Medication panic

Starburst · 29-04-2009, 01:08 PM

I saw my psychiatrist yesterday. As my OCD is bad, she decided to change my anti-depressant. I usually take 40mg citalopram. She told me to take 20mg today and start the new one (clomipramine) tomorrow. I've never come off an anti-depressant so quickly. I feel fine today (I took 20mg this morning instead of 40) but I'm worried about how I'm going to react to the changes. My other meds have stayed the same (quetiapine and lamotrigine). I know I could phone her but I don't want to, I hate making phone calls.

Ami · 29-04-2009, 01:17 PM

I hate phone calls too. Maybe you could email her or her receptionist. Sorry im not sure, i thought they slowly reduced the dose, but if she's told you otherwise ....

xx

Jetforce · 29-04-2009, 01:20 PM

Yah..strange that they made u come off it really quickly...

But yah.. i hope u don't get too much withdrawal symptoms from getting off it..

hope u feel better btw xx

Fallen Rain · 29-04-2009, 03:36 PM

I came off citalopram very quickly but I wasn't on it for long, maybe ask a first aider or NHS Direct? However if a doctor gave you those instructions I would be inclined to trust him/her.

I also wanted to let you know the clomipramine is meant to be the best medication for ocd, the specialist places I've been to have all recommended it before assessment, and it really did help my ocd symptoms once they got to the right dosage.

whirlpools · 29-04-2009, 06:25 PM

i agree with Fallen Rain, i know people with OCD who've been really helped with Clomipramine. i hope it works out well for you. xxx

plastic rose · 29-04-2009, 08:58 PM

I really recommend asking your psychiatrist about this. A startling number of doctors have no idea about the potential side-effects of SSRI withdrawal. It could be that yours is one of them. If he does know about it, he should have an explanation as to why he doesn't think you need to taper off the old one.

Starburst · 29-04-2009, 09:29 PM

I've been on citalopram since feb 2008. I've been on quite a few SSRIs and was tapered off slowly. I didn't question things in my appt and I wish I had, you know what it's like....!

I told my mum and she said if I have any issues, she'll phone for me. I feel a baby, needing my mummy to phone but it's better than suffering in silence I suppose!

I have heard clomipramine works wonders for OCD and I hope it does for me, I've lived with this for a long time.

Thank you for the advice and reassurance.

plastic rose · 29-04-2009, 09:32 PM

I'm 21 years old and my mum makes phone calls for me and advocates for me all the time. Sometimes mental illness makes you incapable of doing things like that... there's no shame in having somebody help you out.

*hug* :)

Bitter_Angel · 29-04-2009, 10:03 PM

I too came of citalopram as quickly as you have. its not to bad an the important thing is that you get on a med that will help. Maybe keep an eye on how your feeling and if you begin to get side effects ask your mum to phone for you. And dont worry about your mum phoning. im 23 an my mum still makes all my phone calls for me.