Fluvoxamine and Depression: What Users Say

• Lem...
• March 30, 2014

Luvox (fluvoxamine) for Anxiety and Stress "I was prescribed Luvox for anxiety and panic attacks. Initially, Luvox just made me tired. After about 2 weeks, it started making me feel depressive. Continued taking it for about 2 months, the depressive symptoms only got worse. I had to discontinue medication because it caused depression for me. Did not help for anxiety or panic at all. When tapering off, I suffered severe nausea and headaches. Didn't work and has bad side effects."

• OKC...
• July 8, 2010

Luvox (fluvoxamine) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have used Luvox for over a year now. Before I was taking Effexor, and it made me angry, so I had to switch. I started at 100mg then gradually went to 200mg. At 200mg, I found the most relief for my OCD, but I didn't want to do anything. I had no motivation to clean my house, do the laundry, or even take a shower. I just didn't care. As a mother of 4, that was a huge problem. I gradually decreased my dosage back down to 100mg and have motivation back. I still have the rituals and things that completely drive me up the wall and did have those still at 200mg. I'm thinking about trying a new medication because this one works for a bit but doesn't give me the relief I need. I have to take Klonopin to calm my brain down at night so I can sleep."

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

Luvox (fluvoxamine) 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

Luvox (fluvoxamine) 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."

• Jen...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 21, 2018

Luvox (fluvoxamine) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I was put on Luvox at 8. I don't recall if it helped with OCD. The whole time I was on the drug, I experienced bad side effects. I was constantly drowsy and unable to function or process information at a normal capacity; as a child and teenager, it was a hindrance to my ability to socialize. I missed out on a lot of my education as a result and am still making up for it (at 30). I was constantly depressed and often suicidal. The drug suppressed my sex drive, which never developed naturally (as a teenager, it was confusing). I got off the drug easily when I was 19. I was instantly more awake, animated, and no longer depressed or suicidal. I have migraines, and it's been suggested that my long dependency on Luvox might be a cause. I would not recommend this drug. It did nothing helpful for me and has been a huge hindrance in my life. I would strongly caution any parent who is considering this drug for a child; any help it provides is not worth the side effects and long-term damage."

• Jen...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 21, 2018

Luvox (fluvoxamine) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I was put on Luvox at 8. I don't recall if it helped with OCD. The whole time I was on the drug, I experienced bad side effects. I was constantly drowsy and unable to function or process information at a normal capacity; as a child and teenager, it was a hindrance to my ability to socialize. I missed out on a lot of my education as a result and am still making up for it (at 30). I was constantly depressed and often suicidal. The drug suppressed my sex drive, which never developed naturally (as a teenager, it was confusing). I got off the drug easily when I was 19. I was instantly more awake, animated, and no longer depressed or suicidal. I have migraines, and it's been suggested that my long dependency on Luvox might be a cause. I would not recommend this drug. It did nothing helpful for me and has been a huge hindrance in my life. I would strongly caution any parent who is considering this drug for a child; any help it provides is not worth the side effects and long-term damage."

• OCD...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 25, 2015

Luvox (fluvoxamine) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I was having major anxiety and depression. I sought therapy for a year, and nothing was helping. I tried amitriptyline, Prozac, Lexapro, and I don't know what else, I can't remember. I found a psychiatrist that immediately diagnosed me as OCD at 30 (!!). Mainly O, with some compulsions that are highly functioning. This drug stopped the depression in weeks at 50 mg. Compulsions were so much more manageable. After two years, it just stopped working. We've gone up to 100 mg, and I started getting blurry vision. At 125 mg, I was highly agitated and depressed. Not sure where to go from here."

• Kis...
• December 8, 2021

Luvox (fluvoxamine) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Was giving this to my daughter of 17 years of age. She struggles with anxiety and intrusive thoughts/OCD. She was on clomipramine 50 mg for 8 months and had a great, normal life, but after 8 months, the horrible side effects returned with heart palpitations and a bad, bad stomachache. We switched her to Luvox 1/2 tablet to start because she is sensitive to meds, and by the 2nd night of a whole tablet dosage, she had extreme rage and sadness. This wasn’t any help for her, it actually made things way worse and woke up her inner demons! She now moved to Lexapro. Fingers crossed. God bless those in search of peace."

