Clomipramine and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Sha...
• January 17, 2015

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I take this medication for obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. This medication has been the saving grace of my life! The only side effects I have experienced are insomnia when I first started it or upped a dose, but it goes away within a few days. And dry mouth. But I feel so much better freed of my obsessional thoughts I don't care! I take 150 mg a day and have been on it for 5 years. No other medicine has ever been so effective for this long, and believe me, I have taken everything you can name!"

• Liv...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 2, 2017

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have been taking Anafranil 100mg for a year now and it has changed my life. I have battled with OCD, severe anxiety, panic disorders, and intrusive thoughts since I was young. While trying different drugs, finally at the age of 40, one drug works for me and this is it. I still have the 'thoughts' but instead of obsessing over them, they pass by like moving cars. The side effects are bothersome: dealing with constipation, bloating, sweating, insomnia, twitches. I don't believe I can ever function without this medication and instead maybe lower my dosage to see if it reduces the side effects."

• Anonymous
• October 4, 2017

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This medication is absolutely life-changing. After years of suffering from anxiety and OCD with mostly intrusive racing thoughts that caused insomnia, this medication was a miracle! I had tried so many failed medications and therapies that I became hopeless. I was prescribed this medication after being hospitalized, and I have never been back. That was over 2 years ago. It took 4 weeks to work, please give it time. I feel like I have my life back!"

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 25, 2024

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Saved my life. My OCD has always caused vulgar and aggressive intrusive thoughts, they became so potent that I nearly checked myself into an early grave. The only side effect I had when starting was that it made my sleep a bit lighter, so I woke easier. I haven’t known silence like this from my intrusive thoughts in all my life. I can breathe again."

• Vee...
• January 12, 2015

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This medication, paired with a small dose of Celexa, literally saved my life. I have panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and borderline personality disorder. I was addicted to Klonopin, and it wasn't even working anymore, making me like a zombie. I started this medicine, and within 2 weeks, I could feel a change. Then by the next month, I went from being a suicidally depressed insomniac with uncontrollable and obsessive thoughts to a normal person. For the first time in my entire life, I feel normal and at peace. This is a Godsend. I seriously don't know what would have happened to me had I not found this medication. It doesn't cure BPD, but my moods are the most controlled they've ever been. There is a light at the end of the dark tunnel."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 17, 2018

Clomipramine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have been depressed for years and just recently discovered I had OCD. Only 1 or 2 medications would help, and then they would stop. I tried holistic supplements and diet, and nothing helped. I was becoming hopeless, and then I heard about someone who tried Anafranil. I started on 25 mg and gradually went to 150 mg. Finally, after 4 or 5 weeks, I started feeling better. I wanted to get up and go to work in the morning. Side effects were a dry mouth, insomnia, and some dizziness, but I'm hoping they will go away with time. I would recommend it."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 21, 2023

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This medication saved my life. I was dealing with intrusive thoughts every moment of my waking day, as well as horrible nightmares. From the first dose, I got some relief, and now the thoughts are gone entirely. It made me groggy at first and led to some insomnia, but it's gotten better. Sexual dysfunction, though, but having my mind back is the most important thing to me."

• Bre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 5, 2024

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Started on clomipramine after being on SSRIs for 20 years. Weaned off Lexapro 40 mg and started on 25 mg of clomipramine. The first month has been rough, no sleep, extreme constipation, dry mouth, and anxiety, but 5 weeks in it’s getting easier and helping my OCD more than anything ever has. It’s also helped with my depression and irritability. I am now on 100 mg 5 weeks in, and things are looking better. Only side effects now are dry mouth and constipation."

• 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."

• Sai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2015

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I was prescribed clomipramine for my obsessive-compulsive disorder. I have found that the clomipramine has helped a tiny bit with the obsessive-compulsive disorder, but I am currently at a small dose (50mg). I find this drug causes drowsiness and insomnia at the same time, so if I take it in the daytime, I am drowsy and appear 'out of it'; yet in the nighttime, not only am I drowsy and appear 'out of it,' but I also can't sleep! And since I started taking these pills, I have been constipated; if I pass gas while in the bathroom, someone I live with would accuse me of using laxatives since the bathroom would stink when I came out - and I didn't even get to poo! If these issues do not improve soon, I might stop taking them."

• MB1...
• July 1, 2014

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "This was awful for me. Severe palpitations and obsessive thoughts became worse, leading to insomnia with severe feelings of agitation. Was on 20 mg and tapering off, now on 10 mg but still experiencing awful side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 26, 2020

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Intense drug. Didn’t help me. Side effects were brain zaps, nausea, insomnia, suicidal thoughts, increase in depression and anxiety. Was on it for 4 months at 150 mg. Quit cold turkey. Withdrawal was gnarly. I changed to ERP (exposure and response prevention), exercise, and a healthy lifestyle, and you may be better off."

• 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."

• 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."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2023

"I have PTSD, and this medication is a miracle for intrusive thoughts that plagued me 24/7 and caused horrible nightmares. At only 25 mg, it knocked out the thoughts almost immediately and gave me my life back. From the first day I started taking it, the thoughts began to retreat and were gone within days. It also did wonders for my anxiety. I was able to get off benzos, which I had assumed I would need for life. Initially, it was activating and negatively affected my sleep and appetite, but those side effects resolved rather quickly."

• 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."

• shb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 27, 2013

Clomipramine "Started out good, then headaches, then sleep problems. After that, muscle spasms, also weakness, although I started feeling better to start with as far as my mood and depression."

• Ban...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 16, 2019

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Took 2 doses of clomipramine, and it made my OCD worse. Wiped out my ability to sleep and destroyed my sense of taste. Pepsi tastes like water now. Thanks!"

• New...
• July 17, 2017

For Depression "I would like to know everyone's experiences on this drug, please. Does it cause insomnia?"