Cymbalta?
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive April 2008:
Cymbalta?
My Dr gave me some of these to help with minor depression I have been dealing with.
Let me tell you, 1 pill is all I needed. I have never felt so sick in my life! I started checking up on it on the web and it scared me half to death. This drug is so scary! It said that the withdrawls of the drug are like trying to come off of heroin. I was so sick I thought I was going to pass out & could not think. My mind was totally blank. Now normally I would think that was great but this was just dangerous! I really don't think the Dr's understand these drugs. Any one else ever heard of/tried it?
Wow! I agree that some doctors don't take the time to understand drugs and their effects. I don't think that it's negligence, nessecarily. Doctors are too stressed for time and (wrongly) listen to the hype of the drug reps.
I work in a doctor's office ( a GOOD, careful doctor) who is specialist, which means that you have to be under the care of a PCP (primary care physician) to be under her care. We have patients that are on Cymbalta (prescribed by their PCP) for conditions such as depression, Fibromyalgia, and neuropathy. My next door neighbour is a recovering alcoholic who self-medicated her depression for years with alcohol. She is on Cymbalta, and in the beginning, it helped, but she says that her body must have become "used" to it because it doesn't work anymore.
Fortunately, there are many other meds that are available for depression. Make sure that your prescribing physician knows about your reaction.
Also, a word of advice...When you get a new prescription for a drug that you have never had, you do not have to fill the full thirty days or whatever. If you have doubts about how you will react, you can purchase just a few tablets to try. That way, if the drug doesn't work out, you haven't spent a lot of money, and have a lot of useless meds to dispose of. Any pharmacy HAS to let you do this.
As a sidebar, I heard on the radio the other day that disposal of meds is becoming a problem. Because a lot of people fluch them down the toilet, they find their way into the water supply, both well water and municipal water. Apparently, some meds by pass the treatment systems of municipal water. Instead of flushing them, ask your pharmacy if they will dispose of them for you.
Great advice, Hol. I also usually ask the doc if he/she can give me some samples of a new drug so that I can try it before I fill any prescription for it. The drug companies hand out tons of them, so I have no shame in asking.
Ame
Absolutely, Ame. That's what the samples are there for. Also good advice.
This is just *my* opinion, so take it with a grain of salt, because I am NOT a professional - but I don't think that *most* doctors have a real clue what they are prescribing people these days. There are too many new drugs for each and every condition, and unless they are specialists and only prescribe in one particular area there is absolutely NO way they can be truly educated on all the meds they prescribe.
For that reason, I ALWAYS check with my pharmacist before one of us takes a new med. Your pharmacist will know much more about the drugs you take than any of your doctors, and can tell you if you are being prescribed a drug that will interact badly with other meds you may be on. And, if nothing else, your pharmacist is *probably* more knowledgeable about the side effects of a drug than the doctor who prescribed it is.
Just my opinion.......
:-)
Karen, I agree 100% about the pharmacists. That is great advice.
I don't think I would ever take a psychotropic prescription that a PCP or GP gave me. They simply are not able to keep up with the advances in mental health care today along with all the other disciplines they must understand. I will only see a psychiatrist for my medications. They have always insisted on frequent Med Checks whenever they prescribe something new. Most PCPs and GPs don't do that. I find that practice dangerous.
I did have samples from my Dr. I am so glad I didn't have to pay for the drug. Thanks for all the advise.
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