alot of ocd tendencies but not nearly as bad so I have not brought it up with pdoc.
I figure this, I got a bad brain and it is just going to do some stuff to me to screw with me. I just deal with it and try to overcome what I can by pure thought power. Pure thought power works to a degree on some stuff and on others nothing. Example...I will catch myself having to miss all the cracks in the floor etc.......I will notice this, ignore the cracks and move on. If my brain is really acting up from the BP, no pure thought power helps at all until the episode subsides especially when it is psycosis or psychotic in nature, it just has to run its miserable course. Same goes for terriblly manic-depressive dreams, just got to deAL with it!
I personnally only give this think diffrently stuff credence in very little regards, in my mind, I am basically set that it is simply the physical brain acting up in this manner, usually...physical leading to thoughts coming out as physical. So...physical...thought...physical!
Psychotic stuff does not seem to work for this equasion, to me, it is physical to physical.
Whatever the case, some thinking change does some stuff, some not, give me the physical meds!