Experience with Cymbalta sm

I ran out of my Cymbalta over the [2007-10-23]
weekend, so all I'm taking is something for sleep now. I can't even tell I stopped the 60-mg dose cold turkey, but I actually feel a little better. Less apathetic. Isn't that weird? I don't think I'm going to refill it until I've seen my psychiatrist next week.

Experience with Cymbalta? sm [2007-09-27]
My internist suggested a trial of Cymbalta as I am not myself lately, mostly because of back painwhich is a problem inthis profession. I cannot perform half of what I used to. I am at times very moody. I tried this just once and I felt awful, could not sleep, made me feel like a zombie. I have had to reject several other meds for different problems because I am highly allergic. I am afraid he's going to say that I'm just plain nuts. That's how I feel right now but I cannot tolerate the thought of putting this drug in my system. I do try healthy alternatives, PT, walking, vitamins, all that is good for me. He gave me 30 mg to be advanced to 60 mg. I have researched message boards on this and have seen very positive and very negative feedback. However, one does not know if drug reps input into these boards, i.e., promoting their own or degrading the competition. I feel this is a dangerous drug as I have a rapid heart problem as well. I would like to hear if anyone has any input on this, I could not believe how awful I felt just taking one dose. Thanks.

Bad reaction to Cymbalta [2007-09-27]
I took one dose before bed (30 mg) and woke up 2 hours later with vomiting, profuse sweating, and heart racing. Wouldn't take another pill after that. I take Prozac 20 mg now with good results. Just enough to take the edge off of things and make me feel normal.

Cymbalta [2007-09-27]
I was on Cymbalta for about 7-10 days last year and i was horrible! I had just lost my brother and the doctor felt I needed to be on it. It made me really jittery and also horribly nauseous. So happened, my doctor was out of town and so I tapered myself down and off of it before she came back. I don't ever want that stuff again!

If you do a search for Cymbalta on google, you will see literally sm [2007-09-27]
thousands of people who became suicidal after taking it for a while because it is a highly addictive drug. Then they would get on it again, and then get off and feel horrible about themselves. I read post after post (because it was prescribed for me, too) about how people wish they NEVER started taking it. If I can find the link I'll post it. Stay away from it.

Fibromyalgia [2008-07-21]
I have fibromyalgia and the pain is excruciating. When getting out of bed in the mornings, I have to take pain meds and wait for about an hour just to get moving. I am so depressed over this and the only antidepressant i can tolerate is wellbutrin which does absolutely nothing for me. Tried lyrica and Cymbalta, awful, awful side effects. The side effects of Lyrica was the awful weight gain, Cymbalta left me with terrible GI problems. MT is my only means of support as I am alone supporting myself. I had to quit a nice full time job because I can no longer work full time. Anyone who suffers from this, you know what I am referring to about this disorder being just terrible. Most days, I do have to PUSH myself to do anything, including work. I take pain meds (narcotics) 3 times a day at 10 mg of hydrocodone, I take Tramadol in between, and alprazolam with the hydrocodone for the muscle spasms. I feel like a zombie. I am allergic to all NSAIDs. I went thru testings for Lupus, MS, etc.....and they were all negative, which was good. I had suffered with this for almost 2 years as the doctor i had at the time said that he did not treat nor believe in fibromyalgia, so when I was able to get health insurance, I changed doctors and she completely understood and believed that fibromyalgia IS a disease and it was not all in my head. If anyone out there suffers from this, how do you deal, what do you do for it besides drugs? If I have typos, sorry...it even hurts to type this morning.

bipolar disorder [2007-11-19]
There are groups for parents with a bipolar child on the net. I would be glad to find one for you if you can I know, from past experience...

bipolar disorder. [2007-11-16]
my son he was carrying the ODD/NOS since he was 4, but has only gotten worse in cycles. plus it runs in teh family. anyone have experience with this? i am just trying to reach out ot more family thanks for any responses.

