Luvox and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Jef...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 26, 2019

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have now been on 65-75 mg of Luvox for about 3 years for Obsessive Thoughts Disorder, which I had suffered from intensely since childhood. I was put on everything under the sun, mostly being treated with less specific, but more well-known medicines (mostly focusing on depression, anxiety - though it was always known to be OCD). This drug has changed my life. I went from constant ruminating to absolutely no worrying signs of OCD. I at first felt severe side effects of fatigue, tingly body, anxiety, and needing total silence. It was a weird 2 weeks. But as soon as that passed, it has been the miracle I prayed for. I hope it can do the same for you."

• Anonymous
• July 20, 2020

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."

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

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 :)"

• Ell...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 22, 2014

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Luvox is fantastic - My Dr put me on it first up. I didn't try any other medicines, and I've been on it for over a year now and have happily lived almost symptom-free. The only thing is when I miss it one or two nights, I become a bit of a mess, crying and feeling anxious. Also, I'm starting to feel a bit of depression, which is odd for me, but I think it will just be a matter of lowering the dose. It was so bad I was on 300 mg and 2 mg of Risperidone, but now down to 300 mg Luvox only, but perhaps should try going down to 200 mg to see if the motivation comes back."

• OCD...
• October 26, 2019

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I’ve been on Luvox for about a year and a half now, far better than Zoloft for me. Zoloft just made me feel like a zombie with anxiety and depression. Luvox has allowed me to totally stop my ruminating thoughts completely. My depression is still very real, though, it feels like there is a weight on my brain. I’ve tried to augment with a few medications so far, with none helping. Might switch to something different soon, but 10/10 for OCD, 2/10 for depression."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 31, 2012

For Anxiety and Stress "I was put on Luvox for anxiety and depression. I had never had anxiety before, so this was the first medicine I had tried. After 4 weeks, it gave me very bad anxiety and intense 'racing thoughts.' I was only on 25 mg and then upped to 50 mg. Once I got off, I learned better ways to cope by seeing therapists and working on my problems. Not the medicine for me."

• din...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2018

For Anxiety and Stress "After many years of depression and anxiety, and many different meds, my psych started me on Luvox. Right away, I had trouble sleeping; I was awake by 2:30 a.m. and then restless the rest of the night. Still, I woke up full of energy and feeling good and was very productive. After a few days, I noticed this energy turned to severe anxiety. I was also, from the start, feeling chilled, almost like I was getting sick. Body aches became more prevalent and feeling totally run down. The last 2 days, chest pain on and off... not sure if anxiety or something worse. It's sad; what started off as promising soon turned out to be another reject."

• ali...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 17, 2018

For Anxiety and Stress "Tried all the SSRIs before resorting to this drug for GAD and panic disorder. Made me severely depressed within hours of taking it. I even had an anxiety attack because I had thoughts of suicide. Got so scared of my own thoughts that I checked into the ER for the first time. I told my doctors about having suicidal thoughts due to this drug. She didn't believe me. She said I was probably depressed due to anxiety. Oh yeah, this drug gave me shortness of breath, which made my anxiety even worse. I don't recommend this drug to my friends or family."

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

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."

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

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."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 30, 2022

For Anxiety and Stress "I’m on fluvoxamine for depression. It helped with it and with my bad thoughts, but it gave me severe sexual problems, so I'm forced to switch. It only started to be helpful after a month, and also it can give you sleep problems and anxiety (just at the start, like the first 2 weeks). But the sexual problems are still there even if my depression has been better, but still not cured. So I’m switching now."

• Lee...
• June 10, 2018

For Anxiety and Stress "The worst drug I have ever taken in my life. It gave me severe anxiety. Made me so tired, and I can't sleep, and I got severe stomach pain, electric shocks. I don't recommend it at all."