Fluoxetine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Lexy
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 10, 2019

"I’ve been on 20mg for two weeks now and I FINALLY feel like I have my life back. I suffer from pure Obsessive Compulsive disorder, intrusive thoughts and it got to the point where there was nothing else I could think about. At one point I thought the only way to stop this was suicide. The only side effect I’ve been dealing with is a bit of hyperactivity (tapping my foot or fingers) and sometimes I don’t have an appetite. This drug is a miracle for those with pure O."

• Beth
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 4, 2024

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I was switched from Lexapro 20 mg since I couldn’t stop my OCD and at a higher dose, there are cardiac problems. It took 3 1/2 months for Prozac 80 mg to kick in. I’m still on Klonopin 0.75 mg for 6 months but slowly reducing my dose. Ask your psych, but I took some Benadryl (don’t drive) to stop rebound anxiety since I’ve been on Klonopin for 6 months. I also do a Zoom support group once a month and started ERP with an OCD specialist. My OCD involves rumination and contamination. I don’t wash my hands. I’m feeling back in control and realizing that I was keeping these thoughts alive. OCD demands a lot of fear and anxiety. You need to control it since the disease will never let you use logic."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 15, 2017

Prozac (fluoxetine) "Used to read these over and over when I contemplating "obsessing" over whether or not to take the medication. Prozac has given me my life back. Life is no longer a struggle just to enjoy. It is not a miracle drug, you still have to put in the work, therapy really helps. But at times when I feel a wave of anxiety come over me that used to last 3-4 days/sleepless nights, I can almost feel the medication working. And next thing I know I'm 100 steps down the road from that worry. Some side effects in beginning with up dosing such as headaches and not getting full nights sleep but all have passed and I can only say the only side effect is I feel so good I forgot to take my Prozac. Get your life back and just try it!"

• Steph
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 8, 2020

Prozac (fluoxetine) "My son takes prozac. Thing I like about it, it works for OCD. He still has it, but compared to how it was - the compulsions and tic like compulsions were almost unbearable. Then there was the hoarding! Since taking Prozac most of that has subsiding. He still hoards but it’s not near as extreme. He still has compulsions but it’s less and more manageable. My issue is, when we have periods and his OCD is ramping up, we have to increase and it seems like we have a honeymoon period and need to increase again. Also, for my husband, this medication was horrible. It did not work on him at all. He had better success with lexapro, but we were not trying to treat OCD with him. I think if you’re trying to treat OCD, this is a great option."

• Anonymous
• October 28, 2011

Prozac (fluoxetine) "Taking 10mg for OCD and social phobia with very satisfactory results. Only side effects I've experienced are loss of appetite and mild forgetfulness. I have not experienced a loss of sexual desire, in fact my libido has increased somewhat."

• zingerz
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 4, 2023

Prozac (fluoxetine) "This has been the most beneficial medication for my OCD and MDD. It really turns down the volume well, while not completely numbing me from feeling other feelings. I am grateful this drug was ever created because I probably would not be here without it."

• Girly...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2021

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I started taking Prozac three weeks ago. I have depression, anxiety, PTSD and severe OCD with the intrusive thoughts. Before Prozac I have battled with depression and anxiety for years but the OCD has just hit hard within the past year and a half. To the point of loosing my family and friends over it because I was constantly questioning and accusing and it was just awful. My family doctor wasn't giving me the correct medicine. I have tried wellbutrin, lexapro, effexor etc. and none of them were helping me, I just felt like I was getting worse. I started seeing a Psychiatrist and she diagnosed me with severe OCD and put me on Prozac. The first week I couldn't really tell anything, the second week I felt alive again, like a weight had been lifted off of me, thoughts were still there but I was able to dismiss them a lot easier. Week three I am feeling a little down and depressed this week but I am not giving up. The way I felt with week 2 I hope to start feeling more often and even better."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 24, 2017

Prozac (fluoxetine) "It took a few months for it to start to settle in, I think, but total game changer. 6 months ago I was in an awful state due to undiagnosed OCD & depression. Started going to therapy and taking prozac and now it feels like I'm standing on more solid ground. I haven't felt this good in years and feel silly for my past apprehension at trying SSRIs. Only side effects I've noticed are I'm a bit sleepy throughout the day and I'm having vivid dreams most nights (never remembered my dreams before taking prozac) but no complaints about the latter. Recently bumped up to 30 mg after being on 20 for a few months to try and kick the last of the obsessive thoughts. Really couldn't recommend enough. I can only hope this keeps working."

• Gregocd
• February 15, 2016

Prozac (fluoxetine) "Had to switch to this after sertraline didn't work when I tried to go back on it. OCD blew up as soon as I stopped my previous SSRI and I ended up sick. Always consult your doctor and if you have severe OCD, it's an SSRI for life... Fluoxetine had the usual side effects: suicidal, anxious, worsening of depression and tiredness. Unfortunately you just have to work through this with these meds. After a few weeks I started to see some slow progress and my obsessions decreased. I was still severely depressed and I augmented this with risperidone. That too made me a bit crazy for a few days but after a couple of weeks I was able to return to work after 3 months off. These meds take time. 18 months on I'm just on fluoxetine 60mg and feel great!"

