Paroxetine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• Bud...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 20, 2019

Paroxetine "I started taking Paxil because of OCD and intrusive thought disorder. However, when I took Paxil, it seemed to make the intrusive thoughts worse or more frequent. So I stopped taking Paxil, and I still have intrusive thoughts, but not as bad."

• Sop...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 2, 2023

"I got prescribed this for my OCD and general anxiety. I tried a couple other medications: Prozac, which worked okay, I guess, but gave me such bad acid reflux that my throat was burning from acid almost every time I took it. Zoloft, man, where do I even start? Almost ruined me, but that's another story. Now I'm on Paxil and can say it works very well. You might feel a bit woozy/high for a week or two like I did (which will start a few days after starting the med itself), but after you get used to it, it works wonders (at least for me!). I am far less inclined to carry out my obsessive thoughts and get less anxious socially and during exams at college. I am just less anxious about everything in general and feel more content than I did before. The only drawback is sometimes I get these weird 'zaps' as I call them, like inside my nervous system. They're just annoying, don't think it's serious, hasn't actually affected me to my knowledge. All in all, great med."

• hls...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 9, 2022

Paroxetine "There are a lot of negative reviews of Paxil floating around in cyberspace, but I can confidently say that it saved my life. Eight years ago, I was going through an incredibly stressful period, resulting in a nervous breakdown. I had always been an anxious person, but my OCD became unmanageable at this point. I was suffering from violent intrusive thoughts and lived in a near constant state of panic. My mother had been prescribed Paxil for similar issues, so with the help of my psychiatrist, I decided to give it a try. Within weeks, my intrusive thoughts had lessened, and I felt true peace for the first time in months. I remained on a tiny dose of 10 mg for seven years until recent circumstances required me to switch to Zoloft. However, I am actually thinking about going back to Paxil at some point as I prefer its more sedating effects. The only reason I'm not rating it 10/10 is because of the side effects: I did experience a significant decrease in my sex drive and gained some weight."

• Kaz...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 25, 2020

"I was suffering from OCD for many years. I was not aware of the problems. My doctor prescribed Oxat 20 mg, which contains paroxetine 20 mg. I have consumed it for 2 years. My OCD symptoms reduced 50%. But I can't get rid of paroxetine now. When I stop taking it, I have diarrhea and loose stools. I feel sleepless. I am now down to taking 5 mg paroxetine daily. How can I get rid of it?"

• Ora...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 16, 2021

Paroxetine "Took this drug for around 6 months for severe OCD, as well as panic attacks and depersonalization, and it helped a lot. Got my anxiety and obsessive thoughts under control and made it easier to deal with them. There were plenty of side effects, such as sexual dysfunction, weight gain, increased apathy, drowsiness/tiredness, etc., however, most of them have subsided after quitting the drug, and the withdrawal was not that bad either because I tapered slowly."

• Lyn...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 1, 2018

Paroxetine "I have been on Paxil for 15 years (except when I was pregnant). It's been great for my OCD, but still makes me feel tired, and I've gained weight that's hard to lose on it. I'm switching to something else that might be more energizing and doesn't pile on the pounds. Overall, I think it can be an awesome drug for anxiety and OCD in my experience, but there are a lot of side effects compared to other SSRIs."

• Des...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 24, 2020

"I'm using paroxetine for almost 2 months. It was given to me for OCD. My doctor told me to use half of a 20 mg dose every day for one week, and after that, take a complete 20 mg each day. I couldn't tolerate the complete one, so I continued to use half each day. It helped me with obsessive thinking and anxiety, but I also suffer from side effects such as constipation and difficulties in orgasm. I tried to quit, but I was awfully dizzy for two days. Now I started using it again. In fact, it helped me in one way but ruined me in another way. Thank you, paroxetine!"

• Biz...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 21, 2024

"Paroxetine has been a lifesaver. Due to breastfeeding, I was unable to go back on fluoxetine, and sertraline was not working for me. I was offered paroxetine for OCD, which had gotten significantly worse after having a baby. When I first took it, I was not expecting the initial side effects. It felt like I had taken a stimulant - my eyes were fluttering, I was grinding my teeth, and I felt scattered. Yawning was a strange symptom. So when starting paroxetine, I would recommend having someone with you and slowly increasing your dose if you have these symptoms. Each day, this got easier and less overwhelming. Now I don't overthink, I don't have adrenaline surging through my body due to anxiety. I don't have to check everything and can just get on with my life. I'm so grateful to have found paroxetine. For some reason, it makes me sleepy in the afternoon, and I now need an afternoon nap, which I have never done before. I take 20mg in the morning."

