Sarah, Im really pleased to see that you are doing well on the Duloxetine. Hope all well at uni.

I'm afraid my experience with Duloxetine isn't a glowing report either - I'm very much on a similar par with Joy as to progress.

I have been on the medication for over six months. The medication does not allow me to sleep at night. I can be as tired as a dog (even more tired in fact!) - but when the old head hits the pillow it's time to wake up! This is so frustrating - and actually very upsetting. The body is very tired and weary but the mind is not!

When I do finally go off to sleep at night (about two hours after having put my head on the pillow) I wake at least three times in the night to wee!!! However, this is NOTHING to do with the Duloxetine my shrink advises.

In the morning I feel hungover, weak, lifeless, and not ready to start my day! Unfortunately though, I have to. I'm a stay at home wife thank the lord but stillhave to work hard indoors. By 1 o'clock my little eyes just will not stay open and I feel as if I have climbed Everest - I slump on the sofa and usually have an hour's sleep - which is never enough. I told the shrink I have to nap in the afternoon because I don't sleep at night and she said sympathetically "well you have to get your sleep some time". Good job I don't work innit.

The Dulox, for me, has been an up and down med. Goodish weeks, bad weeks, and terrible weeks. Sometimes I feel it's helping the anx but then when I am challenged by something I really am scared of I am a quivering wreck again. So it's not great for anxiety in my book.

My depression is a lot better than it was - however the lack of sleep makes me feel so so low. I am no longer in a black hole with no hope for the future and I don't sit crying all day. However, I still have had days when I really want to weep on this med but hold it in so as not to upset the family.

Three weeks ago my shrink upped the dosage from 60mg to 90. I was hoping she would change the med but no..... she felt that because I had tried two ssris and one tricyclic that didn't help (post Seroxat) that ..... This Is As Good As It Gets. Thank you so much Doctor - so what you are really saying is that this is how Im going to feel for the rest of my life even with meds.

The first week following increase to 90 I felt good. Great even (for me anyway) - the anxiety even seemed so much better. I was thinking to myself how good the old shrink is and she did after all know better than me - and this med does work better at higher dosages.

Unfortunately the second week I went down with a bad cold virus - mood was low and I felt ill naturally. Second week, cold still hanging on but oh side effects too. Muzzy head, tremors, sweats, blurred vision, and ..... WORSE INSOMNIA!

Oh Dear... This is the beginning of my third week and my cold is still very much with me. Been to docs today and have been told its a very nasty virus and can hang on for ages - or it can go and then come back.

I feel so weak. lifeless and dopey - this is not just the cold virus, this is dulox increase of dosage effects and the virus. I blame t he latter for how I feel to be quite honest , and that is... quite honestly ... like a zombie. My mood is low. If anyone so much as tells me my hair is a mess I will cry!!!

Is this right three weeks into increase to 90???


Love to all
Yvonne