Clomipramine and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say

• Mac...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 7, 2013

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have used Anafranil on and off for 30 years. Each time, it has worked superbly. I stop and then start again about 2 years later, for a period of about 4-6 months. Presently taking 200 mg along with Beta Blockers - the best experience ever: I am happier, more confident, and less anxious than ever in my life. Anafranil side effects are sometimes bad: loss of appetite, sexual dysfunction, and blurred vision tend to hit me badly. Also, can take 2-3 months before they really work. But worth the wait, even though it feels for a while as though it makes you feel worse. Outstanding medicine - a lifesaver!!"

• kma...
• February 24, 2012

Clomipramine for Panic Disorder "Outstanding medication for obsessive-compulsive stress disorder, panic, agoraphobia. I have been on this medicine for 15 years, and it has eliminated my panic attacks, anxiety, and I am able to leave the house without fear. Side effects include rapid heart rate, dry mouth, sexual dysfunction, and hypotension. I take Anafranil at night. There is absolutely no weight gain, in fact, I lost 50 lbs. I did switch to Zoloft with no success and am back on Anafranil. There were no withdrawal symptoms when tapered off. This is one of the best meds in the TCA class and works better than the new SSRIs for me."

• Kar...
• August 17, 2020

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have tried all SSRIs for my OCD, but they made my condition worse and caused me suicidal thoughts, aggression, and depression. Taking those pills for several months (3 to 4 months on each SSRI), I had to quit them because I had several suicide attempts. Then I met with a doctor after years of struggling who gave me clomipramine! It stopped my suicidal thoughts and reduced my OCD by 90%. Now I have very few obsessions which are very easy to handle. They don't affect me. I started with a very low dose and raised it to 50mg within 3 weeks. Then I noticed a first small difference. After that, I slowly increased my dose to 150mg/day in week 5, and after week 7 (on 150mg/day), it reduced my symptoms by 90%. I am a 21-year-old guy and my weight is 50kg. Loss of libido, dry mouth, little constipation, and mild urinary retention can be a problem for you also, but this medicine is worth it, some of the side effects will go over time. It is old, that doesn't mean it won't work. This medicine is WORTH IT!!!"

• hel...
• November 11, 2013

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "It has worked really well for my severe OCD, depression, anxiety, and panic. It stabilizes my mood too. The side effects are awful for me, though. Sexual side effects (like my genitals are numb) and severe constipation are the two side effects that keep me from being on a more therapeutic dose. At 100mg, the side effects are bad. At 50mg I'm OK in terms of side effects, but the benefits are minimal. I will be going up to 75mg and see how that goes. In the past, I had been on 150mg and then 200mg. I had never been happier. I think I may have been too happy rather than normally happy, though."

• Sco...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 7, 2013

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Anafranil: Most likely the best medicine for obsessive-compulsive disorder overall. Yet each person has their own body chemistry/energy issues. Most people with OCD need about 100 to 200 mg at night. The key is to GRADUALLY go up in dose. This will give your body TIME to ADJUST to Anafranil. I am now up to 150 mg after 3 months, and I am feeling much better. Much fewer OCD thoughts. Yes, sexual side effects... as with any OCD medicine. I used to take a high dose of Paxil for 8 years and it just wore out, OCD came back. I think I will try Anafranil 200 or 225 mg, stay on it for a year, then see how I do as I try to wean down the dose to 50 or so."

• Geg...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 3, 2021

Clomipramine for Depression "I had tried escitalopram (Scippa) and vortioxetine (Trintellix) before, practically both were ineffective. Anafranil has been a miracle for me, within a month, it reduced my severe suffering very effectively and made me much better for 90% of my time. And it was reached quickly with a very small dosage: 20 mg a day. Minor side effects occurred during the first couple of weeks, the most unpleasant was the dry mouth and reduced libido, but it bounced back within weeks."

• Anonymous
• March 21, 2012

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "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."

• Wol...
• November 7, 2017

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "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."

