Dare I say it??????

[blondiecat]

Hi all it's been a little while since I have had the time to be on here with tax season going on I haven't had a whole lot of time to do anything.

Wow I have been taking the new drug Cymbalta along with the drug Ultram and have been doing fantastic on them. My pain level has decreased so much I feel like a new person :woohoo:

I want say I am in remission because there are still days that I am in a severe pain, but I can say the pain level for those days are deminished to a degree that is much more tolerable than my laying in a fetal postion crying days.

Since starting the Cymbalta 2 months ago, I am able to walk now which is something I haven't been able to do for 3 years or longer without passing out from the pain. I can actually keep up with my husband in the store now:D I actually smile a lot now a days, something I haven't done in a very long time. I know that a lot of people are scared to take Cymbalta but me I have nothing but good to say about this drug. It has totally turned my life of miserable pain into a whole new world.

Talk to you guys soon.

[ICNDonna]

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

That's so good to hear.

Donna

[vm]

Oh, that is wonderful!!!!! :) :) :) Thanks for sharing that with us. :)

[Julie B]

WOW.........I just looked it up online and it looks very promising! http://www.cymbalta.com/

Why is it that you say that people don't want to take it! Please let us know how well you do on and off, I know you don't hang here too much (good for you!) but to hear things like this is so important to this community!

[cinder]

Hey Cathi I am taking that medication and it works great!!!! I feel its given me a whole new outlook, I'm not as irratible and do not have the anxiety I once had. I just feel laid back and calm taking this medication. They do say that the first week of taking this can be very difficult due to the severe stomach upset it can cause but I didn't have a problem with that. And big plus no weight gain!!!!
Good Luck Cinder

[VickiB]

Good for you!!! I love coming here and reading success stories!

Like Julie, I think it's so important that others read these positive experiences. It's so easy to lose hope for one's future when living with IC. Thanks for sharing yours!

Vicki

[blondiecat]

Hey Cathi I am taking that medication and it works great!!!! I feel its given me a whole new outlook, I'm not as irratible and do not have the anxiety I once had. I just feel laid back and calm taking this medication. They do say that the first week of taking this can be very difficult due to the severe stomach upset it can cause but I didn't have a problem with that. And big plus no weight gain!!!!
Good Luck Cinder

Hey Cinder

I'm with you on this drug....It's DA BOMB! Since starting taking Cymbalta I have lost 5 lbs :woohoo: :woohoo: My clothes are starting to get very loose on me and I love it.

[Portia17]

That is great.

I am taking elavil, so guys is that like the same thing and that will be okay for me.

Thanks
Mary

[Stephanie2004]

I lost weight when I started taking Effexor (16 lbs). I wonder why some antidepressants cause weight loss and others weight gain?

[jaime15]

Cathi! I'm glad you're out livin' it up!! :dance:

Mary- Anytime you consider trying a different drug, ask your physician about the good and bad side-effects for each, and together, you can find the right medicine that will work for you. :)

[Amber O.]

I just started Cymbalta a few weeks ago. I first started w/ 60 mg, which was too much. I was put on 20 mg & then supposed to up it to 40mg then 60mg by the 3rd week. I am in my 3rd week but just put it up to 40mg Saturday. I am in constant horrible pain & have been for 2 years w/ out ever having any relief. I didn't realize how depressed I actually was. I never get more then an hour of sleep @ a time w/ out a foley catheter. Since I have started Cymbalta I have slept up to 4 hours @ one time w/ out getting up to pee!!!!I am happy, I have energy, & life feels like I can handle it now!!!I wish that everyone w/ IC would give it a try.
Hugs :woohoo:
Amber

[Amber O.]

Mary,
I have tried to take Elavil twice @ 10 mg for 2 wks & then 3 wks. It made me very groggy...too groggy to do anything but sleep. I was on Imepramine a couple of yrs ago which is a Trycilic antidepressant too & I gained ALOT of weight. Cymbalta is a SSRI it is in a different class but works for chronic pain also. I go to a pain clinic & they are the ones who put me on Cymbalta. I read the book IC Survival Guide-GREAT BOOK-anyway. it tells you the difference (I also read on line about them) & that Elavil double to triples slows your metabolism down. So, if you eat 1 cookie it is like eating 2-3. Hoep this helps.
Amber

[Amyinagony]

Cathi :woohoo: :woohoo:
ALWAYS good to hear of a successful treatment!!

I take disipramine (it's like Imepramine and Elavil-all tricyclic antidepressants), and it's been one of the wonder drugs for me!! I was on another antidepressant that was prescribe by a Psychiatrist. Because I was on that particular drug, my IC/MD could not prescribe the amount of disipramine that she wanted to, to help my bladder (my major problem!!). I, on my own (which is not recommended to do, but I was desparate to get my bladder under control) weaned myself slowly off the antidepressant that the Psych MD prescribed, waited to see how I was without that. I was ok. I told my IC/MD about doing that, so she could up the disipramine. She did and it's working like a charm for me!! My Psych MD was NOT at all happy with me for doing this, was going to contact my IC/MD and was going to get back to me on this. I just couldn't figure out why my Psych/MD was so unhappy with something that worked so well for me. I asked him, why we couldn't just leave well enough alone??? After all, it's the IC (and all that went with it before and after being diagnosed, like being told "it's all in my head", being called a "drug addict", having chronic pain, and so on, as many of you know....) that caused the depression!!! He never did call her (I asked her). Here I am 5 months later....STILL doing well without HIS antidepressant!!!
As we already know, not all antidepressants are created equal, nor do they all work the same, or the same on everyone, just like other medications.

[ICLori]

I'm so glad to hear you are doing better! I hope every day from now on gets better for you.

Blessings, Lori

[blondie45]

Could anyone please tell me if you have any sexual side effects from the Cymbalta. I thought I read somewhere that that is a possibility, and with all antidepressants except Wellbutrin and Remeron I have had that problem. I would love to ask my doctor to try Cymbalta but would like opinions on the sexual side effects from others first.

[blondiecat]

Could anyone please tell me if you have any sexual side effects from the Cymbalta. I thought I read somewhere that that is a possibility, and with all antidepressants except Wellbutrin and Remeron I have had that problem. I would love to ask my doctor to try Cymbalta but would like opinions on the sexual side effects from others first.


I can say I don't have a problem with that. I have been taking this for three months now. All I can say about this drug is good things. Here is a link for the side effects of this drug. These may not be all the side effects but so far that is all I have been able to find out.

http://www.cymbalta.com/depression/about/side_effects.jsp?reqNavId=3.5

[mallory]

Cinder,
What medication are you taking. Your post didn't mention the name.
Thanks
Mallory

[marysing]

Hi, my Primary Care Physician prescribed Cymbalta for me today after I told him about my depression and research I had done on the drug based on what I learned here. Thanks so much for sharing your story. I pray that the Cymbalta kicks in quickly.

[andcohen]

Fantastic :woohoo: So nice to hear of people get a bit of quality life back again. Wishing you all the best & hope the good days keep comming
Andrea

[Dianne]

Well I only took it three days in a row before having a reaction but I had a lot of difficulty until it was out of my system several days later. I am restarting it now trying every other day and can already tell it's affecting me, but I haven't taken enough of them to give a definite opinion.

[blondiecat]

Hi, my Primary Care Physician prescribed Cymbalta for me today after I told him about my depression and research I had done on the drug based on what I learned here. Thanks so much for sharing your story. I pray that the Cymbalta kicks in quickly.


I hope it works well for you too :grouphug: Keep us posted as to how you get along with taking Cymbalta.