HI,
I was wondering if anyone can help me here? I have been taking the tricyclic antidepressant dosulepin for the past 12 years. Last year I started reading stuff on the internet about it causing heart problems for people and that it wasn't being prescribed anymore. My doctor had never mentioned this to me. But I was worried so I went to my doctor to ask if I should change to another newer pill. She said she thought it was a good idea and switched me onto mirtazapine. To cut a long story short my anxiety and depression rocketed and I thought I was going to die so after a month I had no choice but to go back on dosulepin again. I had deteriorated so much that it literally took 4 months before I started to feel in any way well again.
Anyway I have now been back on dosulepin for 5 months and I know that I will have to take it for the rest of my life as it is the only drug that can help me. But I am starting to worry about the fact that NOONE seems to be prescribed it nowadays and everything on the internet seems to relate to how dangerous it is. I am frightened that I am on a drug that might give me a heart attack.
The doctor says I can have an EGC to check my heart but even if it comes back ok I think I will still worry about the fact that I have to take it daily for ever.
Please is there anyone on here that Is on dosulepin or another of the tricyclic's and if so do you have any information on the associated heart risks?
Thank you
Lisa
Hiya Lisa
sorry never heard of it....i am on mitazapine 30mg and 40mg of propananol for panic and anxity have a word with your phamasist they seem to know more about drugs than most g.p's i've found... if the drug was that unsafe it would of been took off the market or you would of been offered regular heart check up's if there was any doubts about it.....take care x
Hi Lisa, I've just joined the forum because this morning 30 May I've been to pick up my repeat prescription for Dosulepin and the chemist has told me it is no long available except in 25mg capsules and they are likely to run out! I have been taking it for almost 20 years without any particular side effects and no recurrance of the condition I started taking it for.
Luckily I have an appointment next week with my GP so I can discuss it with her. You would think the doctors would know if a particular medicine was being discontinued, your question as to 'is anyone else in the world taking it' is yes and yes, my husband has been taking it for over 12 years successfully for migraine, again no side effects.
I am really worried now as I don't see how you can suddenly go from one type to another. I once was given Prozac, it was horrendous, I only took about a weeks worth, I can't describe how I felt.
So you are not alone, but that's not much consolation to either of us.
G
I have taken dosulepin for10 years for chronic migraine chronic insomnia and deppresion it has worked wonders in my life now I have to suddenly withdraw my Dr has tried me with sertraline paroxetine and now colmipramine sertraline made me vomit with intense migraine n nausea dioreah n vertigo, paroxitine also returned my migraines and the clomipramine which is a trycilic like dosulepin made me scatty nmy insomnia uncontrollable I am at my wits end my perfect life is crumbling around me I've had to take time of from my job after2 years of 100 percent attendance n I just need NY dosulepin at NY wits end
Hi Karmaqueen,
I'm so sorry to hear that you are feeling so unwell since stopping dosulepin. i know exactly how you feel as when i tried mirtazipine my health deteriorated rapidly also.
Why did your doctor take you off the dosulepin? I know how much of a life safer that drug is as I have been on it for 13 years and it does keep me stable and i very much doubt that i would be okay on any other drug.
I'm hoping that if it is still available your doctor will put you back on it as it is so unfair that you are having to go through all of this pain,
take care,
Lisax
Hi tiawhitecat,
I'm really sorry that it has taken me so long to reply to this. I didn't know that I had another reply until now as karmaqueen replied today.
Anyway thats not important. I'm really anxious to know what your doctor said to you when you went to your appointment the following week? As just last week the exact same thing happened to me. I went to pick up my repeat prescription and i was told that there was manufacturing problem with the 75mg tablets I didn't get too worked up about it because i was told that there was no problem with the 25 mg capsules so i could take 6 of them instead. i'm worried that if they are stopping the 75mg then they might stop the 25mg too.
I like yourself have been on dosulepin for a long time (13 years) and i know it is the only pill for me. When i tried mirtazipine i thought i was going to die i felt so bad.
Please reply and let me know what your doctor said. i am going to ask a chemist tomorrow if they are aware of any problems with the production and i have looked on the internet and there is no talk of it being taken off the market.
Anyway i really hope that you are okay - and your husband too.
