Coming off Dosulepin - Bad withdrawal [Archive]

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Jack Wagstaff

08-04-13, 18:58

Hi everyone, first time poster here.

First of all I have searched for a Dosulepin section in the Meds board and can't find it? If I have missed it, mods, please move it there.

I have been taking Dosulepin for coming upto two years now. I sustained a serious injury around three and a half years ago and despite trying to cope with it I realised I could not so I consulted with my doctor and he put me on a 75mg dose of Dosulepin once a day. I had tried several other anti-depressants previously and they all gave me serious bouts of dizziness and "depersonalisation". Dosulepin was the only one that didn't give me these problems.

I reduced my dosage to 25mg a day about a year ago and have been fine at that dose ever since. I recently spoke to my doctor and he said considering I was on such a low dose that was in his words "basically just a sleeping pill at that dose" he encouraged me to see how I was off the medication.

So for the past two weeks I have been taking 25mg every other day (one day on one day off). Today is the start of the third week of me doing this. The hope being I can then take one every three days for a week or two then stop.

Everything seemed fine until last Friday (5th April) were I had what seemed like an all day panic attack exactly like the ones I was having when I was prescribed the medication. Since Friday I have been consumed with panic, anxiety, breathlessness and "depersonalisation", symptoms I haven't had since beginning the drug. I am still taking 25mg every other day.

My question is to people who have experience of this drug and stopping it. Is this likely to continue or is this just withdrawal symptoms that should level out? I'm scared that this means something has been altered in my brain and I'll probably never be able to come off this drug.

Many thanks for any help.

Annie0904

08-04-13, 20:50

Jack Wagstaff

09-04-13, 22:47

Dosulipin is an older drug and not often not prescribed now. I have been taking it for 10 years and have managed to get down to 25 mg per day but after an accident last year I am back up to 75mg. I have never tried to come off it completely but my Dad took it for about 40 years and came off it a few months ago at the age of 83 with no side effects. I just think if it is doing me good than I will stay on it. If it was meds for a heart condition or some other illness I would still be on them so whats the difference.

Everyone's different. I personally want to be medication-free if possible.

I particularly don't want to be on AD's for the rest of my life. Dosulepin apparently can have an effect on the heart. I'd rather not be on something like that.

Annie0904

10-04-13, 08:30

There have been some warnings about it affecting the heart but my Dad is 83 and never had heart problems even though he was on dosulipin for half his life. His 2 ypunger brothers dont take dosulipin and have both needed heart by passes. I understand what you are saying though and I would rather be med free but at the moment I would rather be anxiety free whatever it takes. They are not really addictive though and if it is a gradual withdrawal you shouldnt have bad side effects. I hope your recovery goes well.

ElizabethJane

17-04-13, 21:15

Hi Jack I was on dothiepin for a very long time probably about sixteen years at high doses 175-200mg.My psychiatrist took me off it very quickly and without side effects/withdrawal.i felt weepy and that was about it. I had far more trouble coming off mirtazapine.I'm sorry at you are having a tough time but it will pass. Dothiepin had always been very good for me but because of the increased risk of heart problems and NICE guidelines I was taken off it.Its efficacy was in question as I had been on it for such a long time it was questionable whether it was still working? I think my brain is still working well and since I was on such a large dose it felt like a veil being lifted when coming off it.EJ

Smoothy

14-12-13, 08:43

I'm come down from 50mg to 25m to then go on to Mirtazapine in one week, I'm a bit more anxious and feel sick later in the day. How long will this last?

Annie0904

14-12-13, 10:54

I have now gone down to 25mg without any side effects. Smoothy if you re going on to mirt then maybe that will help get rid of the side effects from coming off the dosulipin.

