Imipramine or Clomipramine

[Ethansmom]

I was wondering about PDU as well? I hope he's okay!! I hope this new medicine works for you. I'm on day 5 of Nortryptyline and I've noticed an increased in energy and happiness, but still have intrusive thoughts that I have to find throughout the day. I'm better when i'm at work that when i'm sitting idle doing nothing. My therapists believes in CBT and I find that it does help me see how irrational I can be. I hope this is the right med. I go for a med review next week.

[Mermaid16]

I was wondering about PDU as well? I hope he's okay!! I hope this new medicine works for you. I'm on day 5 of Nortryptyline and I've noticed an increased in energy and happiness, but still have intrusive thoughts that I have to find throughout the day. I'm better when i'm at work that when i'm sitting idle doing nothing. My therapists believes in CBT and I find that it does help me see how irrational I can be. I hope this is the right med. I go for a med review next week.

Hi! I am really glad that you feel like you are having some success with the Nortriptyline. I felt that it worked, but it didn't work enough. I was still having problems with anxiety and depression. I was taking it with Sertraline initially but have now stopped that. I haven't been feeling to bad, I think I am still going through a few rough bumps. I stopped the Nort 8 days ago and it takes that long for it to fully get out of your system, so I'm thinking these bumps are due to coming off that and starting on the Clomipramine. The Clomipramine hasn't been too bad with start up, as I was experiencing most of the side effects on the Nort anyway...blurry eyes (which is due to your eyes being dry) and constipation being the main ones. I have eye drops, but I rarely use them and take Metamucil once a day for the constipation, which seems to help. Please keep in touch and let me know how you get on with everything and I will do the same. Talk soon...Tracy x

[Ethansmom]

I'm hopeful that our medications are going to work...... we need them to
I have days where I feel better and then other days where I don't feel as great. It's been one full week on 10MG of the nort. So far, I do have the eye blurriness. I'm going to try to keep eye drops in my purse. I wear contacts so and that the end of the day they are super blurry!

Keep me posted.

[Mermaid16]

Hi! Fingers crossed the meds work. I have been on 50mg for one week and tonight I go up to 75mg. Like you, I have good days and not so good days. I wouldn't say they not so good days are unbearable, they just not as good as the good days. I find if I am distracted, I am much better. I had a little panic driving the kids to school today. I felt a bit dizzy I think and then I always think I'm going to pass out. My daughter said 'It's okay Mum, you have to face your fears'. Bless her. I have been okay for the rest of the day. I'm not really sure what dose is supposed to be good for panic and anxiety, I think around 100mg. I will stay at 75mg at least for a week I guess and then see how I go from them. It takes 3 weeks to reach a steady state so I don't know if that means it takes that long to work or not. 75mg is the theraputic dose though. I think the Nort works as an add on to boost up the other med you take, so hopefully over the coming weeks you see improvements. I will let you know how I get on tomorrow after increasing the dose. xx

[Mermaid16]

7:00am: Took my first dose of 75mg last night. Had to be up early for work. Woke with my heart racing 95bpm, when I got up it went up to 105bpm which worried me a little. I tried not to worry about it as I know that Clomipramine can cause tachycardia. The psych has told me before that they wouldn't be worried until it was up around 130bpm while resting. At work now and it is 62bpm. Feeling okay so far, same as every other day before I increased the dosage.

[Ethansmom]

Thanks for the update and I pray that things get better for you and all of us on here!

I'm wondering if you could tell me whether the nortriptyline caused increased hunger? I hope this goes away!!! I can't afford to put on any more weight. I see the psy today, so i'll see what she says.

[Mermaid16]

Hi! It's hard to say regarding weight. I take three medications that list 'weight gain' as a side effect (clomipramine, olanzapine and mirtazapine). I have started dieting and exercising. I lost a few kilograms, but then just plateaued. I haven't been exercising since starting the clomipramine. If you eat healthy and exercise, that is the best you can do. Most medications seem to list weight gain as a side effect, so changing from one to another, doesn't really seem to matter. It is better to just try and work with it I guess.

Update: Day 2 on 75mg Clomipramine. Increased anxiety and heart racing 95bpm again on waking. Feeling anxious today, but know it's from the medication and hopefully means it is doing something. Heart rate drops after I get up in the morning back to about 70bpm.

[Ethansmom]

Hi Mermaid,
Same issue here. Day 13 of 10MG of nortryptyline. Feeling more anxious as well. Is this normal? I know the SSRI's do that to me, but my doctor wants me to increase the nort to 20MG this Friday. Is that a wise decision??? Ugh, i'm so riddled with anxiety. today was my son's first day of school and it was a bit emotional for me. My heart rate has been in the 90's all day, so decided to take a Xanax and to put the fit bit away!

[Mermaid16]

Hi Ethansmom. I guess you should discuss with your psych to see if you should go up or not. I know it's hard to even contemplate doing it when your anxiety is already high.

Update: I didn't have any racing heart rate today. Anxiety level is through the roof. Hopefully it calms down soon. I just keep telling myself that it's the medication making changes in my brain that is making me feel like this and hopefully it means it's going to work eventually to decrease my anxiety.

[Ethansmom]

That's a good way of thinking about it--- it's making positive changes in the brain-- so hopefully that's a good sign?? I just want to conquer this thing.