Depression Forum - Has Anyone Tried Cymbalta?


Has Anyone Tried Cymbalta?

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waistfull

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Joined: 27 Nov 2004
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Location: Maryland

Has Anyone Tried Cymbalta? Posted: 12-03-04 04:53am


I love it. I've only been on it for a little over 2 weeks and noticed a difference right away. I had been on desipramine (yes an old one) for 14 years off and on. I had to stop taking the desipramine because I had to start taking medication for my thyroid and they interacted. My doctor switched me to cymbalta. I was terrified. Everytime I tried the new thing out, I would end up in a corner of my house crying hysterical and go back on desipramine. The cymbalta has seemed to be helping me so much. I also suffer from panic disorder and I have been able to go to the mall. It is very fast acting. No appetite, and have to take it in the morning because it seems to keep you awake. Please post if you are taking this, and with what kind of results. Michele

fester-blatz

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Joined: 31 Jan 2005
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Location: houston area

Been Taking It a Week Posted: 01-31-05 14:03pm


I was just diagnosed with mdd, and my Dr. Gave me months worth of cymbalta. So far, I am doing a little better but I think it needs more time and I need a little more help. I have a post explaining my situation posted today 1-31-05. I am getting spells during the day where I am doing better. Hopefully this comes more frequent in the future. Good luck michele.

caver

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Joined: 08 Jan 2005
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Location: Florida

Posted: 02-11-05 07:59am


My Dr. Just put me on cymbalta yesterday. I had been trying to treat myself with sam-e as I didn't want to go back on rx for depression. Have used luvox which worked okay. Have just been off of it about a year. Have tried paxil and wellbutrin, but side effects were unbearable. Did notice that I had trouble sleeping last night. Will be taking the cymbalta first thing in the morning to try to avoid this. Will keep you posted on how it goes.

GinaC

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Joined: 05 Apr 2005
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Posted: 04-05-05 02:07am


I was in the 3rd clinial study for cymbalta. I have been taking the drug for 3-4 months since the end of the six month trial. I think I was on cymbalta or effexor during the trial because of my improvement though. I know when I stopped taking the drug for a short while, I felt terrible. I know this is always a possible side effect with snris, but it kind of scared me. Cymbalta is still working great for me aside from it's cost, but i'd really like to successfully get of the drug as to not be taking a drug to stay stress controled forever. I take cymbalta for gad (generalised anxiety disorder), but unfortunately I don't know how much I want to risk stopping the drug after last time.

greaties1972

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Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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Just Got Off of Cymbalta- Side Effects!! Now On Provigil! Posted: 06-04-05 15:20pm


Wow!! What a ride!! I have been on 60 mg of cymbalta since december 2004 for depression. I slept a lot, became angry, withdrawen. I felt cymbalta working in about 3 weeks. It continued to work the first couple of months, but I still faced the daytime drowsiness from the the lack of sleep I got at night, and became even more of a snappy crab. Doc gave me restoril to help me sleep at night and it worked for a while, but not anymore. During the 3rd month and on, I gained 6 pounds and became a lazy slug. I saw an improvement mentally, but became increasingly frustrated with being tired all the time (not to mention gaining weight). I was weaned from 60mg to 30 mg for 7 days until finally on may 26th, I had no more to take. Let me tell you about the side effects: I was warned by my psychiatrist about them so I was prepared. I hope this helps others in coping with withdrawing from cymbalta or any other ssri. I had brain zaps for the first 8 days and today is day #9- brain zaps have diminished drastically (phew!). Loss of appetite (lost the 6 lbs I gained in the first place from cymbalta), and I felt disconnected with the world for the first 5 days. Don't get me wrong, cymbalta is a great med aside from the price of it. I actually did alright with the withdrawal symptoms and I feel much better. My advice based on my experience (though I am not a medical professional), is to wean off cymbalta slowly. Don't be an fool and do the one week thing like I did!! These ssri's alter your brain chemicals and it is a big deal!! So please, be careful!!!! I am now on provigil 200 mg (best if taken on an empty stomach) in the morning, since I still struggle a little bit with trying not to be tempted with a nap in the early afternoon. I'm don't have narcolepsy or hypersomnia. Provigil is a godsend!! I have been going to the gym 3 times a week, and eating a lot less! Does anyone have any thoughts or comments on provigil? I think it's great!! I hope I have been helpful!! God bless!!

mollie417

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Joined: 28 May 2006
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How Long Will It Take For Side Effects to Go Away? Posted: 05-28-06 21:14pm


I started taking cymbalta 3 days ago at bedtime because I thought it would be easier for my body to adjust. It makes me sleepy, dizzy, headache, nauseated and nervous. Has anyone else had these side effects? How long do they last? I'm ready to flush them down the toilet! I have fms and sjogrens syndrome and they are suppose to help with depression and fibromyalgia pain. Please help, i'm desperate!!! Mollie

littlesqueaks

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Joined: 06 May 2006
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Location: Caldwell, Idaho

