Duloxetine- to continue or not? Handhold please!

[greatbigbushybeard]

I’ve just started it ( 5 days in) after having a very bad experience with Sertraline ( incredibly heightened anxiety which resulted in a huge panic attack/ anxiety episode), esitalopram which didn’t seem to do much & the anxiety continued. I then changed to mirtrazapine for 12 weeks which I had a few good days on & slept better. I came off that & tried being drug free but I got very low & like I was at the start. Anyhow i’m not incredibly keen to start on it as i’m very anxious about the side effects & alarmed at the withdrawal effects. I put off taking it every day & am very anxious about it. So far I feel a bit sick, dry mouth & sore tummy. I’n sensitive to medication so just wanted to know your experience. I have anxiety & depression. I am finding it harder going out & get stuck on decisions. I struggle with sleep & I didn’t sleep the first 2 nights on this. I’ve taken a sleeping pill the last 2 nights which helped. Anyhow any advice or experience would be great, not sure whether to continue or not. Thanks

If you can bear it I would say continue. It’s the only ad that worked for me after fluoxetine and sertraline

It's the only one that works for me a bit. I didn't find the side effects too bad except i couldn't sleep at first. I sleep better now I'm used to it, but not as well as before. I've tried coming off it and it was very difficult, I had brain fizz, can't describe it any other way, it was very strange and I didn't like it. Anyway I imagine I'll be taking it for a long time, so won't worry about that for a while.

Thank you both. So stuffragette how did it make you feel when it worked? Did it level you out? Make you happy? Or just a little improvement? I am so lethargic at the moment. After putting the kids to bed I have led down on the sofa for about 2 hours!! Oh Batsypatsy thst’s What i’m afraid of!!

OP I hope this doesn't come across as harsh but you cannot piss about like that with ADs. You need to take them consistently and give them a fair chance, at least 3 months and do not stop them suddenly. You will be getting withdrawal because you are changing your brain chemistry very suddenly. Sertraline is very forgiving. Duloxetine is not. You need to be on the ball with it, take it properly and if you are too ill on it then taper it off. No sudden removal of it.

It took me over a year to really settle on my meds and the side effects to wear off but it helps enormously.