Anyone taking Cymbalta?

Options
ByFaith
ByFaith Member Posts: 270
edited June 2014 in Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts

I've been on a several SSRIs over the last 20 years due to chronic depression. It seemed like none of them helped. Sometimes I'd feel improvement in the beginning, then nothing. If it worked, it wasn't much improvement. Just felt okay, never anything remarkable. 

A great psychiatrist has recommended I try one the SNRIs, as I've also had chronic migraines for over 15 years with no improvement on an untold number of " preventive" medications and Cymbalta is known to help migraines (chronic pain as well) and depression. 

Also, just double-checking, but SSRIs and SNRIs are okay to take with Arimidex, aren't they? As I recall, it's tamoxifen and antidepressants that are not recommended to mix. 

I'd love to hear from anyone who has had experience with Cymbalta. I hope it doesn't cause weight gain, because I've never gained excess weight in my life until I started the AIs. I've gained 15-20 pounds on Femara and Arimidex and don't need more weight gain! 

Thanks. 

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • katiegrey
    katiegrey Member Posts: 79
    edited May 2014

    Sorry I didn't see your post sooner.

    If you're taking Cymbalta, watch for something called "serotonin syndrome." This is when serotonin reaches dangerous levels and can be fatal (high blood pressure, stroke, etc.). I suffered from this several years ago when I had a newborn baby and was going through a divorce. I suffered seizures and hallucinations. I had a girlfriend who was on the drug just prior to me, had the same symptoms, and she told me to stop taking it immediately, which I did. If you notice any unusual side effects, call you doctor immediately, and get a second opinion if necessary.

    Can't speak to the interactions with arimidex.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • GemStateGirl
    GemStateGirl Member Posts: 168
    edited May 2014

    ByFaith--I've been on Cymbalta for about 11 years with no problems.  I experienced weight gain on Prozac and Lexapro but none on Cymbalta.  I don't know for sure but I suspect I may have done so well on chemo (i.e. no physical pain and not too much anxiety) because of the Cymbalta.  

    The only possible downside for me was I didn't get off of it when I was on Tamoxifen and my cancer did progress to Stage IV (but at Stage 3C, I was pretty close to Stage IV anyway).  But there is no way to know for sure if that's why it progressed.  My doctor told me there was research to show that Cymbalta wasn't that much (if any) of a problem with Tamoxifen and because I had trouble with other anti-depressants I was reluctant to go off of it.  As far as I know, there are no issues with Arimidex and Cymbalta.

    Hope you have good luck with it.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories