Paroxetine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder User Reviews

• mag...
• August 8, 2015

Paroxetine "I have always suffered from anxiety and obsessive thoughts, but within the last year it took a turn for the worse. I had a job loss and couldn't sleep for almost two weeks and in turn started getting panic attacks. Then intrusive thoughts, I truly thought I was losing my mind. I was scared all the time and hopeless. I went to a therapist and this did help, I also got put on Effexor 70 mg daily. I never thought I was going to get better. I started Paxil three weeks ago, 20 mg. It has truly changed my life. I feel like me again. I'm writing this in hopes that someone who reads this and feels hopeless and scared doesn't give up. There is help, hang in there. If I could do it, so can you."

• Sha...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 11, 2014

Paroxetine "First of all, I never realized that I had OCD until I told my doctor I couldn't sleep because I couldn't control my thoughts. I thought OCD only manifested itself in physical rituals. Paxil has literally saved my life. It broke a 14-year cycle of racing, uncontrollable thoughts, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. I have been taking Paxil for 15 years now."

• fad...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 30, 2013

Paroxetine "I have had a good experience with Paxil thus far, and I wanted to put it out there because I think it's usually the bad experiences that prompt folks to write these reviews! I'd tried other SSRIs (Wellbutrin, Lexapro, Celexa), with bad results, so I was hesitant. I started on 10 mg/day for two weeks then went to 20 mg. At first I didn't notice much, but by the third week my obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety were greatly quelled. I feel a general sense of well-being and satisfaction with life, yet I'm still productive, creative, ME. No ill side effects whatsoever. I hear the withdrawal is a bear, and I'll cross that bridge when I get there, but, so far so good."

• Anonymous
• August 12, 2010

Paroxetine "Excellent to stop intrusive thoughts and depression. I would not be without it. I have gone through college and am a successful social worker who can now help others. I have been able to go to a lower dose but still keep it in my regimen because I would rather live a full life than a fearful and indecisive one."

• sap...
• February 27, 2009

Paroxetine "It worked for me. It worked for me. It worked for me... Oops... must have missed this morning's dose (LOL). I have suffered from GAD/OCD for a few years. Most of the time, I was worried and anxious, suffered panic attacks, and general high-stress feelings before taking Paxil. I take 10mg of Paxil once per day for about 6 months now. I am starting to see my previous behaviors that only prolonged and worsened my anxiety disorder. I am able to relax, calm down, sit back, and actually make myself relax, even during high-stress times. I hope to not be on Paxil for very many years, but it did help me help myself out of OCD/panic hell. Counseling was just as important as Paxil, and re-learning how to make yourself chill. Paxil helps!"

• Jus...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 24, 2020

"It was a real life changer for me. Primarily obsessive OCD, disturbing intrusive thoughts, unreasonable hate made me a self-centered, not nice person. Taking 60 mg of paroxetine, I can think more clearly, without the rumination that life is rubbish, and I'm not worthy of living. I want to live my life and be happy."

• Pos...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 7, 2019

Paroxetine "Give Paxil a chance. I looked at all the horror stories on here and am glad I chose to ignore them and continue with the drug. I was on it for 8 months total. It took about 4-6 weeks to take full effect, and weaning off was a bit uncomfortable. It controlled my symptoms and helped me gain control of my life back. I was not paid to say any of this, I just know I was scared to try it, and you shouldn’t be. Your doctor prescribed it for a reason. Be patient, the side effects I had in the beginning of diarrhea and dizziness went away as my body got used to it. Good luck!"

• Roy...
• October 27, 2015

Paroxetine "I have had anxiety for over 40 years, and I never thought I would feel like this. Paxil has helped me a lot, and I wish I had taken it earlier. It helped me with my anxiety, being about 80% less. I'm not as compulsive now. I lost 20 lbs because I was not as anxious and eating all the time."

• Opa...
• July 2, 2011

Paroxetine "I am 23 years old and I have been taking Paxil since I was 11. It has worked extremely well for me over the years and I have had little to no problems with my OCD. When I was 17, I tried to go off the medication (with the help of my doctor) and it was extremely hard. I became really depressed and had horrible headaches and nausea. I decided to go back on the medication because it wasn't the right time in my life to deal with so much stress. FYI, if I skip/forget a pill, I get really bad nausea and I tend to bruise and scar very easily. If you are looking for something to treat your OCD, this might be the medicine for you."

