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Posted 5/24/2005 11:37 PM (GMT 0)

Hello Everyone,

I have never tried Cymbalta before, but I am starting tonight. My dose is 30mg, once a day. I suffer from major depression and pain from a cervical injury. I am hoping that this drug will do a little to help both conditions. I have a few questions, if anyone could help?

I have tried many other anti-depressants. They all make me nervous....even after my body adjusts to them. Does anyone else experience this after being on an AD's for several weeks?

If you've been on Cymbalta, what dose did you begin with? Also, did you notice any relief from your depression? Did you experience emotional 'numbness'? How long did it take you to physically adjust to the medication? Did you take it in the evening or morning (I have insomnia).

Forgive me for asking so many questions....I'm just at the point where I feel I've exhausted so many medications and am becoming pessimistic. I realize that's not a healthy outlook, but I'm trying to change that.

Jenna

Posted 5/25/2005 5:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jenna!
I can't be of too much help to you with the med. as I've never been on that one before. What types of anti depressants have you been on before that caused the 'shakiness', or nervousness? I take Lexapro which is used to help with the seratonin uptake. Cymbalta is to help both seratonin and norepinephrine which are two key neurotransmitters in depression.

Hopefully someone else that's taken the med. will come along tomorrow and answer your questions more personally.

Best wishes to you! Teri
Posted 5/29/2005 1:16 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Jenna : )

 

I am usually hanging out in the Chronic Pain forum but I noticed your questions about Cymbalta and saw that you hadn't gotten much of a response.

 

There are MANY people with chronic pain that are being trialed on Cymbalta right now including myself.  Someone started a thread in our forum and I think there ended up being something like 45 posts in it - I am sure you will find it helpful - so here is link:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=16&m=208908

 

There may also be another thread on Cymbalta in the CP forum so you might want to scan through and see if you see anything.

 

As for my experience with it, I have been on many antidepressants over the years and my Pain MD wanted to try me on Cymbalta to see if it would decrease my pain - it hasn't helped in any obvious way in terms of my depression or my pain.  I can usually "feel" when I start an anti-depressant but I did notice that I didn't feel anything different at all when I started Cymbalta - it was almost as if it were a placebo - so I felt as if I adjusted to it right away.  I take my dose in the morning as I expected to have a bit of a "nervous" response at least initially and did not want it to interfere with my sleep.

I hope you are doing ok with the Cymbalta.  As you will see from the link I gave you - people's reactions to Cymbalta seem to be all over the board. 

Posted 3/9/2007 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi There

I have been on many anti-depressants for depressions and axniety. My first was Prozac. After a brutal uptake of about 12 weeks (riddled with anxiety) it kicked it and life was great. However, it pooped out after about 1.5 years. I have boon on and off most SSRI's but could not get passed the very nervous uptake period (some I stayed on for a few months and no change in the nervousness). My psych/nueropharm just put me on Cymbalta. He is weaning up VERY slowly. I have 20 mg tabs that he has me split and take as follows: (1/4 for four days, 1/2 for four days, 1 for one week, 1.5 for two weeks and 2 (40)mgs for two weeks. He is titrating me VERY slowly as all anti-depressants cause me nervousness. So YES, I too get very nervous/jittery on these meds. I have responded OK to Remeron (also an SSNRI) so I am hoping that Cymbalta will work for me. I am only on my third day so the jury is still out, however, I am feeling slightly nervous/jittery even at my very low dose. You are not alone.

JennaJJ - how is it working for you? Are you still on it?

Bobceqs
Posted 3/13/2007 5:26 AM (GMT 0)
i was  on cymbalta for a year  from feb  06 to feb 07 i too started out on 30 mg... that is normal..it took just a few days for me to feel better i have crohns disease and it also helped with my hip pain

 my depression that i had my entire life is, for the most part gone. yeah everyone gets sad occasionally, but occasionally is the operative word there

 noone should pray to die and thats what i was doing

 so whatever was chemically wrong inside my head for 32 years wasnt there for year 33

there was no emotional numbness. i no longer felt hollow and no longer wished for death

 it too around a week to adjust to it.. not long at all and i noticed that i felt better after a few days .a few meaning 3 or 4...oh no nervousness either

i took mine in the morning.. ask you dr when you should take it

 it did make me tired   but it was'nt the sheer exhaustion i felt before i started taking it.

 hope i could be some help. let me know if you have any other questions ok

              love brenda

Posted 3/14/2007 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
Started 5 days ago. Anxiety comes and goes moments of perfect clarity where I feel like myself then others with anxiety. Switched from Lexapro 5 days ago,so some of what I am feeling may be lexapro flushing out. Giving it a shot. When things are clear I feel like myself, just hoping to get to that point soon. Good luck we can bounce experience off one another if you would like since tomorrow will be day six, no other real symptoms to report other then waking up a couple of times a night. eyes
Posted 3/14/2007 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on it for about a month at 60 mgs, so I'll give this a go.

