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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Martinchen978 on December 4, 2018, at 17:51:01
Is it any good?
Ive been taking Sertraline, which caused me apathy and indifference. Doctor suggested Anafranil instead...
Posted by Hugh on December 4, 2018, at 18:53:12
In reply to I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Martinchen978 on December 4, 2018, at 17:51:01
Anafranil (clomipramine) wasn't good for me. It made it difficult for me to concentrate. And it caused sexual side effects. It's a tricyclic antidepressant. Ever taken one of those before? It's frequently prescribed for OCD.
Posted by Martinchen978 on December 4, 2018, at 19:41:38
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Hugh on December 4, 2018, at 18:53:12
> Anafranil (clomipramine) wasn't good for me. It made it difficult for me to concentrate. And it caused sexual side effects. It's a tricyclic antidepressant. Ever taken one of those before? It's frequently prescribed for OCD.
No, Sertraline has been my first and only AD so far.
Posted by Hugh on December 4, 2018, at 20:21:10
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Martinchen978 on December 4, 2018, at 19:41:38
What symptoms were you hoping to ameliorate with sertraline?
Posted by Martinchen978 on December 5, 2018, at 7:42:25
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Hugh on December 4, 2018, at 20:21:10
> What symptoms were you hoping to ameliorate with sertraline?
Social anxiety (speech anxiety)
MDD (apathy, anhedonia, reduced affect display, loss of appetite, ruminating, difficulty making decisions, psychosomatic GI-problems...)
Posted by Hugh on December 5, 2018, at 12:10:21
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Martinchen978 on December 5, 2018, at 7:42:25
It sounds like sertraline made your apathy much worse. Did it worsen any other symptoms? Did it help any?
Posted by Martinchen978 on December 5, 2018, at 13:14:17
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Hugh on December 5, 2018, at 12:10:21
> It sounds like sertraline made your apathy much worse.
Yes, it did.
But I don't want to be completely negative. There are definitely some positive aspects: It's a rather good anxiolytic and it has helped me with my anxiety and fears. It was also good in relieving my diverse psychosomatic ailments. It also stopped my ruminations and difficulty making decisions. At the beginning of the treatment it induced horrible insomnia, but right now I sleep quite well, maybe even too much. It also made me more emotionally stable, I think.
Posted by rjlockhart37 on December 5, 2018, at 19:17:32
In reply to I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Martinchen978 on December 4, 2018, at 17:51:01
clomipramine is a potent serotonin reuptake, it's mainly for OCD, and is anti-obessional drug ... it's potent...but i don't know much about it, never taken it
some medical info on it:
https://www.rxlist.com/anafranil-drug.htm
Posted by rjlockhart37 on December 5, 2018, at 19:20:38
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by rjlockhart37 on December 5, 2018, at 19:17:32
that was just general
this is wikipedia about clomipramine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clomipramineit's antidepressant and anti-obsessional drug, OCD
Posted by Christ_empowered on December 5, 2018, at 20:17:50
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by rjlockhart37 on December 5, 2018, at 19:20:38
i put together a vitamin protocol for myself based on a program created by a Dr.Hoffer, a canadian psychiatrist. He also used drugs, just...compared to his peers, he was more selective, used lower doses, and avoided complex cocktails.
Hoffer was apparently a -big- fan of Anafranil for depression in his patients, many of whom had some flavor Schizophrenia. I cannot tolerate tca drugs myself (Tofranil was great, less apathy than ssri, ssnri drugs...until it stopped being great...), but some people swear by them.
over the long haul, I think there is a small but real tardive dyskinesia risk. im not trying to scare you...truth be told, TD has been reported with Prozac and Effexor, too. :-(
i hope things go well for you.
Posted by Martinchen978 on December 6, 2018, at 12:54:00
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Christ_empowered on December 5, 2018, at 20:17:50
> i put together a vitamin protocol for myself based on a program created by a Dr.Hoffer, a canadian psychiatrist. He also used drugs, just...compared to his peers, he was more selective, used lower doses, and avoided complex cocktails.
>
> Hoffer was apparently a -big- fan of Anafranil for depression in his patients, many of whom had some flavor Schizophrenia. I cannot tolerate tca drugs myself (Tofranil was great, less apathy than ssri, ssnri drugs...until it stopped being great...), but some people swear by them.
>
> over the long haul, I think there is a small but real tardive dyskinesia risk. im not trying to scare you...truth be told, TD has been reported with Prozac and Effexor, too. :-(
>
> i hope things go well for you.
Dr. Hoffer. I've heard that name ;-)How did Tofranil stop working? What was your experience with it?
It's just... that... I don't get things done on Sertraline. That is not good in any way.