• Too...
• January 18, 2017

Paroxetine "I only started Paxil last night. I took 5 mg, and about 2 hours later it felt like a steel curtain had dropped on my looping intrusive thoughts. ADs have always been a problem for me. They only work to an extent, and the side effects are intolerable. I'm taking Paxil long enough to hopefully bridge my way from the difficult place I'm in right now to some place where I feel more confident and comfortable. This morning, the intrusive thoughts returned with renewed vigor. I took another 5 mg, and again, 2 hours later they were gone. It's surreal being present. I'm used to spending my time ruminating on the past or fearing the future. This will take some getting used to, but if this is a sign of things to come, I have hope."

• NBN...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 5, 2021

Paroxetine "I'm 42. Suffered OCD since elementary school but never knew what was wrong with me. The more successful I became at life, the more I got worried. It affected my work a lot. 2 years ago, my worries increased and I started having panic attacks and anxiety every day. I was miserable and thought I'll go crazy. Started using Paxil and then lamotrigine. My life started changing gradually for the better, and I started feeling the best after around 6 months of taking the medications. After suffering for around 35 years of compulsive thoughts, rituals, especially before going to bed, wasted time on checking things around, I felt a different life. I won't say I'm 100 percent OCD free, but 70 percent less would be fair. I was against mental medication my whole life. But now I would encourage patients to talk to doctors and see their options. God bless science!"

• k8t...
• July 28, 2010

Paroxetine "I took Paxil for about 10 years (no weight gain) and quit it recently with the help of my primary care doctor by weaning off of it for 6 months. Unfortunately, 2 weeks after quitting, my symptoms of anxiety and depression have returned two-fold! I have not been formally diagnosed with anything yet, but do know that Paxil worked the best for me! I want to go back on it, but it is Category D, so if I ever want to have a baby, I cannot be on it while pregnant! At the moment, I am trying Wellbutrin, after trying 3 weeks on Buspar to help me (that didn't help). It's only been a week on Wellbutrin and I see some improvements, but nothing like the Paxil. I may ask to go back to Paxil if switching medicines doesn't work. I felt like 'myself' on Paxil!"

• lau...
• August 3, 2016

Paroxetine "I took Paxil for 5 years. I have been off Paxil now for 7 years, and I suffer from OCD and panic attacks. I am 49 years old and have suffered since childhood with my 'issues'. I won't go into great detail. I do not take medicine, but I was in VERY bad shape when I started on Paxil. Within a few days, I slept, stopped washing my feet, counting things, and those obsessive thoughts were gone. THANK GOD. I did gain weight, and my family described me as being an emotional zombie. I chose to discontinue taking Paxil on my own, which was a bad idea. NEVER. I say NEVER do that. I am lucky that I am still alive. If you choose to quit taking it, please do that only under the care of your physician. Today I am not cured, but I am happy and living normally."

• ibu...
• October 24, 2023

Paroxetine "Paxil works great, also Luvox works but Paxil seems a little better. Zoloft tried to work but then it stopped. Really, Paxil is the best for me. It stops the OCD, anxiety, and depression. No side effects and at 60mg. I wouldn't go any higher."

• Anonymous
• May 20, 2010

Paroxetine "I have been taking Paxil for 5 years. Since I turned 50 and my blood pressure shot up to 210/102. Paxil was the biggest blessing. No, I did not gain any weight. Well, I gained two pounds only because I ate my way through them."

• Mma...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 16, 2018

Paroxetine "Was on Prozac for OCD at 16 when I tried everything to avoid medication, therapy, journaling, exercise, medication, water intake, a healthy diet, enough sleep, and it still wasn’t enough. It gave me crazy heartburn, and by 17 I was on Paxil. That, with mindfulness, water intake, a healthy diet, and exercise, has saved my life. I can’t speak for depression, but for OCD, it is an integral tool to help me, but be warned by itself it won’t do that well. It’s a tool, not magic."

• Sur...
• June 12, 2015

Paroxetine "I'm 36-year-old doctor. I had been on paroxetine for the past 8 years. I weaned just 6 months back. I developed a post-subcapsular cataract last year. Operated on both eyes with IOL. The morbidity it has produced reflects in my day-to-day activities. I never heard of cataracts as a side effect of paroxetine until I developed one. Only when I searched on the net could I see a few studies suggesting cataracts as a side effect of some SSRIs, and paroxetine is one among those. I had to wean it as I was afraid I might end up with more rare and serious side effects in the long term, say for example, renal failure in another few years. But it's a wonderful drug in controlling OCD. Soon, I'm about to restart it or a new SSRI due to relapse. OCD makes me feel living blind is easier than living with OCD."

