Posted by Racer on March 3, 2006, at 12:11:45
In reply to Increasing Cymbalta...what to expect, posted by jessers11581 on March 1, 2006, at 20:21:12
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> 1) What are the main side effects that you have encountered with Cymbalta? Do any of them go away over time?The only side effect I got that bothered me was amotivation. Otherwise, all the side effects were good things, for me. Mostly digestive -- amazingly it did not cause constipation, which is something all other ADs have done to me. The other side effect that I noticed was a lessening of intrusive (anxiety based) thoughts, and better sleeping.
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> 2) Is it best to take it all at once in the morning, or in two 30 mg. doses (once in a.m., once in p.m.)?I've heard both, but took mine in the morning. At night, which my doctor suggested I try, I couldn't sleep very well. In the morning worked fine, though.
And, statistically, most side effects that you get in the first weeks will go away over time.
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> 3) I have pretty bad anxiety and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Will Cymbalta help, or potentially make these things worse?Potentially? Potentially it could do anything, because we all react differently. I see that Phillipa had increased anxiety -- keep in mind that she only took it for about a week, so we don't know if that would have gone away -- and Antigua also experienced it. (Dunno how long Antigua has been on it, so can't say if that's a long term reaction.) In my case, it reduced anxiety a huge amount.
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> 4) What should I expect??Probably an increase in everything you've experienced to date. If it's been kind to you so far, it's likely to continue to be kind to you.
My strongest advice to you is to approach it with an open mind. Try not to be afraid of it, and try not to jump at the first sign of any problem. Chances are, any problem you get within the first month will go away, but if it doesn't, it can probably be mitigated. If the increased dose of Cymbalta works for you, then you can start looking at whether or not it's causing problems.
Good luck. While Cymbalta was not an overwhelming success for me, it was the least problematic AD I'd ever taken, fewest side effects by far. I hope it's as kind to you, while working a bit better.
poster:Racer
thread:614409
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060227/msgs/615418.html