Help please....lofepramine

[Coni]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick post to ask about experiences of lofepramine. I've just been prescribed these and have just read the side effects and am now scared to take them!

anyone got any information/experience to share. I've looked up all the official info in the BNF....but would like to know the reality.

Thanks Coni X

[hunny_as]

hello coni i have not had these tablets, but when ever i get new tablets i the same. I read the leftelt inside and start worrying about tacking them, my parnter has to tack it out of the box and read it for me and if i feel odd i tell him and he reasures me. I think every one has the same feelings when there put on new tabltes or when they get tablets for the 1 st time. i am sure there is nothing to worry about. Hope this helps

amanda xx


dont worry about today, for today was the tomorrow you worried about yeaterday

[Coni]

Hi Amanda,

thanks for your reply. Your right of course, reading the leaflet naturally puts me off....in fact I asked my GP about side effects and he refused to tell me, which was daft cos he knows I'm in nursing and would just go and look it up!!!lol.

Coni X

[bluesparkle]

hi
i have taken these on several occasions... when i was first depressed years ago i tried many tablets and they just didnt agree with me but lofepramine were fine. they did take a couple of weeks to work though so please be patient and do not read the leaflet !!! im sure they are there just to worry us... but honestly i do not like taking tablets of any form (not on any now) but these were fine and helped alot.
good luck and let us know how you get on with them
rach

[alexis]

I take these now after taking others first, i do not suffer any side effects but then I dont read the leaflet or Im sure i would suffer them all,I too am in the nursing profession but luckily am not tempted to look them up, I trust my GP.

[Coni]

Hi Rach, and Alexis,

Thank you for your replies. I have calmed down a little now and can see I was overreacting a little (not like me lol!). I think I will take one tonight to see how I get on, as the alternative is to continue feeling the way I do.

I have tried the kalms my husband bought but I cant say I noticed a big difference.

Alexis, do you mind if I ask were you working when you started on these and if you were did they make any difference to your concentration etc ?

Thanks again

Coni X

[alexis]

Hi Coni, they will take a while to get into your system unfortunately, wish they worked quicker, like..........yesterday.:D
yes I continued to work throughout, my concentration was affected anyway but i dont think they made it any worse.
Are you on 2 a day, the only side effect, which may not even be a side effect due to my age etc is I get really hot. I have always been warm anyway but sometimes I feel as if Ive sudddnely got sunburnt, this does not bother me at all and is a small price to pay for the benefit I receive from these meds.
Hope this helps, anything is worth a try, dont do what I did and put off starting them for months,
Take care.xx

[Coni]

Hi Alexis,

Thanks...I am supposed to take 2 a day,but I'll see how I go with one first (coward!!!)

As you say my concentration isnt great just now anyway so I spose it wont matter too much.

I noticed sweats and photosensitivity among the side effects and they did concern me abit. I'm very fair skinned and used to get rashes from the son when I was younger. As I'm going on holiday in June I would prefer that didnt happen....but then if I dont take them I may not have a family left to go on holiday with (lol)...so I suppose its all relative.

Thanks again Alexis

Coni X

[Coni]

oops sorry I meant 'rashes from the sun'.....although my sons do occasionally bring me out in a nervous rash too lol!!

Coni

[Coni]

Hello,

Me again. Just thought I'd post to let you know what happened. I plucked up the courage to start taking the lofepramine yesterday morning. I'm still here, nothing terrible has happened, my heart hasnt done anything weird, no palpitations or ectopics (at least no more than usual).

I do feel pretty rubbish though. Its like having a bad hangover....I'm shattered (but havent been sleeping for ages so that may not be the tablets), headache, dry mouth and feel really queasy. I dont know how long this lasts, I was hoping one day as thats how long the physical side effects from cipralex lasted, but now day 2 and I feel worse so I guess not.

So not only do I feel mentally and emotionally rotten but now physically too.

Anyway with a bit of luck I'll feel better tomorrow.

Coni X

[alexis]

Hi Coni, just keep going, I know its hard when you believe these are the side efects, but maybe you would feel like this anyway, I think once youve been on them a while perhaps they will fade away, just be careful about dose if they say two perhaps you should take two, i was on two and at Christmas felt so much better I reduced them myself to one, big mistake.
ended up ten times worse, you need to reduce under supervision, any way keep going,. Pm if i can help or reassure in anyway,xxx

[Coni]

Thanks Alexis,

I eventually did end up taking two cos I figured maybe I was prolonging the agony by only taking one at first.

It hasnt helped that I'm on training through work at the moment about suicide prevention, which really is heavy going anyway and coupled with how I feel, by the end of yesterday I just wanted to crawl under the duvet and stay there.

I dont think I feel just as queasy this morning....but it does seem to get worse as the day goes on.

Thanks for your reply, its been a great help.

Coni X

[Ashtonsmam]

Hi Coni

i have been taking lofepramine for around 9 months now after i had a adverse reaction with an ssri,,i have been absolutley fine on lofepramine,,the only side effect i got when i started taking it was a dry mouth and consipation,,i still have bother going to the loo now but i control it with my diet,,i take 2 tablets at night now,,i started on one then gradually upped to 2,,i really have had no problems with this med at all,,it has basically saved my life in more ways than one,,hope this has helped,,

leanne (goodluck)

[alexis]

Hi I take one on a morning and one on a night, sometimes I can be extra anxious and ""sad"" on a morning and wonder if its till the tablets get in my system.Coni do you take both yours together?
O yes the suicide training must be so hard, dont suppose there is any way you can postpone it(prob daft question, )
maybe once you get used to them, perhaps if you ate when you felt quesy? Just a thought as this isnt something i suffer with.
I think like Leanne says, you will end up with few probs once you are used to it.
take care and your doing great.xx

[Coni]

Hi Leanne,

thanks for your reply, I didnt realise you could take both tablets at one time. I think I'll ask my GP if I can do this. I have noticed my mouth really dry as well but I was like that on cipralex too. I'm glad to hear these tablets were sp helpful.

Alexis....I take one in the morning and one at night. I definitely didnt feel so queasy earlier today, though I do feel a bit sick now....I'm concious of trying not to eat because I put on about a stone when I was on cipralex (which I havent lost yet) and I really dont want to put on any more....maybe I'll try eating little and often.

thanks again

Coni X

[alexis]

Hi Coni, same as me then, morning and night, dont eat a lot, perhaps just a rich tea biscuit or something.