Duloxetine anyone?

[heartchakra]

I lost my son over a year ago and bar a short trial of sertraline where I had too many side effects, I have toughed out the horrendous grief without any props barcthe odd half bottle of wine. Im feeling still absolutely terrible and (have tried therapy didn't really do for me) wondered whether a trial of duloxetine may help as it's a SNRI rather than SSRI like sertraline. I've read however that coming off it is horrific with debilitating side-effects. Obviously a pill won't bring my son back but is this worth a try? Interested in hearing from anyone who's tried it

I've been prescribed duloxetine in the past, I think it was alongside an SSRI. I found that duloxetine helped give me a little bit more drive, as I tend to get stuck mentally and physically when depressed.

When I saw a psychiatrist, she recommended switching to Venlafaxine, which is both SSRI and SNRI. I've found venflaxine much better for me, generally better at treating my depression. I can't remember the side effects coming off the duloxetine, but in general you tend not feel great when switching between medications, or coming off them.

Just because you had side effects with one SSRI, it doesn't mean that they will all be the same. The only side effects I've had from Venlafaxine are a dry mouth, and if I miss a dose, nightmares and odd zapping feeling. Good luck.

I tried it, side effects weren't fun going onto it and coming off it was awful but i didn't do it properly/under supervision /with an SSRI to pick up the slack. If you do go on it, make sure you leave plenty of time for withdrawal.

Also, it is really not a good idea to drink while taking it.

I’m on duloxetine after my husband was killed. Sertraline didn’t suit me. I was on 90mg of duloxetine and asked to be weaned off it as I felt it just squashed all emotions.
I dropped to 60mg. I had a few brain flips for the first few days but was then fine. After one month I dropped to 30mg. I had no brain flips but after two weeks was suicidal and was moved back up to 60 mg.
I am currently stuck at 60mg and still have days when I want to die but I don’t want to go back up to 90mg because I do have joyful days.
I was advised by the pharmacist who was monitoring my withdrawal from duloxetine that side effects should be minimal if I withdrew slowly over many months.
I am so very sorry your son died. How dreadful for you all.

Thank you. Also so sorry to hear about your husband. Can I ask - did you have any suicidal thoughts before starting duloxetine? Or were these new when starting to titrate down?

Yes I was suicidal before trying antidepressants.

So sorry to hear of your terrible loss. I was prescribed Duloxetine for a similar reason. I was very depressed after my husband died following a long battle with cancer. I had been prescribed Fluoxetine but it didn't really help. Duloxetine was much better I took it for a number of years.

There are a lot of scare stories online, mainly on American sites about coming off it. However when the time was right I came off it very very slowly. The doctor prescribed me the lowest dose and I gradually reduced it over 6 months. I have been fine since I came off it.

Thanks. Did you put on weight can I ask? Concerned about stories of weight issues on anti depressants.. obviously MH is the priority but it still concerns me

Not really. I think the older type of anti-,depressant resulted in weight gain. They do dampen the libido though. I was on them for 14 years. I would have come off them sooner but frankly wasn't in the greatest place because I became a carer for my parents. My GP suggested staying on them until my life settled down. I was on the 60 mg dose and when I decided the time was right to come off them it was reduced to 30mg. I took the 30mg dose for 3 months, then every other day and finally every 2 days before stopping them for good. I had no adverse side effects doing it this way. I have had any depression since coming off them 3 years ago. The grief of losing my husband and parents is still there but I am now emotionally stronger and have learned to live with it.

Good luck I hope you feel better soon. Grief can be hard to bear but the loss of a child must the worst of all. Sending you all good wishes.

I was on Duloxetine for years, it didn't help me at all tbh not even at 120mg with a mood stabiliser as well.

I weaned off it for well over a year. The smallest capsule is 20mg and I was having to open them and tip some out and cut the powder like a drug dealer otherwise the brain zap side affects were horrific and debilitating.

I could always tell if I was late taking a dose as the side affects started regardless of what dose I was on.

Even if you do it over several months there can still be side effects. Duoloxetine has a very short lifespan in the body so as PP says you have to start trying to split capsules.

I've found out it also causes urinary issues which the SSRI did much to my cost - and long term long after stopping so I've decided I'm not going to take them and I'll just have to continue my journey without antidepressants. Thanks for your comments

Good luck . Take care of yourself.

I've been prescribed these for fibromyalgia, now im not so sure i want to start them.

@heartchakra sorry to ask but what kind of urinary issues? I understand if you'd rather not post.

It's an SNRI, which in my experience are bloody hell to withdraw from. Having said that, it was a lot easier to come of that than it was it's evil brother Venlafaxine.

I don't mind saying. Basically gave me urinary hesitancy so I'll sit on loo for what seems like ages before flow starts and then it's stop start (if I were a man you'd think it were prostate trouble 😂) .. the only way I can describe it is like the water pressure's gone .. it just dribbles out no matter how much I need to go. At night it's much worse. I read these are known side-effects of both SSRI and SNRI drugs and that they can persist long after the medication has been stopped. I've had this for about two years since I was on fluoxetine

Thank you, now I know what to look (hear?) out for. What fun

You might not get it - everyone's different. You might be ok on it.