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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by emme on June 22, 2005, at 14:40:06
Hi Folks,
Anyone want to ante up some anecdotal experience with Cymbalta? How long did it take for the tiredness, apathy, brain fog/lack of concentration to wear off? I was hoping I would be perky on this stuff. Instead I'm a zombie and trying to convince myself to hang in there and give the drug a fair trial. This is very disheartening. Thanks,
emme
Posted by yesac on June 22, 2005, at 16:11:49
In reply to Cymbalta side effects, posted by emme on June 22, 2005, at 14:40:06
I took Cymbalta for about 5 months. I felt tired on it pretty much the whole time... of course I also took Seroquel and I think they worked together to make me more tired. Mostly it was hard to get up. I didn't really have any problems with concentration or apathy (I don't think), but I wouldn't have called myself perky either. Actually it made me more agitated but tired at the same time-- kind of weird.How long have you been on it?
Maybe try a lower dose? I've read that NE reuptake inhibitors (particularly strattera, but I imagine Cymbalta too) make people tired at too high of doses because they deplete your NE.
Posted by Interested on June 22, 2005, at 20:48:55
In reply to Re: Cymbalta side effects, posted by yesac on June 22, 2005, at 16:11:49
I took Cymbalta for about 3 months, and at first I really liked it. I thought that it helped my depression. I was on 60 mg for about 2 months, and I started experiencing a real lack of motivation to do anything. It became hard to make myself get out of bed and get going. I have weaned down, and I'm just about off of it. I thought that it exacerbated my migraine headaches. Now that I'm almost off, I think that my motivation has improved. But I still have depression from time to time.
Hope that helps.
Posted by Phillipa on June 22, 2005, at 20:55:55
In reply to Re: Cymbalta side effects » yesac, posted by Interested on June 22, 2005, at 20:48:55
Cymbalta started to wake me up earlier in the morning at 60mg. Then I weaned off it. Maybe it was starting to work on my depression. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by emme on June 23, 2005, at 6:56:28
In reply to Re: Cymbalta side effects, posted by yesac on June 22, 2005, at 16:11:49
> How long have you been on it?Only about a week. I know it's way early. I'm impatient these days. :)
The tiredness and spacy, drunk feeling are so strong that they are interfering pretty badly with my functioning.> Maybe try a lower dose? I've read that NE reuptake inhibitors (particularly strattera, but I imagine Cymbalta too) make people tired at too high of doses because they deplete your NE.
By what mechanism do they deplete NE?
Yes, I'm going to try a lower dose and see what happens. Now, instead of taking half a capsule, I'm going to shoot for a quarter.
Suggestions for dividing the contents of the capsule without them rolling all over the floor?emme
>
Posted by ed_uk on June 23, 2005, at 14:09:29
In reply to Re: Cymbalta side effects » yesac, posted by emme on June 23, 2005, at 6:56:28
Hi Em,
>Suggestions for dividing the contents of the capsule without them rolling all over the floor?
You need to speak to barbaracat :-)
~Ed
Posted by emme on June 24, 2005, at 14:15:19
In reply to Cymbalta side effects, posted by emme on June 22, 2005, at 14:40:06
By any chance has anyone found that they became more depressed on Cymbalta? I realize this is probably very unlikely and there may be another reason that my mood is declining. But I feel a very heavy slothlike depression setting in that I haven't felt in a while and I'm not sure what to attribute it to.
emme
Posted by KayeBaby on June 25, 2005, at 3:13:06
In reply to Re: Cymbalta side effects » yesac, posted by emme on June 23, 2005, at 6:56:28
Emme,
I have tried about 6 or 7 different AD and never had much luck until Cymbalta. I have been on it for over 6 months and am very pleased with it. One of my worst problems since high school is fatigue so I hate anything that makes me tired or drowsy.
Cymbalta made me kind of lazy for a couple of weeks but I stuck it out and I am so glad I did! It gradually became quite energizing and now it seems to be balancing or normalizing. No real side effects to speak of and it has helped my anxiety and depression a lot.Just FYI-something to consider.
Peace,
Kaye
Posted by flmm on June 25, 2005, at 9:20:59
In reply to Re: Cymbalta side effects, posted by KayeBaby on June 25, 2005, at 3:13:06
I agree, I have been on it 5 weeks and begining to feel really good! Takes a little longer to even out then other drugs. It teases and confuses you in the begining, but I think patience is key with this one!
Posted by emme on June 26, 2005, at 7:52:51
In reply to Re: Cymbalta side effects, posted by flmm on June 25, 2005, at 9:20:59
Folks,
Thanks for your input. For the moment, I freaked and bagged it after feeling so incredibly drugged and being afraid it was triggering worsening depression. I don't know for sure if that was the right thing to do after hearing your comments. I guess can always retry starting at a still lower dose. I may have been overmedicated even at 3.25 mg. I saw Barbaracat's posts about counting out individual pellets.
em
Posted by Racer on June 26, 2005, at 12:45:22
In reply to Thanks for input, posted by emme on June 26, 2005, at 7:52:51
I've been on Cymbalta since late August, and it has certainly done the wicked energy and motivation sapping for me, too. It's also been pretty good at decreasing my depression -- although I keep getting the increased frustration of being so dang tired all the time.
Adding Wellbutrin has helped a lot, both in the antidepressant arena and in the energy arena, although it's by no means perfect. I still hit spaces during the day when I swear I can't stay upright another second. Heck, I actually sway around if I try!
Speaking only from my own experience, Cymbalta is one of those devilish drugs that works -- at a price. For me, since nothing else has worked as well as the Cymbalta/Wellbutrin combination, and since lowering the Cymbalta dosage increased my depression, I'm sticking with it.
Have you considered augmenting it with another medication, like Wellbutrin or Provigil, to see if that corrects the energy problems and allows you to see if it works for you?
Good luck.
Posted by barbaracat on June 27, 2005, at 1:34:53
In reply to Calling Barbaracat!!! » emme, posted by ed_uk on June 23, 2005, at 14:09:29
OK, here's the scoop on splitting the dose. There are 10 pellets to 1mg, 300 pellets to a 30mg capsule. I'm now at 8mg and so I'm taking 80 pellets.
I open the capsule into a small plastic storage container with a rounded bottom. The small round disposable ones with the blue lids work great.
I put on my reading glasses, lick my index finger and lightly press on the pellets aiming for about 10 at time. Count and lick. Count and lick. You aim for less than more because flicking them off a wet finger isn't easy and they can glom together when wet. It's an art.
It's also a good idea to take it apart from a meal. Initially there was some nausea, but that subsided and taking it with a meal can decrease absorption by up to 20%. Each pellet is enteric coated and takes about 2 hours to reach blood plasma level.
I'm quite happy with this med. I really have to go slowly (usually about 3-5 pellets a week) because I can feel each new increase. No sleepiness, no insomnia, no apathy, just normal appropriate moods. I always deal with anxiety so I'm slowly aiming for a higher dose so that the serotonin will kick in more strongly. But life has become an interesting venture instead of constant traumatic torture, as it was shortly before starting Cym. - Barbara
Posted by barbaracat on June 27, 2005, at 1:41:02
In reply to Thanks for input, posted by emme on June 26, 2005, at 7:52:51
I am and think it's a very different med for bipolars vs. unipolars. Any SSRI is usually too much for me at the standard starting dose, but Cymbalta at 30mg put me into orbit. Something to think about when experimenting with dosages.
It really is a strange med, but I'm not complaining. I've taken just about all of them and this one is the winner so far.
This is the end of the thread.
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