New Medication - Thoughts, Experiences?

I had my first visit with my new psychiatrist today and was prescribed Clomipramine. Before taking any new medications I always do thorough research prior to taking them; as I have found myself particularly sensitive/prone to side effects. After reading through both the paper given to me by the pharmacy, as well as documents online, I’m not sure if I feel 100% comfortable trying this medication out. A couple of things in particular that stood out to me were majority of individuals experiencing weight gain (I have body image issues and weight issues already), sexual dysfunction, constipation, etc. (some other pretty severe symptoms) lasting through the entirety of their medication experience (2+ years) as well as some even still being affected after discontinuing the medication, or on the most severe cases, being affected for the rest of their lives. Many people have said that it has helped their OCD significantly, but it was not worth all of the side effects they had to endure while taking it. Some said it saved their life, while others said it ruined their life. Has anyone tried this medication before?? Thoughts? I have already reached out to their office but I am looking for more “real person” experiences before making any decisions. Thank you in advance for taking the time to give this a read, I know it is a long one.

OhCDaisy

Date posted: 7h

Not a medical doctor, but I feel you. I didn't wanna get on treatment for so long because of what you mentioned. Can I ask if you've taken an SSRI first? The drug you mentioned is usually prescribed (not a doctor) when SSRIs don't work. I was given fluvoxanime, which is similar to the drug you mentioned for OCD but generally better tolerated. It actually made me not hungry at all for a month but after that things have been pretty normal. I can say tho, my biggest fear was "oh no! I'm going to ruin my life forever" too but since starting the drug it's amazing how little I care. My anxiety and catastrophizing have decreased immensely.

kenny333

Date posted: 7h

@OhCDaisy Thank you for reading and responding, I really appreciate it! I have tried Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro (as well as some others that are not SSRIs) with unfortunately little to no results or side effects not worth the potential benefits. It is really encouraging to hear that you’ve found something that noticeably helps you. I definitely want to consider trying the medication because worst case - I could just stop taking it. I think my research likely opened the rumination doors - it is quite hard to find a balance between being aware, and obsessing over what might happen. Thank you again :)

Raven_

Date posted: 7h

Anafranil is a TCA. They are prone to having more side effects and way more interactions with other drugs. But side effects are a luck of the draw thing and some people do feel like TCAs work better. Really depends on your current stability. If you’re stable enough to try a new med, you could always try it and see if you get any side effects and if so come off of it. The weight gain effect from a lot of the TCAs is from an appetite increase. Being hungry more or feeling like you never get full from eating. It’s something you usually can identify within the first month. But just remember there are plenty of people who get zero or very minimal side effects.

kenny333

Date posted: 6h

@Raven_ Hi - thank you for responding! As I’m sure you understand - I can’t stand the uncertainty of it all. “Which side effects will I experience?” “ How will they effect me?” “Will they be so bad I won’t be able to go to work tomorrow?” Your message helped remind me that I am not a fortune teller and every persons experience is and will be different. No matter how many people I talk to, it likely will not “prepare me” for my experience. I appreciate the factual information from your message though. It’s a nice reminder that some people don’t experience any side effects which for some reason was not clicking in my brain. Thank you again!

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