Posted by Bob on July 18, 2008, at 16:34:32
My sister has had problems with depression much like me, although her illness has not been nearly as severe for the most part. It seems to have taken on a slightly more serious nature lately and she decided to go on Cymbalta last year - her first drug that was anything other than an SSRI.
When she first started taking it, she experienced immediate remission and proclaimed she had never gotten such a great response in her life from an AD. Now, months later, she's gained almost 25lbs (on an original weight of 120) and is starting to experiene significant lethargy, hypersomnia, and some anhedonia. Her doctor gave her Adderall, which I'm sure will do something for her for a little while. I know there's umpteen augmentation strategies out there for preventing poop out, but I don't want to be party to my sister's pharmacological experimentation, thus I'm reluctant to suggest myriad other options. I've had bad experiences on many other meds, and I'm fearful that she could experience the same type things. I'm worried that if she tries to discontinue the Cymbalta, she will experience serious withdrawl. I have olympic style problems coming off the few meds I can actually get on.
I feel sorry for her because with my fifteen+ years of experience with many different ADs, I could have described her treatment trajectory for her before she took her first pill. Just like doctors, however, there's nothing I can do to help her. She asks my advice on the meds, and I'm almost reluctant to say anything because practically all I've got left is negativism.
Anyway, I just felt like commenting on that.
poster:Bob
thread:840538
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080718/msgs/840538.html