Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• Pre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2018

Clomipramine "So I’ve been taking Anafranil for about 8 weeks now. I started at 25 mg and now I’m at 100 mg, gradually moving up as time goes on. I didn’t have OCD until I got pregnant with my daughter and started having horrible intrusive thoughts that made me depressed. I’ve tried Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil, and now this one. This has worked for the most part, but it hasn’t “cured” anything. I still have my days, but out of all the medication I’ve tried, this has been the best. Thankful overall for this medication. Give it a try and try to remember these kinds of meds take time to work. Sending positive energy to you all!"

• Aud...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2012

Clomipramine "I have/had severe OCD. I have been on citalopram, Zoloft and Prozac. I was started on 150mg Anafranil, and within what seemed no time at all, my OCD disappeared. Prozac did work for OCD but not on clinical depression. I am now on 200mg. I have had no weight gain (nor did I have on SSRIs). I get a dry mouth sometimes but counteract this with an anti-dry mouth toothpaste."

• Bes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 20, 2023

Clomipramine "After two failed SSRIs (Lexapro and Zoloft), I'm so happy I tried Anafranil. This is the best medication, and I wish doctors would prescribe this before SSRIs. I had little to no side effects when I first started taking it. I take it at night because it does cause drowsiness. I've been taking it for 3 months but felt the effects after 2 weeks! I have little to no intrusive thoughts from my OCD. There may be some days where my anxiety is not its best, but they're manageable, and I have this medication to thank. Please give this a try! It's an old medication, but it's so worth it, especially if SSRIs are not working for you!"

• Lyn...
• June 12, 2017

Clomipramine "I've only been on this medicine for 3 weeks but it's already doing wonders. I still have 'the thoughts' but they don't 'take root' like they normally do. They come and go throughout the day rather than being ALL I can think about. My Dr is slowly upping my dose to 100mg, and I'm currently on 75mg and already seeing benefits. It takes a few weeks to REALLY start working so if you are on week 1 or 2 give it some time. It's been amazing at helping me fight my compulsions. It makes me really believe OCD is a MEDICAL issue. The morning is still the worst for me, when all my thoughts first hit me, but since I've started this drug, I can make it through the day so, so much easier."

• acc...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 27, 2019

Clomipramine "Have had depression since a young teen and started to have OCD thoughts and compulsions at about 15. Tried several antidepressants which always helped (apart from Prozac) with my mood but never with the OCD. Psychiatrist said that Anafranil was basically my last hope, and I have been on it now for nearly 2 years, 25 mg twice a day. My obsessive thoughts are practically gone, and the anxiety around my compulsions is so mild. Never felt sick or sleepy starting on them either. Very hard to find this medication anywhere around where I live in Ireland. Always has to be ordered in advance."

• Liv...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 2, 2017

Clomipramine "I have been taking Anafranil 100mg for a year now and it has changed my life. I have battled with OCD, severe anxiety, panic disorders, and intrusive thoughts since I was young. While trying different drugs, finally at the age of 40, one drug works for me and this is it. I still have the 'thoughts' but instead of obsessing over them, they pass by like moving cars. The side effects are bothersome: dealing with constipation, bloating, sweating, insomnia, twitches. I don't believe I can ever function without this medication and instead maybe lower my dosage to see if it reduces the side effects."

• Iml...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2018

"I don't even know where to start. This medication was the breakthrough for me. I had tried so many medications over a year and a half before my doctor put me on this. I was skeptical at first, started off on a small dose, the nausea and headaches were not too terrible. The first few weeks my obsessions got worse, but once I was at 100mg, I felt a small breakthrough and a small ease of my symptoms. I had even greater results at 150mg. I'm now at 200mg, working my way up to 300mg, but honestly, this is the best I have felt in years, and for the first time, I feel like I can enjoy my life and breathe without the constant obsessions and compulsions. I'm not saying this will work for you, but do not give up. I thought I was hopeless and medications would never work for me until I finally got on this. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and you deserve to have this same feeling!"

• Abi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 20, 2020

"I started clomipramine due to a sudden rise in panic attacks and severe OCD. (which was super strange because I have only had a couple panic attacks my entire life.) My doctor said this might help my symptoms, and I could not be any happier. It has taken away my OCD symptoms about 90%. This is insane. I can't believe I am even typing this. I have had severe, awful OCD since my childhood, and now all of my intrusive thoughts are gone. If I do have them, they are fleeting and aren't debilitating like they used to be. At the beginning, I had some side effects like extreme dizziness and lack of appetite, but now I feel better and they are lessening. I am confident that this medication saved my life."

