antidepressants

[Brewers7]

Anyone tried Cymbalta?  For how long?  What was your experience? 

[dalern]

The one thing you have to monitor very carefully with Cymbalta is your liver function.  It is metabolized in the liver and if you are at all sensitive to it, your liver enzymes can rapidly increase.  Just monitor closely.  I (as a nurse) have found that most people taking Cymbalta have some kind of chronic pain.  I don't know if that applies to you.
~Dale

[Brewers7]

Thanks Dale.  I do have chronic facial pain.  I am trying to get off Cymbalta (gradually as directed).  I do not seem to have any side effects.  I just did not want to stay on it for an extended period of time.  I did not think that it helped much until I stated tapering off.  I have really been struggling the past few days.  How is the BAHA going?  I go to see my doctor Friday for initial consult.  I have two insurance policies and they have been great but I am concerned about the coverage issue.  I certainly cannot pay $25,000.00 at my age.

[yardtick]

Brewers,

I too suffer from chronic facial pain and headaches, Cymbalta has been suggested for me to try.  At the moment I am on Effexor with no problems and from what I understand I would have to be weaned off one, than gradually introduce the other.  I've read much on line about Cymbalta and the side effects scare the day lights out of me. 

How long have you been on Cymbalta?  Did you have any weight gain?  I struggle with depression, does Cymbalta help with depression?  I can honestly say the Effexor has also helped with menopausal issues also.  This time last year when my FIL was dying my GP did increase the dosage to help me through and decreased it back with no problems.

Anne Marie

[Brendalu]

I have taken Cymbalta for four years now and have nothing but kudos for it.  It has saved my life.  I was up to 120 mg and now take 60 and it keeps me going.  I have never had a side affect from it.  I have had side affects from other antidepressants and my daughter works for a law firm who is suing the manufacturers of Seriquol and a couple of other and they have over 1600 clients who have lived through nightmares and many have died from the side affects.  Also, no weght gain with Cymbalta, just everything else I take!  Good luck Anne Marie.
Brenda

[Brewers7]

Thanks for the responses.  I have only taken it for a few months.  No weight gain (but I am trying to gain).  Rough few days with depression so maybe it was helping more than I realized.  I was hoping to get off all unnecessary meds.  Plan to ride this week out and then reevaluate.

[moe]

Interesting about the cymbalta. I need to try  a different antidepressant. Been on zoloft for mood swings associated with PMS stuff for years.
Since the AN and before diagnoses, low level anxiety is constantly there. I've heard cymbalta  works on the norepinephrine, along with the serotonin. But the side effects also scare me.

Dale, have you heard that it helps with the anxiety associated with depression? Going to the shrink within the next month I think
Maureen

[Brendalu]

Maureen,
I take the Cymbalta for anxiety, panic attacks, depression, pain associated with MS and fibromyalgia.  It is a multi purpose med that I have had no side affects from.
Brenda

[Lizard]

Hi,
I took Cymbalta and did not do well with the side affects.  I always got these weird almost electrical shock feeling shooting through my body from my head to my feet (not painful, just too strange for me), so needless to say I stopped taking in several years ago...
Remember everyone is different so what works for one person may not work for another...there are so many antidepressants out there, it can be sort of like pin the tail on the donkey.

All I can say is give it a try 
Liz

[moe]

I take the Cymbalta for anxiety, panic attacks, depression, pain associated with MS and fibromyalgia.  It is a multi purpose med that I have had no side affects from.

Sounds like a miracle drug for you Brenda. I'm going to at least talk to my doc and hopefully give it a try next time I see him.
It is work though, weaning off one med to try another, but I feel like it will be worth it.
Maureen

[Captain Deb]

I have been on one antidepressant after another since my surgery--Prozac, Wellbutrin ($$$$$$) Lexapro, Celexa, and Cymbalta, which I thought worked well and I tolerated just fine.  My only problem with it was the cost.  Add it to Topamax and gabapentin and my allowed coverage was used up by April.  Right now I'm on Zoloft for "overwhelmdedness." You know what I mean.  It is generic and relatively cheap.  I'll let you know when I get in the Medicare Part D donut hole, which is usually about winter, when I need the happy pills the most.  Any of you in Florida, get your spare bunks ready!

Capt Deb

[stevek]

Ive been on Cymbalta for almost a year now.  I too thought it wasnt working because I thought I didnt feel any different.  I was wrong.  When I thought it wasnt working I just stopped taking it and my chronic pain was ten fold and I was moody.  I havnt stopped taking it ever since then, and I too have been very lucky to have experienced NO side effects.  For me Cymbalta has been very "clean", meaning I feel like Im not even taking a drug.  For me its been great.

Stevek

[sunfish]

I'm NOT a psychiatrist.  I'm a psychologist, but my only real experience with Cymbalta was when my then 17-year old daughter was taking it.

As someone already mentioned, Cymbalta works on the norepinephrine and serotonin pathways, as opposed to many other meds which only work on serotonin pathway (prozac, zoloft).  This is what makes it work better for some people.  This is also what makes it much worse for other people!!  My daughter is apparently sensitive to the norepinephrine pathway drugs, and had some bad psychiatric issues for a few days.  So if it works for you, then great!  If it doesn't work for you, keep in mind you may not be a good responder to norepinephrine pathway drugs (effexor is in this class too).

You SHOULD NOT abruptly stop taking any antidepressant meds, because lots of them can cause some fairly mild, but weird, withdrawal symptoms.

[moe]

Sunfish,
thanks for the info!

[Denise S]

I have been on Cymbalta for awhile for what 'was' mild depression & anxiety.   The past 4 months it has went up in both categories due to additional health issues besides my tumor surgery & healing, ugh...dose went from minimum up some and seems to help so far. 

  LIZ mentioned above about the elcectrical shock type feelings.    I have found if I do not take it about the same time everyday, I too will get odd sensations like that.   Also I went off it once and did it in a VERY slow weaning process (like said above...NEVER STOP immediately...only asking for more trouble).   At the time of trying to wean even slowly, it really played some havoc with me for a couple weeks.     I found it helped me more than I knew, so I went back on it.   Have been reading up on chronic pain meds and Cymbalta is also prescribed for many with pain issues (especially fibromyalgia) and depression. 

Like most meds, be sure to take about same time each day.  But have extra in your purse or something becuase this is one of those you DON'T want to ever miss....you will feel odd and maybe later realize that is why.   Also side effects that may happen in the beginning tend to go away some after a couple weeks.

Good luck Denise