cutter: Hi :) I'm on clomipramine

[cutter]

I live in New Zealand. I have been on clomipramine since early last year. I was put on it to help me with OCD but it hasn't helped. I have started to slowly taper myself off. I am on 50mg at the moment, will be on 25mg on Friday. 

I was on fluoxetine for a few years as a teenager and again a few years ago for about a year. I was prescribed it as a teenager for depression and a few years ago for OCD, which I have had since I was 19.

If anyone else is on clomipramine I would love to talk to you about your experience and where you're at with this. I find it hard to deal with by myself, my family don't care and I don't know anyone who's on clomipramine. I feel so alone. 

[Gridley]

Hello, Cutter and welcome to SA.

 

Tapering Clomipramine from 50 to 25 ( a rate of 50%) is far too fast.  At Surviving Antidepressants, it is recommended that a person taper by no more than 10% of their current dose with at least a four week hold in-between decreases.  The 10% taper recommendation is a harm reduction approach to going off psychiatric drugs.  Some people may have to taper at a more conservative rate as they are sensitive to even the smallest drops.

 

 I am linking a few topics so that you have a better understanding of what is recommended here. 

 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?
Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly?

• Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. 
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) 
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. 
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. 
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 
• Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

I have been on another tricyclic, Imipramine, for many years. Before I discovered SA, I tapered at 10% every three weeks with no hold in between drops--some would say a slow taper but not slow enough.   After eight months and having dropped from 75mg to 15mg, I began experiencing extreme anxiety and insomnia.   It was far too fast, and I suffered because of it. I would suggest you hold where you are at 50mg until you fill out your signature and we can advise you on a safe taper.

 

 

 

[nz11]

Welcome Cutter

Did you know that OCD is a wdl symptom off these drugs. Whats the bet the OCD was diagnosed after taking psych drugs.

Please do read those great links from Gridley and the drug signature block is very important.

There are about 10 NZ-ers hanging out here. There is a wealth of informative resources and you are not alone.

Please think about tapering slow. If you don't you run the risk of putting yourself on a drug merry-go round for years as the drug wdl drives one back to the doctor for answers only to be given a new label and a new drug.

Glad you found sa do keep posting.

nz11

[cutter]

Thank you both. Nice to know there are other people from New Zealand here. I'm sorry I didn't reply earlier. I don't really want to talk about medication on here anymore as I feel locked in to the mental health system and treatment. I think if I wrote down the start and finish dates etc. I would be annoyed and I don't know the specific dates anyway. I ended up going off clomipramine completely. I took one less pill every four weeks, starting on 100mg (four 25mg pills) and going from 100mg to 75mg to 50mg to 25mg. I started in November last year and finished in February. I didn't have anything lower than 25mg and didn't want to cut the pills or anything. I was desperate to get off them as they were making me sick... First just nauseous and then throwing up.

 

I didn't suffer from any withdrawal symptoms. However, due to some stressful situations at home with visitors, my OCD got worse and I was hospitalized in May. I was put on different medications, it's been pretty bad and my OCD hasn't gotten better yet but at least the stress-inducing visitors have stayed away and I just hope I will be off the medication I am currently on in time, which is an antipsychotic. 

 

I don't really feel like there is any need for me to request any help here anymore as I have been off the last antidepressant I was on, Citalopram, for about 3 weeks. 

Thanks for your advice

R. 

Edited August 4, 2018 by manymoretodays
spacing

[manymoretodays]

Hi cutter,

It's possible that your increased OCD was a withdrawal symptom.   Along with some situational stressors.   They are sometimes delayed, W/D symptoms. 

1 hour ago, cutter said:

I just hope I will be off the medication I am currently on in time, which is an antipsychotic. 

Even though we are called survivingantidepressants we also offer support and information for harm free reduction of antipsychotics, and other psychotrophic medications.

It sounds like you have been switched around a bit on medications since last here.  And may have done a fairly quick withdrawal from some as well.  This all can and does lead to some CNS instability.  It may be best to just HOLD for now.

 

If you'd like help tapering with your antipsychotic, feel free to stick around or come on back when you are ready.  Don't let the public mental health system get you down on yourself.

You can just do a rough outline in your signature if you'd like.  Here's that link for you again, just in case.  Please put your withdrawal history in your signature.

 

Just want you to know........you are still welcome here. 

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

mmt

Edited August 4, 2018 by manymoretodays

[cutter]

Thank you 💖 everyone. 

I have just updated my signature. 

I didn't have OCD until I was 19, after having been on Fluoxetine and Olanzapine from the age of 15 until age 18. I appreciate everyone's replies, I think I developed OCD as a result of the psychiatric medication treatment.