Posted by barbaracat on February 22, 2005, at 16:49:28
In reply to Re: Anyone else with fibromialgia? » barbaracat, posted by SLS on February 22, 2005, at 15:40:51
HI Scott,
Good to talk to you again. There are quite a few posts on the board that I wrote that go into my experience with it in detail. Here in my bed cave I don't have much else to occupy me. I don't have the presence of mind to find them and link to them right now, sorry. But I'm happy to answer what I can here.I was recently in the hospital with what you'd call a 'nervous breakdown', a better term I can't improve upon. I had been on lithium and St. John's Wort, which was working quite well to maintain a fair to medium mood state. I hit a very stressful skid however and things fell apart.
While I was in the hospital I was taken off lithium due to a high TSH level (I have hypothyroidism and lithium doesn't help) and put on depakote and seroquel. This left me feeling very lethargic and depressed. After I got out, I was taken off depakote and put on high dose seroquel to be used as the primary mood stabilizer (it sucks). Cymbalta was added at 30mg because I was still very depressed and experiencing mild panic attacks.
Since I have fibro, my precscribing doc suggested Cymbalta because of it's purported pain benefits. The first few days were ok and fun, if a little anxious, but I realize now that I was escalating into a hypomanic state, probably because I was not taking lithium.
I didn't notice any particular pain benefits, but I wasn't going through a flare and my fibro pain has been under good control for the most part. However, Cymbalta felt like an acid trip. Colors, melting objects, fantastic phantasies, a wild electricity, visions. This felt a bit unstable but OK, but then I started having tight claw-like tension in my head and neck and a crab-like cramping contracting in my limbs on the outer periphery of my body. Cymbalta usually causes nausea and I was vomiting from it. I was also experiencing a weird manic anxiety but not particularly caring about it. I did notice very pleasant antidepressant qualities that gave me great hope for the drug. I've been severely depressed and it seemed to be lifting it. But the other symptoms were just too much.
I stopped both Cymbalta and seroquel and went back to lithium and SJW. The whole ordeal was very exhausting since I wasn't sleeping much (Cymbalta can cause insomnia). I also was very constipated no matter how much psyllium, flax or whatnot (Cymbalta can cause constipation).
Scott, I don't know what all played into this reaction. I definitely need lithium, that much is sure. I was already heading into a hypomania when I was on just the seroquel. It's possible if I'd been on lithium it would have been different. It's possible if I weren't on a high dose (400 mg) seroquel (which I hated) the effect would have been different. In short, I was already hypomanic and Cymbalta is extremely activating and who knows what of the other meds were interacting.
It's unique in that the NE kicks in almost right away which is probably great for someone who needs it, but probably not the best thing for someone fighting off panic attacks and a mixed state depression.
I also wonder about the psychedelic effect I got - I mean I was tripping - and this is generally a high serotonin condition. The claw/crab-like feelings are typical of too much serotonin, in fact. Did I feel any lessening of pain? I was too wigged out to notice. But I did feel more tension and body dysphoria on it than not.
But, interestingly, when I stopped everything and went back to lithium, for two days I felt an incredible peace, no depression, clear thoughts, and no pain. I wonder if that was a residue of what was good in Cymbalta and a taste of what it might have been like had I been able to stay with it. But the depression came back with a vengeance and I am very tired. I'm back to a very stringent a healthy detox diet and lots of rest and feel with my med sensitivity, this is the the best thing I can do for myself.
So, I may not be the best example because of the dire straights I was in emotionally and the rapid changes in meds I was going through and the fact that this gal needs lithium. Moral of the story, don't start Cymbalta if you're in the middle of a depressed hypomania, and start very, very slowly. They usually start you at 30mg, but that in my opinion, is way too much. You can open the capsule and start with 3-4 sprinkles (yes, I mean 3-4 little teeny grains of the stuff) and work up from there.
I might even try it again when I'm not in this hypersensitive place, but reading the possible side effects, I don't think I want to risk it. I've also heard that it can have sexual side effects, but as one satisfied customer said 'she couldn't orgasm but didn't really care'. I guess you just have to try it, but please, go slowly with it. Hope this helps somewhat. - barbara
>> > Oh jeez, I was just on Cymbalta and am still in bed recovering from it
>
> What is it about Cymbalta that creates the need for you to stay in bed? What are you experiencing? Is it withdrawal that has you in bed or is it the direct effects of Cymbalta while you were on it?
>
> Did Cymbalta make your pain better, worse, or unchanged?
>
> Thanks in advance for responding.
>
>
> - Scott
>
poster:barbaracat
thread:445891
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050222/msgs/461891.html