I have tried many other anti-depressants. They all make me nervous....even after my body adjusts to them. Does anyone else experience this after being on an AD's for several weeks?

-I've only taken Prozac for depression before, with no side effects. I'm now taking Cymbalta for depression and pain. While I feel as though it's just started to work on those two, anxiety is higher than ever. Had to keep a towel on my desk for hands today and wanted a bucket for my feet because they were sweating so badly. I'm having a hard time concentrating. I'm not my brightest.


If you've been on Cymbalta, what dose did you begin with? Also, did you notice any relief from your depression? Did you experience emotional 'numbness'? How long did it take you to physically adjust to the medication? Did you take it in the evening or morning (I have insomnia).

-I did a week at 30 mgs and then upped to 60. I take it all in the morning. I've heard it works better that way. No numbness, but a little bit unfocused. I've had perm-a-grin for two days now. I take Ambien nightly, so no sleeping issues.

It took longer to start than I expected, but I have high hopes for it.

Stephanie
Posted 3/15/2007 12:41 AM (GMT 0)
How did you feel at 30 may be 60 is too high a dose for you I have heard of some people maintaining on 20mgs. I am on my 5th day of 30 mg upping to 60 on day 8, So I can give you some better feedback then. As for right now switched form Lexapro straight to Cymbalta I am also taking my medication the in A.m as soon as I wake but have found myself also anxious better part of the day calming down about 2:00 p.m. So I am hopeful that the increased dose will level me out in the am. NO real bad side effects as of yet noticed I do wake up a couple of time a night, had some motazuma revenge, and some hot flashes. I too am hopeful for some relief soon. Try and stay positive and may be suggest to you doc a reduction if at 30 you felt ok. Lets stay in touch and compare notes. Just know your not alone....... redface
Posted 3/15/2007 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
i don't think I was on 30 long enough to know - it was only about a week. However, Your comment about calming at 2PM may make me think about taking it at night. Might relieve some of the dopiness.
Posted 3/15/2007 1:05 AM (GMT 0)
Give it a shot and let me know, my only concern about taking mine at night is the possibility of not getting any sleep. At least taking it in the am allows me to sleep... Let me know how it goes... :-)
Posted 10/15/2010 3:08 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jenna,

Okay my brief synopsis of my story with anti depressants. 5 years ago I tried Celexa 20 mg. for depression, worked like a charm from day 1, oh and I cut the dosage in 1/2 for 1 year, then upped to 10, then 20 mg. I tried 40 Brand Name Celexa, and nothing. It seemed to stop working. I quit taking it and others.

Tried several others. Nothing touched the depression. Generics didn't work for me.

Now I had a back injury and condition that is painful, very painful. I asked my doctor about Cymbalta and she says that it treats both Pain and Depression. I am talking Disabling back pain. Spinal Stenosis.

Day 1: 30mg. NO PAIN. not kidding. That was yesterday and Mood lifted. But I took late in the day and had trouble sleeping.
Today I took 1/2 the amount and not as jittery and can feel a little pain, but much less.

It's working wonders for me. Immediately. BUT the thing is I have a condition that I Must do exercises and stretch etc. or it will get worse, so this is masking the pain, so I can't get lazy and not do the work. That's just my case. I have a herniated disc, also. Cymbalta works for nerve pain. I hope it helps you, take the least amount possible for as long as you can. Well that's what I do.

Back Pain is a major drag. I will take in the am tho so maybe I can sleep better.

okay hope this helps. Also No Emotional Numbness ! two thumbs up on this one for me anyway !

They come in capsule form, so in order to take 1/2 the amount you have to get empty capsules and empty the blue and white cap, into 2 clear caps.
the little white round stuff split 50/50. kind of a hassle. I just don't want to take more than what works.

As far as I know they don't come in pill form, and they don't come generic. I would prefer pill form have to check into it.

