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[chryz87]

Ive been on various AD's since I was about 18 as Ive had OCD pretty much since puberty hit. These drugs include Prozac, Cipramil, Lexapro and Effexor. Also Zyprexa an anti-psycotic. None of these did a thing for OCD, even at high doses.

Prozac made me a Zombie and all my family members and freinds had said that my personality changed and I went really quiet..Cipramil flattened me out so I had absolutley no Emotion..high or low! This was the worst feeling. Lexapro didnt really do much and Effexor really was like a stimulant for me..It helped heaps with depression and it lif ted my mood..but OMG it brang out the OCD in me soooooo much! Zyprexa made me feel like I was dying so I stopped that after 1 day.

When my new psychatrist recently put me on to Anafranil (an older tricyclic AD) I was a little worried as he explained to me that these types of drugs are more effective, however alot worse side effects!! But I decided to go ahead with it as I could no longer take the intrusive thoughts and compulsions ie: Not being able to leave a room without counting to the number 28 ect and many bizzare thoughts that I repeated in my head that nobody else would be able to understand. I cant even explain how much these affected my life socially and mentally...

Anyway.....all I can say is that Anafranil is the only drug that has EVER worked for OCD and I can say that I am 99% cured!!!!!
I never knew I could feel like this...for the first time in my life I am able to wake up and WANT to get out of bed and look forward to the day ahead. Ive started to LOVE life and also LOVE myself. It is as if I have been reborn, honestly.

When an OCD thought comes into my head every now and then, I am able to control it and switch it off! Im getting better and better at that. Im currently on 75mg so I take 25mg in the morning and 50mg at night (as they are 25mg tablets): I just cant explain how happy I am because of Anafranil..sometimes it makes me cry almost.
As for the side effects...I do notice that I have a slightly dry mouth sometimes and eyes (however its not a big deal...like considering how im feeling) and sex-drive has gone down (but almost all AD's do that) and from my past experiences with medications after a while on the drug and your body has ajusted to it, the sex drive returns somewhat. So im hoping that will start happening in a few months. Also they say this drug increases appetite..but it has not done that for me as im eating the same as before. No sleeping issues ect...so afterall this drug is wonderfull for me and the side effects are really nothing.....


The only thing is..my Social Anxiety has started coming out a bit again so ive just started taking 50mg of Zoloft in the morning aswell as this is a medication used to treat Social Anxiety and Phobias... So I hope that works..

I know this drug is not for everyone and many people will have worse side effects, but if theres anyone out there suffering from OCD and have not been able to find a suitable SSRI...dont be scared by tricyclics...look at what it has done for me...my life has completley turned around...

Im not gonna keep going on and on because you get the idea..but is there anyone else out there who is on Anafranil and/or has tried it in the past with success? Ive heard heaps of negative things about this drug so I consider myself lucky that it has worked for me...I havent heard much about other peoples success with it.
Please share your comments & stories!

Edited by Lizzy, 25 July 2008 - 06:25 AM.

[Lizzy]

a success story! Try not to take on too many commitments at once though, or you will take a step backwards! I did that ........... <rolls eyes>. Because you have less OCD you are able to socialise more? So the possibility for anxiety levels to rise is there. Little steps!

[chryz87]

Thanks for that....I appreciate it :-)
I just hope the Zoloft helps with the social anxiety now that my Ocd/depression is dealt with....

[Lizzy]

Little steps!

[oscarnappy76]

Little steps!

i am on anafranil for depression..and it has saved my life

i am soooo much happier and calmer now.

[psychocandy]

Little steps!

i am on anafranil for depression..and it has saved my life

i am soooo much happier and calmer now.

My doc has given me Anafranil (Clomipramine) today....

[oscarnappy76]

Little steps!

i am on anafranil for depression..and it has saved my life

i am soooo much happier and calmer now.

My doc has given me Anafranil (Clomipramine) today....

u may start out having more anxiety..but in a few days u will suddenly and quickly become calmer and calmer. thats what happened to me. and it was worth it.

[psychocandy]

Little steps!

i am on anafranil for depression..and it has saved my life

i am soooo much happier and calmer now.

My doc has given me Anafranil (Clomipramine) today....

u may start out having more anxiety..but in a few days u will suddenly and quickly become calmer and calmer. thats what happened to me. and it was worth it.

Bummer. dont need more anxiety. Is it really only for a few days though ?

[Lookingforalight]

aww yay! You just gave me so much hope :) I just got put on effexor about a month ago and its made my anxiety and OCD go through the roof and my depression worse actually, its actually sooo bad I've pretty much stopped taking it and am hoping to see my psychiatrist soon to get some new better meds! I'll for sure ask her about this one though, it sounds amazing :) I'm glad it has helped u so much :)

[psychocandy]

Update

Apart from the sexual side effects, Clomipramine is brilliant stuff !!!!

[alinam]

Update

Apart from the sexual side effects, Clomipramine is brilliant stuff !!!!

I hope you still check the message boards. I was just wondering how you guys are doing on the anafranil? I've been having terrible anxiety/panic and depression since December and have been on three different SSRI's since then. Most recently, I'm on zoloft 100 mg and day after tomorrow it will have been four weeks. I'm still having difficulty with the anxiety and having to take ativan three times a day. My brother, grandfather, and now my mom have all done well on anafranil, but I'm afraid to ask my psychiatrist about switching because I've already tried so many things and I'm afraid he'll just say that I haven't given the zoloft enough time. Maybe that's just because we're both getting frustrated that nothing has worked, but I desperately want my life back.

I'm also curious if you guys were on an SSRI before starting the anafranil. What kind of side effects to expect and for how long?

Thanks

Ali

[psychocandy]

Update 5 months down the line.

Brilliant stuff. Life saver.

Reason I havent been on here so much is because I no longer feel the need. I'm back to my old self.

Big cheer for Anafranil !!!!!

[Oisin]

I was on this for a year, 200mg I think in the end. I had side effects.., dry mouth, indigestion everyday and nausea, constipation/diarhoea, dizzyness, twitches in my face and limbs, libido was greatly reduced, took me an hour to feel turned on with my boyfriend, involuntry jerks- slurred speech and stuttering in the most embarassing places, headaches also. This drug for me was a nightmare. I was sedated to a certain degree, very aware and alert but sedated at the smae time. Its an old old drug thats barely used anymore for OCD and this one needs to go. It ruins the lning of the stomach and actually has an acid within it that burns away at your internal muscles, hence the dizzy spells and headaches.
I think we become immune to these in time anyway, their a short term help thru a crises, my dad had died and stuff. My feelings would be take these drugs short term and maybe a small amount after, but drug therapy alone won't cure you. (not anafranil). where I live its impossible to get psychotherapy nowadays, with the recession, so I've to be so vigilent as to what i put into my body. Hope thats of some help, im sorry its so negative but its a warning abnout this drugs. (i dont usually feel so strongly about something but when i do its really important)

Edited by Oisin, 17 September 2009 - 04:11 PM.

[AquaViolet]

I guess I must be the only one here whose OCD was not helped by Anafranil (Clomipramine). To be honest, Clomipramine is probably the worst medication I have ever taken. It did not help with my severe OCD, and the side effects were bad. Terrible. It's been about 14 years now since I was on Clomipramine, and I still remember how nightmarish my life was then...
I hope anyone else who tries this medication has better luck than I did.

Edited by AquaViolet, 11 December 2011 - 10:45 AM.

[Helium]

When I read anafranil as the title I decided to read the post since I´m on it. I do not suffer from OCD, but my pdoc prescribed it for my depression.... It worked somewhat, but I´m not 100% off my depression. I´m glad it work for you and I hope as time pass by it will help me as well.

