Posted by bleauberry on May 22, 2008, at 19:49:53
In reply to Cymbalta vs SSRI tolerability?, posted by saturn on May 22, 2008, at 18:54:44
There is no way to predict with cymbalta or any other med. Even though one, two, or three ssris produce massive anxiety with you, that does not mean that all of them will. At askapatient.com it is obvious that effexor gives some people viscious anxiety while it is very calming to other people. Go figure. Same with all these meds.
I am also very sensitive to meds and I could not tolerate more than 10mg of cymbalta (100 beads from inside the capsule mixed into applesauce). I did however get up to 30mg and even 60mg briefly when I was also on zyprexa 5mg. Zyprexa somehow blocked the anxiety stuff.
Most of the time, but not always, the med-induced anxiety will go away in time. For me, it took 3 months on paxil for things to get calm. It was a rough ride up until then.
Two strategies:
1) Start with super low doses (breaking pills, dividing contents of capsules) and stay at each dose increase 2 weeks before increasing, increase in small increments. For someone sensitive, the guidelines on the label or by an average doc are way over-the-top aggressive, in my opinion.
2) Use something to control the anxiety for some weeks while waiting for the med to take over. Something like low dose xanax or klonopin, with possible second teir choices of zyprexa or seroquel. Or sometimes remeron.Anyway, no way to predict how cymbalta will affect you. What it does to someone else is not indicative of what it will do to you.
poster:bleauberry
thread:830578
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080519/msgs/830589.html