okiedoke4 Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 (edited) I quit taking Imipramine in Nov. 2022 but I am still experiencing bad withdrawal effects and its now March 2023. Mainly dizziness, brain fog, unsteadiness and fatique. Anyone else? Edited March 23 by Gridley Link to comment
Moderator Gridley Posted March 23 Moderator Share Posted March 23 Welcome to SurvivingAntidepressants, okiedoke4. I was on Imipramine for many years and have been tapering it for the past few years. The withdrawal symptoms you describe are very typical. 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. A list format, as opposed to a paragraph format, is best. Please include --date you started the Imipramine and dose --any dose changes and dates --whether you tapered off the drug or stopped cold turkey. If you tapered, date and how fast you tapered --last dose of the drug you were on before you stopped --any other psychiatric drugs you were/are taking Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature. We recommend tapering off psychiatric drugs like Imipramine no faster than 10% of your current dose every four weeks. Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Going off too fast puts you at risk of withdrawal symptoms such as the ones you're experiencing. Withdrawal symptoms 5 months after stopping is very common. What is withdrawal syndrome. Brain Remodelling Video: Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) Reinstatement of a very small dose of the original drug is the only known way to help alleviate withdrawal syndrome. It isn’t a guarantee of diminished symptoms but it’s the best tactic available. The only alternative is to try and wait out the symptoms and manage as best you can until your central nervous system returns to homeostasis. Unfortunately no one can give you an exact timeline as to when you will start feeling better and while some do recover relatively easily, for others it can take quite a while longer. Reinstatement predictably works up to 3 months after last dose, so at around 5 months out you're a bit beyond that time frame. It might work. We usually suggest a much smaller reinstatement dose than your last dose. Please read: About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms. -- at least the first page of the topic If you're interested in reinstatement, let us know and we can suggest a small reinstatement dose. For this, we will need the information requested above in your signature. Do not reinstate without letting us suggest a dose--taking too much can destabilize you further. We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium (glycinate is a good form) and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community. I hope you’ll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but I am glad that you found us. Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of taper at 2.75mg Current dose as of Feb. 25, 2023 2mg Taper is 89% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan-Sept 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Taper is 87% complete. Supplements: omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotic, zinc, melatonin .3mg I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment
SertralineIssues29 Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Hey @okiedoke4 I'm not a mod or anything but I want you to know that we're all here for you, I'm currently 3 and a half months from my last sertraline tablet and am still in withdrawals. Thinking about a small reinstatement. Hope the mods here can give you some good advice and point you in the right direction! Keep strong SI XX Previous to pharma I was doing a fair bit of drinking and taking party drugs, mainly from the ages of 18 and 21 2014: started 20mg citalopram January 2015: switched to sertraline 50mg March 2017: dropped to 25mg sertraline Between these last 2 dates I was on and off the sert (now I know this was stupid) December 8th 2022: 50mg sertraline (adverse reaction: Suicidal images and homicidal images) December 19th 2022: ct from sertaline Sometime here had a paradoxical reaction to lorazepam (extreme anxiety, closed eye hallucinations) this caused the dpdr to start February 17th/19th 2023: WD from sertraline started Also had an amoxicillin treatment in February, not sure if this did anything but I did get akathisia from then "BUT I LOVE THE PAIN, LET IT RAIN AND WASH AWAY, LET IT CARRY YOU TO A BETTER PLACE AND FORGET MY NAME" Ambleside - Wash away Link to comment
okiedoke4 Posted March 23 Author Share Posted March 23 Imipramine started 25 mgs 1998- was on it for 10 years Was on 50 mg for 15 years Stopped cold turkey in Nov. 2022 Link to comment
Moderator Gridley Posted March 23 Moderator Share Posted March 23 58 minutes ago, okiedoke4 said: Imipramine started 25 mgs 1998- was on it for 10 years Was on 50 mg for 15 years Stopped cold turkey in Nov. 2022 Please use the following link to put this information in your signature. Then press "save." Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature. Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of taper at 2.75mg Current dose as of Feb. 25, 2023 2mg Taper is 89% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan-Sept 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Taper is 87% complete. Supplements: omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotic, zinc, melatonin .3mg I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment
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