I have had fibro for 13 years and believe me, I have tried nearly everything. We are still trying to find the ‘right combo’ of antidepressants. I always have a load of side effects and no lasting notable benifits. Last year I once again tried seratonin and norepinephrine acting meds ( first effexor then cymbalta)- and this time I was crazier than ever, nevermind the clenching jaw, sweating, and zaps. I became manic- depressive, bad, bad time for me. Then they say, maybe you’re bi-polar. Went off cymbalta and on tegertol and what do you know, I was back to ‘normal’. Tegretol is not a drug to take lightly and I had to do liver tests, and I was convinced I was sane again because I stopped the cymbalta. After a few months I stopped the tegretol and waited. Still no mania. Fibro and depression same as always. For six months I tried a special diet, vitamins, and no antidepressants. I lost over 30 lbs, but I am still spending more than half my time laying down exhausted and in pain. Now I have to start trying to find the ‘right combo’ again and I’m really worried. I seem to be oversensitive to everything, like it’s all poison! Anyone else dealing with this? What works for you?
Hello Julie77,
You're story sounds just like me!! I tried Prozac, duloxetine, sertraline, one beginning with "C" that I can't remember!! and fluanxol.
I had nausea, vomiting, fainting and just feeling dreadful with them all !! It took 18 months of feeling dreadful, trying to find one that suited me!!
I suffer with an anxiety disorder too so I needed one that helped with that plus I wasn't sleeping.
My Psychiatrist then suggested we try Venlafaxine first each morning, I took it with great trepidation! but I found I didn't feel too bad, was able to stay on it past the first 6 weeks of it getting into my system and have been on it for 2 years now and am NOT coming off it.
It didn't help my anxiety at night and insomnia though so again, with trepidation! I was put on 15mg Mirtazapine which is an anti-depressant with sedatory side effects, not addictive like sleeping tablets, hoorahh, I didn't feel bad, have been on that too for over 2 years.
When we moved house I said to my GP "don't even think about changing my meds"!! he looked in my notes from my old GP and agreed!!
Hope you soon find a regime that suits you.
Love Lucy xx