• pureo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 8, 2024

Prozac (fluoxetine) "If you're starting Prozac, I encourage you to read. Male (23) suffering from pure OCD. I came off Zoloft and started Prozac. I began on 20mg and reached 60mg within a month. In my experience and research, the maximum dose usually helps with OCD. I didn't experience 'things getting worse at first' until about 2 weeks on the meds. I quickly spiraled back into almost unbearable OCD thoughts and couldn't think straight when with my girlfriend. I thought Prozac wasn't for me. Despite this, my doctor kept me on 60mg. The improvement was dramatic, and now at 2 weeks on 60mg, I'm slowly feeling more relaxed. The thoughts are still present, but they are almost muted and don't demand the attention they once did. In my opinion, Prozac requires a high dose and time (8-12 weeks). If things worsen, stick with it. You might doubt its effectiveness, but time and dosage are key. I will update my review to 10/10 if I reach a state where I almost feel 'cured' as I have before. It's just over 2 weeks on 60mg now."

• Anony...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2022

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I am taking Prozac to treat OCD and the anxiety that results from it. A little background: I took 50mg Sertraline (Zoloft) five years ago for anxiety. It was a difficult ramp up period. I had dry heaves, drenching night sweats and no appetite. After about a month, they subsided and I went up to 75mg. Zoloft did fix my anxiety but it left me “flat”. I wasn’t anxious or sad but also never had any joy. It turned me into Mr. Spock. Oddly though, and contrary to so many reviews, my libido went through the roof. I came off Zoloft after about a year and was fine for about 4 years. Now, I’ve been diagnosed with OCD that the prior doc didn’t recognize. Prozac this time. I was nervous for the side effects but they’ve been minor. Very mild nausea and some insomnia. And, just like Zoloft, increased libido. My OCD and anxiety are lessening. Don’t let negative reviews dissuade you from trying Prozac. Everyone reacts differently."

• MrsH
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 13, 2019

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I’ve been taking Prozac for 1 year now. I started with 20mg. The anxiety and obsessive thoughts were still there. My dr decided I should go up in the dosage to 40 mg. And it helped tremendously. I would say the side effects while being on the medicine was gain weight, and unable to orgasm. After 8 months of being on 40 mg she suggested to try 30 mg and that was definitely a game changer. I am now able to reach orgasm normally. The first three weeks my sleep was still disrupted so she prescribed me trazadone 25mg. I took that for the first two months and it helped me. I don’t need it anymore."

• Jeff
• March 24, 2015

Prozac (fluoxetine) "Prozac really saved my life 6 years ago when I was suffering from major Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Insomnia related to it. Tried to stop it few times but always had to come back. No sexual side effects even at 40mg/day. Unofortunately it seemed that the medicine had pooped-out on me after 5 years and I currently started taking Paxil."

• South...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 2, 2016

Prozac (fluoxetine) "If you scroll down a bit to 2014, you will find my rave review of Prozac for OCD and more than 100 people found it useful as well which is great. Now it's 2016, a year and a half later and I went from 115 lbs (I NEVER struggled with weight) to 151 lbs today and I'm just 5'2". My diet did NOT change. In fact I battled anorexia in my teens. I just don't enjoy food that much and still don't. I truly believe some people may eat more, but ultimately it messes with your thyroid and hormones bad. So, this is what I'll say: Prozac is pure genius and DOES work very, very well. You will probably lose weight in the first few months, and then as you approach a year the weight comes on fast and hard."

• dariley
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 17, 2015

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I wasn't sure if this drug was helping with OCD. When asked I would reply, "it seems to make it easier to deal with it". Then my Doc decided to lower my dose in order to take me off it. When I got to 60mg I lost it. The obsessive thoughts were out of control. Compulsions increased as well. I am back on 100mg and feeling and thinking much better. The med helps a lot, but doesn't fix me completely. I challenge my compulsions every day so I can reinforce that I do not need them."

• Anxious...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 22, 2019

"I suffer with GAD and OCD. Before taking this medication my intrusive thoughts were so bad I was struggling to get out of bed and face the world. I'm not sure how anyone can suggest (as read in a previous review) that this medication is a placebo effect. It’s has real side effects at the beginning which did increase my issues, but once in my system my intrusive thoughts have virtually disappeared and my anxiety manageable. I was extremely poorly and had no control over my thoughts. Just wanting something to work wouldn’t have worked for me. Fluoxetine really works and has also helped me lose weight. Brilliant stuff."