Post Edited (wildfire) : 10/14/2010 10:16:34 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/15/2010 3:52 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jenna,

I understand you are pessimistic about AD drugs.  I don't want to add to the pessimism, but I do want to give you my honest experience.  I am certainly not the Cymbalta poster child though, and medicines work differently with different people.  Hopefully I am the exception.  In favor of that thought is I have problems with medications in general.  I'm already allergic to three major antibiotics.  I have had horrible side affects with an anti-nausea drug, and several anti inflammatories.  I take most over the counter meds at half strength to avoid issues, things as simple as sudafed, which will buzz me like crazy at a regular dose.  I believe my central nervous system is "messed up" from something that happened to me in my 20s, but that's another story for another forum.

My memory is fuzzy on the actual dosage initially, but I think I started on 10 mg of Cymbalta, I believe (20s broken in half).  Prescribed by my doctor for anxiety/depression.  It was 10 mg for about 3 mos, then I was told by another professional that amount wouldn't make a dent in my depression.  Went up to 30 mg once a day.  Somewhere in there it was suggested I go to 60 mg a day, but the 30s were already making me uneasy.  Was on 30 mg for over a year, maybe a year and a half, I honestly don't remember.

For me, A) the nervousness never really went away, B) the disruption of clear thinking never went away (I called them mental glitches) C) I lost weight initially, but gained it back and more in the long term, D) it did help my neck pain (I had two cervical discs pressing into my spinal cord and eventually had disc surgery while on Cymbalta) E) it did make me emotionally numb F) it dropped my blood pressure to ridiculous lows - something like 86/42 was my all time low in the middle of a work day - my coworkers thought I was going to die G) the low blood pressure made me tired constantly H) my depression was relieved for about 8 to 10 months or so, but then Cymbalta seemed to become increasingly ineffective I) I had to get off of it because I was having too many side effects J) I went cold turkey, and that is not the best approach.

Scythia 

 

Posted 10/15/2010 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jenna,

Welcome to HealingWell.  You have posted to a very old thread as Jenna was last on the site in 2005 - 5 years ago.

Perhaps you would like to start a thread of your own.  This  will give the members a chance to meet and greet you and help with your problems,  questions and need for support.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 10/15/2010 3:54 PM (GMT 0)
Kitt,

lol, that's why you are the moderator here!  I didn't even pay any attention to the date of the original post myself.  duh . . .

Scythia

Posted 10/15/2010 4:57 PM (GMT 0)
I figured it out after I edited it twice. I was reading the thread again, and saw when it was posted.

thank you tho for pointing it out.

WF
Posted 10/23/2011 2:06 PM (GMT 0)
I was prescribed Cymbalta 30mg daily for chronic pain....knees, hips, back. I was previously om 10mg of Lexapro, which kept me on an even keel, (not chronically depressed, just bouts of anxiety) and subsequently stopped taking it when Cymbalta was started. All of that to say this.... My pain was virtually eliminated!! BUT...after 2 weeks of taking it at night, then switching to in the morning... no difference, for me, by the way, I was so sleepy, lethargic, dazed, that I could not string two thoughts together to make a complete sentence! I so miss the pain relief, but the dazed and confused, asleep in 5 minutes of inactivity, was seriously compromising my ability to work and take care of my family.
Now, I am off of everything and walk like a crippled arthritic at 45. Do the symptoms of severe sleepiness subside after a longer than 2 week period of taking it?
Thanks!
Posted 10/23/2011 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
HI there,

And welcome to the depression forum. I am glad you are off of meds. I don['t know how long the sleepiness will be. I have never taken cymbalta myself. If the lexapro worked for you, you may end up wanting to go back on it. If the depression comes back that is. I hope you can go med free. We would all love that. I take a lot of meds for depression but finally found what works for me.

Keep posting and let us know how you are doing. We love new members. lol...

Take care,

Hugs, Karen
Posted 10/24/2011 2:01 AM (GMT 0)
For most people the side effects of Cymbalta subside in 2-4 weeks. Some though may take up to 8 weeks but within 4 most notice a significant lessening of the side effects. A lot of people also report a return of some side effects anytime they have a dose increase, but those reoccurring effects are usually quite short lived.

Of course there are also people who have attempted to fight through the side effects for several months to never see them decrease.

If you really are only taking Cymbalta for its pain relieving properties, or mostly for that effect, you might want to talk to your doctor about trying Lyrica. Some people do better, side effect wise, on Lyrica while still getting the same pain relief and both Lyrica and Cymbalta are prescribed for the same type of chronic pain.

Regardless though, with either medication you should give it at least 2 months to see if it is going to work, and also they may require a dose adjustment or two. Granted if you experience side effects that are dangerous or debilitating that may require stopping the med, but that should only be done with a doctor's knowledge, help and approval.
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