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I’ve been on many AD’s over the past 20 years and found success with Peroxatine in 2000 and then after an enormous crash in 2011 I found remission with venlafaxine and Mirtazipine...However I crashed out again in 2018 and have struggled ever since and just don’t tolerate and SSRI/SNRI anymore...I am on 4 meds right now and struggling
Any guidance or support with a possible switch to a imipramine would be greatly appreciated thanks
Hiya SideFX and welcome to NMP :welcome:
Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and
are a great starting place for your time on the forum.
I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and
support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way :yesyes:
Hi IanQuote:
Originally Posted by venusbluejeans
Sorry this is so long but here goes
Mental health runs in my direct family and 2001 I fell into a pit of panic, anxiety and depression. The trigger was stress, as I had a young family and was made redundant and struggled to find another job.
I sunk soooo fast in a matter of weeks I was at rock bottom...Anyway I got offered a job and started on Peroxatine, after failing on just one dose of Prozac (Way too activating) And I consider my condition to be - Anxious, agitated depression. So I started work after being on Peroxatine for 2 weeks and after 6 or so weeks I was on top of the world and felt absolutely fantastic (I was a poster child for the med)
The only lasting side effect was on my libido. So after around 4 years I came off the med and started feeling off after about 3 months. So I started Peroxatine again, this time it kicked my anxiety through the roof. But I thought it kicked in last time, so I sucked it up and within 4/5 weeks felt fantastic again !!!
Another few years passed and I again came off my med, same reason as last time. And after a few months the old feelings were returning. So I reached for my Peroxatine again and the start up anxiety hit me. But I though I would be fine in 4/5 weeks. Well I was wrong as with each passing week I was sinking further and further until I felt like I was having seizures. So I went to my GP and they switched me to Citalopram and that rocketed my anxiety, by which time I was started on Diazipam to help me.
Anyway I did some research and heard that Venlafaxine was a good AD, so I asked to be switched to it and it had no effect, no side effects either. I was then referred to a psychiatrist who raised my Diazipam and kept raising Venlafaxine until I hit 375mg and couldn’t go higher...I was by now even deeper than ever before and losing touch with everything. The Pdoc tried a few add ons until we added Mirtazipine and I slept all night for the first time in months wow I wanted more. So we raised the Mirt to 30mg and Diazipam was at 25mg I used it PRN, so some days more some days less, but it always helped. Anyway after around 12-18 months I was well again and tapered off the Diazipam.
Again I still had low libido as an ongoing side effect. So in 2017 I tapered off Venlafaxine very slowly, as I was now better informed. Then the usual happened after a few months I started having panic anxiety and depression. I tried to start Venlafaxine again and my whole body went on fire I felt like I had really bad sunburn all over my body and the hot flashes were horrendous, albeit they were always a part of my anxiety symptom mix.
So began a search for meds to get me back to health...It started with a short spell on Doluxetine...Then 2 days on amitriptyline, but had a huge mega panic attack on day 2 with my heart rate going through the roof. Then back to a slower start up of Venlafaxine, but same reaction to both SNRI’s. I was not passed to the crisis team and secondary care with a psychiatrist...I ended up in hospital at this point and that was a waste of time as they switched me to Trazadone, even though I stated that my mum did well on imipramine and could I try that or Clomipramine.
I got out after about 6 weeks still in a mess and on Mirtazipine, Trazadone and Diazipam. My Pdoc tried many add ons like quitipine, lithium and lomotrigine. Non of which I could tolerate nor did they help...I ended up back in hospital and they took me off quitipine and Trazadone and put me on Brintellix/Trintellix with Lyrica.
Lyrica knocked me out and brintellix made the burning and hot flashes horrendous. I gave up in my mind, but had to fight for the sake of my family BTW I left my wife in 2012 and my son came to live with me he was 14.
I had to live and push myself for him and my sister whom I’m extremely close too...So anyway I’ve been out of hospital for over 2 years and got a new job 18months ago. I wanted to end it but carried on and have just recently changed jobs. I’m currently on:
Brintellix 20mg
Mirtazipine 30mg
Lyrica 600mg
Diazipam 10mg
I am suffering everyday, but I have focus to work, albeit I’m constantly on the edge of panic and feel like crying, which has become a big part of my condition this time (I never had it before) my symptom mix is the different, but the same if that makes sense !!!
Anyway I’ve done a lot of research on meds and self help and god knows I’m trying to carry on and put my life back together, but these meds just ain’t doing it for me. Now to the point, my mum was originally on an MAOI, then got took off that in the 80’s I think, she went through the wash out and then started Imipramine and was good after a few weeks on new med. she kept on with her 3mg of Lorazepam....So I’ve wondered if Imipramine might be good for me.
But I’m so frightened of going through more med switching and don’t want to lose everything I’ve worked so hard for...Its the tachycardia that scares me and the withdrawal from brintellix. Plus right now the risk it too high, as new job !!! But in the short term can’t suffer or tolerate how I am...I need help and the doctors are lost and they will go with whatever I want (Exept MOAI’s)
Any nuggets of wisdom would be soooo much appreciated please I know I won’t be able to carry on too much longer !! Thank you