Fluvoxamine and Panic Attacks: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• July 20, 2020

Fluvoxamine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "29-year-old female with Harm OCD. I started taking Celexa when I was 16 years old for around six years and then switched to Lexapro. Celexa and Lexapro both worked for me, with Lexapro being the champion of the two. Eventually, the Lexapro did not work anymore. I experienced panic attacks, aggressive violent thoughts, and high anxiety. I recently switched to Luvox, but not without initial hesitation. I tried many different medications that led up to Lexapro, with many that didn't work. I am glad that I gave Luvox a try! It was slow weaning down from 20 mg of Lexapro while increasing up to 100 mg Luvox. Now the obsessive and compulsive thoughts are more fleeting and less sticky, they do not bother me as much anymore. I do not have the anxiety that I once had. One drawback that I experience after taking Luvox for a couple of months is tiredness. I am very tired throughout the day, sleep more than usual, and take plenty of naps. Overall, this medication works for me, and I hope that it will for you too."

• She...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 1, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I woke up having a severe panic attack shortly after starting this drug. I thought this was odd, but figured it was just a fluke. A few weeks later, I was given the extended release. The first night in my system, I woke up having the 'mother of all panic attacks.' It would not stop. I felt like death had its grip on me. I called 911. Long story short, I took my clonazepam and was able to avoid having the ambulance come. The nice 911 operator talked to me for a while, which helped. My doctor said this was an atypical reaction, but I wanted to share my story in case anyone else experienced this. I would like to know why this happened to me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2024

Fluvoxamine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have had OCD and generalized anxiety disorder ever since I was a kid. I always would ruminate over thoughts every single day, which was basically my life. I thought everyone thought like me. As I’ve gotten older, it has only gotten worse. I never have taken medicine and stayed away from it up until college when I had a horrible OCD episode that lasted 5 weeks straight with just an unwanted thought. I wasn’t able to sleep. I would get 2 hours of sleep, before at the most. I was having anxiety attacks and panic attacks, it was so bad I could barely stay awake. The thoughts consumed my life every minute, I never got a break. It was distressing, and I thought multiple times about suicide, like there was no way out of this mess. I decided to go on medicine, which my doctor recommended Luvox, and I was nervous at first, but could feel like I was able to push through it. After a week and every week and dosage that has gone by, it’s only gotten better. I am now on 250 mg and 2 months in :)"

• Jen...
• May 13, 2018

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "This medication has worked wonders for me. I stopped Cipramil, which I had been on for 10 years, as I was chronically depressed, drinking all day and startled at any noise, afraid of everything. I couldn't shop, cook, sleep, or care for myself. I developed PTSD from work and was medically retired. After a stint in a psych ward, I was slightly better but still chronically depressed with intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, a sense of dread, obsessive loop thoughts, and ruminating that I could not stop. I decided Cipramil was no longer working. At first I felt great, but then crashed at 4 weeks. My psychiatrist put me on Luvox. It took two weeks, and I smiled and laughed for the first time in four years. This was three months ago. Already I am a different person. I cook, I can go to shops, and nothing worries me as it did before. I am so grateful for this drug and for my recovery back into life again."

• Jlr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2020

Fluvoxamine for Anxiety and Stress "Horrible experience! I switched from Paxil to Luvox, and it was a terrible experience. I had a panic attack an hour after taking this medication. I felt like I couldn’t breathe and had tingling in my arms and legs. I called my doctor the next day, and she switched me to Lexapro. I feel much better and have no side effects at all."

• mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 5, 2023

Fluvoxamine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Initially, at 25 mg, it worked decently well. I went out to eat for the first time in months; I went shopping an hour away, and I wasn’t obsessed with cleaning my apartment 24/7 as bad. I’m a college student, so something I did notice was the little bits of extreme panic that lasted maybe 5 minutes at a time, but resolved quickly. The other thing I noticed at the beginning was that it made me extremely dizzy, and I started developing migraines, which I’ve never had before, so I chopped it up to being dehydrated and not drinking enough water. Then, about 6 1/2 to 7 weeks in, things really went downhill. I started developing an extreme social phobia, and anytime I would do little bits of cleaning, I would start having panic attacks. It turned into full-blown agoraphobia after a week. I have almost committed myself after these past 2 weeks, and I have quit my job as of last week. I almost had to drop out of college. This probably works for some people, but definitely not for me."

• Mda...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 11, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This was the most horrid, awful medication I’ve ever taken. I had it prescribed after I had a psychotic episode on Prozac. I was depressed, panicked constantly, and very moody. Doctor originally had me on 25 mg, then bumped to 50 mg. Both awful. Do not recommend fluvoxamine at all."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2025

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This medication works great for OCD, but the one thing I will say is whenever I got a cold or the flu, it wouldn’t affect me the day of. But I noticed for me it would make the medication less effective for a couple of days after being sick. It’s very weird. I would just feel very on edge and kinda panicky, like the thoughts would bother me more, and then I would go back to normal."

• Ste...
• July 30, 2017

For Anxiety and Stress "Started on 50 mg for a week and didn't feel anything except loss of appetite and anxiety. Doctor said that was not a therapeutic dose and upped my dosage to 100 mg. Four days into the 100 mg dose and I am a wreck. I had bad panic attacks, extreme nausea, and the shakes. I did throw up as well. While I suffer from thought compulsions, I also deal with generalized anxiety disorder. This did not help at all and made me worse. Now I am back to 50 mg and working my way off... horrible experience and feel sick. If you are looking for an anxiety med, DO NOT use this!"

