Generic Name: Anafranil (clomipramine)
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "The best medication so far for OCD is Anafranil. It's completely cured my OCD. Remember OCD is just a medical problem due to unbalanced chemicals in your brain. It's not you, it's your brain sending you false messages. Don't believe the obsessive thoughts, they may feel real but they are fake!"
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I had anxiety and intrusive obsessive thoughts so bad that I had insomnia for 3 years. I was an absolute mess, lost 50 lbs, and could barely function. I ended up hospitalized for a week and put on Anafranil 50mg at night. It took about two weeks, but I started to see a light at the end of a very dark tunnel! I had already tried almost everything on the market, and Anafranil finally helped! Today marks 7 years that I have been on this medication. I feel great, and it saved my life!"
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have suffered resistant depression/anxiety on and off for 30 years, and now I have obsessive-compulsive disorder and intrusive thoughts. I started on Anafranil 15 days ago, and my OCD/intrusive thoughts have almost gone. I'm on only 100 mg per day, and I'm starting to get my life back. The medicine hasn't reached its full effect yet, so at this early stage, I'm happy to recommend this medication. I hope this helps anyone that reads this. Thank you."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "If you're compulsively looking for evidence for why or why you shouldn't take this medication, stop right now and leave this website! Seriously. Been there many times. Anafranil is a promising drug for the majority of people with OCD and it's worth a shot. I gave it a solid 10 weeks and decided it wasn't the med for me (too many side effects such as fatigue etc and did not feel like myself on it). Feeling a little better w/o it so far (knock on wood), but that doesn't mean it won't work for you. The only way is to know is to try it, and it won't hurt you. Listen to your doctors, but always listen to your body first. If something feels off, don't ignore it. Your doctors want the best for you, but only you can truly know what's working and what isn't. Now, that said, take a leap of faith and stop researching. My personal experience with this drug should mean nothing to you."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I take this medication for obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. This medication has been the saving grace of my life! The only side effects I have experienced are insomnia when I first started it or upped a dose, but it goes away within a few days. And dry mouth. But I feel so much better freed of my obsessional thoughts I don't care! I take 150 mg a day and have been on it for 5 years. No other medicine has ever been so effective for this long, and believe me, I have taken everything you can name!"
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Anafranil has completely cured me of my OCD. I suffered from terrible intrusive thoughts since I was a child, however, I was not correctly diagnosed until adulthood. I have been on 6 25mg tablets a day, and it has completely changed my life for the better. Before Anafranil, I was fearful to leave my house because I was scared of having awful thoughts about the people I loved. I have taken Anafranil for three years, and I am so well I forget I have OCD. I can think of the thoughts that terrified me so much before and not feel anything. I can acknowledge that they are irrational thoughts and move on. I have had minimal side effects and in fact lost 45kgs while on the tablets (I was previously on Lexapro, which added 35kg). Different medication affects people differently, but I can honestly say that I am finally living the life I always wanted to live, and it’s all because of Anafranil."
