Anafranil (Clomipramine) Withdrawal And Detox

Antidepressant use has skyrocketed nearly 65 percent over the course of 15 years from 1999-2002 and 2011-2014, making them just one of the three most frequently used therapeutic drug classes in the country, according to the CDC. The efficacy of these drugs has also been in question, considering a fourth of the people who took antidepressant medication in the past month had been doing so for ten years or more per CDC research. With such an influx of antidepressant prescriptions comes more instances of withdrawal and detoxification, which can be a daunting (but never impossible) feat along the path to recovery.

Though the withdrawal effects of clomipramine have yet to be evaluated systematically, its effects are like other tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). People on Anafranil, a TCA indicated for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), can surely develop a tolerance for the medication over time and eventually experience moments of withdrawal gradually or after halting treatment unexpectedly. Some withdrawal symptoms include:

• Dizziness
• Nausea/vomiting
• Headache
• Insomnia
• Fever
• Irritability
• Worsening of anxious/depressive behavior

If the person taking clomipramine is pregnant, withdrawal symptoms can certainly affect the unborn child. Researchers have seen that clomipramine withdrawal in pregnant patients can in some cases cause epilepsy in unborn fetuses.

It should be noted that while there are withdrawal symptoms that surface throughout recovery, there are also discontinuation symptoms that can come about after abruptly stopping treatment, which can prompt the development of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS). Symptoms, while like the ones listed above, include (but are not limited to) fatigue, loss of balance, tremors and nightmares.

Many different factors contribute to a patient’s recurrence during the withdrawal process: their prior history of similar episodes, if vestigial symptoms persist at the end of treatment, if the patient continues to exhibit persistent chronic medical or social problems, or if they lack social guidance and mentorship altogether. People over 60 years old upon the initial onset of the illness are known to have a more difficult time during the withdrawal process than others.

General practitioners can sometimes seem disinclined to withdraw a patient from unnecessary long-term antidepressant use, not to mention that some patients who regularly take this drug/these types of drugs may not be particularly motivated to discontinue their treatment.

The duration of withdrawal symptoms for Anafranil can vary from days to weeks to months, but if monitored closely, patients can be weeded off TCAs like clomipramine much more effectively

When it comes to antidepressant drug therapy, there is more than one phase of treatment. The acute treatment phase involves the initial weeks of the patient’s regimen. Nearly 30% of those on clomipramine remained fairly depressed during this initial phase. If there is no sort of clinical improvement in symptoms during the first four weeks of treatment, the patient may no longer benefit from taking clomipramine, and their regimen should be adjusted accordingly. Still, though, even a small amount of improvement in that time could be a great sign.

The next step is continuation therapy. The end goal of this phase is to notice at least four months of full recovery (demonstrating near identical behavior from before the patient’s diagnosis) before deciding to cut treatment indefinitely.

Circling back to ADS, many of the symptoms associated with the illness are flu-like, such as headache, fever or nausea. Thus, a physician may very well treat those symptoms as if the patient was infected with the influenza virus. Otherwise, there has yet to be a definitive, approved medication specifically indicated for the treatment of ADS. Physicians will typically utilize one of two methods to effectively manage their patient’s progress. One strategy involves the tapering of the dosage at specific intervals of time. If this method proves unsuccessful over time, the prescribing physician will execute the same dosage-reducing process but will switch the patient to an antidepressant with a longer half-life than the original drug.

As for detoxification, aside from keeping up with discontinuation, staying active and psychotherapy are integral to staying on track with recovery. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, balanced diet and solid exercise routines are all organic ways to destress and cleanse the body of toxins.

It’s always a strong move to seek additional help in instances of depression, anxiety and substance misuse: be it from loved ones, medical professionals or others struggling along their own path toward a new beginning. With a plethora of technological and medical resources at our disposal, everyone has a chance to live a life of bliss following recovery.

The Recovery Village makes finding the ideal recovery facility as simple and informational as possible and pledges to deliver only the utmost care and consideration for everyone who feels like they can’t go at it alone. Call our 24/7 toll-free hotline at 855-548-9825 to learn how to start your journey.