[JennyLand]

I happened to run across this forum a couple of hours ago, and as I started reading through some of the posts, I'm terribly concerned about what I might be in for.

Yesterday, I was given a new diagnosis related to my years long battle with anxiety and depression. After being told everything from Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Depressive tendencies, to Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depression to Major Depressive Disorder over the last 13 years, I was given a new diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and more specifically Battered Women's Syndrome.

The doctor who did my evaluation prescribed Cymbalta, starting at 20mg with a future raise to the 60mg level.
The doctor who did the evaluation is not my own psychiatrist (whom I've been seeing twice a week every week for nearly two months), so before even taking the medications this other doctor prescribed, I'll be having a long conversation with my own (the only doctor I've ever met who openly weary of medications).

Short backstory is I've had issues with depression and severe anxiety for 13 years, with past events beginning to cause problems when I was 9 years old. All of it came on from years of abuse by family, fellow schoolkids, and the death of my grandmother when I was 10 from terminal cancer worsened the problems. As I got older, the family problems and most mental attacks in school continued to escalate to the point that I became more more of a homebody/chosen recluse when possible; a horrible car accident one week before my high school graduation has left with me long-term back pain that will turn the depression nozzle up. I have seen several counselors/"phys-zi-key-a-trists," as Ricky Ricardo would say, but it wasn't until I was 17 or 18 when I was prescribed Xanax 0.5-1 mg for severe panic attacks (reason being, my system is extremely sensitive to everything from medication to the fabric in my clothing), which I much preferred to having something stronger. Before I got to my current doctor, I went to an outpatient mental health area at a local hospital: the depression got so bad I tried to drive my car off the road into a ditch, as well as hitting myself with a heavy, mildly heated cast iron skillet. After waiting 6 hours for a 7 minute evaluation, I was given the MDD diagnosis and prescribed Celexa and Remeron. After heavy research, I promptly got rid of them the day I got them from the pharmacy. The heavy research continues with this new Cymbalta prescription...

It's a weird crossing of paths again: During my freshman year of college, I was nearly put on Cymbalta; the only thing that saved me at the time was the fact that the insurance my mother had at the time would not cover it for me until I was 19 (I was 18 years and 6 months at the time, and was a week away from returning home to California and transferring to another college out here). Five years later, I no longer have the age restriction (or health insurance, for that matter) as a barricade. I feel bad all the time (nervous shakes, biting the inside of my mouth, crying, insomnia, spells where I won't eat for over a week at all), but after what I've just read here, I'm worried that the level of bad I feel now will be a cakewalk compared to taking Cymbalta. I already have enough muscle spasms and migraines and other health issues brought on uncontrolled stress-I don't want any extra that could this worse.

In gauging the "risk vs. benefits" scale, does anyone have any suggestions, recommendations, etc.? Where do I go from here?

[cookie]

Cymbalta helped me in the worst moment of my life. 6 years ago I was hit by severe depression, and cymbalta lifted my mood and energy. It worked for the first year, but then its efficacy wasn´t the same. Then the side effects were more than the benefits. I gained 50 lbs, has blinding headaches, didn´t care for anything, zero sex drive, I felt my life was in pause. I started weaning slowly, and started losing weight naturally, headaches went away, I had more energy. In the process of tapering I had a long list of emotional, and physical symptoms which I never had before the medication. I think most people will tell you that the drug worked while they were taking it, but once you try to stop you realize how much harm it has done to you. In my case (now that I am a very low dose), I have all this symptoms I never had prior to the medication (hair loss, joint pain, tinnitus, stuttering, difficulty finding words) and the symptoms for which it was prescribed worsened (depression, social fobia). Everybody is different and drugs affect every person differently  

**************** Concerning diagnosis. Mental illnesses are diagnosed based on symptoms, there is no lab test. So it´s pretty much the doctors -opinion-. To me all those labels (Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Depressive tendencies, to Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depression to Major Depressive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)are more or less the same. I don´t really pay attention to diagnosis, since all this mental illnesses symptoms overlap and they are treated with the same medications. What I see in common between all these labels is ANXIETY and DEPRESSION.  In my case I can tell you, I was diagnosed as Severe Depressed for 10 years, and now the same doctor tells me I am Bipolar (by the way the mood swings appeared after tapering from cymbalta, never had mood swings in my life).