• Villa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 2, 2019

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I have been on Prozac for about 8 months for OCD and depression. It was been a miracle drug for me. It allows me to actually use my skills learned in years of therapy to fight the intrusive thoughts and urges withhold food and to ritualize. I still have thoughts and urges, but I’m increasing my dose to 30 and then to 40 per docs orders, and am just happy I am living my life without my fears and thoughts ruling over me. I can eat without my fear on contamination ruling my mind and process through a lot more. I experienced side effects when starting but then they go away. I also take 5,000 mg of vitamin D for my low levels which helps with the depression. Good luck to all!"

• Ahaan
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 6, 2021

Prozac (fluoxetine) "Fluoxetine : the 24th day I feel a little change I'm on day 25 I think it will take some more time for full effect so I m good . First 23 days are very tough because I always wake up with anxiety attack and suicidal thoughts but on the 24th day it gone and feel better. Don’t quit it seriously working. This is the best decision I have made I my life. Fact : it takes time and make worse before better and take time to fully effective. Love for those share their experiences these reviews helped so much. I'm so thankful to all"

• searc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2022

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I recently started on Prozac for Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, OCD, Insomnia after cycling through a number of medications for several disorders. I tried trazodone at first for anxiety and insomnia, then added quetiapine when the trazodone didn’t work. Then I started using Imovane which made me feel awful. My psychiatrist started me on 20mg Prozac to improve anxious and obsessive thoughts and depression. It has significantly improved those and I no longer feel the physical effects of anxiety or depression. It has also significantly improved sleep as I do not stress about not being able to sleep. Finally, it did cause a few side effects like headache and nausea for the first few days but it is now gone."

• Feyre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 22, 2023

"Been taking fluoxetine for almost 6 weeks now and I can honestly say that it's changed my life. I've been suffering really badly with OCD/health anxiety, and my therapist has been telling me to try fluoxetine for around 12 months. At the beginning of last year, my doctor prescribed me a number of SSRIs, none of which were really suitable for what I needed, and none worked. I was nervous to try more meds as I'd reacted badly to the rest of them. I read a review on here on fluoxetine, and the reviewer had said to go and see a psychiatrist as your GP isn't a mental health professional - so I did. In the review, they described waking up one day and just feeling normal again. I wanted that so badly that the review made me cry and gave me the push to try the meds. I've only had a positive experience with this medication - it helped my intrusive thoughts no end, and I'm checking much less. It's still early, but it's helped enormously. Thank you to the person who wrote the positive review!"

• Gastr...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 20, 2017

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I take this medicine primarily for obsessive compulsive disorder, but I also have depression and general anxiety disorder that it helps with. I took it several years ago but it pooped out on me, and my psychiatrist decided to try it again about two years ago. I worked up to 80 mgs because she said that I needed a really high dosage. I take it when I wake up in the morning and find it activating. It's so weird because I find things that I realize I do now that I would've never done before being on this medicine. It's such a good feeling each time I realize that and am reminded of how far I've come. I love this medication and really, really hope I can stay on it this time and not have it poop out on me."

• ocdno...
• July 14, 2017

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I was reluctant to begin fluoxetine because I'd had a terrible experience when my GP started me on 50mg of sertraline. Eventually I ended up going private and the psych prescribed me prozac but starting on a really low dose of 10mg for a week, then 20mg for 4 weeks and now 40mg for the last month. It's been great. Really cut down my intrusive thoughts to basically nothing, concentration is better, I'm enjoying life again! This is also due to a good therapist but the medication has definitely helped. Main side effect was sleepiness but having suffered with insomnia on and off for years, it's been great not dreading bedtime anymore. In the first couple of weeks of a new dose, I'd have a bit of brain fog but other than that, it's been great!"

• OCD
• November 10, 2008

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I have been on Prozac for about 3 months and I must admit that it is a wonderful drug. It helps me control anger and anxiety issues that I have. My only complaint is that I seem to get tremors, but I could live with that."

• piglet
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 25, 2020

Prozac (fluoxetine) "I’ve been on prozac for like 9 months, I’m actually at 80 mg, the maximum dose and I’ve felt little to none relieve of my OCD. I know that for some people it has worked, but for me it is not the case, I’m going to start taking luvox tomorrow and I hope I get better, with prozac my hands shake all the time, I gained weight and I’m really sad for the overcome result"

• heath...
• January 27, 2020

"I have been on this medication for 6 weeks due to a very bad flare in my generalised anxiety and OCD that left me barely functioning. When I first started, I felt very little relief and almost certainly felt worse. I felt uncomfortable and like my skin was crawling, OCD and intrusive thoughts got worse/more frequent, and I felt like I was going crazy. At 4 weeks, I started to notice some improvements and now at 6 weeks I am feeling almost back to normal. I am able to live my life again, my sleep is back on track, and my appetite has returned. My OCD and rumination has reduced significantly, and I have days where I am feeling better than I have in years. If you are just starting, be patient! I know that I am still not even feeling the full effects at this point, and that I will continue to have ups and downs, but already it has helped so much. 6 weeks feels like an eternity when you are suffering but you will get through."