Fluvoxamine and Weight Gain: What Users Say

• lis...
• July 3, 2013

Fluvoxamine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I was prescribed Luvox for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder even though I don't think I have OCD. I think I have anxiety and panic disorder/depression. I have excessive worrying, panic attacks, sleeping problems, ruminations but no compulsions I can think of. However, my psychiatrist says I have OCD and put me on Luvox. Immediately, my sleep improved and my excessive worrying has been reduced by about 50%. I am so much more relaxed. However, I don't seem to really care about anything and it's hard to get out of bed and do much even on a low dose (25mg). I feel like I am in slow motion and I'm always tired. My body also feels like I have weights attached to it. I see a new psychiatrist in two weeks."

• Anonymous
• January 3, 2011

For Anxiety and Stress "I've suffered from panic attacks and anxiety for years. I took Paxil for many years, but its effectiveness waned, and I hated the weight gain and sexual side effects that came with it. I switched to Luvox, starting with 25 mg, and it worked miracles. Eventually, I had to move up to 50 mg, and now for the last two years, 75 mg. I have had no adverse effects, and it has been a lifesaver. Eventually, when my son was diagnosed with panic disorder (certainly inherited from me, much like I inherited it from my mother), his doctor tried Luvox for him, too. His assumption was that our genetic similarity and our similar diagnosis might be treated by the same medicine. He was right. Both my son and I are living anxiety-free, panic attack-free lives."

• Emi...
• November 8, 2019

Fluvoxamine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have obsessive-compulsive disorder and social anxiety, and I have taken Luvox for two years. I have been on 100 mg for a year, and I think that the pills do work for anxiety and OCD, and my social anxiety is almost gone. The problem is that Luvox makes me gain a little bit of weight, and it’s really hard to lose weight. I have reduced my calorie intake, and I’m going to the gym, but still I can’t lose any weight, and I have tried now for two months. Luvox is really stopping me from losing weight. My depression hasn’t gotten any better, it’s still the same."

• RMa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2019

Fluvoxamine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Restarted 100 mg Luvox augmented with 20 mg of Memantine while weaning off of 450 mg of Wellbutrin, and I am tired all the time. Hopefully, the tiredness goes away and I don't gain a lot of weight like the last time I used Luvox."

• Rhi...
• June 13, 2019

For Depression "I started fluvoxamine after a 30-day hospital stay. They changed many of my meds. My mood stabilized with Rexulti, Viibryd, and Seroquel, BUT the Seroquel made me ravenous, and I gained 15 lbs in one month. I’m already obese, high BP, high CHL, and diabetic. When all was said and done, I went back to my psychiatric nurse practitioner, and she modified my medications immediately. When I got out of the program, I was still feeling awful. I saw my NP, and she is willing to try anything. She hates to see me suffer. She immediately took me off the 2 mood stabilizers, and hunger drastically decreased. She kept me on 40 mg of Viibryd, 70 mg of Vyvanse, 100 mg of lamotrigine (2x/day), and 50 mg of Topiramate. She then added Ambien for sleep along with the Luvox 100 mg and Xanax as needed. My primary physician got me on meds for my cholesterol, high BP, and high sugar. Since January, my numbers have all shifted in the right direction, and I feel human again!"

• Hey...
• January 7, 2016

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."

• Bec...
• December 13, 2016

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Always thought I had 'misophonia' (hatred of noises) but never realized it was OCD until I went to my free university psychiatrist. He said Lexapro or a drug (Fluvox) more specified for OCD. I went with fluvox because I do not so much suffer from general anxiety, rather bursts of obsessive and compulsive thoughts, mostly due to noises. Anyway, fluvox is all I've had, and I can't imagine changing! I went from 50 mg to 100 mg (sounds like a lot, but fluvox in its nature is just a high mg mixed with the buffers, 100 mg is not a really high dosage). I can now watch lecture without ear plugs, when it used to be 100% of the time. Slight weight gain might be my fault. I still hear small things, but I can more often forget about them!"

• Ell...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 23, 2025

Fluvoxamine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have suffered from OCD since my early 20s (now 28), and it was only until last year that I found a doctor who specialized in OCD and prescribed Luvox for my mental health. Before this, I was on Prozac and Lexapro for years, which helped a tiny bit but nowhere near enough. I wish I knew about Luvox years ago, it has saved my life. It is the only antidepressant that has reduced my compulsions and obsessive thoughts from 100% down to 20%. My OCD is not completely gone, but this drug has quieted my mind so much, and I only recommend it for other OCD sufferers to try if nothing else works. It took nearly a month to work. I started at 50 mg, then to 100, and worked my way up to 200, which is what has cleared my mind and made me able to function as a normal person in my daily work and personal life. I hear higher doses work best for OCD, so if 50 or 100 isn't working, don't be afraid to try higher (up to 300 for OCD). Side effects for me are sweating and slight weight gain. However, it's worth it."

• Anonymous
• October 25, 2013

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I was diagnosed with OCD a little more than 2 months ago. My doctor started me on 50 mg of fluvoxamine for the first month. I had no noticeable benefits from the medication and four side effects. The side effects included the following: weight gain, fatigue/disrupted sleep pattern, headaches, and sexual dysfunction. The second month, my doctor increased the dosage to 100 mg. The results were the same as the first month. He has since switched me to another SSRI."

• Ocd...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 17, 2023

Fluvoxamine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "The only drug that has ever helped my OCD is Luvox. It manages it completely. It seems to make me gain some weight, but it’s worth it."

• Joe...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 16, 2012

Fluvoxamine "It has helped me a lot, but now I think it's time for a review because the side effects are too many: weight gain, sweating, and insomnia."