******************It is very important to ask your doctor about side effects and withdrawal symptoms everytime a medicine is prescribed

[JennyLand]

cookie, on 09 July 2011 - 11:09 AM, said:

Cymbalta helped me in the worst moment of my life. 6 years ago I was hit by severe depression, and cymbalta lifted my mood and energy. It worked for the first year, but then its efficacy wasn´t the same. Then the side effects were more than the benefits. I gained 50 lbs, has blinding headaches, didn´t care for anything, zero sex drive, I felt my life was in pause. I started weaning slowly, and started losing weight naturally, headaches went away, I had more energy. In the process of tapering I had a long list of emotional, and physical symptoms which I never had before the medication. I think most people will tell you that the drug worked while they were taking it, but once you try to stop you realize how much harm it has done to you. In my case (now that I am a very low dose), I have all this symptoms I never had prior to the medication (hair loss, joint pain, tinnitus, stuttering, difficulty finding words) and the symptoms for which it was prescribed worsened (depression, social fobia). Everybody is different and drugs affect every person differently  

**************** Concerning diagnosis. Mental illnesses are diagnosed based on symptoms, there is no lab test. So it´s pretty much the doctors -opinion-. To me all those labels (Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Depressive tendencies, to Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depression to Major Depressive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)are more or less the same. I don´t really pay attention to diagnosis, since all this mental illnesses symptoms overlap and they are treated with the same medications. What I see in common between all these labels is ANXIETY and DEPRESSION.  In my case I can tell you, I was diagnosed as Severe Depressed for 10 years, and now the same doctor tells me I am Bipolar (by the way the mood swings appeared after tapering from cymbalta, never had mood swings in my life).


******************It is very important to ask your doctor about side effects and withdrawal symptoms everytime a medicine is prescribed

Thank you for your assistance, Cookie. As it is, when this other doctor drew up the prescription, I was extremely nervous about so much as touching it. He did tell me about the lower grade side effects (nausea, dizziness, sluggishness/hyperness, etc.), but even as of today, understanding just how difficult getting away from this medication can be and the thought of any of the symptoms I have now returning has scared me so badly that I haven't even gone to the pharmacy to pick up the prescription.

[cookie]

JennyLand, on 16 July 2011 - 06:26 PM, said:

Thank you for your assistance, Cookie. As it is, when this other doctor drew up the prescription, I was extremely nervous about so much as touching it. He did tell me about the lower grade side effects (nausea, dizziness, sluggishness/hyperness, etc.), but even as of today, understanding just how difficult getting away from this medication can be and the thought of any of the symptoms I have now returning has scared me so badly that I haven't even gone to the pharmacy to pick up the prescription.

Keep me updated on your progress

[marysequin]

I am on Cymbalta 60mg. After a year and a half I am going to wean off (yikes). I started the lower dose today.

I can say that Cymbalta helped me with anxiety. I have a tendency to worry and not be able to let things go until an acceptable solution is found. I carry that feeling of worry in my stomach and drive my family crazy cause I just can't let things go. That problem was definitely helped with the Cymbalta. I still feel like I have energy issues though. ANYWAY - I wanted to say that the only issues I've had on Cymbalta are the brain zaps (I hate 'em) and weight gain... oh, and the yawning fits. I think I also quit caring about some things like organization at home - I've gotten messier.
I guess everyone reacts differently to medications. My friend told me this weekend that over the years she has pretty much taken every antidepressant. She said the very best thing for her has been wellbutrin.

[JennyLand]

cookie, on 17 July 2011 - 02:07 PM, said:

Keep me updated on your progress

I will keep you informed, indeed. I see my doctor on Tuesday, and will discuss with him the results of the meeting and the prescription I was given and get his opinion on it.

[JennyLand]

marysequin, on 17 July 2011 - 10:12 PM, said:

I am on Cymbalta 60mg. After a year and a half I am going to wean off (yikes). I started the lower dose today.

