Clomipramine advice

[Findingmyway]

Hi, I'm new here and would really welcome some advice.

I'm 41 and have had depression on & off since my teens. Around 4 years ago I thought I was finally over it. However 6 months ago I began to suffer from intrusive thoughts, negativity & anxiety, to the extent that they were affecting my daily life.

As a result I visited my GP who prescribed Clomipramine. Initially I suffered nasty side effects including dry mouth, constipation, shaking, blurred vision, dilated pupils, pins & needles etc. I started on 25mg with little improvement and increased to 50mg after 2 weeks ( I take the dose around 9.30pm). I persevered and 6 weeks on I feel much better and like life is worth living again. The anxiety is much less frequent and I am much more optimistic. I've also suffered from frequent headaches since my teens which have now disappeared, which has been a very welcome side effect. But..... I am suffering from horrendous insomnia.

I fall asleep OK (I go to bed between 10.30 and 11.15pm) but wake hourly and sleep very lightly. I wake very early (around 5am). Whatever time I wake my brain switches on immediately and I start to sing songs in my head - this drives me CRAZY!! In the day I don't feel too bad, but have started to suffer from more colds, sore throats etc which is a sure sign for me that I am not getting enough sleep. I went back to my GP who said insomnia is relatively uncommon with Clomipramine. She has prescribed me a short course of low dose Zoplicone - I know these will work as I have used these before, but I found them addictive so am reluctant to start on them, unless I have an important/busy day coming up where a full night's sleep is essential.

Has anyone had a similar experience? I'm reluctant to change meds as they are making me feel so much better, but at the same time, I am struggling with the lack of sleep and song-singing! I'm currently also using a sleep hypnosis CD but I've had little success with this.

Any advice would be much appreciated! :)

[Findingmyway]

Hi, I'm new here and would really welcome some advice.

I'm 41 and have had depression on & off since my teens. Around 4 years ago I thought I was finally over it. However 6 months ago I began to suffer from intrusive thoughts, negativity & anxiety, to the extent that they were affecting my daily life.

As a result I visited my GP who prescribed Clomipramine. Initially I suffered nasty side effects including dry mouth, constipation, shaking, blurred vision, dilated pupils, pins & needles etc. I started on 25mg with little improvement and increased to 50mg after 2 weeks ( I take the dose around 9.30pm). I persevered and 6 weeks on I feel much better and like life is worth living again. The anxiety is much less frequent and I am much more optimistic. I've also suffered from frequent headaches since my teens which have now disappeared, which has been a very welcome side effect. But..... I am suffering from horrendous insomnia.

I fall asleep OK (I go to bed between 10.30 and 11.15pm) but wake hourly and sleep very lightly. I wake very early (around 5am). Whatever time I wake my brain switches on immediately and I start to sing songs in my head - this drives me CRAZY!! In the day I don't feel too bad, but have started to suffer from more colds, sore throats etc which is a sure sign for me that I am not getting enough sleep. I went back to my GP who said insomnia is relatively uncommon with Clomipramine. She has prescribed me a short course of low dose Zoplicone - I know these will work as I have used these before, but I found them addictive so am reluctant to start on them, unless I have an important/busy day coming up where a full night's sleep is essential.

Has anyone had a similar experience? I'm reluctant to change meds as they are making me feel so much better, but at the same time, I am struggling with the lack of sleep and song-singing! I'm currently also using a sleep hypnosis CD but I've had little success with this.

Any advice would be much appreciated! :)

Anyone ????? :weep:

[purplepie]

Hi there, I am new here as well and just prescribed clomipramine, first day today and a little apprehensive as I am on all meds. I have been prescribed 10 mg 3 times a day. I have switched from 20mg prozac ( only took it 3 weeks ) as I couldn't stomach it and I was getting worked up with my over anxiousness. I was on lofepramine last year which did help a bit but not enough. I used to wake at 5am on that everyday and it wasn't great for sleep although I have heard that clomipramine should be better for anxiety. How are you getting on with yours now?

[dizzylizzy]

Hi,
Did you end up staying on Clomipramine?

I am actually here for regarding insomnia as well! Most of these meds seem to make everyone tired and yet this is doing the opposite for me! Like you said once my eyes open I am instantly awake. I also have had issues falling asleep - My muscles are twitchy and I toss n turn for hours.
I am taking this for a symptom of Narcolepsy ironically enough (sleep disorder known for Excessive Sleepiness). I am used to being able to sleep whenever wherever (too much so)! However the now lack of sleep is concerning me greatly.
The first week I averaged 2-3 hrs a night. I have heard of similar addicting properties of zopiclone and would hesitate to add a new drug to manage side effects of another. Sigh.
I think I am going to try a different medication but am curious how things worked out for you or any others who may have experienced similar symptoms.