For Panic Disorder "Before taking Anafranil, I had severe panic attacks and derealization. Xanax was the only medicine that could help me but only temporarily at high doses. After unsuccessful experiences with other antidepressants which made my anxiety and mood much worse, I was ready to give up pharmaceuticals until I gave Anafranil a shot. I don't preach antidepressants or anti-anxiety medicines because I don't like them myself, but Anafranil seemed to be the only medicine that virtually eliminated my panic attacks without making me feel 'numb' and 'lifeless'. If you have panic disorder or depression like I do and have had no luck with SSRIs or SNRIs, I urge you to at least try Anafranil."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have suffered from obsessive thoughts for 26 years. I have tried different medications over the years. I was on Paxil for 10 years, but I never ever felt totally well, and I slowly stopped taking it and became very ill. I started taking clomipramine again seven years ago. Again, it saved my life, and I have been able to have a successful career. I take 250 mg a day. I hate the side effect of weight gain, but I will never sacrifice my mental health to lose weight."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Clomipramine is the best medication for OCD. I have tried paroxetine, fluoxetine, etc., but none of them works as much as the clomipramine works. I took it in high dosages, 75mg per day. Now my OCD has gone. It would also be very helpful if you consult with a therapist. My doctors gave me sleeping medicine first. Those doctors are fraud! According to my experience, just take the dosage regularly at a certain amount, you will be cured quickly! Good luck."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This has been a miracle for me. I suffer from extreme OCD that had left me at times in a state of paralysis and constant fear. This medicine gave me back my life. It will not get rid of all of the OCD for you, but it will make it 90 percent manageable. The doctor who gave it to me was old school. None of the SSRIs worked for me. They were like sugar tablets. This one does. Highly recommend you speak to your physician about it as an option."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have used Anafranil on and off for 30 years. Each time, it has worked superbly. I stop and then start again about 2 years later, for a period of about 4-6 months. Presently taking 200 mg along with Beta Blockers - the best experience ever: I am happier, more confident, and less anxious than ever in my life. Anafranil side effects are sometimes bad: loss of appetite, sexual dysfunction, and blurred vision tend to hit me badly. Also, can take 2-3 months before they really work. But worth the wait, even though it feels for a while as though it makes you feel worse. Outstanding medicine - a lifesaver!!"
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Anafranil is AMAZING for OCD. I've tried Zoloft, Prozac, and Luvox, but they all made me hypomanic because I have bipolar tendencies. Anafranil, however, has not done that, but rather almost cured me of my OCD (in conjunction with CBT)! I have intrusive thoughts maybe 2x a day or less! Before that, they were constant (and so were the compulsions). OCD was ruining my life for 10 years, and now I'm 24 and I'm feeling great :) I'm on other meds for depression, anxiety, and ADD."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I’ve been suicidal daily for 37 years. Four inpatient visits, two outpatient, 40 years of therapy and 30+ ineffective, neurotoxic meds, all past poop-out, 12+ at a time. At 63, dry mouth has destroyed my teeth and ALL need to be pulled. I have terrifying conscious blackouts up to 24 hours and no short-term memory. For decades I searched for every synonym for uncontrollable thoughts and talking, but nothing fit. Until I heard an OCD trait called ”Memory Hoarding.” Hoard means to protect, not collect, thoughts, feelings, and experiences I fear losing. I tell someone a ”story” about these. Out loud and alone, from when I wake until I sleep. I retell it to embellish, then again to shorten. I do it in my head when I'm talking to people so I feel disconnected. I started 25mg of Anafranil, the highest-rated drug I know, 3 weeks ago. In one week, I stopped feeling suicidal. No panic attacks or rage. I still tell stories, but not out loud, I sometimes can stop a little. Miraculous!"
For Depression "After 6 years with very strong depression that nothing helps, this medicine saved my life. It takes more than a month to kick in, and it continues to grow for a full year, but after you use it, you feel strong and don't think about depression anymore. If you have resistant depression, you must try this. It's a totally different class than the rest. I also tried all the natural 5HTP, St. John's Wort, and the rest, and nothing helped."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Anafranil has always worked superbly for my obsessive-compulsive disorder, and I have used this medicine intermittently for 30 years. My mistake has always been to completely stop when I feel well - it always comes back. Although an amazing medicine, the downside is that it takes about 8 weeks for the medicine to work, and before that, I usually feel worse. And the side effects can be a challenge."
For Panic Disorder "Have been on Anafranil for 5 weeks now. Prior to starting this medication I tried Lexapro (horrible panic attacks no sleep), Zoloft (made me depressed, worsened anxiety), Cymbalta (dreamlike state, made me totally dysfunctional), dothiepin (slightly alleviated anxiety but not much). I have only taken Anafranil for 5 weeks and it has already cured me of chronic anxiety, panic attacks. Took 4 weeks to really start working but turned out to be a surprisingly effective medicine. I feel great for the first time in years and am starting to get my life back. It has also helped my agoraphobia a great deal, magical stuff."
