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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by shiz on October 23, 2004, at 8:42:26
my doctor gave me cymbalta yesterday and i am scared to take it because i dont want to get electrical shocks, isnt this medicine like effexor? i am currently taking buspar and i am suppose to start taking 60 mgs today but i am too scared
Posted by invisiblemanpa on October 23, 2004, at 9:23:27
In reply to cymbalta, posted by shiz on October 23, 2004, at 8:42:26
Don't be to afraid. I was on effexor for a year and half. I went through the typical side effects when I started it and it did nothing for me in the long run except make my depression worse and skyrocket my cholesterol. I tried Buspar to. It was worthless, which seems a pretty typical comment. I have been on cymbalta for 11 days and have had no real side effects, though I can't as of yet say I feel it has helped my depression. But 11 days is very early on. I have not had nausea, electric shocks, etc...that sounds more like Paxil. You have to remember that every medication seems to treat everyone differently.
Posted by Racer on October 23, 2004, at 12:20:37
In reply to cymbalta, posted by shiz on October 23, 2004, at 8:42:26
While both Effexor and Cymbalta are SNRIs, that's about the extent of their similarity. The molecular structure of each is very different, but they both inhibit the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine.
I've taken both, and have no reservations in recommending you give Cymbalta a try. Effexor did not work for me on its own, and Cymbalta doesn't seem to be working on its own, either, but I've become increasingly treatment resistant over the years. At first, Effexor did cause the "brain zaps" and a bunch of other little, niggling problems for me, most of which passed as I adjusted to the medication. Most of the initial adjustment phase problems with Cymbalta have also faded. There have been no brain zaps, there were a few vivid dreams, which have passed; there were a couple of days of relative insomnia, which passed; there's been a fair amount of sedation, especially at the higher doses; and otherwise there's been nothing.
If Effexor has had any effect for you, try Cymbalta. If Lexapro is the only AD you've tried, give Cymbalta a try. They do say, after trials of up to 18 months, that it doesn't seem to have the withdrawal symptoms that Effexor has, so it should be worth a try. And I suspect strongly that it will be a very effective medication for a lot of people, with the potential for fewer side effects than most of the alternatives.
Good luck.
Posted by ravenstorm on October 23, 2004, at 23:21:03
In reply to Re: cymbalta » shiz, posted by Racer on October 23, 2004, at 12:20:37
With a half life around that of paxils if not shorter, you better believe it is going to have some sort of withdrawal syndrome for those of us unfortunate enough to suffer from them.
I wish they would do a study on the correlation between how severe start up side effects are with withdrawal effects. I am amazed at people who can start up on even somehting like lexapro with a bit of dizziness or headaches while some of us are still throwing up a week later.
If you are a person who doesn't get very sick going on these meds, you probably won't have as severe withdrawal (if any) as those of us who do.
Posted by Racer on October 24, 2004, at 13:10:39
In reply to Re: cymbalta, posted by ravenstorm on October 23, 2004, at 23:21:03
I can't totally agree with you about the correlation between start up and withdrawal, because I didn't have any significant adjustment problems with Effexor, but I sure as [warm place] did have withdrawal problems. Missing a single dose put me out of commission for about three days, and it took about eight months all told to taper down from 225 mg -- which was still, shall we say, uncomfortable.
Cymbalta hasn't been in clinical use long enough yet to know what the overall withdrawal picture will be, but there were fairly long term studies done on it premarketing. I haven't seen anything about withdrawal effects in anything I've read. I would expect to see something by now, though, if it were going to be as much of a problem as it is with Effexor. What's more, my doctor -- who does stay up to date on these things -- says that he's not expecting withdrawal problems with it. He does, by the way, state clearly and emphatically that withdrawal from Effexor is a very real problem, and says that the expected LACK of similar problems with Cymbalta is the biggest selling point for him.
That's just an opposing viewpoint. (And I don't remember any withdrawal problems from Paxil, by the way, despite a fairly high dose for several years. All I remember is *finally* feeling awake again!)
Posted by ravenstorm on October 24, 2004, at 13:36:18
In reply to Re: cymbalta » ravenstorm, posted by Racer on October 24, 2004, at 13:10:39
i have start up and withdrawal side effects from all of them. Two pdocs I went to indicated they had never seen as bad a withdrawal from paxil as I had despite a very slow taper. It was a lot worse than uncomfortable, it was unfunctional. Getting off the last two mgs of paxil made me worse than I had ever been in my life and I am still screwed up and trying t find a med. And by the way, they did do long term studies of paxil too. THey knew that a significant percentage of people taking the medication for only two to three weeks suffered withdrawal synmdromes. They decided not to let the public in on that one. (article at http://www.socialaudit.org.uk/58092-DH.htm)
Yes, you should feel pretty confident about getting off cymbalta since you didn't have withdrawal from paxil and they have similar half lives (effexors half life is lower). I have no such comfort.
Yes, I am aware that some people can stop and start paxil, effexor with only some or no discomfort. Some of us are screwed in that respect and undless you are one of those people I believe it is hard for you to understand.
This is the end of the thread.
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