Luvox (fluvoxamine) is a type of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that can help reduce symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and target co-occurring conditions—like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Luvox can be effective on its own, but is especially impactful when used in conjunction with exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), which targets the behaviors at the root of the OCD cycle.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex mental health condition, but it is treatable. Through exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), and medications, like Luvox (fluvoxamine), it’s possible to reduce the impact of symptoms and regain control over your life.
ERP is a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy, designed to treat OCD, which is highly effective at reducing symptoms. ERP involves gradually exposing yourself to fears or triggers, while learning to resist engaging in compulsions. This process helps you learn to tolerate discomfort, and reduces the impact of your obsessive fears.
The other first-line treatment for OCD is medication. Fluvoxamine, more commonly known by its brand name, Luvox, or Luvox CR (controlled release), has been shown to be effective at reducing the severity of OCD symptoms—especially when used in conjunction with ERP therapy.
Read on to learn more about Luvox’s efficacy and side effects, and how Luvox can be used alongside ERP to help you reclaim your life from OCD.
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
OCD is a mental health condition characterized by two symptoms: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, sensations, images, feelings, or urges that cause intense distress or anxiety. These obsessions are recurrent and difficult to control. Common obsessions revolve around harm, sexuality, relationships, and contamination, among other themes. People with OCD often recognize that their obsessions are irrational, but struggle to dismiss or ignore them.
In response to obsessions, with OCD perform compulsions—repetitive acts or rituals meant to provide relief from distress and anxiety, or to attempt to prevent an unwanted outcome. Compulsions can be physical actions like excessive hand washing, arranging objects in a specific order, or mental rituals such as counting or praying. These rituals may temporarily relieve distress, but they do nothing to prevent obsessions from returning again, reinforcing a vicious cycle of obsessions and compulsions.
When OCD is left untreated, simple tasks like leaving the house, completing assignments, or making decisions can become arduous and time-consuming. This can lead people to become isolated and/or hopeless, contributing to a higher risk of other mental conditions—such as depression, anxiety disorders. Luckily, OCD can be treated with the right medications and therapeutic strategies.
What is Luvox (fluvoxamine)?
Luvox is a medication that is part of a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)—along with Lexapro (escitalopram), Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Celexa (citalopram), and Paxil (paroxetine). While serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) called clomipramine are sometimes used to treat OCD symptoms, SSRIs are more frequently prescribed for OCD.
The immediate effect of SSRIs is to increase the amount of serotonin between nerve cells in certain parts of the brain. However, there is no conclusive evidence of a serotonin deficiency in people with OCD, so researchers are still working to understand exactly why SSRIs tend to reduce OCD symptoms. It’s likely that increased activity between nerve cells creates more gradual changes that lead to improvements in OCD symptoms.
SSRIs are also used to treat depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—conditions that frequently co-occur with OCD. In this way, medications like Luvox can help you feel relief from other conditions that may be exacerbating OCD symptoms or inhibiting your ability to seek treatment for OCD.
Side effects and risks
It’s important to educate yourself on the potential side effects of Luvox. Many side effects are mild to moderate and tend to disappear within a few weeks, while others can persist for longer. Some of Luvox’s more common side effects include:
- dry mouth
- insomnia
- reduced sex drive
- nausea
- dizziness
- fatigue
- diarrhea
- constipation
- decreased appetite
- withdrawal symptoms if stopped abruptly
As is the case with all psychiatric medications, side effects may or may not impact you. You should discuss your individual needs and responses with your provider, and monitor your health carefully—especially during the first few weeks—to ensure that more serious side effects do not occur.
Treating OCD with Luvox (fluvoxamine)
Extensive studies have demonstrated that Luvox and other SSRIs can be very effective at reducing OCD symptoms. In contrast to conditions like anxiety and depression, Luvox is usually prescribed at a higher dose for OCD. According to Jamie Feusner, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and Chief Medical Officer at NOCD, a daily 200mg or higher dose of Luvox is typical among OCD patients, whereas 100mg is typical for people with depression.
“At higher doses, it practically becomes a different drug, working on an entirely different area of the brain,” he explains. He notes that higher doses do not necessarily mean more severe side-effects. As always, monitor your health after taking a new medication and remain in communication with your provider if any side effects emerge.
While SSRIs like Luvox can be highly effective for OCD, these medications can take time to work. SSRIs typically reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression within two to four weeks, but it can take anywhere from six to 12 weeks to start reducing symptoms of OCD symptoms. Feusner says this is because “for OCD, on the time scale of six or eight weeks after treatment, there’s evidence that brain activity in the orbitofrontal cortex and caudate changes in response to medication, and that seems to relate to symptom improvement.” Lower doses of SSRIs used for anxiety and depression create changes in entirely different regions of the brain—a process which tends to happen in a shorter amount of time.
“In some cases, things continue to improve for many weeks or even months after that. Needless to say, this requires a lot of patience,” says Feusner. “There’s also a chance that Luvox might not work sufficiently, or at all for an individual, but we really have to wait for at least 12 weeks to make that assessment.” Feusner says at that point, a provider might recommend another type of SSRI, or another form of medication or treatment, entirely.
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Luvox and ERP therapy
ERP therapy can be a helpful tool while you wait for the benefits of medication to kick in. It can also support in cases where SSRIs are not provoking a sufficient response. ERP therapy helps people with OCD rewire the way they respond to obsessions, and learn to resist compulsions altogether. While medications, like Luvox, can treat the symptoms of OCD, ERP can create long lasting benefits that continue well beyond a course of treatment.
ERP therapy focuses on helping you confront your fears, anxieties, and triggers, while learning to resist engaging in compulsive behaviors. Through gradual exposures, a trained ERP therapist will help you learn to sit with discomfort, instead of immediately responding. ERP therapy can feel difficult, but it’s highly effective—and your therapist will work with you every step of the way to make sure you feel supported as you move through gradually more challenging exposures.
Often, medications like Luvox can help make the process of ERP therapy feel easier—or even possible. If you’re struggling with depression, for example, it may feel hard to find the motivation or energy to embark on ERP exercises. In other cases, anxiety levels may simply feel too high to tolerate exposures. SSRIs, like Luvox, can help target depression, anxiety, and the intensity of OCD symptoms, allowing you to engage more fully in treatment. In this way, medication and ERP therapy can be helpful complementary treatments for people navigating OCD.
It’s important to note that while you can treat OCD solely with Luvox, OCD symptoms will likely return if and when you discontinue medication. That being said, if Luvox’s side effects are not impacting you significantly, medication can be a long-term treatment option.
Bottom Line
Medications like Luvox will not be necessary for every person navigating OCD, but they can make a big difference in reducing symptoms and targeting co-occurring conditions, like anxiety and depression. In many cases, SSRIs can give you the boost necessary to take on challenging therapeutic exercises, like ERP. Medications like Luvox may take a while to kick in, and can have varying side-effects—so be sure to listen to your body, communicate with your provider, and practice patience. OCD recovery is not always immediate or linear, but pursuing treatment is worth it. In time, you can find relief from obsessions and compulsions, and reinvest your time in the things that truly matter.
Key takeaways:
- Luvox (fluvoxamine) is an SSRI that can help reduce symptoms of OCD.
- SSRIs can also treat anxiety, depression, and PTSD—conditions that often occur alongside OCD.
- Medications like Luvox can help ease the process of ERP therapy, which teaches you how to face fears and anxieties while resisting compulsions.
- SSRIs tend to reduce symptoms for as long as they are taken, and may be used as a long-term method of treatment; however, side-effects can occur.