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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 22 of 22. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 12:57:43
Which is better, my doc thinks I should be on cymbalta combined with seroquel and clonazepam.
Is that a good combination? I am tapering amitriptyline as I increase cymbalta.Tonight it will be 75 mg amitriptyline and going up to 60mg on cymbalta, 150 seroquel, 1 1/8 mg clonazepam.
Thanks.
Posted by Phillipa on May 25, 2010, at 13:20:22
In reply to Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 12:57:43
Are you already on the cymbalta and increasing now as you taper? Seems like the trend is TCA's but I myself would prefer the SNRI. Phillipa ps I feel it's what works best for you.
Posted by chujoe on May 25, 2010, at 13:35:03
In reply to Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 12:57:43
Cymbalta 90 mg works well for me. I don't have any serious side effects & it cut my anxiety dead.
Posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 13:45:38
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline » tonyz, posted by Phillipa on May 25, 2010, at 13:20:22
Thanks for your reply Phillipa. I don't have tremendous confidence in my doctor, but the other option is hospitalization as an in patient which kind of scares me.
I have very poor memory and disrupted sleep. I worry about serotonin syndrome and shock.
He says that cymbalta is the best anti-depressant and that I have a problem releasing control to the doctor, but how can you trust someone who prescribes luvox and doesn't tell you about coffee or who never heard of cerofolin.
I make suggestions for myself which he had agreed with but then I don't react well to my own suggestions.
Combinations that worked in the past don't seem to be effective now, but I've never given them a chance to work.
I spent several weeks in the hospital as an outpatient and was on lithium, seroquel and nortriptyline, and trileptal. The doctor reduced my nortriptyline to a non-therapeutic level. I kept saying I wasn't getting any better - they wanted me to go inpatient.
If I go inpatient the doctor in the hospital probably doesn't spend that much time with you to figure out what's wrong.
I am afraid to take matters in my own hand and am at the point where making decisions is very difficult. It has been a downhill slide since January.
The doctor is even talking about ECT.
Posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 13:47:51
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by chujoe on May 25, 2010, at 13:35:03
Chujoe,
Thanks for your reply. Do you have a few minutes to enter the chat room so that I can ask you more details about your cymbalta experience?
Posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 14:17:35
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by chujoe on May 25, 2010, at 13:35:03
I'm in chat room 1 if anyone has time to discuss cymbalta experience and my cross tapering of medications.
Posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 15:16:07
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by chujoe on May 25, 2010, at 13:35:03
Chujoe,
Can you get back into chat -- I had the window minimized I thought I would hear a beep if someone entered
Posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 15:44:59
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 15:16:07
Chujoe and whoever else has some comments about my cross tapering and experiences with Cymbalta. I will be in chatroom 1 and will continue to check every 5-10 minutes
Posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 16:12:05
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by chujoe on May 25, 2010, at 13:35:03
Chujoe,
Getting your messages in babble chat but I don't think you are getting mine. I also tried sending you a private message. I will try logging out of babble chat and logging in again.
Posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 16:30:05
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by chujoe on May 25, 2010, at 13:35:03
Chujoe,
Appears you are not seeing my chat messages - I don't know what to suggest; I have seen your messages - last one was to the effect of not quite getting the babblechat.If you have time I would suggest logging out and logging back in again and checking the options, refresh rate, etc. I have my refresh rate set for 5 seconds which I believe is the default.
It would be very helpful if I could chat with you.
Posted by chujoe on May 25, 2010, at 17:51:36
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline problem with chat, posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 16:30:05
I'll see what I can do. Might be my browser, too.
Posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 18:04:38
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline problem with chat » tonyz, posted by chujoe on May 25, 2010, at 17:51:36
Appreciate it. Chatting with you could be very helpful and give me some encouragement. It's kind of weird saying this publicly.
Posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 18:14:38
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline problem with chat » tonyz, posted by chujoe on May 25, 2010, at 17:51:36
Chujoe, I can see that you are in the room and I tried sending msgs but I don't think you are seeing them.
Posted by chujoe on May 25, 2010, at 18:39:36
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline problem with chat, posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 18:14:38
Testing browser, please ignore.
Posted by Phillipa on May 25, 2010, at 19:55:48
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline problem with chat, posted by chujoe on May 25, 2010, at 18:39:36
Hoping you two got together would babblemail be an option? Phillipa and Tony I know what you mean about trust as was on cymbalta once at got to 60mg no anxiety relief but did take pain away. Second time the doc just scared me and couldn't tolerate it. No in the hospital I think you see even less of the docs than an office visit. Good Luck Phillipa
Posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 20:02:08
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline problem with chat » chujoe, posted by Phillipa on May 25, 2010, at 19:55:48
Thanks Phillipa - don't know how you have time to keep up with all these postings, but your comments are appreciated. I'm trying to avoid hospitalization, but it is tough, seems like things have taken a real dive. We did manage to get the chat working.
Posted by Phillipa on May 25, 2010, at 20:20:58
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline problem with chat, posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 20:02:08
Good hoping you got something good from it. I know the feeling. Phillipa
Posted by Brainbeard on May 26, 2010, at 7:05:24
In reply to Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 12:57:43
My family doc tried to get me on Cymbalta for chronic pain, but I was reluctant to try it since I haven't heard many enthusiastic rumours about it. I've tried Neurontin (gabapentin) instead and amitriptyline. I'm still on the latter.
Cymbalta may seem like the new cool on paper, but in real life it doesn't seem to be all that impressive. My doc claims that it helps many of his patients with chronic pain. My main reason for not taking it is that it appears to have a very harsh withdrawal syndrome. (Although the same could be true for amitriptyline.. At least amitriptyline isn't being pushed by Big Pharma!! ;) .)
Of course, if it works for you, all the better.
Posted by chujoe on May 26, 2010, at 7:27:28
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by Brainbeard on May 26, 2010, at 7:05:24
As noted above, I've had good luck with Cymbalta so far, though it's only been a couple of months. And I haven't tried to withdraw from it, so I don't know about that.
Posted by bearfan on May 26, 2010, at 12:33:32
In reply to Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by tonyz on May 25, 2010, at 12:57:43
Cymbalta would probably a first try and see if you can tolerate. I had terrible bloating, contipation and weight gain on it, but didn't have these same effects on a TCA. Some people it doesn't affect them as badly. TCA could be tried if its a failure.
Posted by Phillipa on May 26, 2010, at 20:10:10
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by Brainbeard on May 26, 2010, at 7:05:24
Seriously when new a pdoc was seeing would give me the bottles of cymbalta month at a time. I was on 60mg for three months and stopped it. I didn't know I had back pain when taking but did after stopping. Went a little slow with last 30mg as that was when I found babble. But the pdoc thought was nuts to just not stop the 30 when at that point. Was I not on it long enough. Nothing for anxiety though still took benzos Phillipa
Posted by tonyz on May 26, 2010, at 20:24:15
In reply to Re: Cymbalta vs Amitriptyline, posted by bearfan on May 26, 2010, at 12:33:32
Thanks for the responses; I am in a quandary do I trust my pdoc or suggest something different? He thinks I am sabotaging my own recovery by suggesting all these changes. The good things about nortriptyline/amitriptyline is that they have been around for a long time so everything is known. But with each relapse it has taken a higher dose to bring me under control.
He's got me tapering the amitriptyline and increasing the cymbalta. I don't know if this is the right decision. Sorry to gripe so much but I am just having an awful time with this.
This is the end of the thread.
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