[I am currently taking 25 mg 2x a day]

[purplepie]

Hi Dizzylizzy

Yeah I am still on the clomipramine, I am about 2 weeks off six months of it now. I take 10mg in a morning and 25mg before bed. I am not sure if it is my stmptoms or the meds, but at the moment, I have little motivation and I am peeling myself off the bed in the morning as I have started a small cleaning job and I have to be up early. I don't wake with any enthusiasm but it does get better as the day goes on. I am going to discuss this with doc next time I see him.

When my insomnia was at its worse , I had exactly what you have, waking all of a sudden, body twitches going to sleep and waking me up, I still don't know what was going on but it jsut must have been severe anxiety and panic.

I wouldn't say the clomipramine has done anything major to my sleep but I am only on a low dose, the usual dose is upto around 75mg a day going to 225 if needed, but I didn't want to be zombied up. I wouldn't take zopiclone if you can help it as it is a slleping tablet that can become addictive and hard to get off, I have a friend on them and he can't seem to sleep at all without them. The clomipramine are not addictive, just something you shouldn't come off all at once. I am happy to stay on them for a while as my mad thoughts have calmed down as have I to some degree. Like I say I am far from perfect but don't know if its me or the meds?

I hope this helps. Keep me informed as to how you are getting on.

Purplepie x

[Sober2000june]

Hi Purplepie, i see like me you are one of the very few(well it apears that way:blush:) who is on clomipramine. This is my 5th med in 17 months and i just so want to get better.
I noticed you're on 35mg per day; how you feeling?

---------- Post added at 12:24 ---------- Previous post was at 12:22 ----------

Hi D Lizzy,

hows you with the clomiprmine, did you go back on or lower dose?

[purplepie]

Hi Sober2000june

Yeah, there aren't many of us on clomipramine, not sure why it isn't used as much as other older ads but it seems to have helped me more than anything else. I wouldn't say any drug is perfect as everything comes with side effects and I hate takeing meds anyway, I think , why am I not ok without them?! Anyway, I have jsut this week come down to 30mg, off my own accord really. I see the Doc again on Tues, so I will have a chat with him about that. I seem to be ok once I am up, but I am really struggling getting out of bed and in my sleep, I wake with a pounding heart and strange head things going on.... heard to explain. I am not sure if I am still anxious and/or depressed or if there is something else going on hormonally?

I feel a lot better than I did a few years ago and this is my 4th med and mum thinks that's a lot to try, but it's really is trial and error and some of them make you feel damn right ill!!

How long have you been on them and what dose? They say 3 x 25mg a day is what you should be on, going higher if needed, but I don't think I would function on much higher than I am on, plus I already find it difficult to go to the loo ( number 2s). I would need dynamite of I was anymore than this :).

Keep in touch, it's a good way to see how you progress.
love pp x

[Sober2000june]

Hi PP,

I started clomipramine on 24th Jan so this is me into my 3rd week. 1st week 10mg, 2nd 20mg - well 9 days cus scared to go up, and last night took my 1st 25mg. Still toiling. This all came on me like a torrent during Aug 2011, and ive been fighting my way back ever since. If it wasnt for my 3 kids i think id have given up. I am currently seeing a Psychiatrist private $$$$:wacko:, as ive had poor experience with NHS shrinks as and when you can get them e.g. texting whilst you are trying to lay your soul on the line:lac:. My shrink i believe wants me on 30mg but no more than 50mg. I beleive the plan was to go up 10/wk. I suppose i should know by now its going to take a few week to help; it's just that i tried my hardest there for 10 months to make venlafaxine work. before that it was 7 weeks on mirtazapine, 7 on sertraline:scared11:, and finally gave citalopram 3 months previous to sert. So i've had a fair go on the med go round. Im really hoping this works as my aunt tried various new meds and was at the jumping off stage when her gp as a last ditch gave her immipramine and it got her back to herself and sh'es been on it since(mid 90's).

really good to hear from you,

Paul:hugs:

[purplepie]

