Cymbalta and Me

[Registered Nut]

I wonder sometimes if my medicine does not just numb my depression. I have heard many people say that it does, but in 25 years, I have never felt that effect until Cymbalta. Especially since the doc just increased me from 90 mg a day to 120 mg a day. Now I feel very sedated and to me more depressed. I just want to sleep until some better option comes along. Especially living in this miserable household.

I feel like since the increase that I want to disappear from my life more than ever. I wrote on someone's post that being a Christian, I need to read the Bible and see if I can find one good reason why I should have to live in constant misery. I cannot believe God wants me or anyone else to. I told my therapist that God seems like he has the big magnifying glass on me like a bug and is torturing me to death. A slow agonizing death.

It is sad that I blew my nursing career before I knew I had mental illness, or more specifically bpd. Now I seem to be locked out of any of those jobs and feel left useless with no way to support myself.

Back to the Cymbalta, like I said, since the increase I feel less alive with no desire to do ANYTHING, not exaggerating, but sleep. I hate it when I wake up. I definitely think it has made me more suicidal than ever. I think it is just a matter of time that I get up the nerve to do it right this time.

I feel like the weak, wilting flower that just needs killing.

[DogMan]

cymbalta is pretty renowned for sucking to begin with, but getting better. so if the increase was in the last 2 months or so, it's likely to get better... coming off is also meant to suck and i know it messes with me if i skip 1 dose.

it's a good med to take everyday over a long time, but alterations suck.

[observer]

Registered Nut? Have you talked to your p-doc about this? Suicidal ideation is NOT uncommon and a very serious side effect of the SNRI's such as Cymbalta that should NOT be ignored.

Please get help NOW.

Now, my experience:

I have been prescribed Cymbalta to treat fibromyalgia. The pain has partially gone away...along with all too much of my cognitive function, my ability to stay still...the ability to wake up without some limb being "asleep" and/or tingling and/or aching... never mind that I miss my short-term memory...

I thought Cymbalta was SUPPOSED to fix all those issues, which also are part of the fibro "package"; my research into what medical literature I can find on the topic indicates that my experience is dead normal. Therefore, I suspect Cymbalta works--as much as it does--because it's so sedating, one ends up not "feeling the pain" because they end up walking through life as a living zombie.

Lost in the "fog"...and the feeling does not go completely away.

A question for CB-ers who have experience with Cymbalta:

Have you found that the only time you want to sleep is when you are NOT supposed to? I end up nearly falling asleep at the desk at work/sleep all day but every darned night I end up getting very little sleep, even if I am so tired I feel as if I am about to doze on my feet if I don't lie down.

Some nights (like this one), I can't sleep at all; I am more alert this morning at 4 AM, for example, than I was at about 4 PM yesterday!

Never mind the "fun" of "restless legs". "Restless"?? Actually, they thrash around so fast I could win an Olympic sprint and be adjuged guilty of deadly assault of a mattress at the same time!! It's just as well I am single; if I weren't, the hubby would have banished me from the bed...and as far away as I could be sent to protect him so he would not end up being battered to a pulp.

"Restless legs" do not add up to a good night's sleep, either.