• Anonymous
• October 4, 2017

Clomipramine "This medication is absolutely life-changing. After years of suffering from anxiety and OCD with mostly intrusive racing thoughts that caused insomnia, this medication was a miracle! I had tried so many failed medications and therapies that I became hopeless. I was prescribed this medication after being hospitalized, and I have never been back. That was over 2 years ago. It took 4 weeks to work, please give it time. I feel like I have my life back!"

• Bob...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 20, 2019

"Anafranil or Clomipramine has completely changed my life. I have been taking it for over 25 years (I'm 51) and wish I started it 25 years sooner! It started to ease my OCD symptoms almost immediately. I was first given several SSRIs and could not take the side effects - they made my OCD much worse. Don't settle for the medication of the month or what your doc has seen work in the past. Everyone's brain chemistry is different, and just because Clomipramine is old does not mean it's ineffective. I also have adult ADD. My meds for that have not proven to cause any problems with the Clomipramine. Best wishes to all sufferers."

• Nol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2014

"I have been on this medication a short time. Apart from drowsiness which I'm still adjusting to, I am finding it really helpful. After being on many other medications over the years, I am finding that Clomipramine mixed with my others has finally reduced the pit of anxiety plus the intrusive and obsessive thoughts that I tend to have continually. For the first time I feel like I can overcome the anxiety plus not be troubled by thoughts that I cannot control. I was SO tired of people just telling me I needed to control my thoughts and could overcome them if I wanted. Hey, I'm in my 50s and hasn't been possible up until now! Anyway, so far so good. The drowsiness is a bit troublesome, but to be honest, nowhere near as troublesome as problems."

• Anonymous
• February 15, 2017

Clomipramine "I began taking this drug in 1990. It gave me my life back. I have taken it for 27 years, and it still works for me. For me, the side effects are worth enduring. I also take Buspar twice a day for these 27 years."

• Anonymous
• October 5, 2011

Clomipramine "My obsessive compulsive disorder has improved significantly. It has also helped with depression, but I just upped my dose from 150mg to 225mg to see if I can get more of an antidepressant effect. Almost no side effects. I take it in the morning and I do not feel sleepy. Anger and irritability have improved significantly as well. For those who share in the future, let me know how much you take, please. It helps."

• Anonymous
• March 21, 2012

Clomipramine "After three years on different antipsychotics, I started taking this finally to some relief. I have been taking it now for about six months. It is still working well for obsessing, but the side effects are starting to add up. I have steadily gained weight. Severe dry mouth at first, not so bad now though. Total anorgasmia fixed by Viagra, and uncontrolled twitching. It sounds bad when I write it down but compared to the antipsychotics it's much better. I still feel better than I have and so much happier."

• Anonymous
• September 22, 2009

Clomipramine "After taking this medicine, I woke up one morning to realize that I felt connected to the world, and when I started to do my rituals, I realized that I just didn't need to. Amazing. The problem was that I gained 40 pounds, and the high dosage, necessary (over 200), scared me. I would recommend that a person try it and see if a lower dosage will work for them. If so, it's a miracle."

• mar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 14, 2017

Clomipramine "After a long 12 years of being on Effexor XR, my anxiety OCD was beginning to get worse. My GP felt it necessary to increase my Effexor to 150 mg, and although I had done that in the past, Effexor was just not working anymore and actually began working against me. Awful anxiety at nighttime and my OCD ('I have pure-O'), and I felt I couldn't get things under control. I had enough, and it was time for a change. I saw a different GP who was knowledgeable about anxiety, and he switched me to clomipramine/Anafranil 50 mg to start. I only had a few bad days from the initial switch because Effexor can be nasty to come off, but then my life came back, and I feel great! Just remember nothing will rid you of OCD, but this med is great to manage it!"

• Wol...
• November 7, 2017

Clomipramine "I battled with OCD since being a child, but I was only diagnosed after being hospitalized in my forties. I have been taking clomipramine at 250 mg a day, along with antipsychotics, for the last 5 years. The intrusive thoughts that used to be so crippling have greatly reduced to a level I can handle. Clomipramine saved my life, literally, as I was hospitalized twice for attempted suicide. The only downside is the side effects. For me, as a man, the impotence and loss of libido are difficult to live with, but it's a price worth paying."

