Clomipramine and Dry Mouth: What Users Say (Page 2)

• BLR...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 23, 2021

For Depression "I am taking clomipramine for postnatal OCD, anxiety, and depression. The only reason I haven’t given this drug 10/10 is because it has taken 6 months to fully feel its effects. I remember reading these reviews at 2/3 months and thinking that it just wasn’t working for me. Side effects: dry mouth, tremor, facial flushing, immediate headache if consuming alcohol. These have mostly reduced, but I still can’t really drink alcohol at all. I believe a combination of this medication, therapy (ERP works best for the OCD!), meditation, mindfulness, and time have helped me get to this stage. It’s like a new, better level of the drug opens up after 3 months and again after 5 months, that was my experience anyway. If you’re in despair reading this, I would suggest speaking to your doctor about clomipramine, it’s an older tricyclic but has worked much better for me than other SSRIs. Good luck!"

• Pka...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 7, 2017

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have been on this drug for 16 years, and it has been a lifesaver. The side effects were pretty intense at the start, mainly constipation, dry mouth, and I gained 15 pounds. I persevered with the side effects for about 3 months because I just felt so damn normal. The side effects went away, and weight returned to normal. I believe the only long-term side effect is excessive sweating. Oh well, I can live with that! I tried about 9 different meds for anxiety and depression, and none of them gave me any side effects at all. 1 week on clomipramine, and I was constipated big time and had major dry mouth but had joy back in my life! Can't live without it! Cost has gone up in Canada because I believe there are no longer any generic manufacturers."

• Adr...
• August 18, 2016

For Panic Disorder "I'm a Brazilian boy, and I suffer from GAD, panic, and depression. I was trying to find an alternative to Effexor (which was great but caused sexual problems). After using lots of meds without the same success, my doc prescribed me clomipramine. It did work!!!! And without the sexual side effects. But it has other side effects that I couldn't take, like... everything tasted like rotten meat, my mouth and eyes were always dry (even drinking loads of water), my muscles felt so weak that sometimes I thought I would not have the strength to get out of bed, hands and chin trembling, sweating like hell... it completely dehumanized me. But if you're looking for something to kill your panic, yeah, this will work probably at the smallest dose."

• JBa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 20, 2019

Clomipramine "I have tried everything for my PMDD. Nothing has worked until I tried Anafranil - Anafranil works for PMDD. Now I hardly feel the hormone-induced anxiety and depressive symptoms at all between ovulation and my period, two weeks that used to be hell for me. Side effects that I got are loss of appetite and dry mouth. Not a problem to live with."

• Ave...
• March 5, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Started at 25 mg. A week later, I was taking 50 mg. Mouth was dry, but I could deal with that. Went up to 75 mg. I was having difficulty urinating. Okay, I can deal with that as long as that's the worst. Went up to 100 mg. Could not urinate at all. Went to the ER and was catheterized - I had to be catheterized due to the amount of urine in my bladder. This was Saturday. The doctor looked up this medication and found this happens to 6% of patients - which is considered a fairly high number regarding side effects. The doctor said to go to a urologist on Monday. Went to a very good urologist with excellent staff. They took out the catheter, and I was able to urinate. Went home and urinated 2 times. By 2:00, I wasn't able to go at all. Back to the urologist and got catheterized again. The amount I had in my bladder was 450 - apparently, that is quite a lot. The doctor said this medication has 5 half-lives, which equals 160 hours!!! Went home with the catheter. Today (Thursday), the catheter was removed, and it's 10:00 pm and all is good. *Knocks on wood*"

• And...
• June 1, 2020

For Panic Disorder "I asked my psychiatrist to try me out on this drug clomipramine because the reviews were so promising. I started off on a dose of 25 mg and didn't really notice too much of a difference. I went up to 50 mg and started to feel a little better, but still not 100% myself. I went up to 100 mg and it was way too strong for me. My panic became worse and I was a crying mess. The side effects were extremely dry mouth, dehydration, and extreme difficulty in orgasming. I went back down to 50 mg and that seems to be the sweet spot for me. I'm still depressed and anxious, but I'm able to leave my house, sleep better, have better sex (was on SSRIs before and that killed my libido), and be functional. I know there's no magic drug that will eliminate all anxiety or depression, but this one has helped out a lot. I rarely ever get panic attacks anymore and I'm able to manage my anxiety a lot better. I'm a little upset because it's not really helping with the depression, but I'm going to try and find something to pair with this."

