Duloxetine / Cymbalta Diary 2013

[Mark13]

I really appreciate your support, Consider.

At the moment my anxiety is about as bad as it is without duloxetine (which is a step up, because for a while on this drug it was much worse).

So I'm hoping the next step will be a reduction in my daily anxiety and obsessive thoughts and worries.

Strangely the brain zaps seem to happen in the first 10 hours after taking the drug and not in the morning before I take my dose.

It's not the full disorientating, dizziness and nausea producing ones I got with fluvoxamine withdrawal, but they can still be very frequent and demoralising.

Still plodding on though

Had to get some stronger eardrops today, my blocked ear isn't clearing and my earache is annoying (bit of a wimp where pain is concerned).

It's the nurses at our GPs practice that do the ear syringing, but last time I went it was very painful and I had ear and headache for days, so I'm hoping to avoid another visit

[Mark13]

End of 1st week at 60mg, after 2 weeks on 30mg

Feeling awful at the moment, hope things improve soon.

I'm still getting brain zaps, dizziness, lethargy and tiredness.

Also extremely high anxiety and worst of all, a touch of depersonalisation which always freaks me out. I feel like I'm not in my own body - horrible.

Still determined to see it through to the other side

[nicola1980]

Hi mark, Im following your diary with interest as Im on a similar med venlafaxine and to start with my anxiety hit the rough as its done with every increase since but it soon calmed down, have you any diazepam to help you through this hard part? I was prescribed 10mg of it a day to help with the side effects, hope things settle down for you soon, the start up of meds can be so tough x x

[Mark13]

Thanks Nicola. No, our GPs are loathe to hand out Benzos unfortunately.

Normally I'd have given up on these by now, but the fact the withdrawal sounds awful, and the further fact that I'm almost out of medication options keeps me determined to carry on for at least another month.

I'm hoping that this drug, seeing as it's strong enough to make me feel worse, should be strong enough to make me feel better when they settle down.

At least I feel they're doing something - even if it's in the wrong direction

I'm hoping that this diary sees me emerging from the rough period a new man - I know fluoxetine has a habit of making you feel worse initially, I'm hoping this is just the same and that things will improve.

[Mark13]

Day 9 at 60mg after 2 weeks at 30.

I don't know how much longer I can cope with my anxiety being so high. I feel worse now than I have for years.

The sexual side effects are very depressing also.

[nicola1980]

Hi mark, i was exactly the same when i increased my venlafaxine but fortunately i had diazepam to help, hang on in there things should settle soon x x

[Mark13]

Days 11 & 12 at 60mg after 2 weeks at 30mg

I didn't want to jinx it by posting yesterday, but I actually felt quite good yesterday - not too bad today either.

The anxiety is there but the obsessive rumination over past events (some very minor) seems to be reducing a bit.

My body is still hyper (pounding heart, chills, tremors, stomach churning at times) but some of that is down to the SEs of the drug I think.

After reaching my lowest point on duloxetine on Thursday, I'm cautiously optimistic that I may get some benefit from this drug.

Looking forward to going out in reasonable weather tomorrow and Monday, walking in the country with my wife and taking photos - my favourite things to do.

Still not sleeping well, even with the mirtazapine, but getting enough sleep despite the wakefulness during the night.

Mark

[hanshan]

Hi Mark,

Hope things go well with you with the medication and the walks.

It's been quiet on the pregabalin thread since you left! Nevertheless, I hope your new medication works out for you. Unfortunately, a number of people on NMP have left pregabalin in part or in whole because of side effects.

Take care,

Hanshan

[Mark13]

Thanks for the good wishes hanshan.

To be fair the pregabalin had less severe side-effects for me, it worked great for 2-3 months but then it seemed to stop.

[Ducky]

I started on Duloxetine last September after being on Paroxetine for 15 years. I felt I needed a change. I have been taking 40mg twice a day, but felt no different to being on Paroxetine. However, I also suffer from acid reflux and my GP suspects that it may be making it worse, so I have withdrawn from it and started Sertraline.