Posted by ed_uk2010 on August 25, 2010, at 17:41:08
In reply to Re: I feel horrible, posted by Dima on August 25, 2010, at 16:26:01
> Morning: Lithium 300, Celexa 40
>
> Evening: Seroquel 50, Anafranil 25, Lithium 300
>
> She prescribed 50 mg of the Anafranil, but you think I should start at 25?Hi Dima,
Taking Anafranil in combination with SSRIs such as citalopram is not normally recommended. Anafranil is a very potent serotonin reuptake inhibitor in its own right. Once you have started Anafranil, you will probably be able to taper off citalopram very quickly. Personally, I would reduce citalopram to 20mg immediately after starting Anafranil. After a few days, I would then reduce to 10mg........and then stop after a few more days. Please bear in mind that this is what I would do myself. I am not a doctor and this should not be taken as medical advice.
Anafranil often causes drowsiness, especially during the early stages of treatment. You may be able to stop Seroquel - ask your doctor. Taking all these meds together could make you feel very tired and 'out of it'! I think it would be best to simplify your regimen as much as possible.
I think you should start Anafranil at the lowest possible dose and increase gradually. You should expect some dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, tremor and sweating - clomipramine is a powerful medication. If the starting dose is too high, side effects are more likely. You need to give your body time to get used to the medication before you increase up to a therapeutic dose.
Listen to your body! If you experience strong side effects after starting clomipramine, this suggests that your blood level might already be high despite the low dose - in this case you should not increase until you have consulted your doctor. If you experience mild side effects, wait a few days and then increase in small steps. If you experience no side effects at all, you should be able to increase more rapidly.
Take care, and let us know how you get on. Best of luck.
poster:ed_uk2010
thread:958455
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100821/msgs/959842.html