Cymbalta...Can Anyone Help Me?

[Kathleen]

Hey...

I was put on cymbalta shortly before Christmas for anxiety. Shortly after I started experiencing wierd symptoms. I literally have so much energy and I can't sit still no matter what I do. I am only sleeping 1-3 hours a night and have more energy than I normally would with a full nights sleep. I also have completely lost my appitite and can go days without eating. When I try to make myself eat I get sick to my stomach. Are these normal/common side effects of the drug?

I am in college and everyone keeps asking me what Im smoking and what drugs I have been taking because my energy is through the roof. I have been missing most of my classes because I can't sit in a lecture longer than 10 minutes because I need to get up and move/walk. It is really affecting my school performance and my life. I seriously feel like I could run a marathon right now, which is totally not like me.

My doctor will not return my phone calls and I just dont know what to do. It is really bothiering me and people are starting to wonder about me and think I am high all the time. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[forgetmenot]

If you are concerned about the effect of your meds you can talk to your pharmacist and they will get to your doctor your concerns about it. If your doctor does not get back to you leave a msg again with his secretary about your concerns Doctor needs to know what is happening if he does nto return your calls then go into hospital and see doctor on call there and get some professional help there hugs

 

[Andy]

I agree with Spirit Kathleen. It sounds like your possibly experiencing drug induced hypo mania. I don't know that for sure obviously but it can happen. If your not able to eat and your feeling uncomfortable in your own skin then you really need to get in to see your doctor, if he/she isn't returning your calls then go to him/her.
I have tried Cymbalta before but I cannot remember why I went off of it. I'm sure it's written here somewhere.
I hope you can get some answers soon Kathleen.

 

[Kathleen]

My doctor lives 8 hours away, so that really isnt an option right now. If it gets any worse I will go up to the hospital and see a doctor there.

 

[Retired]

Kathleen,

Your doctor should provide a means for you to be able to communicate either with him/her or someone who can deal with any questions, concerns or issues you might have while in his/her care. If your doctor does not return your calls and you may want to consider finding another doctor. You need to work in parnership with your doctor, and if your doctor is unwilling or unable to provide support after giving you a prescription, you need to review your medical care.

Do you have a student health service at your colege where you can see a physician? Another option could be a walk in clinic in your community or the Emergency Department at your local hospital.\\

What other medications, if any are you taking with your Cymbalta (duloxetine)?

Although I am not a health professional, I might suggest the Cymbalta, because of its mechanism of action, being a reuptake inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine may be affecting adrenergic neurotransmitters in your brain chemistry to a greater degree than in another person. If that's the case, it would be a unintended side effect of the medication that might necessitate either a dosage modification or an actual change in compound to a different medication.

Your doctor who understands your medical history would be in the best position to make such a judgement, so I would urge you to contact the doctor's office and as has been suggested to speak to the doctor's secretary, nurse or assistant and make it clear you wish to speak to the doctor.

If that doesn't work, I would urge you to investigate the other options that have been suggested, because there is no reason for you to have to endure what would seem to be adverse effects of the medication. Do not discontinue your medication without first consulting a physician, but do make contact with a physician at your earliest convenience.

 

[Kathleen]

Thanks...i have been calling her and leaving messages with her secretary for over a week now. She apparently has been too busy to call me back. The only health services we have at the college is a nurse from the health unit who comes in once a week. There is only 1 walk-in clinic here and it is a "family health team" clinic where in order to be seen you need to be a patient of one of the doctors there. I dont have a family doctor, so... I guess if my doctor doesnt call me back soon ill go wait up at the ER

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I have heard of this before as an infrequent reaction to Cymbalta, so it may well be a direct drug side-effect rather than SSRI-induced hypomania. I'm not sure of yourdiagnosis though, Kathleen.

Either way, you do need to talk to a doctor or pharmacist. In all likelihood you will need to switch to something else. If you can't reach your doctor, the ER might be a good option. Or do you have a student health service?

 

[Kathleen]

My diagnoses is depression. I also have panic and anxiety problems.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Then it's probably a reaction to the Cymbalta. You should consult someone about this ASAP.

 

[Kathleen]

The nurse called me back and said she wont be able to talk to the doctor about it until Tuesday. She told me to start taking my cymbalta in the morning because I am not sleeping at night. She also told me to take it every other day until she talks to the doctor. I took it at like 6 o'clock this morning and I am seriously crawling out of my skin right now. I am so restless and agitated... School is going to be fun today!!

