Posted by Brainbeard on May 31, 2010, at 7:32:10
In reply to Advice please re. clomipramine/anafranil, posted by kizzie2 on May 27, 2010, at 4:42:14
Clomipramine - damn fine med.
Clomipramine already has very significant SRI (serotonin reuptake inhibition) at low doses, even at 10mg. It also is a strong NRI, also a noradrenergic med. It is a strong anticholnergic, which accounts for many of its side-effects but can also have an antidepressant effect. Then, like other TCA's, it may interact with the opioid system in a beneficial way. And, like mentioned above, it is a mild 5HT2A-antagonist, which may improve sleep, appetite and mood and reduce anxiety. Oh, and it is a potent inhibitor of a group of enzymes responsible for both the breakdown of melatonin and caffeine - so you could become more sleepy on clomipramine, while your cup of joe could last one heck of a lot longer.
An explanation for your experience could be that below a certain dose, serotonin receptors aren't saturated enough anymore to keep its antidepressant effects up. When I hear your story, I'd say: why not get back on a dose high enough to reap the benefits and low enough to avoid severe side-effects!!
Current meds: 10mg melitracene + 0.5mg flupentixol; sertraline 100mg; amitriptyline 25mg; gabapentin (Neurontin) 300mg; melatonin 0.3mg. PRN: diazepam (Valium) 2.5-5mg.
poster:Brainbeard
thread:949082
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100524/msgs/949621.html