Posted by Cindy Lou on March 27, 2005, at 21:50:24
In reply to Re: CYMBALTA ratings 1-10, and effects on anx and dep » Cindy Lou, posted by barbaracat on March 27, 2005, at 20:58:38
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for the post. I'm glad you asked about my mood stabilizer (although you might not be so glad since it is a loaded question for me!) I hope it's okay if I ask you some questions about this (and more) ...I take Lithium, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what dose to take. I was taking 450 mg. for several months, but having bad gastrointestinal issues (went through a CAT scan and the whole works since my doctor thought it was a gallbladder issue.) I am thinking the stomach issues were from the Lithium, since they started around the time I started taking it. Also, I tried taking up to 1200 mg. of the Lithium for awhile (before the stomach issues), but was having toxic symptoms even though my blood levels were normal. For us med-sensitive people, could it be that our blood levels do not reflect what is really going on?
Here's another issue -- since you have a science background, maybe you can help me figure this one out: When I had a CBC recently, I was shown to have "atypical lymphocytes" and "slightly elevated amalyse." Would that have anything to do with the Lithium? My doctor thought I might have Mono.
I also seemed to feel a bit more irritable/agitated on the Lithium (and felt the same way on Lamictal when I tried it in the past.) They almost make me feel more volatile rather than stable.
Still, I don't want to give up on the Lithium since my pdoc thinks it will help keep the other meds from pooping out on me (which happens all the time.)
All this to ask your opinion on if I should try lowering the dose of Lithium as well. I do have the 300 mg. tablets now -- can those be dumped into applesauce too?
In addition to the Lithium and Cymbalta, I also take:
- 0.5 mg. Klonapin at night to sleep (nothing else will stop my brain from spinning at night),
- Dexedrine (5 or 10 mg. about 2-3x a day) to help with fatigue and ADD
- 10 mg. Prozac. My doctor said to keep taking the Prozac along with the Cymbalta for now. I have been taking 5 mg. lately since I've been feeling so sick.One last comment and I promise to let you go. I noticed in the thread you directed me to that you and a few others had INCREASED anxiety/agitation on the "normal" dose of Cymbalta. For me, I had NO anxiety, which was a miracle because I was in all sorts of situations which usually induce anxiety attacks. I was just kind of walking around like a zombie, not even occupying my own body. I wasn't at all irritable or agitated at my two young girls. I was so PATIENT. I couldn't believe it was me! However, as the days went on I was so exhausted, spacey, dizzy, disoriented and nauseous, it seemed I was just too dang sick and tired to be anxious. I wonder why the Cymbalta would have evoked such opposite adverse reactions in the two of us?
Okay, that's enough for now! Thanks so much for listening. You have been a real lifeline for me tonight. An Easter gift for me :-)
Gratefully,
Cindy> Cindy,
> Try this link instead:
> http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050322/msgs/475145.html
>
> The other one had an extra character at the end so it bombed out.
>
> Sure hope this works for you. It's not a perfect cure, nothing is. I still have down days but normal ones for a good reason. Considering I was hopitalized I was so depressed just 2 months ago, this is a miracle. There have been a few other variables like getting my thyroid and other hormone meds adjusted, but that's been done before without such a major mood improvement. The only thing that's really different from what I've done before is Cymbalta.
>
> BTW, what kind of mood stabilizer are you taking?
poster:Cindy Lou
thread:462834
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050326/msgs/476480.html