Posted by Martinchen978 on December 6, 2018, at 12:54:48
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Martinchen978 on December 6, 2018, at 12:54:00
> > i put together a vitamin protocol for myself based on a program created by a Dr.Hoffer, a canadian psychiatrist. He also used drugs, just...compared to his peers, he was more selective, used lower doses, and avoided complex cocktails.
> >
> > Hoffer was apparently a -big- fan of Anafranil for depression in his patients, many of whom had some flavor Schizophrenia. I cannot tolerate tca drugs myself (Tofranil was great, less apathy than ssri, ssnri drugs...until it stopped being great...), but some people swear by them.
> >
> > over the long haul, I think there is a small but real tardive dyskinesia risk. im not trying to scare you...truth be told, TD has been reported with Prozac and Effexor, too. :-(
> >
> > i hope things go well for you.
>
>
> Dr. Hoffer. I've heard that name ;-)
>
> How did Tofranil stop working? What was your experience with it?
>
> It's just... that... I don't get things done on Sertraline. That is not good in any way.I need ambition and motivation to get things done.
Posted by Hugh on December 6, 2018, at 14:04:21
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Martinchen978 on December 5, 2018, at 7:42:25
Anafranil inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine as well as serotonin, so it's possible that it will help your apathy.
You might consider trying intranasal ketamine for your anhedonia.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323887.php
Posted by Christ_empowered on December 6, 2018, at 14:05:24
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Martinchen978 on December 6, 2018, at 12:54:48
I lasted a whole 4, maybe 5 weeks on generic Tofrnail. Before, I'd been prescribed Tofranil-PM, the pamoate version...I thought it was just a way to get a patent and revive a golden oldie for $$$. now, I'm not so sure...
anywyay, the dry mouth had me concerned. so did the potential for long term cardio-toxicity, although...i dont think its as bad with Tofranil as with some other psych drugs.
i dunno. there's also the neuroleptic/tranquilizer+antidepressant drug-drug interactions to consider. I tolerate Abilify quite well, but if the dosage is too high, its...bad, bad. depression, irritability, vegetating, basically...somehow, without obvious EPS. weird...
antidepressants tend to boost neuroleptic blood levels, so i suspect that was part of it, too.
back to you...
has your doctor talked about options outside of the antidepressant realm? i had an acquaintance with OCD who took Klonopin...I Mean, until his doctor got slack and starting giving him ridiuclous doses. Then he tapered. But, yeah...till that happened, 2-3mgs/Klonopin kept him in a place where he could work, etc.
stimulants helps some people with ocd. not the best idea for some people, but...if its OK, physically, and your doctor is good with drug selection and dosing, it could be helpful. I seem to recall reading that amphetamines are used more in ocd than ritalin, but...I don't know if that's true or, if it is true, why that is the case.
other than that...i really don't have any major suggestions, sorry. i hate zoloft, too. i have obsessive "stuff" and was prescribed zoloft and...i think the apathy, mixed with the surly-ness and general...ugh, not good. actually, zoloft was a lot like taking an antipsychotic, now that i think about it...the bad parts, anyway.
some doctors who aren't so big on old school stimulants in adults will consider Provigil or NuVigil. some people swear by those...it really depends on the prescriber and also your insurance coverage.
ok. i recommended Orthomolecular to everybody until...well...now. now, I'm kind of beginning to think Orthomolecular Psychiatry (in particular...) "works" thru careful prescribing and vitamins to reduce toxicity from treatment. I kind of doubt the protocol would do much by itself, except maybe reduce adverse effects and perhaps improve overall results...
but the vitamins won't undo antidepressant amotivation or the "tranquilizer psychosis," etc. blah.
hope this helps.
Posted by Martinchen978 on December 6, 2018, at 17:13:02
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Hugh on December 6, 2018, at 14:04:21
> Anafranil inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine as well as serotonin, so it's possible that it will help your apathy.
>
> You might consider trying intranasal ketamine for your anhedonia.
>
> https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323887.php
>
>Ketamine sounds interesting, but I don't know if it's being prescribed by regular doctors or do I have to go to some research facility?
Posted by Martinchen978 on December 6, 2018, at 18:14:01
In reply to Re: I have been prescribed a drug called Anafranil., posted by Christ_empowered on December 6, 2018, at 14:05:24
> back to you...
>
> has your doctor talked about options outside of the antidepressant realm?My old doctor was all pro SSRIs. ("I only prescribe SSRIs... nothing else. I don't combine drugs!")
My new doctors I've only seen one time... didn't talk much, but at least he is more open-minded...Was Zoloft your only SSRI or did you try others?
This is the end of the thread.
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