Experience with Cymbalta? sm [2007-09-27]
My internist suggested a trial of Cymbalta as I am not myself lately, mostly because of back painwhich is a problem inthis profession. I cannot perform half of what I used to. I am at times very moody. I tried this just once and I felt awful, could not sleep, made me feel like a zombie. I have had to reject several other meds for different problems because I am highly allergic. I am afraid he's going to say that I'm just plain nuts. That's how I feel right now but I cannot tolerate the thought of putting this drug in my system. I do try healthy alternatives, PT, walking, vitamins, all that is good for me. He gave me 30 mg to be advanced to 60 mg. I have researched message boards on this and have seen very positive and very negative feedback. However, one does not know if drug reps input into these boards, i.e., promoting their own or degrading the competition. I feel this is a dangerous drug as I have a rapid heart problem as well. I would like to hear if anyone has any input on this, I could not believe how awful I felt just taking one dose. Thanks.

You're not alone! [2007-09-27]
I tried Cymbalta and took one dose. I was awake for literally 36 hours straight and felt like my skin as crawling. My mom said I was talking super fast and acted like I was on speed or something. Needless to say, I never took another one. Doctors that I've told this to don't seem suprised, so maybe it is a common reaction to this drug.

Cymbalta [2007-09-27]
I was on Cymbalta for about 7-10 days last year and i was horrible! I had just lost my brother and the doctor felt I needed to be on it. It made me really jittery and also horribly nauseous. So happened, my doctor was out of town and so I tapered myself down and off of it before she came back. I don't ever want that stuff again!

I felt awful for a day or two, [2007-09-27]
but the problem was nausea. I did better when I would take one and then skip a day for a few days, and then once I felt fine doing that, I could take it every day and had no problem with it. I was started on 60 mg, too. I had previously been on Effexor, which is fairly similar, but causes people a lot more problems, per my psychiatrist. My psychiatrist uses Cymbalta and one other drug for depression more than any others. I believe the other is Lexapro. (I think I've posted all this before). But the reason she favors the 2 drugs is that most patients actually stay on them (presumably because they are satisfied and have no unacceptable side effects). The compliance rates are much higher than any of the other antidepressants. No drug works for everybody, however. A psychiatrist is the best person to work with you and evaluate what should be most helpful for you. I hope you are feeling better soon. By the way, I can now eat fine, yet I'm not terribly interested in food. I'm down to 132 lbs from about 150, which is just about ideal for me.

The Effexor I took was capsules. [2007-09-20]
It was Effexor SR. That is the sustained-release product. If you are not on the sustained release product, then cutting pills or opening capsules is not recommended because you won't be getting a proper mix of the drug. I did wean myself down on Effexor SR by opening the capsules. I got down to about 4 of the little pearls, but couldn't go any lower because of those brain zaps. I finally saw a psychiatrist to find out what drug I should be taking because of all the side effects (sweating and skin problems and apathy on Effexor). She changed me to Cymbalta and I was able to quit the Effexor. She says the 2 antidepressants she puts patients on are Cymbalta and I believe Lexapro. They have the best results and fewest side effects for depression. She says psychiatrists have a nickname for Effexor, and it's Side-Effectsor! I do feel better on the Cymbalta so far, but I can't say it's making me a new, energetic person like I wish it could.

I asked this, and the psychiatrist [2007-08-21]
said it wasn't as bad. However, I have read sites where people did complain about withdrawal for Cymbalta. Obviously not everybody will have the same experience.

question [2007-08-20]
If you get off Effexor and on Cymbalta, and when you decide to get off Cymbalta, do you have the side effects or withdrawal symptoms like Effexor?

