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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by golfgirl74 on December 6, 2004, at 8:44:51
I've been on Cymbalta 60mg for two months. This med saved my life, literally. I'm no longer depressed, and I feel like myself again. It's completely eliminated my lifelong problem with anxiety (that kicked in within 6 hours of my first taking my meds) and I enjoy life. It also is a great diet drug, since it completely killed my appetite for the first six weeks I was taking it.
However, with the good, comes the bad:
1) Much more difficult to orgasm. HOWEVER, I'm not dead below the waist, which is a big problem with similar meds.
2) Constantly dilated pupils, which wreck havoc on my night driving.
3) I sleep a lot more, 10-12 hours a day now.All considering, it's not that bad. I hope this helps, and I hope you find a med that works for you as well as Cymbalta did for me.
Posted by partlycloudy on December 6, 2004, at 9:45:16
In reply to 2 Month Cymbalta Update, posted by golfgirl74 on December 6, 2004, at 8:44:51
Thanks for this info. This is just my 3rd week at 60mg and I have had some depression and anxiety creeping back, but I think it's a great med overall. I don't know if I need the dosage bumped up, but see my p-doc tomorrow. Since I was tapering off effexor while I was starting cymbalta, I wasn't sure what was giving me what side effects, but this has been a very smooth ride so far.
Thank heavens.
Posted by becksA on December 6, 2004, at 10:12:29
In reply to Re: 2 Month Cymbalta Update » golfgirl74, posted by partlycloudy on December 6, 2004, at 9:45:16
Is cymbalta another SSRI or similar to one, like effexor? I've been on tons of different ones of those, none work at all. i get really bad anxiety (social especially) and general depression...was dx'd with bp2 recently but who knows
i take xanax xr 3mg 3x daily, lamictal 100mg (for almost a month now), and Adderall, 60mg XR in the morning, 30mg XR at lunch, 20mg short acting at dinner.
the anxiety is getting so bad and ive tried so many meds, im starting to think nothing will ever work at all.
if anything, im worse off now than 2 years ago when i started to try and deal with all this!
Posted by banga on December 6, 2004, at 11:24:20
In reply to Re: 2 Month Cymbalta Update, posted by becksA on December 6, 2004, at 10:12:29
I have given up on cymbalta, it is not for me. I am happy for those it helps. Cymbalta is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) like effexor; but there are definitely differences. I took 225 mg of effexor--not good effects, no side effects save for horrid constipation. On just 40 mg of cymbalta, I had constipation, and awful anxiety--although my new pdoc suggested that it was not anxiety per se but akasthisia--agitation and muscle tension exascerbating my anxiety. It got worse when I tried 60 mg. And coming off, I have had bad withdrawal symptoms, which have not been much of an issue for me on other drugs, even the more notorious ones (effexor, paxil). So I guess it truly does not agree with me.
Shows just how different we all are. I would not rule out tricyclic antidepressants as an alternative. Anafranil was my baby when it worked--no side effects except some weight gain, help with depression and anxiety WITHOUT development of that flat anhedonic feeling with SSRIs. But again, others report bad side effects with anafranil.
Posted by becksA on December 6, 2004, at 14:31:47
In reply to Re: 2 Month Cymbalta Update, posted by banga on December 6, 2004, at 11:24:20
AHHHHHHHHH
So frustrating, I really have tried everything, including Effexor. But you say it's a bit different from that. So I'll bring it up with my pdoc, along with TCA's (short term for trycyclics?) I'm willing to try anytyhing, but for now I want to give this Lamictal some more time. I've been on it about 3 weeks or a month and I'm up to 100mg daily...Hoping it would work so i could wean off my extremely high dose of xanax XR (which doesnt even really help anyway).
I'm beginning to wonder if the Adderall is contributing to the anxiety...its just so hard to tell because last week I thought the adderall was HELPING me be more happy and social. Now this morning I felt terrible and anxious on my regular 60mg XR dose, then as it wore off I felt better.
once again, AHHHHH!thanks.
Posted by theo on December 6, 2004, at 23:05:51
In reply to Re: 2 Month Cymbalta Update, posted by becksA on December 6, 2004, at 10:12:29
When do you take your Lamictal, morning or bedtime?
Posted by denise1904 on December 9, 2004, at 13:56:54
In reply to 2 Month Cymbalta Update, posted by golfgirl74 on December 6, 2004, at 8:44:51
Hi,
Your experiences with Cymbalta remind me of my early experiences with Prothiaden and then later with Seroxat.
I take it that you are fairly new to taking antidepressants and that this is one of the first SSRIs you've tried or have I got it completely wrong?
Denise
This is the end of the thread.
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