Posted: 06-03-06 05:28am


:cry: I have been taking the cymbalta going on 3 weeks and for the last 7 days I have been sobbing like a baby and thinking that my significant other is uninterested in me anymore and I have been congering up many other things and getting a tid bit snippy quite a bit. I would like to know if anyone else have had these type of symptoms and if lowering to 30mg would be better or just switching to another med? I had taken lexapro and I should have stuck to it but the side affect of gaining 12 pounds in 3 weeks was a bit frightening. I don't want a med that will make me gain weight that I can do just fine with out help I would really like to just lose the weight. Well I hope someone will be able to help me. Thank you heather

littlesqueaks

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Joined: 06 May 2006
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Location: Caldwell, Idaho

Posted: 07-01-06 23:51pm


I had started this topic in the beginning when I had first started taking the cymbatla. It has been now a little over a month and it seem to be doing great now I don't have that over whelming sensation of everything around me was colapsing. In reading some of the replys I have noticed a few comments that they have kept some awake. Now I have no trouble going to sleep mine is staying asleep do any of you have that problem and should I switch to taking it in the morning and will this throw anything off if I do switch it? Thank you for all of you that has responded.

AvatarOfUrDreams

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Joined: 10 May 2006
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Location: Chicago

Posted: 07-16-06 23:02pm


I tried it and didn't like the side effects... But then again I am on wellbutrin xl and effexor sr and love the combo while others have told me I must be crazy to be able to "put up with effexor's side effects!" each person is different but I know that I will never try cymbalta ever again! Good luck!

blondie927

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Joined: 24 Oct 2006
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Location: Texas

Posted: 10-24-06 06:19am


I have been on cymbalta for about 3 months now. I can tell a different, but my muscles in my legs hurt so bad. I now have low potassium from this medicine, which I didn't have before. I have talked to others from another forum who have the same thing, they are having similar problems. I don't know why this med makes your potassium low, but it does. It scares me, and I am going to talk to my doctor about it, today. I have an appointment this morning, and I don't need anymore problems, than the ones I have. I was on lexapro before this, but I don't want to go back on it, I didn't like it. Oh, this meds makes me sleep alot, and when I first started taking it, I cried all the time, it was so weird. I thought it was the awful. But, it has help me alot, only for the muscle thing. Just thought I would give my opinion of what cymbalta has done to my body. Thanks for listening...................

stacylady

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Cymbalta Posted: 11-01-06 09:58am


I have been on it for about two weeks now.I was on celexa before that and had horrible panic attacks (which I have never had before). I am not sure how I like it so far. I haven't seen much of a change except that it is making me feel indifferent to everything right now. I am not worried or upset or sad about anything, I just don't really care. It feels good to not feel that horrible cloud of sadness anymore but I don't really feel anything else either. I don't feel sad, angry, mad, happy, or glad about anything. I took my children to church last night for a t.R.A.C. (totally ridiculous amounts of candy) party last night and I usually have so much fun with them but found myself just kind of moving along with everyone else. Not really enjoying myself or the fun my children were having. Has anyone else experienced this? Should I continue to take it and see if this goes away? I have been on so many different meds (i actually stopped taking everything for almost two years but then got really bad again) that I don't want to keep switching. If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. Have a blessed day!

turn4Him

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Joined: 04 Nov 2006
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Location: Tennessee

Be Cautious With Cymbalta Posted: 11-04-06 09:41am


I tried cymbalta for my fibromyalgia for a month. I had numerous side effects, most of which didn't go away with time. The longer I took it, the more sleep I needed - it messes with your deep sleep by altering serotonin. But the worst was that after just a few days on cymbalta, my joint pain got worse and worse in my elbows and shoulders, much worse than the fms had ever been! I felt very disabled! My doctor didn't think it was from the cymbalta, but after giving it a fair try for 4 weeks, I weaned my way off. Two and a half weeks later, within just a few days, my joint pain went back to my "pre-cymbalta" level, which by comparison makes me feel wonderful right now!! I know this drug works well for some people, but it's not for everyone. Right now i'm content to be back on a low dose of paxil and feel like myself again with relatively low levels of pain and relatively higher levels of energy compared to what I experienced on cymbalta. Please beware!

nutritiondoc

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Joined: 13 Nov 2006
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Location: North Carolina

New to Cymbalta Posted: 11-13-06 19:12pm


I have moderate to severe depression, anxiety disorder and post traumatic stress syndrome. I have been treated for years with low levels of prozac and valium. Recently prozac just stopped working, so I started taking cymbalta. I only take 20mg. Well, so far I agree with a bunch of you guys. It is sort of a night of the living dead thing going on. I am sleepy, love holding down the couch and am so ambivalent, I would not care if they drafted me and sent me to iraq! I am 56, still would not care. What's two wars in a lifetime? Guys, any chance that this will go away. Can't say that I am depressed. Can't say that I care if I am or not!

