CYMBALTA AND DEPRESSION

Mar323 · June 11, 2006, 6:51pm

I have been on Cymbalta for a month now. First 30mgs and a week later 60.mgs. I also take Wellbutrin 300mgs, Lamictal 300mgs, Abilify 7.5 mgs and nothing has seemed to help my relapse. So far I have been having severe hand tremors and some anxiety. I never had this before with any other meds. It could be from all the meds combined. I am pin pointing the Cymbalta. I have decreased appetite but my crying spells have gone away. I have been on 90 mgs now for the last week and I am shaking more than ever. I have slurred speach at times and I am forgetting certain things. I still feel slightly depressed but not as bad as before. I am Bipolar and been down the road of most meds. My depression was so bad I had to take a leave of absence from my job. I am returning Friday and I am worried how I will feel in the am. That is the worse part of my day.

els · June 11, 2006, 7:05pm

icekwen said...I've been researching Cymbalta. I expect to switch to it in a week. My hope is the drug can help me out of the darkness I'm in. Unfortunately my previous antidepressant was becoming ineffective and then my family suffered tragedy.
I keep on hanging on with the hope I can feel well.

Hi icekwen, Welcome to healing well forum. We are happy to have you. I hope you continue to post here as this is a wonderful place for information and support from real people that go through the same thing / experiences. Keep holding on to your hope for getting better as depression is treatable. Please do keep us updated...take care

Elisha

http://www.healingwell.com/donate

els · June 11, 2006, 7:16pm

Mar323 said...I have been on Cymbalta for a month now. First 30mgs and a week later 60.mgs. I also take Wellbutrin 300mgs, Lamictal 300mgs, Abilify 7.5 mgs and nothing has seemed to help my relapse. So far I have been having severe hand tremors and some anxiety. I never had this before with any other meds. It could be from all the meds combined. I am pin pointing the Cymbalta. I have decreased appetite but my crying spells have gone away. I have been on 90 mgs now for the last week and I am shaking more than ever. I have slurred speach at times and I am forgetting certain things. I still feel slightly depressed but not as bad as before. I am Bipolar and been down the road of most meds. My depression was so bad I had to take a leave of absence from my job. I am returning Friday and I am worried how I will feel in the am. That is the worse part of my day.

Hi Mar, Welcome to healing well forum, we are please to add you to our group. I have never taken Cymbalta or any of the meds you listed but I have had clients of mine that have. I worked in the mental health system for many yrs. Healing Well has a Bipolar forum that you may want to look into sometime. As for the tremors and slurred speech, you could be running into a drug interaction. Have you notified your physician of these symptoms your having? Stress alone can be a trigger for a worsening of symptoms so try to take things one day at a time and hopefully each day will get better. Please do let us know how your doing and continue to post. Take care

Elisha

http://www.healingwell.com/donate

Rianna · June 11, 2006, 10:33pm

Hi,
I did not do well on Cymbalta at all..I had terrible rashes on my chest, sweated really badly and then my depression got so bad, I had to be hospitalized. I tried to stick it out but couldn't..was only on it for four days, and the nausea, worsening of depression, sweating, tiredness never got better. I am now on Remeron which has been a Godsend. Everyone is different though..I have heard of a few people on Cymbalta and they said it was working great for them.

Peppertree · June 12, 2006, 12:30am

hey,
im on lexapro for 5 weeks, never tried cymbalta. If it has something in thats bad for your stomach, i couldnt take it anyway. I do know that coming off antidepressents you should taper slowly if at all possible, i quit paxil cold turkey, and had brain zaps for a couple of weeks, but drank LOTS of water and would rest 3 or 4 times a day. I didnt know at the time you are supposed to taper, just did it on my own, i know now. Also,,no offense to doctors, but lots of them dont know crap about side effects, thats why i alaways ask my pharmacist, and i get all my meds at ONE pharmacy, so he can look up whatever im taking and tell me if something is a NO NO. Hope you all get better:) Peppertree

Kris44 · June 13, 2006, 3:17pm

Hi, I just wanted to get back with you on the cymbalta, I'm feeling much better, all of the stressors in life are still here, but after all of the other meds I've been on I've actually had three days in a row that i'm happy and can actually think about a future for myself! So any way it seems to be working for me. Take care Krista

els · June 14, 2006, 1:28pm

Krista, I am so glad your feeling better and posting again...you have been missed

Elisha

http://www.healingwell.com/donate

Redjeep · June 15, 2006, 7:11pm

Hi I feel stupid for asking about this drug when you guys have been talking about it all a long. I'm on a combination of Cymbalta and remeron. To add to that Ativan. I'm on my second day. Mild nausa and a happy feeling thats for sure. Very layed back today. Feels to good to be true. The remeran is mostly to help me sleep but it also helps with my tummy. I have crohn's and was on it already before the cymbalta. I could have miss understood my doctor but she upped the Ativan because it will help with the upset tummy this med causes. I get easily sick. and when I first felt the nausua I was like OH NO. But never got that bad.
It talks about decreasing one's appettite. I don't have much of one anyway. But I have experienced a not need to smoke. I have been trying to quit and I just don't have much need. Not to mention it's annoying to have to go outside the house just to have one. Other wierd thing is that very rarely do I drink but my husband brought my favorite beer. And no had no want for it at all. Felt like I was drinking pure poison. I just couldn't do it. Alcohol is not really in my diet anyway but I get a craving now and again.
Anybody else experience this
rj

garden123 · November 21, 2007, 8:12pm

I have been taking Cymbalta for about 6 weeks now and feel the best I think I have ever felt. I have had depression on and off for years with varying intensity. I had some side effects for the first few weeks like nausea, up-set stomach, spacyness, and a heavy case of the yawn's. But I felt better almost immediatelly. I tried Lexapro for a while a couple years ago and it didnt work for me. I also tried Zloft and another one I cant remember the name of with little benefit. I think Cymbalta is a miracle drug. I am so grateful to not be depressed and I feel much more confident and outgoing in social situcations...much less overall anxiety. I kept saying to my fiance "is this what normal people feel like to not be depressed all the time"? Is is amazing to just feel good!!! I have a friend who swears by Lexapro and I swear by Cymbalta. I wonder if the key is to find the one that is the right chemical match for each person. The one side effect I do have is constipation...I am going to have to work on that though but I am so relieved to feel at peace i dont care too much:)

djdaz_1985 · November 22, 2007, 10:45am

Hi Cosmos as Welcome to HealingWell!

Its great to hear your success story with Cymbalta. I take Zoloft and I get good results with it. Different AD's suit different people and you are right that it is a case of matching the best AD to the person.

Thank you for sharing

Darren

Everyone has a guardian angel. They help pick you up when you fall, comfort you through your times of need and help you appreciate the times when things are going well.

Moderator - Epilepsy Forum

Co-Moderator - Depression Forum

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