Dosulepin

[Eunice824]

Hi Mr Jitters

Yes, I can't stress the link between not sleeping and anxiety for me. It is so, so clear - if I sleep well, I have a "good" day the next day, if i don't sleep, it is a bad day, absolutely without fail.

My side effects are pretty much zero. Feel a bit zonked out in the mornings, struggle to get out of bed, and have a dry mouth quite a lot, but that's it.

On Citalopram, I just felt 10 times worse - worse than I've ever felt - so I'll willingly take those.

Fingers crossed the move to 75mg brings more improvements!

[Pongowaring]

Eunice, your description matches my experience exactly.

I can't really describe just how much worse citalopram made me feel. Thank god that is over.

[snowgoose]

Tricyclics are a very very good option to SSSRIs in my opinion .

I could not stand the side effects of those .......and found the older drugs worked for me . They dont seem to make anxiety worse .......but only my experience of course .
glad you are ok Pongo

[Lilyblue]

Arrrrrgh! Can't swallow it. Took loads of gulps and the colour came off in mouth. Will the colour be effective or do anything?
Dunno if should take liquid now, don't wanna od. tablet in the bin now.

[Pongowaring]

Tricyclics are a very very good option to SSSRIs in my opinion .

I could not stand the side effects of those .......and found the older drugs worked for me . They dont seem to make anxiety worse .......but only my experience of course .
glad you are ok Pongo

Thanks, snowgoose.

Still next to zero side effects for me, just dry mouth, and that's nothing to the effect citalopram had on me.

I feel it takes the edge off my anxiety but it is still very much there. I find the GAD is easier to handle, but the more episodic side of it is still there and as bad.

I'd been taking 5mg bisoprolol with it, but it's not really made any difference. The doctor told me t drop the bisoprolol for a month and see if i felt worse, but there's been no discernible difference really.

[cathycrumble]

I've noticed that my throat is extremely dry in the mornings, which I think is a side effect of dosulepin

Hi I have just started taking amitriptyline which is the same time as what you are taking I think. Do you feel it is working for you. As I was like you and had the most awful time when I took citalopram although when I first took it did make me feel back to my old self and because i felt great I stopped them and i went right down so I started them again took them for 3 months and i was terrible. So now taking Amitriptyline dont have side effects just a really dry mouth but that seems to be going abit. I just want to get my old self back as suffering really bad at the moment.

Cathy xx

[MrsNewbie]

I was prescribed Dosulepin 4½+ years ago, dosage 150mg, taken at night. I was prescribed it as a "mild anti-depressant". My mother had recently died and I took on the full-time care of my father and was struggling to cope. My doctor said it would "get me over the hump". It did help, I cannot deny it, however, in November 2011 the result of a routine Thyroid Function Test showed my being very much over the normal range (i.e., hyperthyroidism) - my Thyroxine dose was reduced. I had been experiencing rapid heart rate, sweats, etc. When I began to investigate I found Dosulepin is contraindicated for people with Thyroid problems ...

Round about the same time I began to wonder why I was still taking Dosulepin, which was prescribed as a short-term measure, but each time I requested repeat prescriptions was dispensed without question. Its use was never reviewed and neither did I ask - I assumed because my doctor didn't call me in that I must still need it - Catch 22.

Long-ish story short ... I asked to come off Dosulepin. I was told to make a phased withdrawal, reducing my dosage by 25mg each week. By the time I'd reached the 50mg daily dose, i.e., week 4 of withdrawal, I was a wreck, and was experiencing a raft of unpleasant symptoms. I had regular, severe migraines (3 full-blown in a 5-day period at worst, but usually 1 a week), blurred vision, impaired speech, diarrhea, jumpy nerves, trouble getting to sleep, and when I did sleep, I had nightmares or at the least, very vivid dreams. I asked my doctor what the first week of being completely without Dosulepin would be like and he just said, "Worse" ... it was.

I am now on Week 9 of withdrawal and would describe myself now as EXTREMELY ANXIOUS . I can't settle to do anything, I am having all the symptoms described above, plus regular stomach upsets, and my period has stopped - I am not coping. The truly frightening thing is, this is not how I was before I started taking Dosulepin - I was precisely the opposite - I was depressed. I am going to be seeing my doctor as soon as I can get an appointment to discuss what can be done. Will I have to go back on Dosulepin and be phased off even more slowly? I noticed in one post someone saying when they were on Dosulepin at a dosage of 75mg for 6 months that they withdrew over several months ... I was on it for over 4½ years and was expected to withdraw in only a very few weeks - I am worried I'll never be free of this medication or its nasty effects.

Anyone else had this experience and, if so, how were you helped? Thank you.

[ElizabethJane]

Hello Mrs Newbie. I was taking dothiepin for fourteen years at 175mg. I thought that I would never be able to withdraw from it. I did and it was done in a relatively short period of time i.e. three weeks. This was done under the supervision of my psychiatrist. If you are determined to come off it then increasing again might help and then a very gradual withdrawal under the supervision of your psychiatrist. Good luck. I thought that I wouldn't be able to do it but I did. I had weepiness, sleeplessness and anxiety. EJ

[MrsNewbie]

ElizabethJane -
many thanks for the encouraging words, however, I have never been in the care of a psychiatrist, only my GP. Hopefully he will be able to suggest some coping mechanisms until Dosulepin is completely out of my system.

[ElizabethJane]

I have used diazepam as and when required when withdrawing from mirtazapine (am now back on it) but it might be an idea to see if your GP is keen on prescribing diazepam. I don't think that I would have had the confidence to withdraw from dothiepin without my psychiatrists support but GPs are used to withdrawal. I always thought I would need to be hospitalised to come off (dothiepin) I think that very slow withdrawal is best unless there are other circumstances. I was and still am on mirtazapine and lithium as well and at the moment remain well. EJ.