Smoothy

14-12-13, 12:59

Maybe but I worrie swapping meds all the time will make me worse. The Gp wants me off the dosulepin as I was complaining about irratic heart rate rhythm. He said it could be the med so was safer to switch again... It's probably just anxiety again though...

sarahxxx

06-10-14, 23:19

MyNameIsTerry

07-10-14, 06:08

hi there i have been taking this ad for 23 years tried to come of but felt awful i am taking 75 mg a day but i am hypothyroid so not sure if mabie that caused me to feel bad anyone who came of can you let me know how they managed my doctor does not even want to know x

Thats disgusting that your GP is not interested but its sadly not uncommon when it comes to mental health issues!

Have you tried Googling withdrawal of this medication? I'm not on this one but I know when I've done this for various things out of interest when talking in threads on here, and from my own experience of some medications, there are websites out there that give recommendations.

Annie0904

07-10-14, 20:34

Sarah did you try reducing the dose gradually? Maybe go down to 50mg for a few month first and then drop to 25 mg?

sarahxxx

07-10-14, 23:03

hi thank you for both replys in saying the doc was not interested i went a couple of times and thhey asked how i was feeling on them i said fine i think i may have tried to reduse to fast 25 mg a night after a month of this i gaveup as i felt awful since then i have lost my son then my dad and sister not sure if reducing them would affect me worse now but feel i have been on them to long x

MyNameIsTerry

08-10-14, 05:45

Really sorry to hear that Sarah, it must be very hard for you let alone having to deal with medication issues and a GP who seems a bit useless.

Did you mean that you tried to reduce 25mg each night in a row? If so, thats a pretty severe drop. When I phased out Citalopram from 20mg, I went down to 10mg for 2 weeks first.

Your GP should be giving you advice on how to do this though as its their responsibility.

sarahxxx

08-10-14, 17:40

thank you terry yes 25 mg a night for a month the went back up as i was ill xx

MyNameIsTerry

09-10-14, 04:13

It sounds like you dropped from 75mg to 25mg and this might be too severe. You may find it would go more 75mg for X days/weeks, then 50mg for X days/weeks, then 25mg for X days/weeks, then half or completely off.

Its worth having a look around for a phased withdrawal plan, there will probably be some via Google or maybe even on the drugs websites such as Drugs.com.

Cuddle

08-11-14, 18:22

Iam on 50 mg of this tablet been on 75 for 15 years afraid of changing but heard it's not good for my heart,,I feel very weepy and anxious don't know if it's the tabs or just me ,

Annie0904

22-11-14, 16:55

I saw my doctor on Friday and NICE guidelines are asking GP's to try to get patients off Dosulepin. I am only taking 25 mg and he suggested that I take 25 mg every other night for few month to see how I manage. Will keep you posted on my progress :)

triciapo

01-04-16, 19:22

Hi all
I have been on Dosulepin for nearly 15 years! About 6 months ago i started getting ringing in my ears and have started losing my hair! A friend said she thought I`d been on them for far too long!
I went to see my GP this week and told him I wasn`t happy being on them any longer. He had no qualms about putting me on another antidepressant for PTSD!
I`ve been on 150mg per night for 15 years. I`ve been advised to just take 75mg per night for one week. Then for one week to take 75mg per night plus one of the new tablets. Then just stop taking the Dosulepin altogether!!
I have been on 75mg only for 4 nights now and so far have not felt any different apart from my head not feeling so `bunged up`!
Fingers crossed all will go well! I hope that i will not have any adverse side effects!!

---------- Post added at 19:22 ---------- Previous post was at 19:21 ----------

p.s. Some of the side effects are `ringing in ears and hair loss`!!

Janey3

23-07-18, 11:39

I’ve been on dosulepin for 18 months for anxiety depression and sleeplessness. I want to come off it for various reasons but mostly because I have put on a lot of weight whilst on it. Several years ago I was on Seroxat and found coming off it difficult until I had a major breakthrough in the form of a fabulous book called Optimum Nutrition for the Mind by Patrick Holford. As I gradually came off the anti- depressant I increased my intake of various vitamins minerals and herbal supplements. This worked incredibly well and I noticed no withdrawal symptoms and felt really really good. I’d had a previous bout some years before and the withdrawal symptoms were not nice. I really recommend this book- it made all the difference. Am going to do the same with dosulepin.