• Bet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 8, 2018

For Anxiety and Stress "I started 25 mg with no issues, but have gone up to 50 mg after 2 weeks. At 50 mg, my anxiety has more than doubled. My panic is off the charts, and I can’t sleep. I’ve been at 50 mg for 2 1/2 weeks and tend to feel worse by the day. I’ll be discontinuing this medication. It did help my obsessive thoughts after 2 weeks, but the increase in panic is unbearable for me. It was not sedating for me at all."

• Deb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 4, 2020

Fluvoxamine for Anxiety and Stress "My daughter started on Prozac in March, and a few days later, her anxiety went so high that she was admitted to the hospital, and the doctor changed her diagnosis and gave her four different meds. She came home with more anxiety and panic and more side effects from the meds. After three weeks, she started taking Luvox, and from seven weeks, her anxiety and panic went a little under control. She has been on several SSRIs, and she gets severe side effects from all of them. She has MDD, GAD, and panic disorder for the last seven years. She is so tired and exhausted from not getting good sleep, and not at ease at all! The first doctor who prescribed Prozac didn’t help her with her anxiety. Now we switched to another doctor, and he wants her to stay on Luvox until esketamine starts. If anyone has suggestions, please let me know."

• Knb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2023

Fluvoxamine for Anxiety and Stress "I have suffered from panic attacks for 12 years and was recently diagnosed with OCD. My doctor prescribed me Luvox (20 mg). I was very hopeful that this drug would help with all the worrying I do. On day 4 of the medicine, I had panic attacks for HOURS. I’d have one and then 10-15 minutes later have another. I ended up calling 911 because I thought I was dying (it’s been years since I had panic attacks as bad as this). I also ended up at the ER where the panic attacks would not stop. I will not take another pill of this."

• sar...
• April 26, 2021

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I've got severe anxiety (GAD, SAD, OCD, Panic Disorder) and have been taking this med for the past 4-5 months. I'm also taking this for my depression. Currently, I'm taking 175 mg. Since I'm not an adult, it's only recommended I take up to 200 mg, so I'll likely go to there with my psych's advice. To be honest, this is one of my least favorite meds (I've tried Zoloft/sertraline, mirtazapine, bupropion, venlafaxine, quetiapine). Since taking this, I've noticed a sharp increase in panic attacks and overall higher levels of anxiety, and a higher need to do my compulsions. I've missed two weeks of uni and also my job, which I absolutely love, because of the anxiety. My parents tell me I seem even more sad, and it's even harder for me to shower and brush my teeth. Honestly, fluvoxamine just makes me feel bad, but I know it works great for others. Just goes to show everyone is different! Luckily, I haven't had physical side effects like vomiting. I also take trazodone 50 mg for sleep."

• law...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 11, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I took this drug for 5 months after switching from sertraline. At first, I took way too high of a dose and became less vigilant at work, so I lowered it down. I did not improve my panic attacks as much as sertraline did, but it did change my brain in that I stopped obsessing over keeping the house clean and noticing cracks in the walls or parts of the house that needed painting. I would get particularly fussy about cleaning around the time of my period before fluvoxamine. I'd imagine it to work brilliantly for OCD. I was also able to go to my 10-year reunion - didn't care what people thought of me! I ended up going back on sertraline to have a baby."

• tay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I have OCD and anxiety disorder since I was 13. Started Fluvox when I was 19, and the first day taking it, the side effects immediately hit me. I got serotonin syndrome and was hallucinating. My pupils were huge, I felt so loopy and depressed. Gave me a panic attack and made me so paranoid...."

• ahm...
• December 2, 2011

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "I tried this medication for 2 weeks. The first week I took 50 mg, up to 100 mg in the second week, but I didn't feel any good. I had a panic attack (the thing that I rarely observe) in the first week. It is worth trying, it may work for someone."

• DDr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 12, 2023

For Anxiety and Stress "I had trouble with all anxiety medications that medical doctors and psychiatrists have tried on me and refused to take any medications. I explained this to the doctor at the Maryland Health Department, where I had just started seeking treatment. This incredible doctor recommended a genetic test to see what medication is okay with my system. Why this wasn't done for the years that I complained, I'll never know. Turns out that I am only genetically compatible with sertraline, and even that wasn't perfect. It was explained to me that fluvoxamine is the same line of drug as sertraline but helps with the compulsive thoughts I struggle with. At first, I thought it was a godsend. Then I started having severe panic like I've never experienced in my life, so I stopped taking it. I believe it was reacting with another drug I was on. I've been off it for two and a half months now, and I'm thinking I was better on the drug. I hope my story helps others."

• Tom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 1, 2022

For Panic Disorder "Been using it for 3-4 days in 25 mg doses as recommended by my psychiatrist. From day one had lots of side effects, like: upset stomach, dry mouth, no appetite, very awful and heavy emotional feeling, feeling disconnected from my personality or emotions, very messy, uncontrollable thoughts, insane insomnia, where I can't sleep at all or if somehow I manage to do it, I wake up in the middle of the night, completely for no reason and have these massive panic attacks where it seems that even Xanax doesn't help and all I can think is that I have to get to the ER ASAP. Despite all these side effects, for a couple of days I could feel like a normal person again, not having constant anxiety or panic attacks."

• Kar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2023

For Panic Disorder "I never had a history of panic attacks until I started taking fluvoxamine. I have started to experience panic attacks and developed agoraphobia."