![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rovers95 on July 21, 2011, at 20:46:44
Doctors and some more 'official' sites on the net says that AD's may initially increase feelings of anxiety and panic, but this settles down?
As i'm experiencing this when i try increasing clomipramine above 30mg i was wondering...Has anyone actually found this to be the case? or is this medical 'waffle'?
Should i take a few clonazepam with the 50mg dose and grin and bear it?!
thanks
rover
Posted by linkadge on July 21, 2011, at 21:07:40
In reply to Initial anxiety increase on ADs...a GOOD thing?!, posted by rovers95 on July 21, 2011, at 20:46:44
Split the clomipramine tablets and go up more slowly.
I found 50mg of clomipramine more than enough.
Linkadge
Posted by Phillipa on July 21, 2011, at 21:49:55
In reply to Re: Initial anxiety increase on ADs...a GOOD thing?!, posted by linkadge on July 21, 2011, at 21:07:40
Slow is better why suffer? Phillipa
Posted by Roslynn on July 22, 2011, at 15:32:43
In reply to Initial anxiety increase on ADs...a GOOD thing?!, posted by rovers95 on July 21, 2011, at 20:46:44
I agree with Linkadge on this one. It's a strong med from my experience.
> Doctors and some more 'official' sites on the net says that AD's may initially increase feelings of anxiety and panic, but this settles down?
>
> As i'm experiencing this when i try increasing clomipramine above 30mg i was wondering...Has anyone actually found this to be the case? or is this medical 'waffle'?
>
> Should i take a few clonazepam with the 50mg dose and grin and bear it?!
>
> thanks
>
> rover
Posted by rovers95 on July 23, 2011, at 11:27:04
In reply to Re: Initial anxiety increase on ADs...a GOOD thing?!, posted by Roslynn on July 22, 2011, at 15:32:43
Thanks everyone for your replies, they are much appreciated. Should one expect the in creased anxiety insomnia and irritability that occurs with an increased dose to ease off after the body adjusts?
many thanks
rover
Posted by sk85 on July 23, 2011, at 12:45:50
In reply to Thanks - wil anxiety/insomnia wear off over time?, posted by rovers95 on July 23, 2011, at 11:27:04
Clomipramine increased my anxiety significantly in the beginning. For the first 2 weeks it was okay and actually slightly better but around the 3rd week I started getting very anxious and my OCD span out of control, then it gradually eased off and by week 8 my OCD anxiety started to show improvements compared to baseline. I suggest you get some benzos to take as on needed basis. If however after week 8 you still feel worse the med isn't for you.
-Ikaros
Posted by hyperfocus on July 23, 2011, at 23:33:25
In reply to Initial anxiety increase on ADs...a GOOD thing?!, posted by rovers95 on July 21, 2011, at 20:46:44
I wouldn't take benzos with TCAs - they will increase the sedation and cognitive dulling significantly. What are you treating - OCD? Some meds do have startup anxiety as a SE. The only way to know if a med will yield a therapeutic response is to try it for at least 4 weeks - more is better. I don't remember how much clomipramine I took but it didn't seem to help my symptoms and the fatigue really hit after a week. 50mg sounds like a high dose, from what I remember. Clomipramine is the gold standard for OCD though so it deserves a fair shot. Hopefully it works and you can tolerate the SEs.
Posted by joe schmoe on July 27, 2011, at 15:29:44
In reply to Initial anxiety increase on ADs...a GOOD thing?!, posted by rovers95 on July 21, 2011, at 20:46:44
I have definitely found that ADs often increase anxiety initially. Last time I went on Celexa it went on for almost three weeks, it was brutal. But then it went away.
I have heard a number of doctors say that initial anxiety is a good sign in that it indicates you are more likely to respond to the drug, i.e. that it will be an effective AD for you in the end. Not that the anxiety experience itself is good, of course. And yes benzos are commonly used to get through this initial anxiety. I have taken xanax with imipramine before, and I take klonopin now regularly anyway for social anxiety, so it helps with the initial anxiety when going on an AD. No reason to be miserable, especially when trying to relax at home at night.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.