• Anonymous
• January 23, 2012

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "After trying a few different medicines (with no benefits), my doctor pulled out the big guns and gave me Clomipramine. I have severe OCD but the purely obsessional (intrusive thoughts). I used to be a checker and hand washer, though. I took it for over 1 year. Unfortunately, Clomipramine did nothing for me on 250 mg, which is pretty much the highest dose you can take. I did not have a lot of side effects except dry mouth when I was on it. I quit taking it after I ran out on a holiday weekend and saw the withdrawal symptoms: severe nausea. And even when tapering slowly off it over the course of months, I still had terrible withdrawals (vomiting and nausea)."

• Rac...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 17, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Saris stopped working. I had up to 60 obsessions a day morphing. 1-hour toilet routine. I'd been using different SSRIs for 20 years with success for OCD, but for some reason, none of them worked anymore. I held no hope for clomipramine at all. I'm very sensitive to drugs, so they were increased very slowly. The worst side effect was dry mouth, it was like a rat had crawled in and died there, but it does pass and improve. Also, reading movement disorder as a side effect had me begin to be convinced I had one, but I didn't believe that until they were fully working. Anyway, slowly all my obsessions cleared up to the point where I can almost be the other way. I was considering many ways out of life before this started to show improvement. Now it is like I'm a slightly obsessive person with no OCD. It was a miracle for me. I was nearing the end, I had no quality of life. Give it a try."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I take 175 mg of clomipramine for OCD, dermatillomania, and treatment-resistant depression for over 6 years. After about 2 months, my dermatillomania has almost vanished, and my intrusive thoughts diminished greatly. The only downside is the dry mouth, but chewing gum (sugar-free) helps a lot. I've tried SSRIs, and they just were sedative. The side effects of clomipramine seem like a small price to pay (at least the side effects I have felt thus far) for relief from chronic OCD and depression."

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 7, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "The lowest dose of clomipramine in combination with Luvox gave me dry mouth, nausea, headaches, loss of taste, weight gain, dizziness, fatigue, feeling like needing to pee, and sexual dysfunction. It made me feel numb inside. Some reduction in the intensity of obsessive thoughts due to being so sedated. This drug is very old and strong and did not work for me at all. I quit cold turkey after four weeks and have never felt so depressed."

• Rlw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 4, 2022

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I’d love to know how anyone else went on this drug? I’m only on 25 mg and also on Concerta 18 mg for ADHD, so I’m basically OCD/ADHD. I have been getting really bad insomnia, but I do find it is helping. I take it in the morning at the moment because when I first started, I found it kept me up worse when I took it at night. I will eventually increase. I get dry mouth, but it has also fixed my IBS. Please feel free to share experiences if the insomnia side effect goes away. I’m on week two now."

• And...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 9, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Clomipramine has been a lifesaver. It has taken away nearly 90% of intrusive thoughts. Over the next week, the doctors will increase the dose to 150 mg, and I believe it will help a lot. The first 4 weeks were tough on the drug, and I suggest anyone trying the drug to hang on and stick in there. Side effects are it takes longer to orgasm and dry mouth from time to time. Overall, a thumbs up from me."

• ARa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 23, 2020

"I was a singer and had a stroke on stage. After convalescing for a year, I stuttered, constantly had panic attacks, and was hyperemotional all the time, oscillating between screaming or crying. I also realized I'd lost my voice, singing off-key with a weak, trembling voice. I've always been quite sensitive, but I actually felt handicapped, so I explained these symptoms to my family doctor, and he reluctantly prescribed 25 mg Clomipramine for 6 months. It truly is a miracle! After a month, I can now sing again, am finally even-tempered, and generally feel balanced. And though it hasn't been all rosy, as I had dizzy spells, palpitations, and still have dry mouth, I still hope he tells me I can take it for the rest of my life because I do not want to ever revert to the PTSD state I was in."

• LJa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2020

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Felt this drug immediately when it was first prescribed to me-within a day, my obsessive thoughts were gone. The dry mouth side effect went away after a week, and I appreciated the drowsiness my nighttime dose gave me. All was well until, three weeks after starting, I suddenly could not control my bladder! I full-on peed my pants twice (luckily, I was home both times) before I weaned myself off the med. I was only taking 25 mg once every other day."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 7, 2020

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Suffered with severe intrusive thoughts, was on 300 mg of clomipramine for about a year and had side effects of putting weight on (6 stone), dry mouth, shaky hands, just felt like a zombie. Gradually came off of them and started to feel better, then along came COVID and intrusive thoughts came back, so got put back on them but made me feel anxious, so came off them."

