I have this prescription for Cymbalta...

[wanderinggypsy]

and I'm just hesitating to fill it. I'm having panic attacks, and dealing with a lot of "air hunger" in and around those episodes of panic.My doctor prescribed Cymbalta. I think maybe I'll go for it, but this would be my first foray into the realm of psychoactive medicine and frankly, I'm a little scared.


What are you thoughts/experiences?

Thanks.

[SeekingSerenity]

I take Cymbalta. I have mild to moderate depression, for which I was taking Lexapro, and it wasn't helping the occasional panic attack I'd experience. Because I was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia, my doc switched me to Cymbalta in an effort to step up the treatment for the anxiety, as well as combat the fibro symptoms.

I LOVE THIS STUFF.

It has drastically reduced the fibro symptoms and curtailed the panic attacks nicely. Anything I get along those lines now is very reduced (I do still get the "gasps" sometimes, as you mentioned, but not as bad). I don't know what your dosage is, but I will say you do not want to drop off Cymbalta, it has to be stepped down if you start taking it and then have to stop. I missed a refill and went off it for two weeks cold-turkey in March and thought I was going to have to be hospitalized. It throws you into a tailspin. So just keep that in mind.

Otherwise, good luck! This is, in my experience, a fabulous treatment.

[wanderinggypsy]

Thanks so much... if it's not too much information could you tell me if you:
1)Gained weight on this medication
2)Lost your sex drive?


I appreciate your candor.

[SeekingSerenity]

Hi there... sorry for the late reply, it's been a busy few days.

1)Gained weight on this medication
Actually, I lost weight. Also in the first few weeks, it caused occasional hot flashes, but after my body got more used to the medication, those went away.

2)Lost your sex drive?
Not really, but then again, I haven't really had much of one to begin with. My marriage is pretty much celibate, but as far as how I feel in terms of desire, that hasn't really changed, and I've been told this med is pretty good with not causing too much disruption in that area.

Hope this helps!

[Jess's Mom]

I take it and it has helped my anxiety and depression a great deal. I have had some side effects that are not great, but are better than the way I felt. I have had weight gain, not so much loss of sex drive, but, it takes a lot longer than it use to and I overheat very quickly now. I would say give it a try and give it time, it does take a while to work, but when it does, you will notice a very remarkable change, or I did anyway.

[eclipse]

I've never taken Cymbalta, but I've taken Paxil in the past and am currently taking Wellbutrin. My experiences with antidepressants have over all been good.

[Lilypie32]

I tried Cymbalta a few years ago and suffered extreme sweating on it. It was awful. I was literally sopping wet. I went off of it 2 weeks after starting.

[mama_ani]

I was given a script for Cymbalta and I survived 10 days on it. I have NEVER been so sick in my life (it was worse than when I had hyperemesis gravidarum when I was pregnant with my third!) and the hallucination/nightmares it gave me were horrid. Never ever ever again. The only good that came of it was by the last couple days I noticed it reduced my joint pain quite a bit. But for me the cons outweighed the pros big time.
YMMV though, antidepressants seem to work very differently for different people.