LucyRicardo: desipramine tricylic AD withdrawal

[LucyRicardo]

I have been on 150mg of Desipramine for 25 years.  It changed my life by eliminating my anxiety.  Unfortunately, I started to experience some cardiac side effects and I was told to start tapering off.  It took me over 2 months to get completely off it.  One week after stopping I started to experience nervous shaking.  I am also irritable and impatient.  After experiencing this for 8 weeks, my doctor finally prescribed Cymbalta 20mg to lessen my symptoms.  So far nothing but insomnia, nausea and I’m still shaking after a week.  Does anyone have any advice?  I’m really struggling.  Thanks.

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a volunteer-run community of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  You have come to the right place.  It appears that you are having withdrawal from having tapered off the drug too quickly.  We can advise you when we have more information about your drug history, especially dates. 

 

Can you please give us specific information in your signature about your drug history for all drugs and supplements you are on and have been on, especially for the past 18-24 months?  It would be especially helpful to have the details of your drugs in a concise vertical list (no symptoms), only specific dates, include the day (as best you can say for example early March if you don't recall the day), drug names, and dosages of each medication decrease or increase.

 

Please read the link below for instructions.  This will allow us to give you the best guidance.  

 

How to List Your Drug History in Your Signature

 

Here is some important information about how these drugs actually work.  This explains why we get symptoms from going off of these medications, and why it's so important to taper slowly and carefully, and be very cautious about changing our doses: 

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

Here is a link with checklists of common WD symptoms: 

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen Withdrawal Symptom Checklists

 

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms: 

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Stability is really important when we are tapering off psych meds.  Please read the link about stability:

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

Finally, going back on a small dose of your drug, or increasing your dose, which we call reinstatement, is best done very carefully.  This is temporary, and after stabilizing you would then taper gradually off of this.  There is some risk involved, and we need more specifics about your drug history before we can suggest a good dose at which to reinstate.  Here is some information about reinstatement.  

 

About Reinstating and Stabilizing to Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms

 

We look forward to hearing back from you.  

[LucyRicardo]

On 11/17/2022 at 9:18 PM, LucyRicardo said:

I have been on 150mg of Desipramine for 25 years.  It changed my life by eliminating my anxiety.  Unfortunately, I started to experience some cardiac side effects and I was told to start tapering off.  It took me over 2 months to get completely off it.  One week after stopping I started to experience nervous shaking.  I am also irritable and impatient and having muscle cramps and spasms in my legs.  Is this normal withdrawal? After experiencing this for 8 weeks, my doctor finally prescribed Cymbalta 20mg to lessen my symptoms.  Go no relief but had  nothing but insomnia, nausea and I’m still shaking after a week. I have stopped the Cymbalta and gone back to Desipramine 25mg to stop the withdrawal.   Does anyone have any advice?  I’m really struggling.  Thanks.

 

[LucyRicardo]

On 11/17/2022 at 9:18 PM, LucyRicardo said:

I .

 

[LucyRicardo]

Just now, LucyRicardo said:

I am still experiencing insomnia from just a week of the Cymbalta  

 

Just now, LucyRicardo said:

 

 

[getofflex]

I'm glad you got off Cymbalta.  You were only on it a week, so a cold turkey off that was fine. Cymbalta is a nasty drug, with a difficult withdrawal.  

 

Doctor is Shocked at Severe Cymbalta WD

 

I see you already reinstated the desipramine.  Please give that at least a week, as it takes that long to really get into your system.  A reinstatement, if it works, will lessen symptoms to make them bearable - it won't completely take all of the symptoms away.  It can take a month or 2 for a reinstatement to become fully effective, so please give it time.  Expect some windows and waves (ups and downs) and we don't suggest you change your dose based on these.  Please take the same dose at the same time each day - don't skip or miss doses.  After a few months on this dose, you can then do a very gradual taper at the 10% rate that we suggest here.  

 

Tapering is best done extremely slowly, and we generally taper by 10% of the current dose no more than once every 4 weeks, so that the reduction becomes exponentially smaller.

 

 Why Taper by 10% of my Dosage  

 

We don't have a topic for tapering this drug.  I will talk with the other staff.  

 

Please let us know how you are doing.  

 

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by getofflex

[LucyRicardo]

I have been doing better but insomnia still plagues me. Also, is it normal to have a few good days then wake up with headaches and nausea. Is this all apart of withdrawal/reinstatement on a very low dose? Just need some advice and support when these physical symptoms hit me out of the blue. Thanks.