Posted by TommyIsland on September 21, 2005, at 23:45:59
In reply to Re: Cymbalta Does Not Seem To Work Compared To Effexor » TommyIsland, posted by SLS on September 21, 2005, at 7:55:27
> I echo M_E's question regarding the motivation for the switch.
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> How high did you go with the Effexor? If tolerated, anything less than 300mg would not represent an adequate dosage for a trial.
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> How much Cymbalta are you taking?
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> Many people react to Cymbalta the way you describe. Others find it to be "cleaner" than Effexor. You obviously find it worse than Effexor. The choosing of treatment is little more than trial-and-error. If the amotivation and fatigue are drug-induced and have persisted for two months at a steady dosage, they probably will not disappear.
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> Given your partial antidepressant responses to both Effexor and Cymbalta, you might want to move on to a tricyclic. Should it be necessary, you could add back the Effexor. I like the combination of Effexor + nortripyline.
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> Have you tried Wellbutrin in combination with Effexor?
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> Can you describe in more detail what you mean by "rollercoaster"?
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> - ScottWell Scott, the highest dose I ever took of Effexor XR was 150 MG. I took that in addition to Depakote. That cocktail kept me going at a relatively descent steady stream for a long time and then things started to change. I started to get irritable and moody constantly. I eventually got off the Depakote of which I don't know why I was ever prescribed it in the first place. I suffer from Unipolar depression with no signs ever of being Manic. Anyways I then went off Effexor Xr and crashed into a deep dark depression. I then went back on it again and it never seemed to get me back to a good level again. I then was switched to Cymbalta about two months ago. I started off with 1 20MG pill a day and then moved to 2 20MG pills a day. I have not felt good whatsoever on this. I am suffering severely from having zero motivation. All I wanna do is lay in bed and watch TV. I'm having serious problems with wanting to do anything. Is this something attributable to the Cymbalta? Where does 40MG of Cymbalta compare to 150MG of Effexor XR? Anyways, I'm going to have to switch back once again to Effexor XR and hope and pray that it helps me. Also, I once upped my dose of Effexor to 225MG daily and it seemed to cause racing thoughts and ADD and I quickly went back down to 150 MG. Well any advice would help tremendously.
Thanks,
Tommy!!!!!!!!!!!!
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> > I was on Effexor XR for over 5 years and it was a rollercoaster of a ride. The bottom line was that it seemed to work a lot better than Cymbalta. My doc recently switched me to Cymbalta about 2 months ago and it has been nothing but pure hell. My motivation factor is non existant and to take a shower seems like the biggest chore in the world. My moods go up and down almost minute by minute. My appetite is very low and my energy levels are non existent. Has anybody else experienced any of these symptoms while taking Cymbalta and has anybody else been on Effexor XR prior to taking Cymbalta? Please let me know where to go with this. I'm thinking of immediately switching back to Effexor XR.......
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> > Tommy!!!!!!!!!!!
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poster:TommyIsland
thread:557557
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050921/msgs/557996.html