Posted by SLS on July 22, 2015, at 14:02:39
In reply to Re: Effexor or Cymbalta, posted by kribensis on July 22, 2015, at 10:24:28
> Thanks Scott.
>
> I feel so overwhelmed and even more anxious and depressed with all of this.
>
> I had not looked into desipramine before and have been reading about it since reading your post.1. Desipramine will cause your heart rate to increase. Too many people quit desipramine because their resting HR goes up to 100 beats per minute. This is usually not dangerous, but it is sometimes a good idea to get a ECG (EKG) before starting the drug and then at some point afterwards. You might "feel" your accelerated HR and experience palpitations. I found that these disappear after awhile. Be sure to tell your doctor of any cardiac conditions you may have. A resting HR of over 120 should be of concern as being tachycardia.
2. Other side effects of desipramine may include dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, drowsiness, dizziness, tremulousness, difficulty urinating, insomnia, and sweating. Many of these things appear early in treatment and become milder over time. It is unlikely that you will get all of the side effects listed. I prefer these side effects to the apathy, amotivation, and sexual side effects that SSRIs can produce.
3. I would start desipramine at 25 mg/day and raise the dosage gradually (perhaps by 50 mg every 5 - 7 days). 150 - 200 mg/day is usually sufficient. However, 300 mg/day is often needed for more severe cases. A minority of people metabolize TCAs very slowly, for which the dosage of desipramine should be cut in half. You might want to use blood tests to help determine drug levels.
- Scott
Some see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.- George Bernard Shaw
poster:SLS
thread:1080685
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20150629/msgs/1080704.html