Antidepressant Duloxetine side effects tough, any suggestions?

Posted by mombo @mombo, Aug 19 5:08pm

I am a RA patient. I am in search of an antidepressant that can help with pain but not Duloxetine which had me very agitated. The charts of antidepressant side effects are overwhelming. I thought I would reach out here to see if anyone had antidepressant suggestions. I realize the result are quite varied but suggestions would be a good start for the next one. Thanks

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@dlydailyhope

@mombo
I have small fiber neuropathy, spinal stenosis and arthritis plus depression due to chronic pain.

I was on Cymbalta/Duloxetine for a while and it helped some but then it stopped. I was started on 20-30 mg then ended up at 60 mg. It was very hard to come off the medication due to side effects. I was then put on Prozac/Fluoxetine 20 then 40 mg and it caused me to become apathetic. When my doctor added Wellbutrin/Bupropion (75 mg 2 times a day), I started getting brain zaps! I gradually was weaned off Prozac/Fluoxetine and then gradually increased to 300 mg Wellbutrin/Bupropion once a day (extended release). This helped to manage my depression and believe it helped me with perception of pain. It took a while (September 2023 through August 2024 to feel the full benefits). I just had spine surgery 8/2/2024 and doing pretty well.

In the past, I was on Zoloft/Sertraline for panic attacks/anxiety and I did well on it with few side effects.

Good luck finding the right medication to help you balance brain chemistry to feel your best self!

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Hi, may I ask what kind of side effects you have on coming off of Cymbalta? This prescription antidepressants is new to me.

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Thanks and I will look into it. All these antidepressants have scary side effects listed. The Cymbalta made me very agitated. I tapered off of it and the very jacked up feeling stopped. Thanks for your help.

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@thenazareneshul

Hi, may I ask what kind of side effects you have on coming off of Cymbalta? This prescription antidepressants is new to me.

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My experience after a month was I was very agitated and not fun to be around. I was told to skip every other day taking the Cymbalta and had no problem with side effects stop taking it. Looking for another antidepressant.
Thanks

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@thenazareneshul

Hi, may I ask what kind of side effects you have on coming off of Cymbalta? This prescription antidepressants is new to me.

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@thenazareneshul

I had the following withdrawal symptoms when coming off/tapering Cymbalta/Duloxetine on my own (went from 60 mg down to 30 mg then every other day, every 3rd day, etc. where I had to open capsules and adjust amounts taken):

headache
lightheadedness
dizziness or vertigo
shock-like sensations in the head or other areas of the body
tinnitus
nausea
sweating
fatigue
insomnia
vivid or bizarre dreams
increased anxiety
irritability

I had some of these off and on but couldn’t tell if totally linked to withdrawal or if tied to other conditions/medications. The biggest impact I think I had was major depression being triggered by withdrawal off two different antidepressants (Cymbalta/Duloxetine and Wellbutrin/Bupropion) over 3 months, then I had a surgery, job loss the next month and I was dealing with chronic pain/menopause symptoms. Sort of like a perfect storm. I ended up on Prozac/Fluoxetine but it made me apathetic/like a zombie and then I was out of Wellbutrin/Bupropion which finally started to help. Many of my withdrawal and side effects have improved and my hormones seems to have balanced to their new normal (I am 55) and I had spine surgery to deal with my chronic pain.

Hope this helps.
https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/helps-cymbalta-withdrawal-symptoms-3565289/

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@dlydailyhope

@thenazareneshul

I had the following withdrawal symptoms when coming off/tapering Cymbalta/Duloxetine on my own (went from 60 mg down to 30 mg then every other day, every 3rd day, etc. where I had to open capsules and adjust amounts taken):

headache
lightheadedness
dizziness or vertigo
shock-like sensations in the head or other areas of the body
tinnitus
nausea
sweating
fatigue
insomnia
vivid or bizarre dreams
increased anxiety
irritability

I had some of these off and on but couldn’t tell if totally linked to withdrawal or if tied to other conditions/medications. The biggest impact I think I had was major depression being triggered by withdrawal off two different antidepressants (Cymbalta/Duloxetine and Wellbutrin/Bupropion) over 3 months, then I had a surgery, job loss the next month and I was dealing with chronic pain/menopause symptoms. Sort of like a perfect storm. I ended up on Prozac/Fluoxetine but it made me apathetic/like a zombie and then I was out of Wellbutrin/Bupropion which finally started to help. Many of my withdrawal and side effects have improved and my hormones seems to have balanced to their new normal (I am 55) and I had spine surgery to deal with my chronic pain.

Hope this helps.
https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/helps-cymbalta-withdrawal-symptoms-3565289/

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My problem was when I was on Cymbalta. Getting off took a week. In search of another antidepressant with pain reducing ability.

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@mombo

My problem was when I was on Cymbalta. Getting off took a week. In search of another antidepressant with pain reducing ability.

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@mombo
I also had symptoms while on the medication but it was mostly fatigue and my pain/depression was not really improving. The medication seemed to stop working at a point and I didn’t want to keep increasing the dosage.

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@dlydailyhope

@mombo
I also had symptoms while on the medication but it was mostly fatigue and my pain/depression was not really improving. The medication seemed to stop working at a point and I didn’t want to keep increasing the dosage.

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Exactly except I felt so ramped up I it felt like the opposite of an antidepressant. All good ready for a new antidepressant. Thanks

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Gang- the side effects of everything seems to be a block to making decisions and possibly moving forward. So here is my thought…please let me know the antidepressant you like and why. I know I need a new one. Thanks for your help with RA.

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@mombo

Gang- the side effects of everything seems to be a block to making decisions and possibly moving forward. So here is my thought…please let me know the antidepressant you like and why. I know I need a new one. Thanks for your help with RA.

Jump to this post

@mombo
My vote for an antidepressant with the least side effects and best to help me manage depression and perception of pain is Wellbutrin/Bupropion.

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I have side affects from all I've tried. Fluoxetine,venlaxafin, wellbutrin it's just what side effect is easiest to live with. Venlaxafine is good for pain but it kills my sex drive. Well, I can live with that. I also had weight loss on Prozac that was unhealthy. Be sure to check for interactions with other drugs you are taking. The doctor or pharmacist don't necessarily tell you. Watch your sugar and caffeine. Your food intake can also affect your mood, I've found.

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