Posted by KaraS on July 23, 2005, at 15:43:55
In reply to Re: Can stopping a TCA cause palpitations?, posted by med_empowered on July 23, 2005, at 15:24:48
> yeah, it makes sense to me. Also, although everyone thinks of SSRIs as the anti-depressants with a withdrawal syndrome, the Tricyclics can be pretty rough to withdraw from, too...what makes it worse is that doctors have noticed this forever, but still many patients aren't adequately informed that stopping a TCA, even gradually, can be mildly uncomfortable and sometimes hellish. When you think about it, a withdrawal-type syndrome specific to TCAs could explain it...TCAs have well-known cardiovascular effects; it makes sense that, upon withdrawing them, the cardiovascular system could be "thrown for a loop," since the system had adjusted to the constant presence of TCA in the blood stream. Add in all the other physical and psychological problems associated with withdrawal-headache, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, etc.--and you could have quite a problem, indeed.
I was only taking a small amount of doxepin and had no other withdrawal problems other than the return of my anxiety and a decrease in mood - which were more a result of just not taking the medication rather than a horrible withdrawal. Still, I think that either the increased depression and/or the body's electrical current being thrown out of whack are responsible.
poster:KaraS
thread:532192
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050723/msgs/532234.html