• OCD...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 14, 2013

"I have been taking this medicine for 2-3 months now, and it has certainly noticeable improvement. It used to take me 4-5 hours on bad days to sleep in bed because I had to do a certain form of ritual. With paroxetine, my anxiety is reduced, and people who think it did not work should actually give an attempt to not repeat stuff and control, and then with the help of the medicine, you won't panic as we do while not on medication. Hence, they say behavioral therapy is a must with medicine. I hesitated to have a shower since my ritual was not completed correctly. With the help of my very loving husband, parents, and doctor, I am recovering. Some days are bad without medicine, but I am happier than before. Hopefully, I will overcome this one day."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 12, 2017

"I was prescribed Paxil for three conditions: anxiety, depression, and OCD. The OCD was only diagnosed a month ago. One of the biggest issues I had with Paxil was that the side effects were a living nightmare for the first 20 days or so... We're talking about nasty trips, confusion, dizziness, fatigue. You name it. I probably suffered it and more. The actual use of Paxil as a form of treatment has been hit and miss. By treating my OCD, I noticed my depression was getting worse. On days when my depression was better, my anxiety would flare up. It was like trying to balance each condition, and either way, one was going to be playing up. I am now using Paxil in conjunction with other medications for my issues and have to admit this has helped."

• jak...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 14, 2024

"I have been on paroxetine 40 mg for OCD for over 5 years, and it has worked great. Unfortunately, 5 months ago, my sleep started to be brutally disturbed - I was unable to fall into a deep sleep, and I didn't even have a REM phase. When I didn't take the pills for two days, I fell asleep, but otherwise, I had no other solution but to switch to another medication. Paroxetine blocked out intrusive thoughts brilliantly, but it finally went wrong with the sleep. I rate 5/10."

• Fid...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 11, 2021

Paroxetine "This drug can do a lot for people with depression and maybe anxiety, but it does not help OCD. I took it for 6 months, and while my mood was great, the OCD was still very severe. I ended up weaning off of the drug very slowly since it wasn’t doing much, and it was the worst nightmare I’ve ever experienced. Not only did my OCD/anxiety come back tenfold, but I started getting severe hot flashes, night sweats, and suicidal thoughts. My doctor told me as long as I eat healthy and get exercise, the withdrawal symptoms will start to dissipate. However, after 8 months of being off this drug now, I am still going through severe withdrawal and will most likely have to go back on SSRIs again at the end of the month. I would advise anyone with OCD or even depression for that matter to stay away from this drug because you’ll NEVER get off it."

• Axx...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 25, 2016

"I have taken this drug for over 20 years. Five years before starting it, I had successfully reduced my symptoms using my knowledge of behavioral therapy by about 70% (I have a degree in Psychology). Before I took this drug, my condition was well under control, I was happy, highly functioning, and professionally successful. I took it to 'prove' my OCD was a 'real' illness. It gave me no benefit, but I kept taking it. In the 15th year, I became obsessively suicidal. Worse followed. I have been trying to get off the drug for 5 years. I have become a dysfunctional, barely human wreck: hallucinating, delusional, depressive, continually suicidal. My deficits are innumerable and far worse than ever before I took it. It has literally destroyed my life."

• Cry...
• November 12, 2016

Paroxetine "Paxil made me gain 5 lbs. I noticed most of it was in my abdomen. It also made me very tired. I gained 15 lbs. overall. I was taken off it, but my energy wasn't coming back. It turned out I had a thyroid problem due to my carbamazepine, which controls my epileptic seizures."

• Dor...
• June 16, 2020

Paroxetine "I have been taking this medicine for 2 and a half weeks. I have been feeling better! I feel like my old self again. I’m less anxious and obsessed about sleep. Paxil is a lifesaver."

• lov...
• August 1, 2013

Paroxetine "Helps take the edge off anxiety to where I can control it better. It also helps my social anxiety a lot and a little with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Overall, it helps a lot!"

• Spa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 26, 2018

Paroxetine "I'm a happier, calmer person. Just ask my wife."

• den...
• March 12, 2008

Paroxetine "It has worked for me!"

• not...
• January 4, 2009

Paroxetine "I used Paxil for a while, and it worked, but it caused me to gain 50 lbs. I also had a difficult time weaning myself off it."

• Ras...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 29, 2019

"Paxil CR has yielded very good results in treating my chronic depression, panic disorder, and OCD. I convey my gratitude."

• hon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 17, 2022

Paroxetine "My sister suffered from extreme OCD. She was prescribed this med. It was really terrible for her, hysteria and panic attacks became very frequent. It was a nightmare for us."

• meg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 27, 2015

Paroxetine "I get depressed, had low energy and serious sexual side effects. Prozac is better tolerated."

• ste...
• April 29, 2008

"I have been taking this medication for the past year and a half and have found that it didn't help me much with my OCD, but I have heard from friends that it has helped them with theirs."

• Nir...
• August 30, 2016

"Started paroxetine 1 week ago. No changes so far. I'm very tired and drowsy during the day."

• tes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 1, 2018

"10 mg a day induced me panic attacks, extreme anxiety, and depression, and terrible stomach aches. I stopped after a week or so."