Posted by sukarno on March 18, 2010, at 22:08:14
In reply to Re: How bad is tricyclic weight gain + anorgasmia???, posted by Brainbeard on March 17, 2010, at 5:21:04
My heart bothered me a lot on imipramine, which is a tertiary amine in the TCA class. Nortriptyline is a secondary amine, IIRC, it is the active metabolite of amitriptyline and acts primarily as a noradrenaline (norepinephrine) reuptake inhibitor.
My heart only "skipped beats" when I would lie down before going to sleep at night. I would take 10mg (or 25mg.. I can't quite remember, but it was either of those dosages) at bedtime.
I had no sexual side effects and no weight gain. Then again, I was only 17 years old and that is near a man's prime as sex drive is supposed to steadily decline after age 18.
In the beginning it was quite sedating, but not as much as imipramine. I slept 12 hours the first night I tried it (nortriptyline) and had to get up slowly to avoid feeling faint. Over the next few days I adjusted completely to these side effects.
My psychiatrist said my blood pressure was elevated, although the blood level of nortriptyline was in the low end of the therapeutic range. She advised taking up exercise, which I gladly did. The exercise also eliminated the tachycardia (80 - 90bpm at rest), lowering my resting heart rate to the upper 50s or right around 60. Quite nice. :-)
I regret quitting that medication as 10 days later my panic attacks, anxiety, lack of motivation and constant worrying all returned, along with low self-esteem.
I also noticed that nortriptyline helped me to focus on my school work and my grades were 3.8 to 4.0 overall. Off nortriptyline my grades dropped to 2.0 or 2.3.
It's a fine medication and I would like to try it again. Perhaps I will try 10mg on the first night and then if I feel any cardiac effects such as "skipped beats" or palpitations, I will lower it to 5mg.
It is long acting and I didn't have any significant withdrawal symptoms going off it abruptly, except for some paroxysmal pressure in the head, which was probably due to cholinergic rebound.
I've read that it is good for ADD too.
poster:sukarno
thread:939714
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100318/msgs/940006.html