Posted by karaS on September 18, 2004, at 23:39:13
In reply to Been taking Cymbalta for 4 days now..., posted by ChicagoPete on September 18, 2004, at 12:04:27
> Over the course of my life, I've been told I'm ADD, depressed, GAD, or Bipolar - depending on which psychiatrist I talk to.
>
> But no anti-depressant has ever helped me, and stimulants make me feel anxious, and that's about it. I'm not sure that I'm "depressed", but my mood has definately been poor most of my life.
>
> I'm almost 23, and I have had difficulty going to classes and holding jobs because of these problems that I can never really put a finger on.
>
> I finally decided to see someone again, and I've been on Cymbalta for four days. It's another anti-depressant, so I didn't really expect much, because I'm not convinced that I'm "depressed".
>
> Strangely, I have noticed a marked improvement in concentration, focus, motivation, and finishing tasks at work.
>
> Does Cymbalta help with ADHD symptoms? It's pretty remarkable to me, since this was the first day at work in my life when I wasn't completely miserable and feeling overwhelmed by total boredom and wanting to die.
>
> From my research, Cymbalta affects Norepinephrine, which is the same chemical that Stratterra boosts, and that drug is for ADHD. Could I have had ADHD all these years? And is it unusual that it's started working within a week?
>
>If I understand this correctly, depression based on low norepinephrine can have the same symptoms as ADHD in that you can't concentrate well. If Strattera or Cymbalta work for you to allow you to concentrate better, it doesn't necessarily follow that you were just depressed before or just have ADHD or that your problem was in fact both of these things. On the otherhand, if your symptoms are now gone, how important is the label?
I'm in the same situation in trying to figure out if my lack of concentration is due to depression, ADHD or both. I may try Cymbalta myself soon. I hope you have continued success with it!
Kara
poster:karaS
thread:392321
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040915/msgs/392495.html