Shown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by RetiredYoung on November 11, 2004, at 14:31:16
Hi Tamara (and everyone!) - I'm taking 300mg/day of clomipramine (that's 150mg in the morning (along with my multi-vitamin), and 150mg at bed time).
My side effects: Heart rate up, slightly shaky hands, very bad dry mouth, urinary hesitation, minnor word finding/slurring problems, lowered exercise tolerance, and reflux/heartburn.
Typing that out makes it sound horrible, which it kind of is, BUT... I'm taking it to help me with depression and chronic tension headaches and, at the dosage that I'm on now, it's been extremely effective so far.. So effective that I'm willing to put up with the side effects that I listed.
If or when it begins to be less effective, I'm going to try Cymbalta.
Jim
Posted by KaraS on November 11, 2004, at 15:29:32
In reply to Anafranil, Clomipramine, and jujube, posted by RetiredYoung on November 11, 2004, at 14:31:16
> Hi Tamara (and everyone!) - I'm taking 300mg/day of clomipramine (that's 150mg in the morning (along with my multi-vitamin), and 150mg at bed time).
>
> My side effects: Heart rate up, slightly shaky hands, very bad dry mouth, urinary hesitation, minnor word finding/slurring problems, lowered exercise tolerance, and reflux/heartburn.
>
> Typing that out makes it sound horrible, which it kind of is, BUT... I'm taking it to help me with depression and chronic tension headaches and, at the dosage that I'm on now, it's been extremely effective so far.. So effective that I'm willing to put up with the side effects that I listed.
>
> If or when it begins to be less effective, I'm going to try Cymbalta.
>
> Jim
Any problem with weight gain?
Posted by RetiredYoung on November 11, 2004, at 15:46:40
In reply to Re: Anafranil, Clomipramine, and jujube » RetiredYoung, posted by KaraS on November 11, 2004, at 15:29:32
> Any problem with weight gain?
>
Not yet. I've been on tricyclics before and they did cause weight gain. Getting off of them and onto Lexapro a couple of years ago helped me take that weight off. So now with the clomipramine, I'm trying *very* hard to control what I eat and ensure that I exercise. I do notice that my appetite seems to be up a bit..
Posted by jujube on November 11, 2004, at 16:40:22
In reply to Anafranil, Clomipramine, and jujube, posted by RetiredYoung on November 11, 2004, at 14:31:16
Thanks so much for your post. Did you start out slow and then trirate up to the 150 mg twice a day? I am supposed to start at 25 mg, then go up to 50 mg the following week. I have heard that the side effects may not be as bad at 50 mg, but start to get more pronounced as you get up to 100 mg and higher. How pronounced did you find the side effects at 50 mg, that is if you were at that dose at some point? Also, I have a concern about congnitive impairment and decreased energy and motivation. Have you experienced any problems in these areas? Sorry to bombard you with questions :-)
Thanks again for sharing your Anafranil experience. It is very helpful, and I really appreciate it.
Tamara
> Hi Tamara (and everyone!) - I'm taking 300mg/day of clomipramine (that's 150mg in the morning (along with my multi-vitamin), and 150mg at bed time).
>
> My side effects: Heart rate up, slightly shaky hands, very bad dry mouth, urinary hesitation, minnor word finding/slurring problems, lowered exercise tolerance, and reflux/heartburn.
>
> Typing that out makes it sound horrible, which it kind of is, BUT... I'm taking it to help me with depression and chronic tension headaches and, at the dosage that I'm on now, it's been extremely effective so far.. So effective that I'm willing to put up with the side effects that I listed.
>
> If or when it begins to be less effective, I'm going to try Cymbalta.
>
> Jim
Posted by KaraS on November 11, 2004, at 21:39:42
In reply to Re: Anafranil, Clomipramine, and jujube » KaraS, posted by RetiredYoung on November 11, 2004, at 15:46:40
Posted by RetiredYoung on November 12, 2004, at 6:30:55
In reply to Re: Anafranil, Clomipramine, and jujube » RetiredYoung, posted by jujube on November 11, 2004, at 16:40:22
> Thanks so much for your post. Did you start out slow and then trirate up to the 150 mg twice a day? I am supposed to start at 25 mg, then go up to 50 mg the following week. I have heard that the side effects may not be as bad at 50 mg, but start to get more pronounced as you get up to 100 mg and higher. How pronounced did you find the side effects at 50 mg, that is if you were at that dose at some point? Also, I have a concern about congnitive impairment and decreased energy and motivation. Have you experienced any problems in these areas? Sorry to bombard you with questions :-)
>
> Thanks again for sharing your Anafranil experience. It is very helpful, and I really appreciate it.
>
> Tamara
>
Tamara - I started very slowly on the clomipramine. Started at 25mg/day for five days and just kept adding 25mg additional every five days; as I did this, I was titrating down on Lexapro (which had pooped out on me earlier this year).At 50mg, my side effects were pretty minimal - some dry mouth & minor urinary hesitation.
I have an occassional problem now with finding the right words and/or slurring them, which probably qualifies as cognitive impairment.
Surprisingly for me, even at 300mg now, I seem to have increased energy and motivation! The longer I was on Lexapro, the worse my energy levels seemed to get. The clomipramine has not caused me any drowsiness or sedation at any dose.
Bottom line for me: side effects are not insignificant, but the benefits are worth it, at least for now..
Jim
Posted by jujube on November 12, 2004, at 16:47:02
In reply to Re: Anafranil, Clomipramine, and jujube » jujube, posted by RetiredYoung on November 12, 2004, at 6:30:55
Thanks so much Jim. I'm glad to hear that the side effects at the lower doses were not too bad for you. Hopefully, I will have the same experience. I was going to start last night, but chickened out. I have decided to take the plunge on Saturday.
Anyways, I wish you continued good mental health on Anafranil.
Take care.
Tamara
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