what is your experience with tricyclic antidepressants during taper

[Guest [...]]

Does anyone have experience with tricyclic antidepressants while tapering off benzos? I'm thinking they would help with sleep better than the SSRI's

[[Fo...]]

It may well

Dothiepen was used for sleep before benzos existed

[[An...]]

I can not tolerate any of the older  tricyclic antidepressants. They constipate me terribly and give me an extreme dry mouth and throat. I know some are sedating and that be a a huge help for some who suffer with insomnia. Some also have some anti-anxiety and anti-panic effects. Are you on an ssri now and now thinking about trying a tricyclic? 

[[tr...]]

I'm on Elavil 25-125mg as needed with melatonin. It's a tricyclic AD. Only been on it a week and it didn't help. Dry mouth and just some drowsiness. I think I'm going to get off of it. And slowly taper my Seroquel. And hold at 1mg K. I rapid tapered K recently and sx's come on at .25mg too fast. I'll hold off K maybe for a while or cut by .125mg down to .875mg and hold for a week or so. See dr later in the week. Since I'm in tolerance to everything right now. Try to stabilize for a bit on K. And taper off Seroquel at the end of this week. Hang in there!

[[Fo...]]

You don’t taper the tricyclics whether it be amitriptyline or  dothiepen. You take agreed dose - say 25 mg- with your docs advice.  Trying 3-4 nights then two off etc til your sleep pattern returns.

It isn’t perfect and daytime drowsiness an issue. But it helps some. 

Perhaps a very slow taper, mostly taken at night is a better way of looking at it. Agree venla is a potent med and very stimulating, hence avoid if prone to mania.

Good luck.

Dick

[[tr...]]

Dickie, I gave amitriptyline 25mg a try and only yawn some a hour later. And told I could increase the dose to up to 125mg in the last week with .5mg K. It lost its effectiveness pretty quick here. I’ll stick to K and Sero for awhile this week. Chat later. Thomas

[[Fo...]]

Sure Thomas. Sero does give a good sleep.

Do you take some in the morning? I had breakthrough anxiety mis afternoon.

Best wishes

Dick

[[tr...]]

No, at night with K. I try to offset anxiety issues in the daytime with Coreg for physical sx’s. And distract myself during the day. I have a twin brother going through similar problems with insomnia and he takes the same amount of meds as me to sleep. At least my home and cars are paid off and enough money saved up to live for 5years on to taper and recover from these meds. I got a gym machine and a oncall food service if I don’t like to cook. Just a bachelor pad. If my symptoms get bad my brother knows what to do and it’s good to talk to someone in person who’s been through it too. Cheers