Posted by Bob on June 25, 2008, at 0:08:43
In reply to Re: ok what to add to the cocktail effexor*Trazodo » Bob, posted by Molybdenum on June 24, 2008, at 21:25:16
> > Is there any evidence of this "California Rocket Fuel" being effective with Cymbalta in place of Effexor?
>
> Hi Bob,
>
> Trouble is that the defacto bible on such matters - "Stephen M. Stahl - Essential Psychopharmacology 2nd edition", is printed in 2000. Cymbalta (Duloxetine) was not approved by the US FDA until 2004. So that's one reason why it might not be as popular as venlafaxine + mirtazapine.
>
> Incidentally, I just read Wiki's blurb on Duloxetine at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duloxetine. It doesn't sound like a fantastic AD. In fact, Wiki's article really makes it sound like a pointless medication for treating depression. It apparently has some other uses. Maybe that's the justification for it's existence.
>
> IMHO "if I were you" and I was feeling horribly depressed, I would want to feel better ASAP. So choosing a combination of drugs that commonly produces positive effects and that has been prescribed together for years would be my choice over something different or new. Assuming you don't have a problem with venlafaxine, why not go with the tried & true approach? It's not like Eli Lilly is going to pay you to run experiments on yourself.
>
> We all think that newer = better, but it's often simply untrue.
>
> So there's my 5c worth. ;)
>
> Good Luck - I hope you're feeling better soon.
>
> Mr. M.
>
>Actually I have tried Effexor. I tried it way back when it first came on the market, innocently thinking it was not significantly different from the other pure SSRIs on the market at the time. I eventually gained significant weight, developed nasty bruxism, carb cravings, anhedonia and lethargy, and hypersomnia... and then I finally tried to taper off. I ran into serious discontinuation problems and contacted the makers. They didn't acknowlege any withdrawal problems and told me to stop it "over a couple days". To this day (it's been more than 10 years) I've never had a withdrawal quite as severe. So, I'm quite reticent to jump back into something like that, especially since I'm in far worse shape these days and literally don't know if I'd be able to weather another severe episode like that.
Ironically my sister started taking Cymbalta last year and it was like a spiritual awakening for her. She went back to school to become a teacher. Unfortunately, what works for others never seems to work for me.
poster:Bob
thread:836131
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080617/msgs/836333.html