• SNW...
• November 8, 2020

For Anxiety and Stress "This fluvoxamine medication made me numb. I lost interest in all the things I used to love doing. I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning. Everything aggravated me. Recently I stopped taking it, and I feel more positive about life. I’m actually enjoying the activities that I used to enjoy again. I can get out of bed with no problem. My motivation is back. Luvox isn’t for me."

• Mic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2015

Luvox (fluvoxamine) for Anxiety and Stress "After being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (2012), I began experiencing anxiety and depression, accepting this life change and handling the symptoms. My doctor prescribed me Lexapro 20 mg daily, which helped with mild anxiety and overall day-to-day stress. However, I still experienced heavy anxiety while traveling and taking on new projects/assignments at work. I explained that I felt that the Lexapro was great but not working in all situations. My doctor then switched me to Luvox 200 mg daily. I've been taking Luvox for less than a week now and am already experiencing dry mouth, lack of motivation, diarrhea, nausea, lightheadedness/faint, and being more emotional and irritable. Obviously not for me. Life overall was better with Lexapro."

• Hey...
• January 7, 2016

Luvox (fluvoxamine) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I've been on Luvox for 6 months now at 200 mg/day. I switched from Prozac because of libido problems, but it actually didn't make any difference. I completely lost interest in sex and gained weight really fast. My OCD is controlled, but I feel depressed, sleeping a lot during the day and nothing during the night. Haha, it's horrible... Also, I compulsively scratch my head until it bleeds (trichotillomania?) and Prozac had helped me stop it. Now on Luvox, the problem is back. I'm switching back to Prozac or giving a try to Zoloft."

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

Luvox (fluvoxamine) 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."

• 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."

• HMa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 9, 2020

For Anxiety and Stress "I have been taking fluvoxamine 50 mg dose for anxiety and stress for 4 years now. I just had the worst anxiety attack I've ever had. I'm starting to think I need to try something different, as I still feel anxious and depressed. Not to mention my sex drive is way down and has been since taking this med. I know it is a side effect, but it makes me sad that I can't reach my climax, which in turn makes me feel worse."

• ACK...
• January 6, 2017

For Anxiety and Stress "I've been taking 50 mg of fluvoxamine for 8 days. It works amazingly for getting the horrible thoughts I experience daily to leave my mind - I can just turn it off and feel normal and calm. If it didn't have so many negative side effects, it would be the perfect medication for me. I've been experiencing headaches, nausea, lack of motivation, trouble getting up in the morning, lack of concentration, it's completely killed my sex drive, and it makes me feel almost wired at bedtime, before I crash into a drug-induced sleep. It also makes me feel constantly hungry, even after a large meal. If I were to keep taking this, I think I'd become obese. I rated it a 3 because it worked for what I needed it for. Disappointed it wasn't for me."

• Pen...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 8, 2022

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I took fluvoxamine for intrusive thoughts and HOCD. I had anxiety nonstop and felt panicked by triggers relating to my OCD. It helped stop the intrusive thoughts just enough to help me learn healthy coping mechanisms. But after 6 years, I dumbly cold-turkeyed my medication (NEVER do this), and I now have complete sexual dysfunction and emotional blunting. I’ve had it for 2 years now with no improvements. I can’t feel romance or romantic attraction and don’t have the ability to be aroused by anything. My genitals are numb. My emotional blunting is so bad that I can’t laugh at things I used to think were funny and can’t feel empathy for people or animals. This is called PSSD or post-SSRI sexual dysfunction. I also have cognitive issues where I don’t respond naturally to what people say. PLEASE use this as a last resort. I would have never gone on SSRIs if I knew this would happen."

• Ist...
• December 22, 2022

For Anxiety and Stress "I was taking this for 5 months, and it lowered my anxiety and made me not obsess with derealization, but the sexual side effects and emotional numbing were just too much. I stopped taking it, but sexual dysfunction persisted even after 1 and a half years of being free from this drug."