[chryz87]

Wow, its been ages since ive posted here. Anyway ALOT has happened since I originally posted this! Anyway..in short.. I was on the Anafranil since about a year ago. The side effects were noticible but not unbearable. Im now just on Zoloft...and it helps general depression for me definately..but my OCD is now creeping back, slowly getting more and more intense each month. I am planning on going back on the Anafranil as it was the best for me personally. Ill see my doctor next week about it. I hope to be on about 100mg a day if possible. Not sure if taking the Zoloft with it will be ok or make it worse?
Anyway great to hear some success stories. Hope you are all doing very well now :-)

[Molly Bee]

Just coming back after months of not visiting the forum, thought I would throw in my two cents on the Anafranil conversation. I've been taking it for eight months, now at 200mg/day, and I've found it very helpful. My major issues are skin picking and contamination problems, both of which have been helped. It hasn't completely erased the urge to pick, but for the first time in my life I've found that it's just an urge that can be ignored, not a demand that takes over my mind until I fulfill it. The germ problems tend to get more prevalent when I'm stressed and life is going pretty well now, so I don't know how it will hold up if/when things start getting difficult again, but for now I've noticed I can be much more calm about things. Someone handed me a muffin the other day - their bare hands touching my food! - and I took it and ate it. Holy crap! Basically, intrusive thoughts still show up, but I'm able to push them away now as I never could before.

As for side effects, I've definitely noticed dizziness and becoming lightheaded when I stand up, especially when I was ramping up the dose, but this decreased with time to almost nothing now. The two days after an increase my mouth would feel like the Sahara Desert, but that got better as well and I just took it as an excuse to chew on candy all day.

The only SSRI I tried was Prozac and it shot my anxiety through the roof, not to mention it stopped me sleeping more than a few hours a night and made me shake like a squirrel on methamphetamine. After that sort of reaction my doctor decided it was best to move to tri-cyclics.

One other thing that I don't think anyone has mentioned is that it makes me extremely sleepy. I take it before bed and it knocks me out completely! After years of laying awake for hours worrying, or trying to distract myself from the thoughts, this effect is an absolute Godsend!

This is all just my experience...I've heard great things about Prozac and horror stories about tri-cyclics, so it goes to show that everyone has different reactions. In any case, if you've run out of other options, don't be afraid to try this drug, but do make sure you're closely watched by your doctor and aware of the risks.
Hope you're all doing well!

-Molly

Edited by Molly Bee, 05 January 2012 - 12:15 AM.

[Mozer]

Anafranil changed my life, certainly. I have been taking it for 25 years... for panick attacks with agoraphobia.

Oisin, 200mg/d is a very high dose, maybe that is the reason. However, A. is not for everyone. Some people do not tolerate it well.

My only thing with A. is what are the long-term (25 years) effects? I take only 25mg/d but you never know. You have to be vigilante.

[xyz]

I am taking it for 4 weeks. Dry mouth, constipation,stuttering (just once), dizziness, and absence of sexual appetite, impotence, are the side affects i have experienced. Before that i have used luvox (faverin) for a year. It was good at first months, but then the depression came back. I am diagnosed as OCD-Perfectionism. I cant work, enjoy life, always negative thoughts, etc. And once i have tried ******* myself. that was before i started therapy.

So my question is, do you consider anafranil better than the other medications?

I am trying to finalize a dissertation. My therapist sees this process the main reason for my recuring depression. He says, after its finished. We will move faster on the therapy.

Anyone with Perfectionism caught in this kind of academic trap like me? Want to share experiences?

thanks in advance,

[Helium]

I am taking it for 4 weeks. Dry mouth, constipation,stuttering (just once), dizziness, and absence of sexual appetite, impotence, are the side affects i have experienced. Before that i have used luvox (faverin) for a year. It was good at first months, but then the depression came back. I am diagnosed as OCD-Perfectionism. I cant work, enjoy life, always negative thoughts, etc. And once i have tried ******* myself. that was before i started therapy.

So my question is, do you consider anafranil better than the other medications?

I am trying to finalize a dissertation. My therapist sees this process the main reason for my recuring depression. He says, after its finished. We will move faster on the therapy.

