Re: Cymbalta-Great day so far

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/28/2006 9:40:07 AM Eastern Standard Time, funx2sweet@... writes:

Also - on a different note, has anyone taken the antidepressant Cymbalta (not sure of spelling)?

First of all ---it's WONDERFUL you are feeling so well today!!! I'm sure we all hope and pray that there are more and more good days to come!!!

Yes, I've taken Cymbalta. I was on it over a year, and still would be if I could afford it. (My doc gave it to me as long as she could, then once she could no longer do that -I couldn't afford the $75 copay even w/insurance...after FIGHTING my insurance to cover it to begin with.)

I have what all of my doctors have called an extremely rare drug sensitivity problem. Even before implants, they've rated me as saying that only about 5% of people are as drug sensitive as I... so don't let this scare you, but for ME I started off on either 10mg or 20mg per day. (What ever the lowest possible dose was. I think a theraputic dose is 90-120mg if I remember right). It took me a good 2-3 months to get over the nausea it caused. (It was also summertime, and we have 70+ yr old windows, so I went through it in an 80deg house and 90-100deg if I went outside.) I literally laid in bed and just felt "green" for weeks. I stuck it out because my doc had seen such success with it -and I have all 3 issues it treats: Major Depressive Disorder, Fibromyalgia, and Peripheral Neuropathy. (I'm very prone to nausea, though. I'm on Phenergen for it even now.)

Gradually the inflation in nausea subsided. The highest dose I ever made it to was 30mg per day. It helped me get a deeper sleep. It did nothing for my upper body, but it took out almost all of my LOWER body pain. It did nothing for my depression, but it helped my ANXIETY (which it isn't even for, but is a greater issue for me). It's like the little voice in my head that worries all the time went away, but at the same time -it made me less personable with others and even less likely to care to be around anyone... but I'm a loner by nature. It just took away my ability to try to fake/tolerate going around people -family dinners, the rare occasion I feel like seeing friends, etc.

If you are prone to being suicidal, this drug can make you MORE suicidal. A side effect is even "completed suicides." I don't even know how to explain it, but it's like the drug made me less likely to think things through or something. I am suicidal by nature. We've had several completed suicides in my immediate family, and umpteen people have made valid attempts. This made me feel more ready to attempt it than in the past. It gave me "nerve" or something. I've never been one to make suicidal 'threats,' or make lame attempts for attention. I tried unsuccessfully when I first started getting real sick by taking a bottle of .5 Klonopin (at the time, I had no clue it wasn't nearly enough)... and I'm the type of person that when I'm ready to do something like that, I'd just go off and do it and not fool around. So, my husband wanted me off Cymbalta... but I managed with this by knowing it was the drug increasing this thought pattern in my head. If you are prone to thoughts like this, you should be careful going in and be aware that suicidal thoughts are a side effect. I have never talked to anyone else on it, so I don't know how typical that is. Like I said, for me, it's always been a struggle. The drug didn't cause that, it just seemed to increase it.

The upside is that the pain relief was great enough to outweigh the bad, and it starts to work much faster than other drugs of its nature. I think I felt changes within a week, and full effects within a couple weeks.

Good luck with your venture. I've taken literally every antidepressant, SSRI, and downer on the market to no avail. I've done hospitalization, partial hospitalization, and did about 15 yrs of therapy. Nothing has ever helped. (Several of my docs have pushed electric shock therapy on me, but I'm too scared of it.) It could be because chemical issues are so strong in my family, plus I have a large hard core family with a lot of extreme depressors...so the fact that this drug helped AT ALL gives it kudos in my book. Especially since it doubles for pain relief. If you could stomach a good, theraputic dose -I imagine it would give great relief!

Keep us posted!

Brigite

[Guest guest]

Brigette

I am so sorry that you have such a tough time with major

depression. I can really relate because a great portion of the last

eight years I was extremely depressed. I have made major

improvements is that area though. I just wanted to mention that for

some of the women here depression can be made much worse by some of

the following: perimenopause or menopause, autoimmune disease, and

detoxification. I have experienced all three. Menopause for some

women--and I was definitely one of them--can cause major depression,

anxiety, irritability, anger, mood swings. Women oftendon't realize

that ten or more years before hitting menopause these symptoms can

start. Throw in terrible stress such as illness, or death in the

family (both for me) and it can start earlier and be more severe.I

am still not in menopause at almost 52 years old, and I know that at

least eight years ago the depression started to take hold. Now that

I am close to being in menopause, it is finallylifting forlong

periods of time. But just as soon as I have another period they

start up all over again. It is crazy! Also, many people experience

extreme depression while detoxing or taking supplements that support

the immune system. They often don't realize that the depression is

actually from the killing off of organisms and these release toxins

that are felt systemically. That is one reason not to detox faster

than your body can handle. Also, autoimmune illness itself affects

the brain and messes up the neurotransmitters.

