Posted by JonW on September 6, 2004, at 18:24:25
In reply to jon, posted by woolav on September 6, 2004, at 17:26:09
> Hello, I too suffer from social anxiety and depression/panic disorder...blah blah...but I tried paxil and it didnt work for social anxiety, it made me not care what ppl thought, but I still had major hesitation when it came to social situations. I am now on prozac/lamictal/xanax. I feel better, but I still have the underlying fear of social stuff. Is the Cymbalta still working for you? Were u ever on anything else besides paxil??
I've been on everything.... well, not everything, but many, many different drugs and combos. I've been on all the logical drugs for SP like Nardil, Klonopin, Parnate, Paxil, Moclobemide, Neurontin, etc. I've also been on most anti-convulsants, atypical APs, stimulants, and others in combination. Anyhow I've learned SSRIs like Paxil were always at least a little helpful for SP, but couldn't live with the sexual side-effects. Lexapro is better in that regard, but not much help for my anxiety. Cymbalta seems to be an excellent combination of effects for me.
I will say one thing that, for me, is more true of Cymblta than Paxil. In social situations, it gets me "unstuck". What I mean by that is the moments when you're like "speak damnit!" but you do nothing and the moment passes you by. In other words, Cymbalta seems to be somewhat disinhibiting. It does something else for me that I think is important. I seem to be capable of feeling more and getting pleasure from more things, but not at the cost of being more vulnerable to depression. I don't want to paint this picture of Cymbalta as a miracle drug, because it's not. But it is extremely encouraging for me so far. I'd also like to say therapy (CBT) is just as important as meds for me. Something to consider as well, if you haven't already tried meds + CBT. Such a combination might give your brain the extra umph it needs to overcome the residual hesitation you talk about. It's been very synergisitc for me anyway. Good luck, and I hope I have nothing but more good news to share as I'm on Cymbalta longer.
Jon :)
poster:JonW
thread:387084
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040904/msgs/387299.html