• Anonymous
• August 20, 2010

Clomipramine "Ever since I was ten years old, I have had intrusive images of inflicting pain and suffering on myself and others. These images create emotional turmoil in life because obviously I don't want these thoughts. I've tried different medications, yet Anafranil seemed to work the best. My intrusive thoughts went away almost completely, granted I was on the highest dose. However, Anafranil had consequences: it gave me irregular heartbeats and heart palpitations to the point where I felt like I was having a heart attack. I had to wean off the medication because of this. This was distressing to me because Anafranil made me emotionally feel like a million bucks, but physically made me feel dumpy."

• Anonymous
• June 17, 2011

Clomipramine "I've been using Anafranil for 6 years. It has helped me a lot. On occasion, I still struggle with obsessive thoughts but have been able to bring it under control both times by myself. I rated this an 8 because of dry mouth and constipation problems. Eat your fiber big time. After several years, the dry mouth problem got better and only returns when I'm under stress. I sleep well on this drug and did not sleep as well on the SSRIs."

• sav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2015

"I'm a 26-year-old male with one child and another on the way. I suffer from GAD and OCD. My doctor prescribed me sertraline about six months ago when it got out of control. This did nothing but increase my symptoms to the point where I almost had to leave work and go into mental health care. I then got put on to a specialist psychiatrist, who put me on clomipramine antidepressants and quetiapine antipsychotics. This, along with CBT, has almost cured me. I am 90% normal again, just in time for my new baby boy to arrive and for me to be a good father. I 100% recommend this mix of drugs and therapy."

• Ivo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 2, 2022

"I was on Paxil for a decade, and it slowly started losing its effect. After suffering from panic attacks, I realized it had stopped working. From that moment, I tried everything, none of it worked. I tried mirtazapine, Wellbutrin, fluoxetine, citalopram, and pregabalin. You can imagine how I felt I would never feel okay ever again as each medication failed to work after months of trying. The doctors in the UK told me there was nothing else they could try, and I was in a very dark place. I contacted another doctor who said clomipramine was their last-ditch attempt at helping me (not a great way of saying it, but oh well). Within the first week, I felt like a new person. I actually feel quite emotional writing this. My panic attacks are gone, my racing thoughts and spiraling are basically over. I can just let them go, and that’s that! I used to not be able to be alone with my own thoughts because I would have a panic attack from them. Now I feel HAPPY and have ENERGY."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 25, 2024

"Saved my life. My OCD has always caused vulgar and aggressive intrusive thoughts, they became so potent that I nearly checked myself into an early grave. The only side effect I had when starting was that it made my sleep a bit lighter, so I woke easier. I haven’t known silence like this from my intrusive thoughts in all my life. I can breathe again."

• Vee...
• January 12, 2015

"This medication, paired with a small dose of Celexa, literally saved my life. I have panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and borderline personality disorder. I was addicted to Klonopin, and it wasn't even working anymore, making me like a zombie. I started this medicine, and within 2 weeks, I could feel a change. Then by the next month, I went from being a suicidally depressed insomniac with uncontrollable and obsessive thoughts to a normal person. For the first time in my entire life, I feel normal and at peace. This is a Godsend. I seriously don't know what would have happened to me had I not found this medication. It doesn't cure BPD, but my moods are the most controlled they've ever been. There is a light at the end of the dark tunnel."

• 123...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 2, 2013

"I started taking this medication after suffering severe anxiety and unwanted thoughts for 13 years. I have been on this medication for approximately three months, and the anxiety attacks stopped, except for maybe two so far when it was 8 to 9 a day. The intrusive thoughts have not stopped yet, but somehow the anxiety has. I don't know how that is since the thoughts are what cause my anxiety, but somehow it is easier to control my thoughts or get off the intrusive thought that would have caused the panic attack. I am hoping 100mg helps me with the thoughts. Never stop trying and never stop being your own advocate in your mental illness. 13 yrs for me."

• STA...
• June 28, 2013

"I was first prescribed this medicine for severe/major depression at around eighteen years old. I had tried various forms of psychotherapy and nothing had worked; over the course of a year, the depression had worsened to the point where I could no longer function. 50mg of Clomipramine transformed my life after about ten days. It has been, for me, a life-saving medicine. The side effects are sometimes bothersome, but to this day it regulates my mood almost perfectly and I can live a full life. Highly recommended."