[CopperStar]

In the past ADs have made me very mixed very quickly, mainly caused insomnia, agitation and psychosis.

As I've bemoaned bunches of times already, Zyprexa works for me very well on psychosis and agitation, but doesn't work on depression or anxiety.

Based on reviews I'm reading, it looks like Cymbalta works on both depression and anxiety, but it's an AD/SSNRI.

If ADs make you psychotic, but you are on an AP, will the AD override the AP, or will the AP negate the psychosis from the AD?

I get only 15 minutes with my pdoc tomorrow and just want to have a couple ideas to discuss with her before I get in there and start rambling.

[Moogieotter]

Not sure about Cymbalta. It seems to be pretty powerful for many. Zyprexa and Prozac are a classic mixture for Bipolar Depression and Prozac also treats anxiety. There is even a Zyprexa and Prozac in a single pill called Symbyax.

I enjoy Prozac for depression and anxiety. The only drawback is really the 5-6 week build up.

Good luck and keep us posted,

moogs

[BeyondtheRainbow]

For me some ADs have worked with APs reigning them in and some haven't. For a long time I was on imipramine with a really tight dosage (had to keep it pretty low because a more normal dose made me manic) and eventually I needed the dose that caused mania. So I switched to an MAOI which required more AP to handle the agitation (because MAOIs are stimulating) but has worked great for almost 6 years now. I don't know much about cymbalta; effexor is related and it was great for me in combination with mood stabilizers but had some dangerous side effect like hypertension.

Long story short, yes it can work. I even know someone who takes extra AP to allow the high dose AD that she needs but never could tolerate until zyprexa came out and worked for her which let her tolerate the AD enough that she came off disability, got a master's degree and has had a successful career.

I've heard the prozac/zyprexa combo works well. I've never tried it b/c zyprexa was like water to me and prozac was a major disaster of a med but that was before I was on enough mood stabilizers to know anything except it was bad then.

[Hoonoo]

I'm on depakote and seroquel for AP with prozy attached, working great.

[Beautiful*Mess]

I am on lamotrigene and cymbalta along with a MS. I tried many AD and have been on Cymbalta for a very long time and it has worked great for me.

[BipolaRNurse]

I'm on a baby dose of Celexa opposed by two APs, and the combination has been quite effective for me. Your mileage may vary.

[Hoonoo]

As the comments test out its a trend......I only saw my T when in the depression part of BP II so naturally I was scripted ad only

[Christopher1990]

Every time I've tried an Anti Depressent I felt like I wanted to crawl out of my skin, agitated, restless, tremors, can't sleep. They just don't work with me.

I'm on lamictal, which is supposed to help depression. I would ask about lamictal.


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[boogiesmash]

I am on latuda and cymbalta. Both my depression and anxiety have been considerably lower and I don't believe it is interfering with latuda.

[SillyKitty]

Originally Posted by boogiesmash

I am on latuda and cymbalta. Both my depression and anxiety have been considerably lower and I don't believe it is interfering with latuda.

Ditto. I'm on the max dose of both, and I haven't had any problems.

[Hashi/bipolar mom]

I've been on Cymbalta for almost 8 years. I was diagnosed with BP at the beginning of June. She immediately made me start weaning off of it. She said it can cause rapid cycling and mania. I'm down from 120mg to 30mg. I tried to get to zero a week ago, but had a bad panic attack and jittery so I'm back on the 30mg until I think I can get off it completely. Good luck!

[chasms]

I have yet to find an antidepressant to work for me. I was at the max dose of cymbalta, along with max dose of latuda and it didnt interfere with the antipsychotic properties of latuda either

[Hoonoo]

I definitely was rapid cycling. I thought I was going crazy.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

If no other ADs work for you then you may want to think about an MAOI. I'm on Emsam, which is actually a patch, and it has been helping with depression for 6 years now. It's not perfect but most of my severe depressions have been eliminated.

MAOIs do have some food and drug restrictions (at the lower dose of Emsam they don't have to be followed although I do, mostly from habit) and some drs. aren't that comfortable with them. The older ones (Nardil, Parnate and one other) have more restrictions and you have to be more careful with foods. But it's really not that hard once you are used to it, you just learn to read food labels and consider ingredients at restaurants, and they work very well for a lot of people. They are supposed to be the most effective ADs but are just not used much.

I am so glad that I went on Emsam. Before it I was on imipramine but couldn't get a dose that didn't cause mania but helped the depression consistently. And before that I was on about every other AD out there and none of them were ok for me.

It may be worth at least considering or asking about.

Originally Posted by chasms

I have yet to find an antidepressant to work for me. I was at the max dose of cymbalta, along with max dose of latuda and it didnt interfere with the antipsychotic properties of latuda either