Duloxetine / Cymbalta Diary 2013

[SarahH]

Glad the drugs are working Mark

[Mark13]

Glad the drugs are working Mark

Thanks Sarah.

The effects have dulled a bit but I'm certainly able to focus more on the present rather than obsess about the past.

I'm still very nervous, excitable and easily stressed, but I seem to "come down" quicker.

---------- Post added at 20:17 ---------- Previous post was at 20:12 ----------

No worries.

Congratulations on making your own picture. Beyond me, I think.

Actually, you may be right. I know folk come on here and they're maybe in a fragile state of mind. I'm certainly easily freaked out.

I'll create something less disturbing

I may have some owl piccies I took at the local Bird Gardens.

As for photography, it's my obsession (in a good way). So I have several programs like Photoshop Elements for editing pics.

[hanshan]

The new owl looks great.

[Mark13]

As you can see from the last post in this thread, it's been another month on duloxetine 60mg.

I'm pretty happy with them although at their best pregabalin was better, but I feel this drug dulls the anxiety well most days.

I still have the odd obsessive day, when I can't shake nagging thoughts, but they usually just last the one day at a time.

So I'll happily take what duloxetine gives me, because at the moment it's more consistent on a weekly basis than other drugs I've tried. It quietens the mind nicely and any fleeting negative thoughts are easily brushed aside.

I still get nervous and agitated, but I'm not on the verge of tears as I used to be every time I got stressed.

In fact the only drugs better than this at their best were valium (had a 10 day course of it once) and pregabalin (although the best affects tended to last hours rather than days).

Also, as I'm now diabetic, the current drug regime at least doesn't put weight on me, so my diet (carb counting) should help bring my weight and bllod sugar down - I still get the munchies at times, but I'm eating a lot of fat free natural yoghurt with fresh blueberries or strawberries that I add to it. Fills me up nicely

Hope everyone who reads this is doing OK themselves.

[SarahH]

Hi Mark,

Hard to find you now you are off the pregabalin thread. So glad you are feeling better and the Duloxetine is working for you. Dont forget us on the other side

[Mark13]

Hi Mark,

Hard to find you now you are off the pregabalin thread. So glad you are feeling better and the Duloxetine is working for you. Dont forget us on the other side

Thanks Sarah

I do keep popping into the pregabalin thread as it has a wee bit more traffic than this one

[Mark13]

After a few weeks of up and down I feel this drug is doing very little now. The benefits have worn off to such an extent that it's no longer worth the side effects (sexual, gastric, insomnia).

I intend to see the Doc as soon as possible and arrange to start weening off.

He did agree a different combination last time I saw him (because, as I was going downhill fast I felt the time would come when another change was necessary, but I kept going in the hope things would pick up).

So I'm hoing to swap duloxetine for amitryptiline, then slowly increase my mirtazapine, so that it's at a therapeutic level, with the TCA to help me sleep.

Not looking forward to the duloxetine withdrawal though

[SarahH]

So sorry to hear that Mark.....keep going! I am sure you will find the right combination

Sarah

[Mark13]

Thanks Sarah

I think I was just having a bad few days.

Since then I've come to the conclusion that this drug is definitely helping, but I can't expect miracles.

I don't think my next idea of a combination would really work - I think mirtazapine is better in high doses for depression rather than anxiety, or in low doses for insomnia - which is what I take it for.

I think I'll give the duloxetine a while longer and I intend to try some mindfulness (I have a book, but wasn't in a fit state to take it all in when I bought it) and hopefully the combined drug / self-help regime will work.

Mark

[SarahH]

How are you doing Mark?