• Lul...
• November 16, 2019

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Fluvoxamine did help a lot with my OCD, however, it increased my depression. I ended up getting hospitalized because of how severe my depression was getting. This medication made me feel numb. So, I guess yes, I was not anxious anymore, but I couldn’t feel anything. I guess this medication may be worth a try, but if you already suffer with depression/suicidal thoughts, this medication may make it worse, like it did with me. In conclusion, this medication did really help with my OCD, but I had to get off of it because of how severe it made my depression. Just be aware of the symptoms of depression and be closely monitored if you decide to take this medication. If it wasn’t for how bad it made my depression, Luvox would have been my miracle drug for treating my OCD."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 14, 2020

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This drug, fluvoxamine, has drastically improved my OCD symptoms, but there have been side effects that I'm getting sick of after almost three years. It has really messed up my sleep. Ever since I began taking it, I either sleep way, way too much, or I can't sleep at all. Some days, I can't think of anything except taking a nap, despite having slept an adequate amount of time the previous night. It really helped me be bold, and I don't get nervous about things the way I used to. It's getting to the point, however, where I don't care about anything. The OCD symptoms are gone, but I'm learning what depression feels like. It gave me memory problems as well. Overall, this medication has been wonderful, and I don't feel OCD symptoms very often. When I do, they are easy to dismiss. I'm ready for a break from the side effects, though, so I'm gonna go off soon."

• 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...."

• Nic...
• December 19, 2017

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "My 18-year-old daughter was put on Luvox about 8 months ago. It definitely is working for her OCD. She is still very depressed, though. She recently had an increase in her dose and is now taking 300 mg daily, 150 mg in the morning and 150 mg at night. It takes a good 4 to 6 weeks to feel the benefits, she has told me. She rarely needs her Xanax anymore but takes Clonazepam once a day for anxiety. She is only 117 lbs, and I do worry about that high of a dose. She is tired all the time. Headaches occasionally too. Those are the main side effects for her. She has tried dozens of medications, and Luvox has been the only one to help with her OCD. Her therapist was the one to discover she had it, as we were both unaware."

• KLH...
• December 13, 2018

For Depression "I had been taking fluvoxamine 100 mg since I was 8, I am now almost 26 years old. So 17 years. Diagnosed with ODC and depression at 8 years old. I was sexually abused, which kicked everything into motion. Luvox really pulled me out of depression. I'm super grateful for it for all of these years. I haven't been on it for the past 3 months because it interacted with my Vyvanse in a very terrible way. My compulsive thoughts almost destroyed my marriage, and I fell into the deepest depression I've ever been in. I took myself off Luvox, and everything is better than it was before! Cons of fluvoxamine: emotionless, drowsiness, restless sleep, excessive yawning, dizziness, and easy bruising. All of which went away when I stopped my Luvox 3 months ago. I didn't even realize some of these were side effects because I had been on it for. Pros: no depression."

• mwi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 24, 2024

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I was pretty reluctant to try another SSRI since I haven't had the best experience with them (didn't work well, made me exhausted, emotionless, and hungry). Wellbutrin really helps my depression, but my OCD and anxiety symptoms have been getting worse over the past couple of years. So I gave in and agreed to try Luvox, and I'm glad I did! I had to increase the dose a bit before it worked (I've been at 200 mg for about 6 months now), but it's so nice to not be checking things constantly, playing out disaster scenarios on a loop, doubting all my thoughts, feelings, and relationships, etc. I still have anxiety and intrusive thoughts, but they are way less frequent and intense. Not many side effects, luckily, it makes me a little sleepy, so I take it at night, and I have an occasional upset stomach, but it's worth it to me. The only thing I'm bummed about is that it hasn't helped at all with my skin picking or hair pulling, but nothing's perfect."

• Hss...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 10, 2019

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Don't touch fluvoxamine. I tried this for about 3 years, and it reduced my OCD, but it didn't eliminate it completely. The side effects of it were excessive sweating, dizziness, memory problems, and poor decision-making. Then when I stopped fluvoxamine in the summer, I became stress intolerant, anxious, depressed, and had attention problems. I think SSRIs are the worst thing. Now I am using herbs occasionally, hoping that my brain will heal with time."

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 6, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This medication made me cripplingly depressed to the point where I would have frequent suicidal thoughts."