Shown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sedona on October 6, 2004, at 17:59:04
Hi- I have been taking 30 mg of Cymbalta for 17 days now. I have an appointment with my doctor on Monday. He had said that if I tolerated 30 mg well I would move up to 60 mg. I have had almost no side-effects with this drug, but I wanted to know if other people who are taking it plan to go up to 60 mg also. According to the Cymbalta website the therapeutic dose is usually either 40 mg or 60 mg per day, but I haven't really heard of others taking just 40 mg. Since it is so new, I have had a hard time finding information showing a significant improvement of symptoms for people taking 40 mg vs. 60 mg. I am a little scared of taking 60 mg since I have had so few problems with 30 mg. Any advice?
Posted by Mike634 on October 6, 2004, at 19:24:39
In reply to cymbalta dose?, posted by sedona on October 6, 2004, at 17:59:04
Hi,
I have been taking 60 mg a day (took 30mg for 5 days) for 4 days now and havent really noticed any problems. It hasnt really worked too well yet for treating my bipolar depression but the increase from 30 to 60 hasnt really caused any side effects. - Good luck, hope that helps
Posted by boomarang on October 6, 2004, at 20:33:23
In reply to cymbalta dose?, posted by sedona on October 6, 2004, at 17:59:04
i just went from 30 to 40mg cymbalta. I'm taking the increases very slow so I can be on the lowest dose effective for me. Good for you that you haven't had any side effects! That's what I am afraid of.
Posted by yznhymer on October 6, 2004, at 20:57:16
In reply to cymbalta dose?, posted by sedona on October 6, 2004, at 17:59:04
Hi folks...
I wasn't going to post anything till I was further into my experience with Cymbalta, but I'd forgotten how unsettling these drug trials can be and it helps to share the experience.
Like many of us, it is sometimes difficult sorting out what is a response, what is a side effect, what are residual withdrawal symptoms from other meds, etc.
Three days into Cymbalta on 30mg I feel wiped out. I've fallen asleep the last three days, though the first two I wasn't sure Cymbalta was the culprit. Today, I fell back asleep mid-morning, even before I could get on with my day. My anxiety has ratcheted up significantly. And I've had some waves of hot flashes and nausea, which passes after a few minutes. The thing about the anxiety ratcheting up is it seems to precipitate more intense feelings of ddepression.
Oh, and sexual side effects? The big O is becoming more elusive... I'd be surprised if it doesn't elude me altogether before long. My appetite has disappeard... a good thing. Hopefuly that will lead to some weight loss if I can stick this out.
I don't know where this is going to end up. I'm committed to giving this a good trial. And I know how things can change over time. Right now, however, I feel worse than on no meds at all.
Ciao for now,
Mark
Posted by Racer on October 6, 2004, at 21:01:03
In reply to cymbalta dose?, posted by sedona on October 6, 2004, at 17:59:04
I'm taking 60mgs. I took 30mgs for about a week, with some fairly mild adjustment effects, and then went up to the 60. Now, after my past experiences, I was pretty hysterical when I started this medication. I was pretty much a basket case, in fact. I've been through some really bad experiences lately with medications, and I was somewhere the other side of hypervigilant about any sort of side effect.
Going up to 60mgs wasn't a problem. There were a few new things -- about ten days worth of diarrhea was the only thing worth mentioning, and that stopped as soon as I started taking Cymbalta after eating -- but overall it's been about the smoothest antidepressant I've ever been on. The sweating actually got better for me at 60!
I hope that helps.
Posted by verne on October 6, 2004, at 21:39:51
In reply to cymbalta dose?, posted by sedona on October 6, 2004, at 17:59:04
I've been on cymbalta over 2 weeks. Started at 30mgs, tried 60mgs for a few days, then 40mgs, and now 20mgs per day. My main problem with the higher dose was complete sexual dysfunction and insomnia.
At first I couldn't sleep and took it in the morning. Now I take it at night to help me sleep. An odd shift occured a few days ago and I find it more sedating. I'm logging some serious sleep day and night, yet somehow still losing weight. It's a real appetite suppressant and kills the libido - or, at least, the ability to do anything with it.
I'm staying the course to lose weight.
verne
Posted by yznhymer on October 6, 2004, at 22:13:11
In reply to Re: cymbalta dose?, posted by verne on October 6, 2004, at 21:39:51
> I've been on cymbalta over 2 weeks. Started at 30mgs, tried 60mgs for a few days, then 40mgs, and now 20mgs per day. My main problem with the higher dose was complete sexual dysfunction and insomnia.
>
> At first I couldn't sleep and took it in the morning. Now I take it at night to help me sleep. An odd shift occured a few days ago and I find it more sedating. I'm logging some serious sleep day and night, yet somehow still losing weight. It's a real appetite suppressant and kills the libido - or, at least, the ability to do anything with it.
>
> I'm staying the course to lose weight.
>
> verneRegarding your last points, AMEN on all scores. There is a chocolate custard eclair sitting in the refrigerator and it might as well be a bar of soap. No appetite, no libido... I'm finding I have a lot more time on my hands. Maybe another nap?
Mark
Posted by Racer on October 7, 2004, at 10:34:27
In reply to Re: cymbalta dose? » verne, posted by yznhymer on October 6, 2004, at 22:13:11
That last post cracked me up.
