[superwoman]

I'm new to the website and I think it's excellent.

Help please.

Been on Cymbalta for just over four months. This was following a horrendous withdrawal from Seroxat. Prior to Cymbalta - I have tried Citalapram, Nortriptylene and Sertraline - all with little effect.

I seemed to get a positive response to the Cymbalta just about a week after starting. That "good" feeling didn't last very long and mood dropped but not drastically.

The medication just feels like it has taken the edge off my depression. I suffer bad anxiety and the med was helping me to face things which was at least something.

The side effect of insomnia is a real problem for me with this medication and it takes me hours to get off to sleep, when I do I keep waking during the night. During the day I am zombieish.

My mood dropped badly about 3 weeks ago and I just thought it was a blip. However it has not lifted and I have become very tearful again and don't want to go out .

I will be seeing pdoc later in December and I really don't know which way to turn. What med is there to try next. I have had the ssri's and they don't seem to help. The Nortriptylene gave me abnormal heart rythm so I had to come off that anyway.

I am at the stage where I feel that I would like to come off the meds altogether and even if I have to suffer for a while at least I won't have to suffer ad side effects.

Since I came off Seroxat no med has worked for me and the depression has been with me for so long now that Im just really losing hope.

Is there anyone out there who could offer me some advice. With thanks.

Superwoman

my advice is this...do not give up. i've been on everything, it seems and am now back on one of the older ADs and it is working again for me. who knew?

keep your appointment and have a frank discussion with the Pdoc about everything that you've taken and how they made you feel. please don't give up.........xoxoxo pat

[Brookester]

there are a lot of different meds you can try and a lot of different combinations of meds that can be tried. Don't give up hope. You will find something that works. Work with your doctor and be willing to try..

[abilifyguy]

I agree with the other posts, don't give up! It takes a lot of time and trial and error to find the right drug or drug combination. But there is hope. A lot of people have been through what you're going through. I did, too. It took almost 3 years to get settled on the right drugs and dosages. But it was worth it. Good luck! We're here for you to talk to on your adventure to recovery!

[superwoman]

Thanks all for your posts - I appreciate it.

There are lots of meds I agree - but I've tried a couple of ssri's and a tricyclic - and no joy.

I just wonder if I were to come off the Cymbalta mega slowly that I could avoid any withdrawal and maybe come out the other end not too bad.

All the meds have side effects and it seems when they are increased to higher than average dosages that you get the nasty side effects. My psych has had to raise the meds to higher dosages for me to try to get a result.

I was only ever on 20mg Seroxat and felt okay - so why is it that these meds are not doing their job now?

Love to all

Superwoman

[obsids]

What dosage are you on with Cymbalta? Maybe your dose needs to be adjusted.

My pdoc said that the standard dose for depression was 40-50 mg. For pain, it was 60-90 mg.

Also, I don't know about you, but this time of the year where I am, the days are so short and the holiday season so stressful that no amount of medications really help much.

Hang in there... tweaking meds is a long process sometimes.

[superwoman]

Obsids

Thanks for your reply.

In the UK 60mg is the standard dose recommended by Eli Lily for depression. I am going to ask the psych if I can taper down on this med very slowly anyway. The insomnia problem is just too much. The other problem I have with it is that I cannot stop weeing! Help!

xx

[abilifyguy]

There are other things that can help. A lot of people have used seroquel to help with sleep and mood stabilization. It also reduces anxiety, for some. Maybe the psych already has some alternatives for you that he hasn't discussed with you yet. Don't give up on the AD if it's helping. There are ways to handle the side effects. My solution for sleep is 100mg of trazodone. Maybe something like that would work for you. I'm not recommending any specific drugs, just letting you know there are safe ways to treat the insomnia that won't interfere with your cymbalta. Hang in there and GOOD LUCK! You'll beat this depression, anxiety and insomnia if you don't give up!

[superwoman]

Abilify

Thank you so much for that. I will speak to the shrink about something to help me sleep.

The Duloxetine has helped me a little I have to admit - a lot of my achievements have been my own strength to carry on pushing myself though.

Just going to read up on Seroquel now - thanks for being interested.

Take care
Superwoman