Anyone with Perfectionism caught in this kind of academic trap like me? Want to share experiences?

thanks in advance,

I wasn´t diagnose with OCD, but my pdoc considers I´m way too harsh on myself because I have high standars. I´m super perfectionist that at times it cripples my academic work... In ballet is horrible, because I expected to do everything perfect, and when I don´t I tend to feel horrible. I get extremely anxious because I don´t get to do things the way I believe I should be doing them.... I feel you there. I always think I can´t do anything right-even when people say I do them great.

[psycmw]

I've been on 40mgs of Lexapro for my OCD for about 4 years. In the past year I've noticed my OCD getting worse and my doctor and I decided to try Anafranil. I started it last week, and have felt quite sick for the past week. I'm unsure if it's a virus or the medication so I will stop the Anafranil for a fews days and once I feel better try it again. I did notice that my obsessions waned within a few doses of the Anafranil. I know it's not common for a medication to work that quickly but since I've been on the SSRI for so long apparently there is a shorter titration period for the tricyclic.

[psycmw]

I am taking it for 4 weeks. Dry mouth, constipation,stuttering (just once), dizziness, and absence of sexual appetite, impotence, are the side affects i have experienced. Before that i have used luvox (faverin) for a year. It was good at first months, but then the depression came back. I am diagnosed as OCD-Perfectionism. I cant work, enjoy life, always negative thoughts, etc. And once i have tried ******* myself. that was before i started therapy.

So my question is, do you consider anafranil better than the other medications?

I am trying to finalize a dissertation. My therapist sees this process the main reason for my recuring depression. He says, after its finished. We will move faster on the therapy.

Anyone with Perfectionism caught in this kind of academic trap like me? Want to share experiences?

thanks in advance,

I'm also working on my dissertation and a perfectionist. Hopefully we will both get through it

[xyz]

I'm also working on my dissertation and a perfectionist. Hopefully we will both get through it

all the best,

It has been 8 weeks now. nearly all the side affects are gone. for the last 6 days i can write something again!

usually while i am on medication, i experience leaps of better mood. for example my depression was nearly the same for the first 6 weeks (except good sleep bonus due to pill) then i heard some good news, regarding my current work, and it nearly triggered a minor hypomania. so i can write page after page, for a couple of days. if i can keep this good mood for a month or so, this will definitely help me finish. its like surfing.. you wait for a wave to carry you...I cant control my moods but at least this time its the good mood that carries me...

[xyz]

Dissertation is over. It has been a month since the final exposition and everything went quite good. I did it!

I have experienced another hypomanic "peak" period in mid may which was superb for work but my therapist was very cautious. He balanced it with lithium. Now i only take anaf. three times a week. Life's going pretty well, though there is not any serious challenge yet. We have a months break for the therapy. One can say, that all this therapic process of 2 years is what made me write 300 pages of a phd dissertation. for the 3 years before that i could not write a single page... Constant procrastination..

[Changing man]

Hi all,

 

I really realate to what you are all discussing and i also tried all these medications, including ECT sessions. At one point, i was taking 6 different medications at the same time, mostly SSRI's. My doctor recently prescribed Anafrinil with gradually increasing the dose to 150mg. I took it for 2 weeks to see how it is and i found out it is the medication that helped me the most out of all i tried. I took only Effexor and Anafranil for the 2 weeks and i felt good.

 

However, i really hated the side effects, so i stopped the Anafrinil and went back to taking my 6 or 7 medications i was on and still on(prozac, cipralex, weelbutrin, trazodone, xanax, and lamictal). Anyway im just rambling really but its a very fine line between perfectionism and ocd. Ive been always a perfectionist but it never bothered me until while growing up as an adult and got depressed it became hell, like most of you already know. Ill continue seeing my doctor and taking these meds and i will post a new topic somewhere where its not under a medication title. Just to tell you how i feel and get feedback and reactions from all of you. I believe that when people suffer and fight and win, the more they become wiser and stronger. And i hate for anyone to suffer from anything, including me.

 

Thanks.