 

[forgetmenot]

i would still go to hospital then or walk in clinic and get a doctors opinion not up to the nurse to tell you what you should be taking it is up to a doctor I hope you can get in and talk to one or even the phamacist who gives you your meds as the pharmacist can get a hold of your doctor faster and let him know what is happening and get orders back from him.

 

[Kathleen]

I went up to the ER to see a doctor and he told me he wanted me to stop the cymbalta cold turkey. He wrote me a perscription for seroquil. I am hesitant to stop the cymbalta like this because last time I stopped a SNRI cold turkey I got awful withdrawal symptoms for over a week. I told him this and he didnt seem to care. I don't know what to do and I'm scared. I have 6 tests at school next week and I can't afford to be sick. I have been on seroquil before and I am not happy with his decision. I gained so much weight on this drug. I am so confused.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Follow the doctor's recommendations, Kathleen. First, Cymbalta has quite a long half-life so any discontinuation effects shouldn't be as bad. Second, the Seroquel also affects serotonin so that will also offset the discontinuation of Cymbalta.

By stopping the Cymbalta and starting the Seroquel, this should alleviate all that restless agitation you've been experiencing.

 

[Kathleen]

How long do you think it will take for the seroquel to kick in and slow me down a bit? I remember from last time I was on it, it made me really tired. I guess that is why he told me to take it at bedtime. Maybe I will be able to stop taking my immovane. (Now that might be hard to do...I definately enjoy the "high" it gives me way to much.") I have been on immovane for 3 years and it might be a good thing to get it out of my system because I am majorly dependant on it.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

That's hard to say but I would think pretty quickly.

 

[Retired]

Maybe I will be able to stop taking my immovane.

You may want to discuss that possibility with your doctor.

In some people who have been taking Immovane for a long time, such as you have been, they experience a loss of effectiveness as an inducer of sleep (tolerance) and sometimes the medication acts in the opposite way, by seeming to stimulate rather than tranquilize. This latter phenomenon is known as a medication paradoxical effect.

 

[Kathleen]

That is exactly what happens when I take it...It doesnt make me sleep anymore but it give me this high feeling...I end up going online shopping all night and spending money, but I dont remember any of it in the morning...Then I go to check my e-mail and it says I bought a million things with my paypal account and I dont remember. It is wierd and hard to explain. I keep taking them though.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

That is exactly what happens when I take it...It doesnt make me sleep anymore but it give me this high feeling...I end up going online shopping all night and spending money, but I dont remember any of it in the morning...Then I go to check my e-mail and it says I bought a million things with my paypal account and I dont remember. It is wierd and hard to explain. I keep taking them though.

Check with either your doctor or your pharmacist. It's probably a good idea to stop taking the Imovane, especially now that you have Seroquel.

 

[Kathleen]

So Friday the doc told me to go off the cymbalta ASAP... Saturday afternoon I started getting electrocution feelings in my head and buzzing in my ears. After this shock happened I was very disoriented and experienced extreme vertigo for 10-20 seconds. I actually fell twice yesterday because of this spinning feeling. I had the worst headache ever and my entire body feels like when your foot falls asleep. It was so bad I went up to the ER. The doc told me that there was nothing he could do about it and sent me home. I couldn't deal with so later I took 30 percocets and 20 tylenol 3s. I ended up spending the night in the hospital and had my stomach pumped. The doctor this morning gave me a double dose of the cymbalta to get it back into my system faster so I would stop experiencing the withdrawal. Now I am stuck at square one again. I am going to die. If I keep taking the cymbalta I know I will end up doing something dangerous that will end up killing myself. If I go off of it and get this withdrawal -- I cant deal with it...I will kill myself. I am stuck between a rock and a hard spot and am going to die no matter what I do. This med should be banned. People should not be able to take it. It is the worst drug ever. Today I got blurred vision out of nowhere while I was driving. I almost went off the road. I give up.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

It seems to work well for some people, Kathleen, and it has rather a long half-life so withdrawal or discontinuation effects should be minimized. If you are experiencing them, the recommended procedure would be gradual reduction of the dose followed by taking a low dose every 2nd day, then every 3rd day, etc.