Clomipramine and Tremors: What Users Say

• Too...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 14, 2015

For Depression "I had several attacks of depression in the last 25 years following stress at work with variable severity. All of these attacks respond well to Anafranil in 3-5 weeks of therapy with some side effects like sweating and tremor during the first 2 weeks. Then I take a small dose for another several weeks and tapering it without problems. During the last attack of depression, I made a mistake when I started treatment with Zoloft, depending on the opinion of a psychiatrist who said to me that this drug is very good with fewer side effects in comparison with the 'old drug Anafranil with unpleasant side effects,' as he said. I'm on Zoloft with up to 150 mg for the last 6 weeks without significant improvement. I decided to stop this drug and return to my Anafranil."

• 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."

• 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!"

• wil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 24, 2018

Clomipramine for Panic Disorder "I was suffering from anxiety and was prescribed Anafranil by my GP. Over a period of about a week, my anxiety increased to the point that I was not well enough to go into work. I contacted my GP, who increased the dosage. Within a few days, I became so anxious I was unable to leave the house. I also suffered shaking and felt so weak that I stayed in bed. But worst of all, I started having suicidal thoughts. At this point, another GP from the practice called out to see me at home and took me off Anafranil and onto a short-term course of diazepam/temazepam. My situation improved and stabilized. In the longer term, I was prescribed venlafaxine, which helped with my condition. If you start having any suicidal thoughts, ring someone immediately!"

• Fli...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 11, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "1 year of being off of this drug and I’m still going through withdrawal. This pill may help your OCD, but it will completely screw up your body in other ways. It messed up all of my hormones and gave me the most painful hot flashes you could ever have to the point where it feels like your whole body is on fire. 14 months of being off of it and I still get at least 20 of these hot flashes every single day. On top of that, I was shaking so much while being on this drug you would’ve thought I had Parkinson’s disease. STAY AWAY at all costs, the drug will screw up your life."

• Typ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 10, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I started this medicine 2 weeks ago. I had been majorly depressed for about 3 years and OCD longer. It started off okay, and I felt better almost a day in. This continued as I increased the dosage. I slept better, I was less stressed, happier, and could relax in a chair, which was almost impossible when depressed. Intrusive thoughts appeared every so often, but not as severe. It was life-changing until day 13, after taking 100 mg a day for the past 3 days. I had dissociation, fast heartbeat, panic, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, shaking, and everything turned dark. I smelled a pungent varnish bark smell. I had a trip to A&E for 2 nights. The medication has been stopped, and I am left in a dark, strange, scary place with strange perceptions. I am bedridden and afraid to go anywhere. I hope I at least am able to recover as I was on them for less than 2 weeks, and just hoping I get something to come off the drug with. It is seriously brutal - it is like winning a football match then suddenly being dumped in a graveyard with screaming voices and strangers."

• moa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 7, 2018

For Depression "It's the best medication I've ever had for MDD and GAD. It initially came with sedation, tremor, constipation, urinary retention, body pain, and so on, but after being on it for a year (and thanks to some acupuncture), all the side effects are gone. If not for the side effects, I'd recommend it to everyone! Only current downside is it only comes in 25 mg tablets, apparently, and I take 150 mg, so that's 6 tablets, and that runs out quickly."

• 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."

• Wil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 6, 2018

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have been taking Anafranil 200 mg for OCD for three months, and it's not working. I'm getting severe anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and tremors. My GP gave me diazepam 2 mg for when I get really bad, and that helps, but last week he told me to stop taking it, and the psychiatrist told me to just ignore my thoughts and anxiety. I can't get into a private psychiatrist or a public one for a second opinion, so I don't know what to do."

• Cer...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 17, 2018

For Depression "This did seem to give me a bit of energy, but the side effects were not good. At the highest dose, I was shaking so bad I couldn't write, I got dizzy every time I stood up, had electric shock feelings in my head, and terrible twitching all evening and night. Luckily, all the side effects stopped when I came off of it, but this was definitely not the right drug for me."

• Cer...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 17, 2018

For Depression "This did seem to give me a bit of energy, but the side effects were not good. At the highest dose, I was shaking so bad I couldn't write, I got dizzy every time I stood up, had electric shock feelings in my head, and terrible twitching all evening and night. Luckily, all the side effects stopped when I came off of it, but this was definitely not the right drug for me."

• 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."

• Ken...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 17, 2020

For Depression "Only took 25 mgs of clomipramine, and the effects were horrendous: shaking, restlessness, all-over body burning, pins and needles, anxiety, nausea, insomnia. It was so bad I ended up in A&E. I'm glad I only took 3 doses."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2022

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have been on Anafranil (50 mg) for a couple of weeks now for both OCD/OCP, intrusive thoughts, and intense irritability/anger. I have tried SSRIs and other medications, but nothing effectively dealt with the anger, a pretty severe side effect of my OCP. So far, Anafranil has been amazing. Within two weeks of starting, my anger has almost entirely gone away, and I find my obsessive/intrusive thoughts are also largely gone. I will be honest, when first starting Anafranil, the side effects were very apparent. I was shaky, had akathisia, insomnia, constipation, and my mood was initially very poor. However, after about a week or so, side effects began to lessen significantly. I am still struggling with some disrupted sleep and constipation, but my mood is significantly elevated, my anger is controlled, and altogether I am much more inclined to positive thinking. Optimal doses for OCD are really between 100-200 mg, so I am hoping to increase my dose as long as side effects are not an issue."

• M13...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 16, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I started this medicine last year. It does help with intrusive thoughts, but for me, it had too many side effects. Started at 25 mg, and it took me forever to get to 50 mg. At 50 mg, the tremors were bad, high heart rate, restless, insomnia, night sweats, constipation, urgency to urinate, feeling bloated. So I figured out why the constipation and bloating, it is because this medicine contains lactose. Currently tapering down. And terrible vivid nightmares."

• 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."