If your experience is anything like mine, the sedation may fade if you stick it out. The appetite suppression, though, seems to stick around. (Of course, in my case, the comorbid eating disorder may have something to do with that... Still, while I still find myself obsessing about food, I'm not acting on it, and I'm only eating as much as it takes to satisfy me at any given time. Again, in my case that's not necessarily a great thing, but it may be good for anyone who's gained weight from other drugs. I'll be interested to see if this effect lasts, since the SSRIs were touted as the "weight loss" antidepressants when they came out. As my new pdoc says, "Prozac is a weight loss drug -- for the first two months. After that, though, it reverses itself...")
I hope you do experience the same relief from sedaton I did. Now, while I can't say I've got insomnia, I'm not sleeping as well. Just something I can't put my finger on: no initial insomnia, waking once or twice in the night and falling back to sleep (waking from full bladder), no real nightmares -- just not feeling as if I've slept well, with nothing to back that up.
Good luck.
Posted by sedona on October 7, 2004, at 14:43:07
In reply to Re: cymbalta dose? » sedona, posted by Racer on October 6, 2004, at 21:01:03
Thanks for your response. I just wanted to pass this along since I thought it was interesting and haven't been able to find much info on this drug since it is so new. I came across an article that was talking about Effexor and Cymbalta-comparing their effects of norepinephrine and serotonin. The article discussed having to take the larger doses of Effexor to get the NE effects, but it also said ,in regards to Cymbalta, that it seemed that the blockade of NE was probably very weak until the 60 mg dose was reached. This might explain why a few posters have said they had less sedation on the 60 mg dose. Anyway, now I am really looking forward to upping my dose so I might get more of the NE reuptake effects.
Posted by sedona on October 7, 2004, at 14:46:48
In reply to Re: cymbalta dose? » Racer, posted by sedona on October 7, 2004, at 14:43:07
Thanks again. I do plan on moving up to 60 mg on Monday. Since I haven't had any problems thus far with the 30 mg, hopefully I won't have many problems at 60 mg.
Posted by utopizen on October 11, 2004, at 17:45:07
In reply to Re: cymbalta dose?, posted by verne on October 6, 2004, at 21:39:51
> At first I couldn't sleep and took it in the morning. Now I take it at night to help me sleep. An odd shift occured a few days ago and I find it more sedating. I'm logging some serious sleep day and night, yet somehow still losing weight. It's a real appetite suppressant and kills the libido - or, at least, the ability to do anything with it.
>Since it effects NE, it's a lot like Remeron where this is concerned: too little, and you'll be tired, too much, and you'll get insomnia.
It's best to combine any med with psychotherapy, and practice breathing exercises, and consider asking for some Ambien for a month or two while you increase the dose of a new med that causes insomnia.
For me, insomnia is not a reason to give up on the optimal dose effective for depression-- I'd choose to be happier than be an insomniac anyday. At least with insomnia, whether it's drug-induced or not, you can take measures that control it if you desire, and I'm not just talking Ambien here. I don't need Ambien anymore-- I can sleep on amphetamines at this point, my sleep habits are so good.
There's simply no evidence that doses underneath 60mg are effective for depression. I know you're trying to do the right thing, but you will just prolong your treatment time and delay your relief. I don't think insomnia, unless we're talking heart palapatations and massively high pulse rates at night, are a justification for giving you a dose proven ineffective to treat depression at all. IMHO.
It's bad enough depression has me force myself out of bed each day because my life seems so meaningless to me. The thought of giving up hope over insomnia is really something that would trouble me.
Posted by verne on October 11, 2004, at 18:14:33
In reply to Re: cymbalta dose?, posted by utopizen on October 11, 2004, at 17:45:07
The insert with cymbalta says that 40mgs to 60mgs per day is a therapeutic dose. This can be taken once a day or 20mgs-30mgs twice a day.
At 40mgs per day I'm hoping to have enough to work on the depression and overeating (it works as a powerful appetite suppressant for me) without losing complete sexual function.
I like cymbalta enough to stay with it even if it means little to no sexual function. The doc said he would prescribe something for it, like viagra, if need be.
I no longer have insomnia and I'm not taking so many atypical-depression power naps during the day. Cymbalta is definitely making life more enjoyable for me.
verne
Posted by utopizen on October 11, 2004, at 21:31:53
In reply to Re: cymbalta dose? » utopizen, posted by verne on October 11, 2004, at 18:14:33
> I no longer have insomnia and I'm not taking so many atypical-depression power naps during the day. Cymbalta is definitely making life more enjoyable for me.
>
> vernethank you. I needed to hear that I still had some hope. Lexapro is the last SSRI I've had to try, along with Wellbutrin, Effexor, and countless others. I hope Cymbalta will give me the motivation to enjoy life. I feel like a walking skeleton at times. I can barely go to classes, let alone do the readings.
I know I shouldn't. I'm just lonely, and afraid I'll always be depressed. I don't have suicidal ideation, because I couldn't bear thinking what that would do to my parents. I guess I endure things a lot, having had to live with ADD and social anxiety all my life untreated until a few yhears ago, but this is certaintly trying for me now. Everything is without meaning. I know this won't last forever, so I'm holding on.
This is the end of the thread.
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