Hi Lexi,

Aren't the maraca pills fun? I usually have to sit there & shake it a bit before I actually take the pill... hehe....

Cymbalta was the first antidepressant I tried. I was on it for about three months and had some pretty annoying side effects -- agitation, increased panic attacks, couldn't sit still, couldn't sleep, etc. However, to be fair, this was during a period when several traumatic events occurred in quick succession, & I was drinking heavily to cope... so I was probably not helping the Cymbalta to work as it should.

I've been on Effexor for about a year now. Overall, no side effects on 225mg, and it's the only antidepressent I've tried that's even made a dent in the depression symptoms.

From what I've read, Cymbalta & Effexor seem to be similar in that they both act on serotonin & norepinephrine. But your body handles different chemicals in different ways... unfortunately it's kind of a shot in the dark. If you trust your pdoc's opinion & s/he thinks Cymbalta would be a good option for you, I'd say give it a try. A month or so ought to give it enough time to reach a steady level in your bloodstream, & then you can gauge how it affects you. Of course be sure to get ahold of your doc immediately if you're having severe side effects -- & make them listen to you! (I learned my lesson on that one!)
There are a ton of antidepressent meds out there... don't settle for something that isn't working for you.

Hang in there... I know transitioning between meds isn't much fun. I'm wishing you all the best!