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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sadness on May 11, 2006, at 22:49:15
I'm trying to get back on my medications because I'm about to go off the deep end. Unfortaunately all these crazy meds kind of kick my butt and make me useless. Is anybody on Cymbalta and if so what were your side effects when you started it and how long did they last?
Posted by Phillipa on May 11, 2006, at 23:36:01
In reply to Is anybody on Cymbalta?, posted by sadness on May 11, 2006, at 22:49:15
Leg twiching so bad my husband had to keep his hand on my legs during the night. Head felt about to explode. Wanted to cry but couldn't. Stopped the med at pdoc advise. Love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on May 12, 2006, at 0:27:20
In reply to Re: Is anybody on Cymbalta? » sadness, posted by Phillipa on May 11, 2006, at 23:36:01
> Leg twiching so bad my husband had to keep his hand on my legs during the night. Head felt about to explode. Wanted to cry but couldn't. Stopped the med at pdoc advise. Love Phillipa
Everybody that I've seen post on Cymbalta has been all over the map. For myself, its hard to say what the side effects are, because I am on polypharmacy (multiple medications). But if I can trace anything to an addition, almost no side effects compared to other medications I take. I started at 30, then to 60, and 80, and I take 90mg now. I started feeling something quite refreshing when I hit 80, though transient it was, it was a curious feeling. It is unlike my reactions to Effexor which is like drinking a case of Red Bull. But some people have completely opposite reactions to both those similar medications or similar to one or both.
Some people advocate pill splitting the caplsules for the individual granules in medication sensitive individuals -- its messy and I wouldn't get into it unless you agree with your doctor that it is a good way to go, because one chew instead of a swallow (we're talking dozens of granules and each pill is measured by weight -- the granules are not uniform) and you've removed the enteric coating on the granules and a blood rush of Cymbalta proceeds.
Posted by Racer on May 12, 2006, at 1:53:37
In reply to Re: Is anybody on Cymbalta? » Phillipa, posted by yxibow on May 12, 2006, at 0:27:20
And, for sadness, when I started Cymbalta, I had a couple of days of yuckiness -- not sleeping, although quite sedated -- with diarrhea that went on for a number of weeks, until I learned that eating something before taking the pill helped. That is, taking the pill after eating part of my breakfast, rather than before picking up my fork. Just that bit of difference was enough to stop the diarrhea for me.
I took it for about a year and a half, and was fairly impressed by its lack of side effects. I was not, however, blown away by its efficacy for me.
Always keep in mind on this board, though, that many of us here are treatment resistant. I've tried nearly every medication on the market, and am muddling through on a drug that leaves me mildly depressed at best. When I say that Cymbalta didn't help me much, keep in mind that many other drugs didn't help, either. Your mileage will vary, in all likelihood.
Hope that helps, and good luck.
Posted by blueberry on May 12, 2006, at 4:53:56
In reply to Is anybody on Cymbalta?, posted by sadness on May 11, 2006, at 22:49:15
A great place to see how other people rate cymbalta, how they responded, and what side effects they had, type "cymbalta depression remedyfind" in a google search box. It will take you to the remedyfind website where past and current users write in their own words their experiences. There is a load of cymbalta info there. Many people love it, some not.
Posted by honeybee on May 12, 2006, at 9:01:26
In reply to Re: Is anybody on Cymbalta? » sadness, posted by blueberry on May 12, 2006, at 4:53:56
I was on it for a month or so and was impressed by its even character (for me). The usual side effects for me popped up--night sweats, increase in temp--but they were much milder at the dose that I reached (30 mg.) than any other drug.
Like blueberry said, some people love it, some don't. A neurologist I'd met with said that people (generally people with diabetes caused nerve pain) had complained about the side effects to him, but I really hadn't noticed anything egregious. Freaks me out though that in the shiny, happy commercials for it (where all the depressed people look SO GOOD and SO EXUBERANT and are at parties loooking happy), they remind consumers to talk to their doctors about their drinking habits. Yikes! I mean, when will they create a psych drug that doesn't go straight to the liver?
Posted by llrrrpp on May 12, 2006, at 10:02:31
In reply to Re: Is anybody on Cymbalta?, posted by honeybee on May 12, 2006, at 9:01:26
I started cymbalta 10 days ago. It's for major depression (with a side of anxiety). I have never taken any other medications. The first week I took 30 mg, for the last few days I'm taking 60 mg. I take it at bedtime.
the first 2 days I had really bad insomnia- very nervous twitchy insomnia. I felt hot and cold and hot and cold all night long. the 3rd day I had a bad headache for 14 hours. During the day, I noticed an increase in anxiety, and my startle response was pretty exaggerated. I also noticed that I felt kind of dizzy and intoxicated, in a fun way. I felt a little better during the day, but often I would crash and need a nap in the late afternoon, because I couldn't take any more of life. These side effects have gone away, except for the crashing part. I don't think the anti-depressant effects have kicked in yet. I still feel really down. I've also been really constipated (sorry!) and fiber doesn't really seem to make any difference.
pdoc gave me 25 mg of seroquel for the insomnia (see the post above yours)
My T says I look much better this week than last, though. I also notice that my psychomotor slowing is much improved. Now I walk around at the speed of a 50-year-old, not an 80-year-old. (I'm in my 20's)
I don't feel much better, moodwise or motivation-wise. I hope you find something that works for you :)
Posted by yxibow on May 13, 2006, at 0:46:21
In reply to Re: Is anybody on Cymbalta?, posted by honeybee on May 12, 2006, at 9:01:26
> I was on it for a month or so and was impressed by its even character (for me). The usual side effects for me popped up--night sweats, increase in temp--but they were much milder at the dose that I reached (30 mg.) than any other drug.
>
> Like blueberry said, some people love it, some don't. A neurologist I'd met with said that people (generally people with diabetes caused nerve pain) had complained about the side effects to him, but I really hadn't noticed anything egregious. Freaks me out though that in the shiny, happy commercials for it (where all the depressed people look SO GOOD and SO EXUBERANT and are at parties loooking happy), they remind consumers to talk to their doctors about their drinking habits. Yikes! I mean, when will they create a psych drug that doesn't go straight to the liver?Shiny happy people.... oh, was stuck in an R.E.M. moment there. Yes, television commercials are a bit overboard, I have my own lines for the Lunesta ones, which would include, follow the butterfly for the lovely nickel flavour. Soon to be in cobalt. No, actually I didnt really mind the metallic taste, but some people have. Of course there's always the "ask your doctor" so they don't get in hot water with overboard claims and the 2 print type which includes every possible side effect.
There are psychiatric drugs that don't go to the liver, they go to the kidneys! Mostly so anyhow, they do go to the liver though not all are as tightly wound to any specific P450 as others. I believe Serax and a few benzodiazepines are metabolized by what is known as glucouronidation, which basically is metabolization through your urine. They're better for older individuals which may have compromised liver systems.
Posted by Caedmon on May 13, 2006, at 14:00:19
In reply to Re: Is anybody on Cymbalta? » honeybee, posted by yxibow on May 13, 2006, at 0:46:21
I took Cymbalta for about 6 months. It was an effective antidepressant, especially along with 20mg buspirone. I had few side effects - the main one I can remember was increased sweating, which was mainly only an issue in the summer. It pooped out unfortunately. Good luck!
- C
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