I know what that jumping off stage feels like after 5 weeks trying fluoxetine, I thought I was going to die. I did 5 months citalopram at 20mg, didn't do anything, but nor was I really dealing with my life problems either, I then took nothing until a nervous break down where I couldn't take any more, I stopped sleeping and felt so ill and on the edge that I spent 4 months living in my mum's back bedroom and I am nearly 42!!!
I then started on lofepramine - 140mg but that gave me bad side effects for what little it was doing, for three weeks off it I felt ok and then bump off we went again, crying for no rason and feeling really low, so on to sert for 1 day only, I woke up, thought I was going to black out and spent the mornign on my sisters floor feeling dizzy and faint. On the fluox we went while i had a psych assesment with a nurse, she said you wouldn't believe the amount of people who couldn't tolerate ssri's, I thought I can, I am one of them! So back to my understanding doc and onto clomipramine we went, on his recommend, I started to feel better after a week, I think it was just the relief from coming off the others. I stopped retching and after a few months even got a small part time cleaning job after 3 years of not working. I sometimes feel crap in work, but not from anxiety, more from feeling hot and a little faint when I am working, not sure if this is the tabs or me? I will ask on my next Doc apt. The one appt I did have with a psychiatrist after my assesment was a complete waste of time, he spent the first 10mins talking about the weather and the next half talking about my hobbies, my relationship, my family, my financial stuff - this is kindergarten stuff, I needed proper understanding of my condition. I told my Doc and he agreed that the mental health services offered to people that he refers are totally not good enough. I could have done better myself!

I hear of people like your aunt being on meds for years, I supposse if you feel good and you can just take em and get on with your day then fine, but I questions all the time, why I aren't ok without them, there must be a reason? I don't want to be on them forever but I don't want to go back to how I felt.

Don't be frightened of going up in small mgs, I started on 3 x 10mg a day and then went to 40 but that stopped orgasms ( I say it like it is! Can you believe that when I mentioned this to the Psych, I had told him I was in a new relationship and he asked could it be the new boyfriend not being quite up to it!!!! I told him I hadn't had problems before the new tab!!) so I chatted to Doc and went down to 35 per day and Os are now hit and miss, I hope as I go down a bit more, it will help but at the same time keep the anxiety at bay.
Life eh, never thought this would be me, even though I am not the most self confident, I never feared going anywhere or trying new things. I used to be cabin crew flying all over the world and end up sleeping in my mums back bedroom at 40 odd :shrug:

I read everything about the meds as I am paranoid that they will make me ill, so when I was put on these, I googled - naughty me ha ha, they said that these are also given to dogs, for seperation anxiety and excessive barking etc, so I am hoping to be wagging my tail any day now or maybe I will just start weeing up lamp posts.
I know it's no joke but sometimes you just got to laugh or you'll cry and I have done my share of that!

:bighug1:

---------- Post added at 19:20 ---------- Previous post was at 19:15 ----------

Sorry for the spelling, I feel I have that much in my head I want to type that my fingers can't keep up! Plus I am hungry and waiting for an Indian.:)

[Sober2000june]

Evening PP,

Just noticed we're similar ages, im 41 in a few months:blush:. TBH the ol' sexual disfunction does not worry me at mo' as i have a house full of kids and its prob for the best. I'm the opposiste escpecially with Mirtazapine and Venla. Clomipramine had not stopped the ol' chap workin'. Looking at none of them have so maybe ive not had enough of a rise in serotonin yet. If i feel calm and happy im not too bothered about "hows yer farther?" at the mo.

Good post it cheered me up. especially as i thought i was loosing it yest.

keep in touch,

Paul:hugs:

[Sober2000june]

How are you keeping PP?

Paul:hugs:

[stormyok10]

Hi All,Hope you don't mind me joining in. I have been on clomipramine for 8 days now, starting on 20 mg, and raising every 2days, now on 50 mg. Was wondering what side effects you all had as I am very light headed & dizzy, nausea's, no appetite, also don't sleep, which doesn't help the situation, when I get out of bed for the first hour I have terrible shakes, also get periods of blurred vision.
I also have been on many other ssri's with no success.
How long did side effects last? Any side effects when upping dose. So many things I want to ask. Thank you in anticipation x

[purplepie]

Firstly Hi Paul, I thought I had lost this thread and wanted to see how you were doing. I am sure these meds affect my cognition or it could just be my age. I am doing ok, I have been cutting down to 20mg for past couple of weeks but have felt a bit low and on edge a couple of times, so might go back up to 30 and come down slower when I feel ready again to the 25mg once a day. I can't really say if this lower dose has had any affect on my Big O as I have had a bad cough and cold and so sex has been off the agenda haha!