• Pre...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 19, 2024

For Depression "I've been taking SSRIs since I was 18 for MDD. All of them: Paroxetine, fluoxetine, sertraline, duloxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, and Wellbutrin and so on. Nothing worked. I'm under therapy for 5 years, nothing happened. I told my psychiatrist I'm willing to go under ECT, because I have had enough, I don't want to die, and she brought up clomipramine. In my country, it is extremely rarely prescribed, only for absolutely treatment-resistant major depression. She prescribed it to me. We started with 25mg, now we are at 150mg, and man... It changed my life. I could leave alprazolam, I sleep like a baby, and I feel like a normal human being. Taking a shower is no longer a task, it's a joy. It's making wonders. She saved me from ECT, and it works. I wish I knew about this medicine before I begged for ECT. Give it a try, give it 6 months, you will feel amazing. The only side effect is no libido, but I could not care less, I just want to live. Props to my doc."

• hea...
• November 17, 2010

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Works well for OCD, wonderful for body pain, and moderate for depression (it takes 6-8 weeks for me to see any effect), but the side effects are not pleasant: dry mouth, fatigue, drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, and anorgasmia."

• Enj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 21, 2017

For Panic Disorder "Anafranil is really a wonderful drug. It helps people like me who have generalized anxiety and obsessions. Before this, I used Lexapro, it also did help but not that much and took longer, like about 5-6 weeks, to benefit from it. However, with Anafranil, it took only about one week to 10 days to feel positive results, which made me much calmer and saved me from terrible morning anxiety attacks. I only used 50 mg, and now I've been using 75 mg, and I felt great! Yes, side effects, especially sexual dysfunction, upset me, but it rather turned out to be delayed ejaculation, which is not so bad, especially for my partner. :) To cut a long story short, I really advise you to try this medication if you didn't have relief from SSRIs."

• BeF...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2020

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I took Anafranil for 5 months at a dose of 25 mgs. Definitely took some power away from the intrusive thoughts, but not fully. Had a hard time with being tired in the morning, terrible dreams, mild constipation. On a positive note, I did not gain any weight and was able to work out regularly. Tried to go up to 50 mg, but that got rid of my libido. Felt like taking an upper and downer at the same time. Some of the time, I felt good, other times, I felt depressed. Unfortunately, couldn’t tolerate a higher dose. But if you really need to shut off the noise, this may be the way to go. Best of luck."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 21, 2023

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This medication saved my life. I was dealing with intrusive thoughts every moment of my waking day, as well as horrible nightmares. From the first dose, I got some relief, and now the thoughts are gone entirely. It made me groggy at first and led to some insomnia, but it's gotten better. Sexual dysfunction, though, but having my mind back is the most important thing to me."

• Inf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 30, 2022

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "My experience with Anafranil over the past 3 months is as follows: severely chronic constipation, urinary retention that hospitalized me the other day, a 60 percent increase in my depression, a 90 percent increase in my overall anxiety, and at best a 15 percent decrease in my OCD symptoms. Not to mention the sexual dysfunction that includes painful orgasms and low libido, and then there's the constant dry mouth. I cannot for the life of me recommend this medication to anyone. I'm currently 5 days away from discontinuing this medication and replacing it with Prozac."

• Inf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 30, 2022

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "My experience with Anafranil over the past 3 months is as follows: severely chronic constipation, urinary retention that hospitalized me the other day, a 60 percent increase in my depression, a 90 percent increase in my overall anxiety, and at best a 15 percent decrease in my OCD symptoms. Not to mention the sexual dysfunction that includes painful orgasms and low libido, and then there's the constant dry mouth. I cannot for the life of me recommend this medication to anyone. I'm currently 5 days away from discontinuing this medication and replacing it with Prozac."

• Mr ...
• March 9, 2016

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Clomipramine began improving my OCD symptoms within a couple of weeks and seems to have all but eliminated my intrusive, repetitive thinking at this point. I still have off days from time to time, but my therapist and doctor both agree that's to be expected. This stuff has taken me from not being able to function to getting back to my life. The only downside is I have experienced some difficulty reaching orgasm. Not every time, but from time to time. Erections are fine and libido is actually increased - due to just feeling so much better. All in all, that's a small price to pay for what feels like a restoration of my basic sanity."

• Gin...
• August 17, 2017

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have been on clomipramine for 33 years. I have had OCD since I was 5 years old and finally went to a psychiatrist when it became too debilitating to even leave the house when I was 34 years old. It was the first medication that the psychiatrist tried on me. Period. Within two months, my OCD, intrusive thoughts, and panic attacks were 99% gone, and they continue to be. Side effects were pretty bad for the first couple of months, and the loss of sexual interest lasted a year, but then it came back and felt normal again. I do not know why this drug is so expensive since it is a generic. I know it is an older drug and not widely prescribed anymore, but without insurance, it is $800 a month. With my insurance, I pay $75 a month."