I can say that Cymbalta helped me with anxiety. I have a tendency to worry and not be able to let things go until an acceptable solution is found. I carry that feeling of worry in my stomach and drive my family crazy cause I just can't let things go. That problem was definitely helped with the Cymbalta. I still feel like I have energy issues though. ANYWAY - I wanted to say that the only issues I've had on Cymbalta are the brain zaps (I hate 'em) and weight gain... oh, and the yawning fits. I think I also quit caring about some things like organization at home - I've gotten messier.
I guess everyone reacts differently to medications. My friend told me this weekend that over the years she has pretty much taken every antidepressant. She said the very best thing for her has been wellbutrin.

Mary: you and I share that issue of overthinking a situation so much that it becomes unbearable. This problem drives my family crazy as well, but then again, they aren't in my shoes and don't know how horrible it is to feel so worried.

The doctor who ran the evaluation wants to start me at 20mgs and move me up to 60mgs max. I'm concerned about this SSRI/SNRI thing of causing brain zaps, as I have a history of severe migraines with aura that can make me extremely sensitive to light and sound OR (as it happened this last time) leave me in a state of temporary blindness. I'm tired of the zaps and pulsing I get with the headaches, but I do realize that with these medications that it is definitely a game of give and take.

I just don't know what to do...I guess my main thing is aside from issues that I have is that I am sensitive to most medications, and if there are side effects to be had, I somehow end up with them.

[JennyLand]

cookie, on 17 July 2011 - 02:07 PM, said:

Keep me updated on your progress

Cookie: I saw my psychologist yesterday. His eyes nearly popped out of his sockets when I told him what I had been prescribed, but also the "side effects" that come to cause problems later (when I mentioned just a few of the problems that have been described on the board, he said to me, "Wouldn't taking that pill make some of the physical illnesses you already have worse?"). He and I are at a mutual consensus: the Cymbalta is not happening. He told me that I should consider either Benadryl or a mild sleep aid on the nights where sleeping just isn't happening, as well as Xanax 0.5-1mg (which I already have a history of taking on strictly an "as needed" basis). I feel bad most days and he sees it, but I appreciate that he is not out pushing pills on me that I don't want. I'll just keep on trudging through like I have been, instead of feeling worse.

I mentioned that to him that I would much rather change to the stuff that I'm used to. His instructions were to call the doctor who prescribed the medication, and ask him for a prescription of my typical stuff. I have called that other doctor, and still have not received an answer to my message requesting a medication change. And, as far as I know, the Cymbalta prescription is still at the pharmacy, likely collecting dust somewhere.

[Arcelus]

Jenny:

You probably already know this, but I wanted to warn you about benzo use. Please take the Xanax sparingly, because if you begin to take it on a regular basis for more than 2-4 weeks then its possible that you might have withdrawal from that medication as well. Benzos can sometimes take 6-18 months to withdrawal from so you want to be careful. Xanax has a short half life so it is one of the worst to withdrawal from. I'm glad that you didn't make the same mistake that I did and get on Cymbalta. Take care.

[JennyLand]

Arcelus, on 25 July 2011 - 11:27 AM, said:

Jenny:

You probably already know this, but I wanted to warn you about benzo use. Please take the Xanax sparingly, because if you begin to take it on a regular basis for more than 2-4 weeks then its possible that you might have withdrawal from that medication as well. Benzos can sometimes take 6-18 months to withdrawal from so you want to be careful. Xanax has a short half life so it is one of the worst to withdrawal from. I'm glad that you didn't make the same mistake that I did and get on Cymbalta. Take care.

Arcelus:

Thank you for that important reminder. I'd always been weary of taking Xanax everyday (a neurologist I saw at the beginning of my migraine problems wanted me to take two pills a day every day for 3 months, but I was warned from a friend to disregard what I had been told).

Up to 18 months of a withdrawal for Xanax if taken for too long?! Yikes!!

Are you still taking Cymbalta or going through the withdrawal stage at this time?

