Citalopram for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• Vog...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 12, 2021

"Made a big difference for me. Suffered from debilitating OCD for years, in and out of therapy. Finally, in college, my psychiatrist prescribed citalopram because a close family member has had success with it. After a few weeks on the meds, I was back in business, baby! Only side effects I have are disturbing dreams, which aren't too hard to manage, and inability to orgasm, which is a worthwhile sacrifice (my partners are happy for sure)."

• J L...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2022

"I’ve struggled with anxiety, depression, OCD, and insomnia from anxiety. I previously took sertraline or Zoloft. Citalopram has helped me so much! I finally feel HAPPY! Which is massive for me, my anxiety is also immensely better. Before, I would cry very easily and just felt so overwhelmed. I felt like running away from life. Now I feel like a better mom, and when I’m with my kids, it’s like I can completely enjoy them. I realize it varies from person to person which drug works for you. My daughter, 11, she takes sertraline, and it has helped her a TON. Whereas it didn’t help me feel happy AT ALL."

• Lee...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 26, 2022

"By diagnosis, I have GAD, MDD, and OCD. The GAD is primary, but both of the other conditions are very problematic by spells. Over the past 40-plus years, I have been through a bushel of various psych meds, from various benzos to several SSRIs and even Adderall for 5 years. Right now, I am in the best place emotionally I can ever remember. I take 30 mg Citalopram, 45 mg Mirtazapine, and between 1/2 and 1 mg Lorazepam daily. My psych doc and I credit Citalopram (or possibly the Citalopram/Mirtazapine combo) with giving me significant relief from the intrusive thoughts that are part of my OCD. I'm certain that Citalopram has also had positive effects on my anxiety and depression as well, but the most noticeable effect has been on my OCD. It has really helped a lot."

• Sex...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 20, 2016

"Not a hit with me, I'm afraid. Prescribed for my depression (doctor neglected to ask about any further symptoms, and I was too embarrassed to share about my intrusive thoughts at the time). Caused some serious ticks, including constant yawning, restless leg, and twitching eye. I was twitching so badly I couldn't get to sleep, and I was exhausted constantly while on it (I was up for 3 days once!). The worst part was probably the severe sexual dysfunction, which, a year on, is still lingering around like a bad smell. I still struggle with physical pleasure and staying mentally and emotionally engaged in sex. It did dull my depression and intrusive thoughts to some extent, but it also dulled everything else. UK based, so prescribed by NHS GP."

• Che...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 5, 2021

"I have OCD. I take citalopram. I was on 40 milligrams and learned I have AFib. My doctor reduced it to 20 milligrams, and I am doing fine. I have been on citalopram for about 10 years now. Prior, I was on generic Paxil. It gave me an appetite. My former physician changed me to citalopram. Doing well on it."

• Hei...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2016

"This is one of the worst drugs I have ever tried. I was on 60 mg, and I don't recommend going above 40 mg. If you have bipolar, it made me feel like a zombie and confused. I don't know whether I was happy or normal, no emotions. Also, it gave me terrible vivid dreams every single day, and that's bad, and it did nothing for my OCD. But it may work for you, I just gave my experience."

• Kra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 18, 2021

"I suffer from OCD (checking), anxiety, and occasional mild depression. I was put on 20 mg, but it had little effect. My dose was increased to 40 mg, and after it's settled in my system, I feel increased confidence and less anxiety than before. I can relax a bit better and handle things better. A negative, however, is an inability to orgasm, but I'm hoping that will improve with time. As for my OCD, it is better, but I still perform checks."

• ouf...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 20, 2022

"I have severe depression and OCD, and Celexa was the first drug I tried. I had very high hopes, and I was also terrified to take it at the beginning because of these reviews. (Try to stop reading reviews if you can, they can put you in the wrong mindset.) I took Celexa for about a month, I was on 10 mg for about two weeks, and I tried to up my dosage to 20 mg after that, but it made my depression symptoms much worse. It became clear during week 4 that Celexa wasn’t helping me the way I’d hoped. Some say that it takes 4-6 weeks or even 6-8 weeks for the medication to work, but I decided to move on and try Prozac instead. Best of luck to anyone struggling, I believe we will all get better in time :)"

• Tom...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 29, 2022

"When I first started taking citalopram, it really intensified my anxiety and OCD. In the first couple of weeks, I had some new obsessions arise, and they stuck with me. I tried multiple doses and gave each dose a few months to see if it helped at all, and it did nothing. I found citalopram helped maintain my OCD's intensity, and when I stopped the drug, I found relief, and the OCD quieted down. I have since moved to venlafaxine with fantastic results."

• SOT...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2021

"2.4-2.5 weeks and still not even a small sign of improvement. I suffer from depersonalization/derealization for about 3 years or more, and it keeps worsening. I don't know if it's the med itself worsening the condition or my issue. It's worsening in general, but still nothing changed. I'm still having intrusive thoughts and no interest in life. In the first week, I had some side effects that really bothered me, but the second week was totally fine. I really expect some improvement since I had a lot of side effects, I hope so..."

• lmh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 12, 2021

"I started citalopram in the third trimester of my pregnancy to try and help my extreme OCD. My OCD was mainly surrounding contaminated food, so I was going days without eating. Since I was pregnant, I didn’t have many options, and I had already tried Lexapro and Prozac, so I got put on this one. I didn’t have any side effects, but I started at 5 mg for a week then moved to 10 mg. It took away some of my anxiety, enough where I was able to eat at least dinner and sometimes lunch, but it didn’t take away any of the thoughts or compulsions. I only got to 10 mg of it because every time I went above that my OCD and anxiety got worse. Now that I’m not pregnant, I’m being taken off this and being put on Luvox as it is more directed for OCD."

• Kal...
• October 1, 2020

"Before citalopram, I have tried Prozac and Paxil for 20 mg, which did nothing for my anxiety and OCD. I'm hopeless because of other medications, but I will give a try to this drug, citalopram. For now, there are no side effects."

• Gre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 16, 2025

"I have been suffering for over 30 years from OCD and depression. I tried many medications. My doctor introduced citalopram in addition to Anafranil to reduce the side effects. At one point, he said we could stop Anafranil and go on with 40 mg of citalopram. As a matter of fact, I had almost no side effects and felt somehow well, but after 3 months, the obsessions came back, together with anxiety and panic attacks. Even though my mood was not so bad, for my pure OCD it has stopped working. Going back to old Clomipramine, after weighing the pros and cons, I’ll keep the heavy effects but with a free, calm, and focused mind."

• Anonymous
• October 21, 2009

Citalopram "I had severe OCD and within 5 weeks first at 20mg to 30mg for a month and now at 40mg, it has eliminated the obsession almost completely. I also feel that half an hour of cardio a day has also helped."

• tds...
• February 23, 2012

"This medicine saved my life. If I could rate this medicine 67890987656789 billion, I would. It was the first medicine I've ever had to take on a daily basis (I'm 13), and it was a hit."

• Kel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 4, 2022

"No side effects. Has helped tremendously. I can't have an OCD moment if I try to. Took 5-6 weeks to start working. I feel blessed."

• Anonymous
• April 30, 2010

Citalopram "Works very well for me. I currently take 20 mg."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 2, 2019

"Taken the drug citalopram for two and a half weeks, never again, the drug made me worse."

• Wab...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 26, 2020

"Celexa does virtually nothing for my OCD. I'm looking for another medication for this condition."

• mic...
• November 26, 2015

"This made my anxiety worse."