I have that same thing where my mind [2007-08-18]
gets stuck on something and I miss the next thing. I notice it most when watching the news. I keep thinking about the last story and suddenly realize the next story is important, and by then it's over! I think your PMD is a good place to start to get labs and all. Could turn out to be something with your thyroid or something. But if it is determined that you need an antidepressant, I have heard, and finally followed the advice, that an actual psychiatrist knows a lot more about the meds than a GP/FP/IM. Do not agree to start Effexor, for instance. Psychiatrists call it Side-Effectsor because of all the side effects. Cymbalta is much better if that is the type of drug you need. Cymbalta and one other - possibly Lexapro, but I'm not positive - are the 2 that are most effective for depression and the most patients are able to stay on. Prozac is very popular, but it can cause severe apathy. When I was on it I was WADING through laundry. Talk about depressing, LOL. You can feel better, so don't give up. Only you can see this through to a solution, which is really hard to do when you are feeling low, but it's worth it.

I'd rather deal with life head on [2007-08-14]
They pushed medication on my brother in his teens, now he My mother is a classic enabler who likes to keep him drugged and quiet. Theprofessionals in charge of himhave never made a plan to get him off the meds and teach him coping skills, or any life skills at all. Everyone just wants to maintain the status quo - keep his local mental health association in business managing his case and scheduling group trips to the mall, keep his mental health disabilty rolling in (he has a VERY vague diagnosis of emotional immaturity). Mom wonders what he will do when she is gone...hopefully ditch the meds and start having a real life, although a group home and meds for life is what the game plan is. Every time I have an emotional crisis, mom is quick to suggest I get professional help and get meds. After what they have done to my brother - no thanks! What did people do back when there weren They learned to deal with their problems and got by somehow. And so will I, without getting sucked into the mental health machine and getting turned into a quiet, agreeable zombie for my own good. A person is supposed to have a full life that includes pain and difficulties, not go through life in a fog of meds humming don. What doesn I find it incredible that they preach just say no to drugs and then say oh, but THESE drugs are OK because WE say so. I suspect their motives (the allmighty dollar and control over a large sector of the population). If that makes me sound paranoid, Ithat too!

Thinking of running, too [2007-08-14]
You obviously have an on-the-job injury. Have you ever worked as an employee with a company or has everything been IC? I would contact your local work hardening program and a county health program. I would also contact social security if you have been paying into social security - and apply for disability. My problems are both physical and mental - and from my 15 years of experience, I have not met an MT that did not have something wrong with them physically and/or mentally. My prayers are with you. Just don't start drinking. An MT friend of mine does that and she is now without a job - in and out of jail - and it's just a really hard existence - leave the field before it kills you. It's not worth it.

I was on Effexor but was having [2007-08-14]
problems with my skin. My regular MD who prescribed it didn't see any connection, so I finally went to an actual psychiatrist. She says Effexor causes a lot of weird side effects, and Cymbalta is tolerated much better by people. So if you have anything weird like bruising, petechiae, nonhealing skin lesions, hair loss, anything, consider switching to Cymbalta. Getting off Effexor is tough, but once I quit it and started Cymbalta, all the brain shocks stopped. The side effect with Cymbalta is nausea. I can hardly eat. But this will be temporary. My skin seems to be starting to heal.

Oh my [2007-08-13]
I am so sorry for your loss, I cannot imagine going through what you have gone through. I would suggest finding a church to get involved with. They are so many different things you can do, most churches even have singles groups etc. You can find one that fits your needs,not to mention that having a relationship with God fills up a big void in your life.I know this from experience of dealing with anxiety. Good luck and God Bless

I saw a new MD today. [2007-08-09]
This is the first time I've seen an actual psychiatrist because I had to slowly taper myself off Effexor because of a possible side effect. I was right - a skin problem I was having was from the Effexor. This doc has seen it dozens of times, and of course my IM MD was clueless that it could be causing the problem. She says psychiatrists call Effexor by a nickname of SideEffectsor. She says Cymbalta should be the right drug for me and they have not seen many side effects from it, even though it is sort of similar to Effexor. She was extremely nice. She says she can't believe I've been coping as long as I have without seeing a psychiatrist. Of the 9 points for major depression they check, I have 9. She says I'm going to feel a lot better in a couple of weeks. Hope at last.