• Adr...
• August 18, 2016

For Panic Disorder "I'm a Brazilian boy, and I suffer from GAD, panic, and depression. I was trying to find an alternative to Effexor (which was great but caused sexual problems). After using lots of meds without the same success, my doc prescribed me clomipramine. It did work!!!! And without the sexual side effects. But it has other side effects that I couldn't take, like... everything tasted like rotten meat, my mouth and eyes were always dry (even drinking loads of water), my muscles felt so weak that sometimes I thought I would not have the strength to get out of bed, hands and chin trembling, sweating like hell... it completely dehumanized me. But if you're looking for something to kill your panic, yeah, this will work probably at the smallest dose."

• mar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 17, 2018

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This really does help after suffering from depersonalization (DP), OCD, and panic attacks for decades. I finally begged my psychiatrist to let me try this drug. I had literally tried every antidepressant and even some antipsychotic medication. All the other drugs I tried were kind of useless, so when I tried this drug, I was a bit hesitant. Though it really does help with OCD and DP, the 'terrible' thoughts started to fade after a few weeks, so the domino effect is that this decreases anxiety. I am not totally OCD and anxiety-free, and I don't think I ever will be, but this drug really takes the edge off it. The side effects are a bit tough, yet again, lack of sex drive and also annoyingly constipation, but it is well worth it. If the standard SSRIs are not working, I would totally recommend this drug, for me, it has been a lifesaver."

• abb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2020

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I started taking clomipramine around 3 weeks ago and have noticed some improvements with my OCD and panic symptoms. I was dissociating and having frequent panic attacks along with obsessive compulsive thoughts and compulsions severely. The first week taking this, I noticed I no longer was having panic attacks, and my depression also improved. By week two, I noticed my OCD symptoms lessened maybe by 50%. (Btw, I am taking 25 mg daily alongside 10 mg of Lexapro.) I like this combo so far, although I am experiencing so many side effects. Every time I stand up, I get extremely dizzy to the point of where I feel like I might faint (I don't know what is causing this), I also am having difficulty peeing, as well as trouble reaching orgasm. Despite the side effects, it is improving my symptoms!"

• PGc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 5, 2013

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Miracle! I had obsessive thoughts that I recognized and could not get rid of. Tried years of therapy and one year of Lexapro with no results. The thoughts had cost me relationships in the past and were starting to ruin my latest and best one also. I finally tried Clomipramine. Even at the low dosage of 25 mg, I started to see results after two weeks of taking it. The side effects are a drag, but they start going away. Worst one for me is the anorgasmia, though which is getting better slowly."

• DFr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 28, 2016

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "The first 2 weeks were kind of difficult for me. Lots of side effects and very little results. Hot/cold flashes, lethargy, tiredness, dizziness, sexual dysfunction, and so on. After a month, the effects of clomipramine started to really kick in. It was effective against depression. Instead of going to bed every night hating myself and wanting to die, that only happened once a week. It reduced some (not all) of my OCD, particularly my obsessions. On the downside, it effectively made me bipolar. At one moment, I felt like Jesus. The other I was severely suicidal. I always had mania and depression, but not to this extent. Had to go off it. Lots of pros. Lots of cons. It works. But will it work for you?"

• Leo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 3, 2017

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "One of the better drugs I have taken. It sure works - for me, 125 mg completely erased my OCD-related depression and anxiety, but there is a side effects price: excessive sweating, constipation, and reduced libido."

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 7, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "The lowest dose of clomipramine in combination with Luvox gave me dry mouth, nausea, headaches, loss of taste, weight gain, dizziness, fatigue, feeling like needing to pee, and sexual dysfunction. It made me feel numb inside. Some reduction in the intensity of obsessive thoughts due to being so sedated. This drug is very old and strong and did not work for me at all. I quit cold turkey after four weeks and have never felt so depressed."

• GSa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 7, 2021

For Depression "This drug was a breakthrough drug for me. I’d tried everything from Prozac to ketamine with partial success. Clomipramine leveled out my problems getting to sleep and staying asleep. Ideation was just a fact of life for me until I started this drug. Of course, counseling, exercise, diet, and stress management are part of any worthwhile treatment plan for depression, and those haven’t changed. It’s become easier to make and keep good habits. Orgasms take a bit longer, but what antidepressant doesn’t have that effect in men?"