• ano...
• August 21, 2010

Paroxetine "I started using Paroxetine after I received what was the most traumatic news of my life, and it caused my anxiety to go into complete overload. I started having bad panic attacks and terrible anxiety. I also started suffering from really bad obsessive thoughts! My doctor put me on Paroxetine, and I have been on it for about 4 weeks now, along with Xanax for short-term use until the Paroxetine really kicks in. Well, I must say that I do feel a lot better, but not as good as I did before all this started. I'm being a little impatient? I'm told that the Paroxetine takes at least 3-4 weeks before it really starts to work, and as I said, it's only been 1 month since I started taking it. I just want the way I used to love life to come back!"

• N0c...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 10, 2021

Paroxetine "This is the only drug that has helped my very intrusive thoughts subside. Not completely, but MUCH better than where I was before. I spent months in a psych unit, taking drug after drug, getting ECT with no effect, and then suddenly I was prescribed Paxil, and a weight was nearly instantly lifted off of me. I felt like a good person again. I gained no weight on this drug, but have experienced little sexual desire. I also don’t clean as much (another symptom of my OCD), and that’s been a little hard on me. It also caused me to not be able to sleep at night, but I’m now also on Trileptal 900 mg and trazodone 75, and that has helped a lot. I still need to be on another booster for my paranoia and am going to try a low dose of Latuda, but I’m much better than I was before with the help of Paxil."

• Fre...
• August 6, 2017

"I have OCD. It was getting hard to function, so my doctor put me on Paxil. I haven't had any side effects, and my OCD is pretty much a memory. The only time I feel it is if I'm very stressed. Even then I don't act on it. Paxil is a lifesaver for me."

• Its...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 19, 2018

Paroxetine "Taking Paxil for intrusive thoughts. It’s been very effective at cutting down the thoughts, which is a welcomed relief. I can’t tolerate high doses due to pain in the body. But I was on between 20 mg to 7.5 mg over the course of 3 years. Then I tried to stop, and the thoughts came back. Right now, I’m on 10 mg and going back up with the doctor's help. The meds, Exposure Response Prevention Therapy (ERP Therapy), and a 12-step group OCA have been effective in minimizing symptoms. Very little anorgasmia, but it increases as I go up on the meds. Don’t beat yourself up and give it time to work. It’s a slow, gradual improvement with meds. I felt different about 2 weeks in, and then every week after, I improved. If you can’t figure it out and there’s no conclusion, it’s the OCD."

• Acc...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 26, 2017

"I suffered from BDD and mental checking. I immediately began to have a reduction in obsessive thoughts. For 3 1/2 years, I remained on Paxil, going as high as 25 mg, which was too high for me and gave me intestinal problems, not to mention wanting to sleep all the time. I finally got down to 12 mg, then 10, then 7.5, which was good for 1 1/2, and then finally down to 5. I then made the big mistake of throwing the meds out, thinking I had beaten OCD. Within a month and a half, the anxiety and obsessions were back like never before. Now back on 10 mg, I feel like myself again. It's important to remember that whenever you start or change a dose, it's going to take a few weeks for your brain to adjust. I also take the med at night. All in all, a Godsend."

• JLR...
• September 12, 2008

"I have been taking 20 mg for about 33 days now, and I have noticed a huge difference in my OCD. I am able to get thoughts out of my head very easily! I have been able to watch a movie without rewinding it 20 times. I am able to clean and leave a little spot that I missed. I am able to not replay situations over and over in my head. It is great!"

• We...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 31, 2024

"Game changer for me! Wanted to write a positive message about my experience. I went from non-stop pure-O obsessing to my normal self with ROCD in under 3 weeks. Highly recommend this. I'm on 30mg and half an Abilify, and I'm so thankful. Don't hesitate if you're struggling! Good luck to all."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 25, 2024

"I've been on 40 mg of paroxetine for the past 3 and a half months for my OCD, depression, generalized anxiety, and agoraphobia. I have never felt better in my life. Depressive episodes, anxiety, and agoraphobia have disappeared, and finally I can live my life like I'm supposed to. I started working out regularly and developed healthier habits. It also helped me overcome my gambling addiction. Ejaculating has become a struggle though, but I'm not too worried about it at the moment as my sex drive is still present. One side effect that I hate is alopecia. One side of my beard disappeared completely, it's like I never had hair growing there in the first place, but again, I'm not too worried about it. It truly is life-changing, my performance at work increased, and my relationships became stronger due to my confident outlook on life. Whoever needs to take it should really give it a try."