Morning Anxiety and nausea. Any Cymbalta success stories?

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Every single morning I wake up usually an hour before I have to and I have a high anxiety level and my bp was 140/90 and pulse was 90 this morning. I get up take my morning propranolol and .5 mg xanax and about an hour later I'm 117/75 pulse 65. I know we store up cortisol and adrenaline at night but I'm hoping to find a way to stop it. First it's just a bummer way to start the day and secondly I have to take meds to get back to normal. Really? So annoying. Has anyone had any success with introducing cymbalta? I currently take xanax ir as needed and .5 xr at about 1:00 pm to last through the remainder of the day. I also take 20 mg propranolol twice a day. I have SSRI sensitivity but I've heard that cymbalta is better with initial side effects than others. Also FYI I see a psychiatrist pcp and a therapist. I have GAD and panic disorder and it flares up for the last 20 years. I'm in a 6 month bad place and trying to work out of it. P.S. Came across a cool book called, The anxiety and phobia workbook. By edmond j Bourne phd. I think it's pretty interesting and helpful. Just thought I would share.

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    HI Brandon69357 - Can you share more about your treatment and struggle with GAD? I am in a similar situation since last 6 years on and off Venlafaxine to which I respond well but want to get off it now. However, every time I try and get off the Venlafaxine the anxiety is back in 5-6 weeks. Your thoughts on how to deal with it will be very helpful.
    • Posted

      Yeah that's a tough one. I was on Effexor and Remeron for about 10 years after about a 2 year battle and it worked and I got back to normal. After about 10 years I was feeling better obviously and I lost my health insurance and my dad actually paid out of pocket for a while and that was not cheap. Then I weaned myself off and was fine for quite a while. I still take the remeron although I'm pretty sure it doesn't do much but help me sleep... Then a few years later my anxiety came back and I just couldn't handle the initial side effects. So something in my chemistry must have changed or I just had it so bad that the initial weird side effects especially the increase in anxiety made it impossible for me to even get past a few days on the lowest dose possible. I then tried just about everything else and had the same experience. I have also heard that these meds sometimes loose their effect after time. I think I was on 150mg so it's hard to have a right answer because I think everyone's chemistry, tolerance and anxiety levels are different. I am being told to try cymbalta which I guess is known to have fewer side effects. At this point for myself, if I found success I don't think I would get off of it until or if it became ineffective. That's just my 2 cents. I really don't want to take anything but my struggle is bad enough that I look at it like someone with diabetes that has to take medication or else risk loosing quality of life. I didn't have much issue coming off of it I weaned pretty good and I did get the dizzies for about a week or so but no zaps and no instant panic or depression. I guess I'm just susceptible to anxiety, who knows why but I am getting determined to try cymbalta. It sucks because we all know you have to be on a clinical dose for at least 2 months before you can even make a judgement on if it working. You would think by now they would have some better options but i guess brain chemistry is still a bit of a mystery when it comes to anxiety disorders. I hope I was helpful. I'd be happy to answer any other questions or chat if I can be of any support.

  • Posted

    Hi, i was fixed by mirtazapine 20'years ago.  Had many carefree years inbetween. Then an operation on back, then gallbladder out, then embolisms. Since then anxiety and depression rule.  Back onto mirtaz, not doing what it did last time and when try to increase get high anxiety. Psych has tried other ssris but cant get dose up, anxiety blossoms.  Stuck now. How to get rid of anxiety without ssris which i seem not to tolerate. Stomach reacts badly to all drugs too.  GAD has niw turned into avoidance disorder and i need help. Psych suggested low dose antipsychotic, now im really concerned.

    • Posted

      Don't be too concerned. When you have anxiety problems everything is multiplied by a billion. So when you hear anti psychotic you FREAK. I have avoidance as well but I am talking myself into the fact that I'm going to be ok. So will you. It just takes time which none of us feel like we have but we do and I know that while this has us stuck inside ourselves for the time being we have the strength to pull ourselves out. Check out the anxiety and phobia work book by Edmond j Bourne. It's pretty good. Start working the process. It's ok too feel bad but I know how difficult this can be even if nobody else seems to.

    • Posted

      Another day of all the same anxieties. I am eriously thinking of trying the Psych route of olanzapine even though i have been terrible on all other meds.  Need the courage to try. I tried cymbalta imthink twomyears ago, it was too sedating and had to stop but others love it. Anythin you know about low dose antipsychotics helpful

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