Anafranil query

[stringbean]

Just wondering how long it should take before moods stabilise on this drug. I have been on 125mg for five weeks tomorrow. At first i found that i felt a lot better and 'normal' but this week have had a bit of a set back and been a bit up and down and scared the tablets have stopped working?

Just wondered if this was normal for these drugs to take longer for it to reach maximum effect and if i should expect this at this stage.

:2thumbs:

 

[Retired]

Re: anafranil query

What has your doctor suggested as to what you might expect in the way of symptom relief? I don't think it's unusual for symptoms to wax and wain while being treated with tricyclics or even SSRI's and to have occasional set backs is part of of the progression of treatment.

Your experience should be reported to your doctor, who might either reassure you that what you are experiencing is to be expected, or might suggest modifying the dose at some point.

I do think your concern about the medication no longer being effective after five weeks may be premature.

Here are a couple of reliable resources for additional information about this medication:

Clomipramine - PubMed Health
CLOMIPRAMINE - Medicinenet.com (Anafranil) side effects, medical uses, and drug interactions.

I would direct your attention to the information about drug interactions in these two articles.

Was the Anafranil prescribed to replace another medication that was not providing relief, or is this the first prescription for your diagnosis?

 

[stringbean]

Re: anafranil query

Dear Steve
Thank you so much for replying to me. To cut a long story short i have had ocd for 23years and this has been diagnosed by various people. I tried to cope on my own without meds and eventually about 19 years ago tried various ssris but unfortunately it made things a lot worse before it got better.

Thank fully my GP got me a psychiatrist about 8 weeks ago and he took me off cipralex straight away and told me to take anafranil starting at 50mg and gradually bringing up the dose to 125mg which i have been on for the last 5 weeks.
I can honestly say that i have found them relatively easy to take and not really got any side effects and felt more or less normal for the past four weeks, but then for the last week found it hard to concentrate and worrying abit that i am getting ill again. I did speak to the DR and he said that it was mostly probably something to do with me feeling a lot better( i had explained that i was waiting for the carpet to be pulled from beneath me) or it could be that i needed to alter the dose and go up 25 to 50 mg, as i am still on a below average dose for OCD and also that i was still in the early stages of fine tuning the dose.
I am still alot better than before but i seem to be slightly worried all the time and then i will get a wave(bit like panic/ adrenalin) where i think I cannot cope then it subsides and this goes on and off for the day.
I am happy to up the dose and persevere, I cannot believe its only been five weeks and seven in total as i have felt better than i have ever felt before but worried to rely on something that is not going to continue working????

Anyway thank you again, i really appreciate your no nonsense reply's

 

[Retired]

I did speak to the DR and he said that it was mostly probably something to do with me feeling a lot better

Great! Your best strategy for continuing the improvements you have been enjoying is to keep the lines of communication open with your doctors, while informing yourself as you have been doing.

Do keep us posted on your progress.