Cymbalta

[SamsGram]

I've been taking Effexor XR for many years.  I experience the horrible withdrawal symptoms if I miss a dose by as little as 4 hours.  Over the last year, I've had increasing difficulty concentrating and following through on tasks.  I will sit and stare at the computer for 5-10 minutes and it's like my mind goes completely blank.  Would you recommend stopping Effexor and switching to Cymbalta?  Will Cymbalta reduce the withdrawal effect?  My daughters were both recently put on Cymbalta, and their depression is much better, and they claim they are "thinking more clearly".  
Thanks for your input.

[Hensley258]

Sorry to say that even when switching from Effexor to another SNRI drug like Cymbalta, you will still get some level of withdrawl for a few weeks.

How severe you withdrawl will be is hard to say.

When I switched from Effexor to try Cymbalta, my withdrawl symptoms were very bad. This could be in part due to the fact that the Cymbalta never did work for me.

[SamsGram]

Thanks for your responses.  I'm most worried about experiencing the side effects of withdrawal.  Will switching to Cymbalta keep me for going through that?  

[Hensley258]

Oh I forgot to mention. You could also ask your doctor about the newest SNRI (Effexor like drug) called "Pristiq."

On the molecular level it is very much like Effexor, but just different enough that some people that have become resisatent to Effexor have noticed this Pristiq drug working because it just different enough that resistance has not been built to it.

It's an SNRI that is much different than Cymbalta, but closer to Effexor with less reported side effects.

May be worth trying.

[Jikan]

Namaste,

If Effexor has stopped being effective for you and is causing bothersome side effects, Cymbalta may be a good alternative.

I say this because genetically medications have a tendency to follow the same lines, such as cancer of one type might be prevalent in a family.

If you have other family members who are having good results with Cymbalta it can't hurt to try it.

Be patient though, since it took me over 7 years to find a combination of medications that keep me somewhat stabilized.

Let us know how you are doing and take care of yourself!!

Michael

[Hensley258]

Forgot to mention..... You know I have been seeing more and more postings of people that are building up resistance to their AD medications.

Statistics indicate that only about 10% of patients with severe depression develope refractory type depression (depression that is medication resistant)

But, if it's only supposed to be 10% why is it that I'm seeing more like 30% as a more realistic cross section.

I think thier numbers are skewed. With every day I hear of more and more of this.
Could the doctors have been wrong? Could resistance building to these medications be much more common than once thought? I think 30% to 50% is a much more accurate number. And with time this number could increase as more report surface.

[Hensley258]

Hello SamsGram,

I took Effexor XR 300mgs a day for close to 5 years. After about the fourth year I also noticed it not being as effective as it had previously been for me.

AS more time went by I felt worse and worse as the theriputic effect of the Effexor XR was losing it's ability to control my depression and anxiety. I started feeling very nausious, almost like I hadn't taken my dosage, but yet I did take it.

In short it just "Pooped out on me."

I had to do the old medication swap "again." So I mentioned Cymbalta to my P-doc, he agreed that was as good a choice as any. (I was thinking since Cymbalta was also an SNRI like Effexor that I could get back to "normal" with it)

I gave it 8 full weeks on the Cymbalta until I just couldn't take it any longer. It wasn't bad, it just didn't work. I mean not at all. Maybe because it was too much like Effexor and I was already resistant to that SNRI also.

I don't know, anyway my P-doc had me taper down the Cymbalta and go with Nortriptilyne 75Mgs a day. That did the trick and I got back into remission.

That was then, now after two years the Nortrip is failing so, back on the band wagon again. I hope the Pharm companies can keep making new ones as fats as I build resistance to them.

P.S. Not saying Cymbalta wouldn't work for you because it may. It just didn't work for me.