|
Q: Imiprimine Was
Lowered and I'm Spiraling Out of Control
I've been on 100mg of Imipramine for 3 years with good outcome - I've gained
about 10 lbs per year on it, but have recently had problems with my heart racing
to 130 beats per minute sometimes. I'm 45 years old and am also on
androderm for low testosterone, armour thyroid for low thyroid, and xanax for
night time anxiety. I'm now down to 30 mg of Imipramine and I'm getting
very negative and my mind is racing - I can't concentrate. My Dr has me
changing to Seroquel after I'm completely off of the Imipramine. I getting
very nervous - can't concentrate - and at work today - a few people told me to
cut back on the coffee - since I noticed this behavior in myself - I switched to
tea to avoid a headache but I feel very agitated and physically feel like I have
to keep moving. I can't bear the thought that I'll say something
inappropriate at work and get myself in trouble - but I'm quickly spiraling out
of control - what can I do? I just want to escape.
Hello
Mike --
Well, first of all, I hope that you and your psychiatrist are in close
communication about what is going on here. Obviously, it doesn’t sound
good. I hope that by now you have already discussed the option of going
back up on imipramine and regrouping before the next reduction.
The good
outcome that you had for a while on imipramine , and your current regimen, put
you in a position where I can’t really comment easily, but here is one thought:
if you and your psychiatrist decide to try again later to lower imipramine, one
option might be to try to move it down very slowly. Although it is not a
standard practice at this time, taking as much as four months to taper an
antidepressant may have some physiologic justification. I summarized that
justification in an essay about
antidepressant withdrawal and that might be of
interest if you go back up and then start down again later.
Good
luck with the process. If you haven’t talked to your psychiatrist about
all this already, give her/him a call.
Dr.
Phelps
Published June, 2009
|