Lexapro for OCD

I've been on Lexapro for the better part of 4-5 years now. To be honest, it helped me to the point where I forgot I had OCD and even struggled to remember what the disorder was called. Unfortunately, as I'm sure most of you have already experienced in the process of taking medication, it seems to have a lessened effect as of late. I hope this helps anyone who may have been curious.

I first had OCD symptoms when a teen and parents divorced. Was in conjunction with severe depression. Recovered from that bout with no treatment. It did not bother me again until after my son was born, 12 years later. When it hit, boy, did it hit!! I had endless panic attacks and sought help from a psychiatrist. I did not know what was wrong with me when I was a teen. Now, looking back after all my treatment, I realize that I first experienced the OCD and depression back then. The psychiatrist treated me with Anafranil and Mellaril to get my thoughts and panic under control and then discontinued Mellaril. I have stayed on Anafranil (Clomipramine) for 23 years now. Along with behavioral therapy and his repeating a million times that my thoughts were normal, I finally got it. What he taught me was that most everyone has the same thoughts I did, but to others, they were fleeting thoughts and mine get stuck in my head, I become obsessed with them and then act on compulsive behaviors to make them better or make them go away. It didn't take long for me to understand and be able to talk myself down from the panic/anxiety and tell myself, these are those same kind of thoughts that everyone has that get stuck in my head. They are meaningless. I know the Anafranil helped me through the most difficult times. I no longer have the OCD to the extent I did in earlier years. Though I do have the obsessive thoughts daily, they are less extreme and I do not find it necessary to act compulsively very often. I have also been on Lexapro for depression. I just started with a new psychiatrist last week who is taking me off Anafranil which really scares me. He says the Lexapro works great for OCD as well and since I am already taking it, he expects no problems in my transitioning off the anafranil. This blog really helps me have hope for the Lexapro working for the OCD. I totally discontinue the anafranil in 4 more days. Necessary for another issue he is treating as well. Wish me luck. I hope this helps anyone suffering with OCD out there. THERE IS HOPE!! YOU CAN BE BETTER! I KNOW!!

Well not everyone reacts the same to certain medicine, but I've been taking lexapro for about 5 months and it has helped greatly. I was put on it for ocd, generalized anxiety disorder, and mild depression. For about two weeks after I first started taking it I felt about 10 times worse though. But it was worth it. I'm so much more relaxed now. Therapy helps also, especially for ocd. Oh and I didn't gain weight at all. Actually through a healthier lifestyle I've lost about 20 pounds in the last 5 months. So if you just stay active and eat right I don't see any reason to worry about that.

Wow!!  you're very vain!!!  what's more important, mental health, or your physical appearance?  Excercise and eat right.  I was on Lexapro, and I think it's is the worst drug ever.  I have never experienced symptoms like this before.  Back to Zoloft, or maybe nothing.  I think I'm better off not taking anything.  The worst experience of my life was with the Lexapro, of course everyone is diferent.

I realize all of these posts are over a year old but I still wanted to share my experiences.
I've been on Lexapro for a while now, my doctor prescribed it for my OCD (it's severe, I can't even work anymore it is so bad) and it had 0 effects on my OCD. My doctor put me on Clomipramine (Anafranil) several months back and when I first started taking it, WOW did it help! Now that I've been on it for several months, I notice it has helped with some of my OCD weirdness (I had terrible eye twitching and head jerking, cleared my throat constantly.. gave me horrible headaches and anxiety because I knew people were looking at me and going "what a freak") the eye twitching, head jerking and throat clearing have improved so much that sometimes when they do come back on (stress does this to me, makes my OCD tons worse) it takes me by surprise how little I had been having these compulsions. I still have intrusive thoughts, still have the repetitive compulsions BUT they aren't as severe. I would definitely recommend Clomipramine (Anafranil) to someone with OCD. My doctor has kept me on the Lexapro also, I wonder if she's trying to use it as more of an anti-anxiety medication, I'll have to ask next time I see her.
Hopefully my input helps someone else out in the future too. Your posts helped me even a year after they were posted! =)

God Bless!

Did the lexapro work for you?

i was taking 20 mg of lexapro for ocd, mainly intrusive thoughts, for a while and that helped. (along with buspar for anxiety and vyvanse for adhd) it worked well for awhile, until i became really upset for two days, which triggered another ocd episode. it has now been 3 weeks, and my prescriber upped my dosage to 30 mg, took me off buspar, and added risperidone. it has been 1 1/2 weeks, and so far not much has changed besides me feeling out of it sometimes. thoughts are still there, but i'm hoping the risperidone kicks in, and i may ask to switch to anafranil.

a few weeks does not seem like enough time. as someone who used this, you are supposed to build the dose over time, months. a few weeks is only enough to feel the side effects was my recollection, but i had it built over time and than added buspar. i felt in control for a while, but then there were other issues so there you go. regardless, don't jump ship after a few weeks, not without talking to your doctor, and not without giving it a chance. 1.5 to 2 months i would think. i am about to go back on after 2 years off and heavy depression, general anxiety and intrusive thoughts. good luck.

No you don't have to stop when you become pregnant!!! Talk to an OB. :-)

I know exactly how you feel with the instructive thoughts and needed constant reassurance from a friend or loved one. I feel aching guilt then my mind will try and find something to pin the guilt on. Anything as everything. Always need to reassure myself by checking with my girlfriend that Ive not done anything wrong. Been on 250mg of Zoloft and it just makes me so irritable and emotionless so going to try lexapro.

read your post and am going to give it a try,tried everything but the kitchen sink.Paxil worked for 10 then just stopped.This will be another adventure.

gonna drop paxil as it s stopped working after 10 years and considering Lex.How did it work for you?John

Did you find help with your Ocd?

Hi,
I have had OCD in the background of my life since age 17. It started out as a self "mind game". Now at 64 I have seriously been trying to get a handle on it as it has crept into my life with much more demanding force. Mine is turning off lights, locking doors; rechecking to obviously the same outcome, spending time gazing into a dark room making sure the lights are off - it is off and locked! Working out at the gym has been part of my life for the past 25 years, and I enjoy the endorphan rush. Sadly, my body craves or gets the same kind of rush during my running/checking rampage; out of breath, heart pounding, etc. Need to get out of that mode and replace with relaxing. Have been on several SSRI's and all make me jittery. Have been on Martazapine for a month, up to 27mg the past few days, now getting jittery with this med. I have found your comments great; asking what we/I have learned with the OCD & bring those calm times "forward". Could go on for longer, THANK you for listening.

Have been on Lexapro for 15 years for OCD and find it very helpful. You need to give it several months to completely get not your system.