• Ala...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 21, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Clomipramine gave me back my quality of life and ability to function. My OCD no longer controls me. Obsessive thoughts are less frequent, and normally when they do happen, I’m able to shrug them off and they don’t torment me. Only side effect is dry mouth and muscle twitches for a few days when increasing dose."

• jde...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I am on 150 mg, and it has been extremely helpful for my OCD and depression. There are side effects such as dry mouth, difficulty urinating, and it takes longer to orgasm, but overall, it has been very helpful."

• Meg...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 10, 2022

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I've been taking 25 mg of clomipramine for six months. The first two months were rough. Constant dry mouth, fatigue, constipation, and brain fog. 25 mg was the highest I could go - any higher and the side effects were intolerable. That being said, by the sixth month, most of the side effects got better, but were not completely gone. My sleep and anxiety have improved greatly. My intrusive thoughts weren't gone, but I wasn't ruminating and obsessing like I used to. Overall, I was having a generally positive experience taking this drug. However, at the same time that I started taking clomipramine, I was diagnosed with lymphedema and gained weight in my legs that I can't lose. It's hard to know if this is tied to clomipramine because lymphedema is hereditary. The timing could be coincidental, but this medication is known for causing weight gain. So tomorrow I'm switching to Zoloft, which I took years ago. It's worth giving this med a try. Give it two months to really kick in."

• 123...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 27, 2022

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Suffering from pure harm OCD for 5 years now. No compulsions, just thoughts. It starts with the moment I wake up in the morning. Grueling and the most disgusting thoughts you can ever imagine, and an earworm that never stops and changes every day. No therapy has worked. After suffering for one year, I was at my wits' end. So my psychiatrist suggested we try Prozac with an optional conjunction with Abilify. I took it for two years, and it helped for about a 75% remission. Then it pooped out. My obsessions returned to full force, and for about 1.5 years, my suffering continued. I thought Clomipramine and maybe Abilify were my last hope. I started with 37.5 mg and upped my dose to 300 mg with 37.5 mg steps every week. Side effects: dry mouth, urine retention, severe constipation, tiredness, tremor in both hands, loss of libido, blurred vision, some of these disappeared, some didn't. Then I waited. After 7 long months and being on the max dose for over 4 months, I started to notice slight improvements."

• Coy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 25, 2022

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This medication is quite literally a lifesaver. I have had debilitating OCD along with bipolar and PTSD since childhood. I have also battled anorexia and exercise addiction for close to 50 years. I was on it for a couple of years about 6 months back, but my doctor took me off of it because it was making my manic episodes much worse. As soon as I went off of it, my obsessions and compulsions came back with a vengeance. She put me on Depakote to stabilize me, then put me back on the clomipramine last night. I could feel the difference as soon as I woke up this morning! I am (and was previously) only taking 12.5 mg, which did help tremendously. I'm hoping that, with the Depakote, I can make it to at least 25 mg to really get rid of it for good. I know that many of you are here because you aren't sure if you want to take the leap and, like me, you are probably obsessing about it. PLEASE push past your fears and give it a try! Dry mouth, sweating, and some mild tachycardia...that's it!"

• olc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2025

For Panic Disorder "I've been using Anafranil for 5 days. 25 mg - so far I've had dry mouth, fatigue, and lack of motivation. After 7 days, I am to increase the dose to 50 mg, and after 2 weeks, 75 mg. So far, I feel less anxious, I sleep better, I have no diarrhea. I hope, as people recommend, that it will help me with social phobia and panic disorder."

• Bre...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 28, 2025

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Great for OCD when on 150 mg, but had to stop this drug due to the horrible side effects. Constipation so bad I had to go to the hospital, dry mouth, and red skin, plus a weird constant tingling in my feet. Weaning off the medication was surprisingly easy. Recently started on Paxil 40 mg with no side effects. So far, Paxil doesn’t seem as “good,” but the side effects are just not worth it, unfortunately."

• z-d...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 2, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Makes my mouth dry and makes me sweat more than normal. Nevertheless, this med has helped to quiet my head to a manageable level to function."

• yea...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 7, 2018

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Minimal benefit for OCD at all dosages (with and without combining other meds). Side effects: very dry mouth, problems urinating, all sexual side effects, at 200 mg seizure, tremor."