Welcome to our thread stormyok10, of course you are free to join us. Because I was so bad coming off fluoxetine when I went onto Clom, I can't really say what the side effects where as such as I was just glad to stop retching. If I can remember my hands did shake in a morning but this could have been me and not the tabs as it was early days. I didn't really feel dizzy or nauseous on it. The main side effects I have found are BAD constipation even on a low dose, flushing of the face, neck arms at random moments ( made worse by my periods, so could be hormonally linked), needing to pee a few times through the night. Oh yeah and I also find it very difficult to orgasm ( that's when I actually feel like sex!:blush:)I am a little confused with how much it has done for me because some days I feel I could fight the universe and other days I feel exhausted, low and tearful this brings back some anxiety. As I said above I have been on 30mg now for quite a while but I was trying to cut this back but I have been feeling a bit stressed again and so maybe it is not a good time to come off it. I have loads of family illness going on and a lot of pressure on me for being the only driver and I am trying to back away from it but then I just feel guilty. Guilt however is meant to be a recovery feeling as you are no longer doing for everyone else and are starting to look after yourself a bit more.

The max I went to was 40mg but didn't really see any worsening of side effects. I think blurred vision is one of the side effects of clom but if the side effects settle down for you, then hopefully you will find the drug helpful. Also, the older drugs are meant to help with sleep, not sure what dose you are meant to be on for that to happen although I do sleep much better than I did, again I am not sure if this is me getting better or the drugs - it is hard to know.

Take one day at a time and let us know how you are getting on.
:hugs:xx

What have you tried up to now? What were your symptoms/story before drugs that led up to you needing them?

[Sober2000june]

Hi PP,

Im currently reducing on clomip by shrinks advice. dropping 5 mg at a time and still feeling it today. currently on 35 mg. starting to think ADs not gonna work for me as this is 5th med in 18 months. Shrink wants me to try holistic approach as i am toosensetive to SE.

Kinda tired of whole thing.

Sorry for poor me.

Take care:hugs:

---------- Post added at 21:38 ---------- Previous post was at 21:37 ----------

sorry meant to say how you feeling stormy?

[tracyp584]

Hi,

I have been taking Clompramine for 6 weeks now and I have now increased dosage to 100mg. Side effects for me so far are feeling really shaky in the morning, really dry mouth, constant dread feeling in stomach (this was the first 3 weeks). I started on 20mg and increased by 10mg every few days that I felt confident to. I only made 100mg last night.

I just go to bed at night, praying that in the morning I will just wake up and feel 'normal' at the moment.. it just takes so long :(

Tracy

[purplepie]

Hi Tracyp584, did you have those symptoms before starting the meds as some if it could be anxiety/depression? I can't imagine what it is like to be on 100mg as I am only on 30 and I can't seem to poop?! and I get facial flushing, although like sober2000june I think I am sensitive to meds.
I can relate to your praying each night to just feel normal each day, I used to go to bed in tears, knowing that my sleep would be bad and knowing that when I did finally drop off, I would wake and boom, the dread of the day would hit me and I really don't know how I made it through each day. I am a lot better than I was after 6 months of clomipramine but there are still lots of things that could be better, like if I don't get enough sleep, I feel groggy and low and it really spoils my day as I feel that I have no energy to go anywhere or do anything and I I think to myself that I will never be normal - these last emotional years of anxiety and depression, depersonalisation, not feeling with it etc etc have really taken their toll and I lack the ability to have fun because any slight feeling of anything in me sends me back to constantly checking how I feel.
Let us know how you go on this med.
How are you stormyok10?
Big hug to you sober2000june, tired is how I feel very often - sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. What have your withdrawal symptoms been if any on each 5mg drop?
Big hugs to all. xx

[Findingmyway]

Hi, how is everyone doing? I came off clomipramine after GP failed to find an alternative for me, but have hit rock bottom again and due to see her again tomorrow. Really do not know how it's gonna go :(

[purplepie]

I am on a v low dose of clomipramine which I don't know if it does anything or not to be honest. I did try to come off them completely but after 5 days I was getting really strange feelings and I was like a bear with a sore head and everytime I turned around I had like a shock??

I feel tired and crap a lot of the time, but I feel achy not necessarily depressed? Maybe it is the physical symptoms of depression?

When you say rock bottom, what symptoms are you having?

:huh: