Posted by Racer on October 19, 2006, at 1:27:43
In reply to Help with meds phobia, posted by lepus on October 18, 2006, at 19:48:38
I have had a similar experience, and can certainly empathize with you. While in the end Cymbalta didn't work that well for me, it did help a lot and was not a problem for me. I'm not sure that helps, since in the state you're working out of, it's hard to believe that anyone has it as bad as you, right? But I was in bad shape, and the Cymbalta helped with that. Even though, as I said, it wasn't the be-all and end-all for me, it was very helpful and it reminded me that there is hope.
It also helped with physical pain. ;-)
Hard as it is, you can take it if you choose to. I'm going to advise against opening the capsules, though: in your current state, you're likely to over-react to anything you feel on any med as you start up. Taking only a few pellets is likely to prolong that stage. Besides, they're packaged in that dose for a reason -- and it is safe to start them. You don't say what your problems in the past have been, but Cymbalta didn't do any of the things that SSRIs had caused me problems with. (Except, after several months, some weight gain. Even that wasn't as bad as it was on EVERY other drug I've tried.)
You know yourself better than anyone here does: do you respond better to reason? Or emotion? Should I say, "OK, here are your choices, here are the benefits and disadvantages of each, which do you choose?" Or is it better if I say, "It's going to be OK, and we're here to support you. What's more, if it turns out that Cymbalta won't be your friend -- you can stop taking it?" Say what you need, someone here can offer it to you.
By the way, when I started Cymbalta, by day three I was sure I was dying -- my panic, nothing more -- and a friend of mine called me every single morning to remind me that I was going to be OK, and that I was going to over-react and panic about any drug I tried, and that none would work if I didn't stay on them at least four weeks. He told me, "Right now, I could give you a Flintstones vitamin, and you'd be sure you were poisoned by it..." I won't go into what got me to that state, and I told him he was wrong -- only not nearly so politely ;^) -- and you know what? He was right. He was smack dab on target. Smart fellow, and I was lucky to have such a good friend. I tell you this story, so that you'll know: you're not alone, you can do it -- if I could do it in the state I was in, you can do it standing on your head!
Peace. And good luck with Cymbalta.
poster:Racer
thread:695892
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061011/msgs/695963.html