Could my Cymbalta being causing my depression?

[Viclam]

I was prescribed Cymbalta 30 mg 2 yrs ago after suffering from anxiety and OCD. It worked so well I told everyone that if I knew I would die 2 yrs earlier because of the meds I would still take it because it helped so much. Well 3 months ago it hit worse than before I started the meds. I was serverly depressed and wanted to end it. Went to the doctor she than gave me 60 mg that it was going to help but here I am again 2 months later crying uncontrollably wanting the pain and thoughts to go away. I'm worse now than I was before. I have 2 beautiful healthy children and wonderful marriage. My family doesn't deserve this. My question is could it be the medicine making me like this? I wonder if going off of it will help. I know the withdrawals are horriable but this is horriable also. Please help.

[specialmom]

I am really sorry that you are suffering though this right now!  Severe depression to the point of 'wanting to end it' as you felt previously is scary!  And I don't want you to get to that point again.  I'm a mama too and I know you want to be there for your kiddos.  

So, I wouldn't think about this in terms of the Cymbalta causing this but rather that it is not treating it.  You were prescribed that medication a long time ago and for different symptoms.  Medications can sometimes stop working or not work as well over time and this is why perhaps your doctor took the route of increasing the dosage.  That can often do the trick.  However, it is not working for you this time so you must see your doctor again.  Depression and anxiety are the type of thing that can sometimes be trial and error to get medicinal treatment just right.  There are many options of medication and dosing regimes within those options that doctors explore to help someone with clinical depression.  Please consider talking to your doctor and be open to what they suggest.  Since you have had suicidal thoughts previously, I would also think a psychiatrist would be the best option for you rather than a primary care doctor.  They spend all day helping people in similar situations such as yourself so are best equipped to guide you through.  A psychologist or talk therapist is also an important component to treatment.  Do you do this?  I know with a family, this can all take time and money and it's hard!  But the end product of your feeling better and functioning better in your role of mom and wife is SO worth it!!  

Please come back and let us know what you think and how things are going.  and if you feel suicidal AT ALL, please reach out.  There are help lines you can call and people to help.  Let me know if you need AnY resources like that.  hugs

[Paxiled]

I'd just add, a psychiatrist will also usually be better at managing stopping a med than a regular doc since they do it more often.  If you taper off as slowly as you need to -- this isn't a set schedule, it's one that suits you -- you can minimize the chances of a bad withdrawal.  What happens is, drugs poop out sometimes after you've been on them for awhile.  Also, because these meds don't treat the cause of your problem but just suppress the bad feelings, if new problems arise they can overwhelm the drug.  My guess is, you probably didn't have OCD and anxiety as your primary problems if Cymbalta worked that well, you probably had depression causing the anxiety.  That's very common.  Cymbalta is a stimulating antidepressant that isn't usually used for primary anxiety, it often makes it worse because of this, so that's why I'm guessing you have been suffering from depression all along.  Just a guess, though.