Posted by polarbear206 on February 5, 2007, at 9:53:19
In reply to 20 years of imipramine, posted by wmd40 on February 4, 2007, at 21:13:06
>
> Hello Pyscho-Babblers,
>
> I've been told that this might be a good place to
> sing the blues about a life spent waiting to die,
> with the occasional tired and half-hearted attempt
> to hurry the process up.
>
> I've been taking imipramine (currently 300 mg per
> day) for about 20 years; I started just before the
> rage for Prozac got under way. I've had all the
> usual side effects: dry mouth, sedation,
> orthostatic hypotension, urinary hesitancy and
> the constant brain fog.
>
> Because the side effects are so bad, I've tried
> many other drugs -- Prozac, Luvox, clomipramine,
> Remeron, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Zoloft, desipramine,
> moclobemide, Paxil, Cognitive Behavioural
> Therapy (the worst of the bunch), and lithium
> as an adjunct -- but nothing works as well as
> good old fashioned imipramine.
>
> I desperately miss what I think I remember as a
> happy unmedicated life before the onset of
> depression, but every time I've tried to wean
> myself off drugs, I've plunged into a miserable
> state, so I've pretty much given up on that.
>
> I'm now beginning to wonder -- perhaps a bit late
> -- what the long term effects of life on
> imipramine might be. A web search suggests that
> I can expect to turn a purplish blue colour some
> time, but I can't find any other information.
> Does anybody out there know? I suppose that as
> a 20-year veteran, I probably know about as much
> as anybody else what to expect, but I'm hoping
> somebody else might know better.
>
> --
> wmd40I was started on Imipramine around the same time as you, right before prozac came on the market. Imipramine has a good track record for those who experience more severe melancholic depressions. Since it has been on the market all these years, I have not come across anyone having what you describe as change in skin color. I work in the mental health field and have worked with elderly patients who have been on it for years. While the side effects can be quite bothersome, esp. at your high dosage, I am questioning your brain fog symptoms? Is this a constant problem, or just intermittent? Do you have mood swings or changes in energy levels? I had severe PPD, and was placed on Imipramine with an immediate response in 2 days. I ended up with an underlying bipolar disorder. Many people get a good response with using 2 antideprssants from different drug classes. Combining an SSRI or a SNRI with a TCA. I had a good success with Effexor/Imipramine and Lamictal. Due to my soft bipolar symptoms, I went off Imipramine and increased to a higher dose of Effexor. Imipramine has been an "old faithful" for many people who have tried other AD's.
Polarbear
poster:polarbear206
thread:729805
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070201/msgs/729925.html