First day back on Lofepramine, not feeling great, help?

August 7, 2013 8:10 AM

I took Lofepramine for years back in my early 20s for depression, and I've been prescribed it again as my symptoms have returned. Only on 70mg this time, but it's my first day (took the pill before bed yesterday) and I am getting palpitations, light-headedness, and feel altogether pretty wobbly. a) Is this ok? nothing to worry about, right? I don't remember it being like this the first time, but that was years ago now. b) Is there anything I can do to calm these effects down?

General info: I'm female, normal weight, late 20s, in the UK.

To pre-empt the "see your doctor" replies, it is crazy hard to get even a call with my doctor right now, let alone an appointment as my local surgery is over-subscribed. I will be doing this, I'm looking for help in the interim.

Thanks a lot guys.

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

Try asking at the pharmacy where you got your prescription filled. In Canada and the US, they have access to a lot of detailed information on the drugs they sell and the training to interpret it properly. The pharmacist should be able to tell you if this is normal for this drug, or possibly an interaction with something else you're taking, or something you should be seriously worried about.

I can't say for certain that Pharmacists receive the same level of education where you are (I'm assuming by your use of 'my local surgery is over-subscribed' that it isn't Canada or the US) but it seems like a good place to start if you can't get in to see your doctor.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:22 AM on August 7, 2013

IANAD, but: weird, unpleasant side-effects like this are pretty damned common when first starting a new psychotropic med. A lot of them (apart from sexual side-effects and weight gain) will go away within a few weeks. If you're still feelin' icky after a full month or two, you may want to talk to your doc about switching. (Side note: it wouldn't be a bad idea to check your pulse and blood pressure to make sure they're okay. Also, if you flat-out FAINT, you need to see a doc sooner rather than later; losing consciousness is dangerous).
posted by julthumbscrew at 8:23 AM on August 7, 2013

Looking around on the CrazyMeds forums and other places online, it does seem that heart palpitations and dizziness are known side effects of lofepramine, so I wouldn't worry too much, especially since it's only been one day.

I've only taken one TCA, and its side effects did not stop until I stopped taking it, but I would definitely echo the recommendation to contact the pharmacy that filled your prescription and speak to the head pharmacist for more information if you're not able to speak to your GP. Hope you feel better soon!
posted by divined by radio at 8:51 AM on August 7, 2013

Asking a pharmacist is definitely worth a try, but pharmacy is a completely different thing in the EU (OP has said that she's in the UK). In my experience, pharmacists often know little more than what it says on the patient information leaflet, and will usually refer you back to the prescribing physician.

By the way, we don't “get prescriptions filled” in Europe; we have unit-of-use packaging.
posted by wachhundfisch at 9:47 AM on August 7, 2013

Sorry, caught the 'local surgery' bit and missed the fact that she explicitly said she was in the UK, even though I specifically went back and re-read the question looking for that detail.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:38 AM on August 7, 2013

Sometimes when starting on a new psych med, it is a good idea to start with an even lower dose than the doc might recommend. You could try taking half the dose for a few days then going up, just to let your body get used to it. Might take longer to get to full effect, but also might lessen the side effects. People do this with all kinds of psych meds, not just TCAs, but they're generally considered the worst for nasty side effects in a hurry.

Note: The one time I was given a TCA, the doc who gave it to me had no idea how to prescribe them and had me start on the full antidepressant dose right away. I have absolutely no memories of the three days I took it, and I know that I did things like driving and run errands. So I take side effects very seriously.
posted by monopas at 2:34 PM on August 7, 2013