[Arcelus]

No problem. I'm in a crazy situation where I'm not sure if I'm withdrawing from Cymbalta or benzo use. I used Lorazepam (benzo) at its lowest dose .5mg for four months (almost one a day - 85 pills in 120 days) and stopped c/t when I started Cymbalta 30mg for only six days. I was experiencing some bad side effets from the Cymbalta when I started (brain fog, racing heart, sweating, extreme loss of appetite) and then 4 days post-Lorazepam and 4 days into the Cymbalta I began also experiencing muscle twitches/jerks and sleep jerks whenever I went to sleep. A week later I also found out that my blood pressure was high for the first time in my life. 2 months later I'm still experiencing the sleep jerks & muscle twitches/jerks. It's a little unnerving to say the least. I had never been on any psychiatric medicine before this year and I personally have really regreted ever starting to take any of it. I hope that I don't have a protracted withdrawal... but if that's what it is then that's what it is. I'll take it one day at a time.

Yes, benzo use seems to have the longest withdrawal of any medicine that I'm aware of. If you check out the Ashton Manual online (Dr. Heather Ashton) it has some really interesting information. It's the guide that many of the people in the benzo support sites utilize.

[gotcha]

JennyLand, on 07 July 2011 - 03:53 AM, said:

I happened to run across this forum a couple of hours ago, and as I started reading through some of the posts, I'm terribly concerned about what I might be in for.

Yesterday, I was given a new diagnosis related to my years long battle with anxiety and depression. After being told everything from Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Depressive tendencies, to Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depression to Major Depressive Disorder over the last 13 years, I was given a new diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and more specifically Battered Women's Syndrome.

The doctor who did my evaluation prescribed Cymbalta, starting at 20mg with a future raise to the 60mg level.
The doctor who did the evaluation is not my own psychiatrist (whom I've been seeing twice a week every week for nearly two months), so before even taking the medications this other doctor prescribed, I'll be having a long conversation with my own (the only doctor I've ever met who openly weary of medications).

Short backstory is I've had issues with depression and severe anxiety for 13 years, with past events beginning to cause problems when I was 9 years old. All of it came on from years of abuse by family, fellow schoolkids, and the death of my grandmother when I was 10 from terminal cancer worsened the problems. As I got older, the family problems and most mental attacks in school continued to escalate to the point that I became more more of a homebody/chosen recluse when possible; a horrible car accident one week before my high school graduation has left with me long-term back pain that will turn the depression nozzle up. I have seen several counselors/"phys-zi-key-a-trists," as Ricky Ricardo would say, but it wasn't until I was 17 or 18 when I was prescribed Xanax 0.5-1 mg for severe panic attacks (reason being, my system is extremely sensitive to everything from medication to the fabric in my clothing), which I much preferred to having something stronger. Before I got to my current doctor, I went to an outpatient mental health area at a local hospital: the depression got so bad I tried to drive my car off the road into a ditch, as well as hitting myself with a heavy, mildly heated cast iron skillet. After waiting 6 hours for a 7 minute evaluation, I was given the MDD diagnosis and prescribed Celexa and Remeron. After heavy research, I promptly got rid of them the day I got them from the pharmacy. The heavy research continues with this new Cymbalta prescription...

It's a weird crossing of paths again: During my freshman year of college, I was nearly put on Cymbalta; the only thing that saved me at the time was the fact that the insurance my mother had at the time would not cover it for me until I was 19 (I was 18 years and 6 months at the time, and was a week away from returning home to California and transferring to another college out here). Five years later, I no longer have the age restriction (or health insurance, for that matter) as a barricade. I feel bad all the time (nervous shakes, biting the inside of my mouth, crying, insomnia, spells where I won't eat for over a week at all), but after what I've just read here, I'm worried that the level of bad I feel now will be a cakewalk compared to taking Cymbalta. I already have enough muscle spasms and migraines and other health issues brought on uncontrolled stress-I don't want any extra that could this worse.

In gauging the "risk vs. benefits" scale, does anyone have any suggestions, recommendations, etc.? Where do I go from here?