Brigete, I wondered if you have had your neurotransmitters tested?

Sometimes, they can actually treat depression somewhat by amino acid

treatment based on the results of these tests. I was going to look

into that if my depression stayed severe, but now that I feel I am

on my way to feeling normal emotionally again, I probably won't do

it. Your explanation about Cymbalta was a good one. Thanks so

much for sharing your own experiences, and God bless!

Love, Kathy

>

>

>

> In a message dated 8/28/2006 9:40:07 AM Eastern Standard Time,

> funx2sweet@... writes:

>

> Also - on a different note, has anyone taken the antidepressant

Cymbalta

> (not sure of spelling)?

>

>

>

> First of all ---it's WONDERFUL you are feeling so well today!!!

I'm sure we

> all hope and pray that there are more and more good days to

come!!!

>

> Yes, I've taken Cymbalta. I was on it over a year, and still

would be if I

> could afford it. (My doc gave it to me as long as she could, then

once she

> could no longer do that -I couldn't afford the $75 copay even

> w/insurance...after FIGHTING my insurance to cover it to begin

with.)

>

> I have what all of my doctors have called an extremely rare drug

sensitivity

> problem. Even before implants, they've rated me as saying that

only about 5%

> of people are as drug sensitive as I... so don't let this scare

you, but for

> ME I started off on either 10mg or 20mg per day. (What ever the

lowest

> possible dose was. I think a theraputic dose is 90-120mg if I

remember right). It

> took me a good 2-3 months to get over the nausea it caused. (It

was also

> summertime, and we have 70+ yr old windows, so I went through it

in an 80deg

> house and 90-100deg if I went outside.) I literally laid in bed

and just felt

> " green " for weeks. I stuck it out because my doc had seen such

success with it

> -and I have all 3 issues it treats: Major Depressive Disorder,

Fibromyalgia,

> and Peripheral Neuropathy. (I'm very prone to nausea, though. I'm

on Phenergen

> for it even now.)

>

> Gradually the inflation in nausea subsided. The highest dose I

ever made it

> to was 30mg per day. It helped me get a deeper sleep. It did

nothing for my

> upper body, but it took out almost all of my LOWER body pain. It

did nothing

> for my depression, but it helped my ANXIETY (which it isn't even

for, but is a

> greater issue for me). It's like the little voice in my head that

worries

> all the time went away, but at the same time -it made me less

personable with

> others and even less likely to care to be around anyone... but

I'm a loner by

> nature. It just took away my ability to try to fake/tolerate

going around

> people -family dinners, the rare occasion I feel like seeing

friends, etc.

>

> If you are prone to being suicidal, this drug can make you MORE

suicidal. A

> side effect is even " completed suicides. " I don't even know how

to explain

> it, but it's like the drug made me less likely to think things

through or

> something. I am suicidal by nature. We've had several completed

suicides in my

> immediate family, and umpteen people have made valid attempts.

This made me feel

> more ready to attempt it than in the past. It gave me " nerve " or

something.

> I've never been one to make suicidal 'threats,' or make lame

attempts for

> attention. I tried unsuccessfully when I first started getting

real sick by

> taking a bottle of .5 Klonopin (at the time, I had no clue it

wasn't nearly

> enough)... and I'm the type of person that when I'm ready to do

something like

> that, I'd just go off and do it and not fool around. So, my

husband wanted me

> off Cymbalta... but I managed with this by knowing it was the drug

increasing

> this thought pattern in my head. If you are prone to thoughts like

this, you

> should be careful going in and be aware that suicidal thoughts are

a side

> effect. I have never talked to anyone else on it, so I don't know

how typical

> that is. Like I said, for me, it's always been a struggle. The

drug didn't

> cause that, it just seemed to increase it.

>

> The upside is that the pain relief was great enough to outweigh

the bad, and

> it starts to work much faster than other drugs of its nature. I

think I felt

> changes within a week, and full effects within a couple weeks.

>

> Good luck with your venture. I've taken literally every

antidepressant,

> SSRI, and downer on the market to no avail. I've done

hospitalization, partial

> hospitalization, and did about 15 yrs of therapy. Nothing has

ever helped.

> (Several of my docs have pushed electric shock therapy on me, but

I'm too scared

> of it.) It could be because chemical issues are so strong in my

family, plus

> I have a large hard core family with a lot of extreme

depressors...so the

> fact that this drug helped AT ALL gives it kudos in my book.

Especially since it

> doubles for pain relief. If you could stomach a good, theraputic

dose -I

> imagine it would give great relief!

>

> Keep us posted!

>

> Brigite

>