take care,
lisax
There taking them of market in my country UK but these tablets practically saved my life i was having 2 migraines a week and horendous insomnia they cured both since I started dosulepin my life changed for the better so much nothing is similar or works the same I really don't know what to do I'm giving up
are you absolutely sure that they are taking them off the market? As i asked my psychiatrist and he didn't know anything about it and it doesn't say anything on the internet about it - I'm in theuk too
Yes i received a letter from my surgery about it they are only supplying 25mg Max hes hsd a lot of people with the same problem i begged in tears but he said in the next few weeks they will start running out of supplies so best to withdraw me now I went down to 50 mg for a week then 25 mg crossed with each new drug hes tried me with I now have no dosulepin at all just clomipramine which my Dr said wassimilar but is completely diff
Hi again,
I dont want to give false hope but I have just spoken to someone at the hospital and she asked the pharmacy people there. There IS a problem with the 75mg caplets but no one was aware of it being taken off the market. If the 25mg capsules are still being produced then we can take those to make up the dose. She has passed my query onto an expert who is going to find out for sure and as soon as I get an answer i will tell you. She said it will be this afternoon or tomorrow. If it turns out that dosulepin is still being made then you HAVE to go back to your doctor and demand to be prescribed the 25mg capsules. I'll let you know what happens
Hi,
So you are saying that they are stopping the 25mg capsules too? No on e that i have spoken to knows anything about this. I will wait to see what this man says when he phones me and let you know
I so hope that is the case I will then go back and ask for the 25mg n take 3 till its sorted i really need these for a chance of a normal life
he hasn't phoned yet. To be honest with you I really dont see why your gp is saying this as apart from anything else it is pharmasists who are the experts on the supply of medication gps know next to nothing. At the end of the day if the 25mg capsules are still being produced then why would they be running out of them. Yes they might be a bit more difficult to to get a hold of and we might have to try a few pharmacies to get our prescriptions but as long as they are still being made then that is the main thing. I'll let you know as soon as I know anything for sure
Thankyou iwill go straight back to my gp if there's any chance I can get them
Hi karmaqueen,
i've just spoken to a pharmaceutical company in england and i have been assurred by a man there that Dosulepiin in NOT being taken off the market. It is simply a shortage of supplies of both strengths of the pill. And other people in authority have told me the exact same thing.
i have no idea why your gp has taken you off of it but it is totally out of order especially as you are now so ill.
You MUST go back to your gp and demand to be put back on it. I think that perhaps he wanted you off it because it is no longer prescribed to new patients because of heart concerns but when you have been on it as long as us it is a nightmare to stop taking it - as you no know.
if you type in "dosulepin shortage" into google sixth on the list is a link called "prescribing update for Bolton CCG - Dousulepin shortage" click on that link and read the information, towards the bottom there is a number that you can phone and you can speak to the man i just spoke to for reassurrance (i dont want to put the number up on here incase it gets deleted).
As there is a shortage at the moment when you hopefully get back on dosulepin you may have to go round a few chemists with your prescription before you will get it but it is a small price to pay to get the medication. The man on the phone said superdrug isn't a good one to go to as they order from just the one supplier so they are unlikely to have any. Boots or lloyds are better bets.
I really hope that your doctor listens to this and does the right thing and if he doesn't then you need to go to a differnt gp in your practice. You are entitled to see any doctor you want to. And be forceful if they start being awkward. it isn't being taken off the market it is just a supply shortage,
good luck,
Lisax
ps if you have any problems dont hesitate to get in touch with me
Thankyou Lisa I went back to my Dr but he said he's taking all his patients of dosulepin after trying another med clomipramine with horrible side effects I went back to my dr I'm now on mitrazipine which I've taken for 4 days I find this almost identical to dosulepin slept all night after taking my first one this is after 2 full nights of no sleep my odd has calmed a lot and my 2 week migraine has finally lifted think I'm going to be OK on mitrazipine he's also given me small course of diazipan but I've not needed to take them yet I'm only on 15 mg at the moment and my dosulepin withdrawal has lightened significantly I'm due surgery for thyroid disease soon and I'm stressing a lot over it so I'm glad I finally start feeling like me again,and thankyou for all your help
PS surprisingly mitrazipine this is a nassa antidepressant and not a tricilic but my Dr said it is a much safer drug than dosulepin, I found the effects almost identical to dosulepin
Hi Karmaqueen,
I am so glad to hear that you are feeling so much better 
.
I know that mirtazipine is like the modern version of dosulepin and is also very sedating also and 'im really glad that it is working out for you.
Unfortunately for me mirtazipine didn't agree with me which is why im back on the dosulepin. i just hope that it never comes off the market as it is the only thing that works for me. I have asked loads of people and no one has heard anything about that happening so fingers crossed.
Im really glad youre feeling better and enjoy your sleep
Hi Lisa
Exactly the same thing happened to me I have been taking dosulepin for 7 years Ive recently moved and have a new doctor. He said this drug is not given for depression now and put me on mirtazipine. I was on it for a week feeling suicidal.My doctor has put me back on dosulepin.But has taken the precaution of testing my cholestral Having read that dosulepin can cause heart problems. Im happy to take the risk Like you I think I will be on this for life
hi suzanne,
I know exactly how you feel. I stupidly stayed on mirtazipine for 4 weeks. It was a living hell so I started taking dosulepin again off my own back as I had some left over and when I told my gp they kicked up a fuss about prescribing it to me again as it is so "toxic". Anyway to cut a long story short eventually I got it again but it took me months to feel reasonably well again and to be honest wiith you even now (after nearly a year of being back on it) I'm not back to how I was before all of this.
It does worry me that it isn't prescribed to new patients anymore but I know its the only thing that can help me so like you said I'm prepared to take the risk.
I'm really glad that your doctor agreed to switch you back to dosulepin. Like you i have to have a heart test though mine is to be an ecg to check heart rhythm and my psychiatrist has assured me that as long as i take it correctly it is a perfectly safe medication and that I have nothing to be afraid of, so I hope that those words help you too.
Please let me know how you are getting on and would love to talk to you more about this as it is such a rarity to find anyone on dosulepin nowadays lol,
take care,
Lisax