I am so happy to find this site, last week my Rheumatologist gave me new pain meds and told me to stop taking Cymbalta, she did not tell me anything about the side effects. Since I have stopped taking Cymbalta, I feel like my blood pressure is up and I feel sluggish, nausea,vertigo and abdominal pain. I do not like the feeling I have and I was taking 60 mg twice daily, I think I am going to start taking 30 mg to ween myself, and slowly stop taking. Someone told me to start taking 30 mg first everyday, next week take three times a week for at least two weeks, then two times a week for two weeks, one time a day for two weeks until I have weened myself. I have been taking this drug for three months 60 mg, and three months 30 mg, twice a day.

I will post my progress of weening off. My mom use to drink vinegar whenever she felt dizzy or nauseated, pickles have helped me with dizziness. I have never felt this way before, and I want to mention I have never had asthma, and now I have asthma and using a pump. Once I am off Cymbalta never again will I take this type of meds. The only reason I was taking is because my PCP thought I needed for depression, due to pain. I have back and neck pain.

Thanks

[cookie]

gotcha, on 25 July 2011 - 06:07 PM, said:

I am so happy to find this site, last week my Rheumatologist gave me new pain meds and told me to stop taking Cymbalta, she did not tell me anything about the side effects. Since I have stopped taking Cymbalta, I feel like my blood pressure is up and I feel sluggish, nausea,vertigo and abdominal pain. I do not like the feeling I have and I was taking 60 mg twice daily, I think I am going to start taking 30 mg to ween myself, and slowly stop taking. Someone told me to start taking 30 mg first everyday, next week take three times a week for at least two weeks, then two times a week for two weeks, one time a day for two weeks until I have weened myself. I have been taking this drug for three months 60 mg, and three months 30 mg, twice a day.

I will post my progress of weening off. My mom use to drink vinegar whenever she felt dizzy or nauseated, pickles have helped me with dizziness. I have never felt this way before, and I want to mention I have never had asthma, and now I have asthma and using a pump. Once I am off Cymbalta never again will I take this type of meds. The only reason I was taking is because my PCP thought I needed for depression, due to pain. I have back and neck pain.

Thanks

OMG! I never related the asthma with withdrawal. I also got asthma, and it went away when I updosed again.

[JennyLand]

Arcelus, on 25 July 2011 - 05:19 PM, said:

No problem. I'm in a crazy situation where I'm not sure if I'm withdrawing from Cymbalta or benzo use. I used Lorazepam (benzo) at its lowest dose .5mg for four months (almost one a day - 85 pills in 120 days) and stopped c/t when I started Cymbalta 30mg for only six days. I was experiencing some bad side effets from the Cymbalta when I started (brain fog, racing heart, sweating, extreme loss of appetite) and then 4 days post-Lorazepam and 4 days into the Cymbalta I began also experiencing muscle twitches/jerks and sleep jerks whenever I went to sleep. A week later I also found out that my blood pressure was high for the first time in my life. 2 months later I'm still experiencing the sleep jerks & muscle twitches/jerks. It's a little unnerving to say the least. I had never been on any psychiatric medicine before this year and I personally have really regreted ever starting to take any of it. I hope that I don't have a protracted withdrawal... but if that's what it is then that's what it is. I'll take it one day at a time.

Yes, benzo use seems to have the longest withdrawal of any medicine that I'm aware of. If you check out the Ashton Manual online (Dr. Heather Ashton) it has some really interesting information. It's the guide that many of the people in the benzo support sites utilize.

I certainly need to do some deeper searching on additional effects of benzos, but maybe the rise in blood pressure could be attributed to both the Cymbalta and still having remnants of the benzo in your system, maybe? One way or the other, your experiences are further proof that these medications that are so-called "cleared for everyday use" cause nasty problems when you decide that you want to live like free of having to take pills every day.

On the muscle jerks you've mentioned: I had a minor thing happen when at one period I took a slightly elevated amount of Xanax (instead of the .5, I had some 2mg tablets that I carefully broke in half) for 10 days after a bad panic attack. This twitches I had were sharper in sting that my own twitches, but I never made a possible connection...and only after 10 days!

Honestly, that blood pressure issue, the brain fog you've described, the sleep jerks/muscle twitches: I already have those issues with or without Xanax or any other medication, and reading through other posts, I was positive Cymbalta might cause a worsening.

Thanks for the info on the Ashton Manual; I'm going to look it up this afternoon.