Posted by RunawayAmericanDream on October 8, 2004, at 14:32:48
I am passing the 2-week mark on Cymbalta. 10 mg daily. I tried 20 mg 2 days, but dropped back quickly. (I open a 20 mg capsule and remove half the white pingpong ball-like things.)
I'm very sensitive to side effects in general. Cymbalta has the requisite dry mouth & constipation.
Somnolence and foggy thinking are the worst s/e. I'm normally insomniac, but Cymbalta hasn't allowed me to sleep more at night. But it sure makes me * want * to sleep every waking hour. Zero motivation, except for naps, even tho I rarely fall asleep.
It's hard to summon even a sexual thought. My soldier stopped saluting. We added some Viagra, which restores the salute. But there are some unusual weirdnesses when the flag reaches the top of the pole. This s/e doesn't stop me at this point, because there are several strategies for this s/e if Cymbalta proves worth staying on.
But, so far, no antidepressance. And raising the dose intensifies the s/e to the point where I couldn't safely drive, much less do anything useful.
I was already taking Wellbutrin 300 mg daily. (There was no a/d effect, but it stimulates me some and my doctor thinks that helps me get my butt moving.) But 10 mg Cymbalta is beating 300 mg WB in the somnolence/insomnia battle.
Some of you report Cymbalta s/e lessening after several weeks. I'm wondering if it's worth spending weeks or months finding if my body can adapt to the Cymbalta, and if so, can I move up to a useful dose? It would be nice to find something that helps.
But it's really screwing up my motivation and I feel awful. What are the odds that a guy who can't tolerate Effexor 37.5 is going to reach meaningful levels with Cymbalta?
That's my soap opera.
RAD
poster:RunawayAmericanDream
thread:400464
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041007/msgs/400464.html