For Panic Disorder "Outstanding medication for obsessive-compulsive stress disorder, panic, agoraphobia. I have been on this medicine for 15 years, and it has eliminated my panic attacks, anxiety, and I am able to leave the house without fear. Side effects include rapid heart rate, dry mouth, sexual dysfunction, and hypotension. I take Anafranil at night. There is absolutely no weight gain, in fact, I lost 50 lbs. I did switch to Zoloft with no success and am back on Anafranil. There were no withdrawal symptoms when tapered off. This is one of the best meds in the TCA class and works better than the new SSRIs for me."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This medication was a life-saver for me after years and years of very, very horrible social phobia and terrible panic attacks (lasting hours) in relation to having committed the 'unforgivable sin'. My social phobia had begun when I was 15 years old and nothing had helped up until starting Anafranil at 23 years old. Had tried several SSRIs with no help i.e. Lexapro at 60mg daily for years. Anafranil (at a high dose, 12 x 25mg tablets daily) has completely taken my social phobia away as well as my 'unforgivable sin' obsessions. Has been effective for 5 years and is still very effective. Gave me my life back. I use in conjunction with 4mg of Clonazepam and 75mg of Lamitrogine daily."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I started taking this medication 2 months ago, starting on 25mg but was too high as the side effects were bad for me so I started on 10mg slowly to 20mg and I think it has made a big difference. I am doing CBT too but the anxiety has decreased significantly. I suffer from intrusive thoughts and this helps it become more manageable and I feel that I'm living again!"
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "It has worked really well for my severe OCD, depression, anxiety, and panic. It stabilizes my mood too. The side effects are awful for me, though. Sexual side effects (like my genitals are numb) and severe constipation are the two side effects that keep me from being on a more therapeutic dose. At 100mg, the side effects are bad. At 50mg I'm OK in terms of side effects, but the benefits are minimal. I will be going up to 75mg and see how that goes. In the past, I had been on 150mg and then 200mg. I had never been happier. I think I may have been too happy rather than normally happy, though."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This medicine has been a GAME CHANGER for me. I have struggled with OCD, panic, and anxiety all my life. This is the medicine that finally did the trick. My OCD is probably 95 percent better. It also has helped my panic attacks! Like other reviews state, it took about 4 weeks to work!"
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This drug gave me my life back. After unsuccessfully being treated by various doses of Escitalopram and Paroxetine for nearly half a year, my doctor prescribed Anafranil (Clomipramine is the generic name). What a difference it made! It takes longer to kick in, in my case precisely 4 weeks, but it is well worth the long wait."
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Anafranil: Most likely the best medicine for obsessive-compulsive disorder overall. Yet each person has their own body chemistry/energy issues. Most people with OCD need about 100 to 200 mg at night. The key is to GRADUALLY go up in dose. This will give your body TIME to ADJUST to Anafranil. I am now up to 150 mg after 3 months, and I am feeling much better. Much fewer OCD thoughts. Yes, sexual side effects... as with any OCD medicine. I used to take a high dose of Paxil for 8 years and it just wore out, OCD came back. I think I will try Anafranil 200 or 225 mg, stay on it for a year, then see how I do as I try to wean down the dose to 50 or so."
For Depression "I have been using Anafranil (clomipramine) for more than 10 years. It has done wonders. I only take 25mg, but that is enough for my OCD. I can take more if I want but don't want any side effects. Anafranil did what no other antidepressant could do. It is an older drug but for me it's better."
For Depression "I've been taking this medication for major depression for 14 years now. 17 years ago, I was given big doses of steroids due to problems resulting from back surgery. Those high doses of steroids pushed me into major depression. After 3 1/2 years of trying to find a medication that worked for me, I was prescribed Anafranil. Within two days, I was seeing positive results. Within a year of taking Anafranil, I was free of depression. I've been taking Anafranil ever since - somewhat afraid to stop. There are many side effects that I often get tired of, but they pale compared to the relief I received from this medication. It is the most serotonergic of the tricyclics, and I feel it should be more widely tried for major depression."