Kaysha

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Joined: 04 Jan 2007
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Location: New Port Richey, Florida

Posted: 01-05-07 00:10am


I have been on depression meds for about 4 yrs, with the exception of last year. Prozac, did nothing. Zoloft, I yawned every 30 seconds. Paxil cr, I gained 70 lbs in 1 yr and slept all the time. Wellbutrin xl, worked nicely for over a year, I lost 36 lbs in 4 months without trying and getting off paxil, however I needed anxiety medication while on it ( generic xanax .5) due to "gad" and took it only when needed not daily. ( this is when I thought I could get off the meds and see what happined and I was off meds for 1 year. Three weeks ago I was put on cymbalta 60 mg and xanax .50 again. For the first 2 days I felt really jittery internally, " plugged in" on the inside but not like a pot of coffee. Hard to describe. I cant relax sometimes.. .) its not as bad as the first 2 days but its there. I also have trouble sleeping at nite and I take it in the morning. I could initially go to bed and sleep, but would wake up in the middle of the night then I could go back to bed later. I found myself taking a xanax most nights when I go to bed so I can stay asleep. I have lost my appeitite for the most part, which is fine because I have the other 35 lbs to loose thanks to the paxil cr. "curves" is monitoring me and I have lost 3 lbs in 3 weeks since starting cymbalta. I have hot flashes periodically which last a few minutes then go away. (never had them before cymbalta even though im 40.) i have a herniated disc c6 that was causing me alot of neck pain, doc told me this would help that pain by boosting the serotonin, which when low increases pain. I take fioricet for the neck pain. I have noticed a difference since ive been taking the cymbalta, I have decreased the fioricet alot, however I have been taking more xanax at nite. I have a doc appt on jan 10th and will ask him about the sleeping issue. It has its pros and cons and the effects are different with everyone. Hope this helps everyone. Kaysha

brandye80

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Joined: 20 Jan 2007
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Location: Maine

Cymbalta Posted: 01-20-07 17:58pm


I was on cymbalta for about 9 wonderful months. Being that it was way too expensive, I couldn't afford it anymore without insurance. Anyways, it was wonderful while I was on it. But I was also on it with xanax, so who knows. Anywho...I 've been off of it for about a week and i've been wondering about side effects of going off of it. It seems that I have been having heart palpitations since then. My opinion is that when you are on it (if you can get yourself through the initial side effects) it works wonders, just be careful about get off of it again. I did it without consulting my doc, which i'm sure is a no-no. I would recommend it with the supervision of your doctor. Depending on what your initial symptoms are and what you are taking it for. What I was led to understand was that it was an antidepressant that would inhibit anxiety symptoms. If yours are different, by all means, if you have a Dr. That you trust, i'd try it. It's expensive, but worth it in the scheme of things. Hope this helps.

Bren17

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Cymbalta Posted: 01-22-07 02:06am


I felt like I was taking a sugar pill... It's been three months and nothing. My mother is on it though and she loves it, can't get out of bed without it.

The Godly One

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Joined: 02 Jan 2006
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Posted: 01-23-07 14:58pm


It was the first multiple reuptake inhibitor that I tried. Although it did not make me hypo-manic, I did feel very happy on it (in combination with an atypical neuroleptic). I experienced no delayed orgasm which was another plus, though I did crash after only 8 months on the drug, which is not un-heard of but unusual none the less. Apart from benzo's for a complicated and possibly psychogenic (forgive the freudian terminology) form of blepharospasm, I am free from medication. This is excellent since I have experienced many a drug including anti-convulsants (acting as mood stabilizers), ad's and neuroleptics as well as some miscellaneous psychiatric/neurological medications.

anony7777

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Posted: 02-13-07 18:32pm


This was the most horrible medication I have ever been on in my life. The doctor told me I my have some side effects at first but they should subside. After 6 weeks of not sleeping, stomach problems, drowsiness, shaking, headaches, not eating and much, much more, my doctor finally took me off the medication. The withdrawal is bad!!!!!!! I ended up in urgent care due to the horrible electrical shocks going through my body constently. It was quite dibilitating. Be careful with this med. It is different for everyone, but I have heard so many bad things about it since I was on it.

grmagic

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Cymbalta Made Me Worse Posted: 03-12-07 18:52pm


I have been on cymbalta for over 4 weeks and I had bad effects from this drug it made me feel like i was becoming withdrawn from the world around me. This past sunday my friends were worried about me since i have been on the drug, i was at the point were i began worrying about everything and instead of taking action i wanted to sleep to hide, it made me not want to go anywhere almost become afraid to leave my own house, cymbalta was causing me major anxiety. a friend of mine suggested we go and talk to the pharmacist she drove me to CVS pharmacy and i was informed by the pharmacist that a lot of people have been experiencing major anxiety from cymbalta and others are fine on the drug. At that point i felt releived that it was not only me that was feeling bad on cymbalta I stopped taking the drug on sunday and it is now tuesday and i am able to go out the door and do the choirs and things i need to do. don't get me wrong i see many people swear by cymbalta but if it causes you anxiety like it did me to talk to your doctor. I am asking my doctor to try me on Lexapro next and I hope that may be the answer for me. we will see. Good luck to everyone may we all feel better.