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Cymbalta for depression?

K

kaup

Well-Known Member
Messages
70
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hey,

Have been in a depressive mood for the past 2 years. Did a general health checkup which ruled out any serious causes. My HBA1C has been averaging at 6,6. So with the general health fine, the conclusion is that it must be my fluctuating blood sugar levels. I'm on a low-carb diet as well.

Feel tired all the time, not motivated to do anything, no emotions etc.

I got described Cymbalta Duloxetine 30 mg, 1 tablet per day. As this antidepressant worked for me in the past, I'm considering trying it again for a short period of time to get me back on track.

Has anyone got experiences of antidepressants such as Cymbalta to combat Depressive Diabetic periods?
 

yes actually it worked fantastic for me in 4-5 years Cymbalta which is a SNRI, It gave me much more energy and I even lost about 10 kg of my overweight....... then suddenly I started to get an odd bodysmell from it so that my daugther didn´t like to hug me and I got some bad infections in my head 3 times in a short period that could have developed to be life threatening, and I could sit up and faint, so as I didn´t know what caused it I tried to quit the cymbalta as it was the only body-foreing substance I was taking, and it all disapeared and I haven´t had any problems with body smell and infections and fainting like that since..

My not identical twin sister did develop swollen legs from i right from the start and did quit i very soon after...
but it was a Blessing the first many years of use for me...

Then later I got again a depression and as the SSRI´s and SNRI´s didn´t seem to be able to help me anymore my doctor send me to a psychiatrist that allowed me to use the serequel that I got from him to only emergency situations... but I needed something in an everyday basis as I am a single mother and was extremely tired and depressed all the time and my daughter has no contact at all to her father and his family... so I started taking serequel every day and upped my dosis and then got psyk´s aproval and ended up in a very high dosis the more the better I felt and it felt like my brain was repaired and my tiredness went totally away, but I gained about 1-2 kg a month even on high levels of levothyroxin./thyroid hormon.. and then I got diabetes, probably from this serequel-combined with the very rapid weight-gaining... so well , just want to tell you it might be a huge help for you but can in the longer run have very bad side effects....

so it is your choice ... and by the way I have kept some of my serequel tablets for very seldome use but otherwise stopped as I was shocked over the consequences .....but maybe you can have it for only half a year and not like forever...
 
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Hi kaup.

I have been on and off antidepressants for twelve years.

I suffer with GAD (generalised anxiety disorder) and suffer with mild depression also but it is the anxiety that really gets me!

Duloxetine is one of just a few antidepressants that are actually licensed to be prescribed for major anxiety disorders. I was put on this about 8 months ago and it has definitely taken the edge of my anxiety and I manage my day to day affairs much better now. I take one 60mg tablet daily. Obviously due to this my depression seems so much better also.

I would give it a go as it seems to be helping me (though my anxiety is still there) and I do not seem to be having any adverse side effects..

Good luck

Kevin
 
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Taking any antidepressant is a big decision. I currently take Cymbalta (duloxetine) for diabetic peripheral neuropathy and find it very effective with the added bonus it also helps my GAD and depression, bonus!

However, there is no such thing as a free lunch. All medication comes with risks of side effects. duloxetine (Cymbalta) is fairly well tolerated. It is an SNRI antidepressant, one of the newer types and has fewer side effects than many counterparts. I have a raised pulse, nausea, loss of appetite and can feel quite toured. I also yawn a lot, which could be that I bore myself! If you miss a dose, you can feel very out of sorts. At first you can feel quite numb, and they take a while to be effective. The benefits are not instant. The difference to my neuropathy makes it worthwhile for me to take them as the pain, although still there, is not crippling and I don't want to cut my legs off at the knee any more.

Any antidepressant is worth a try if it could improve your quality of life, but I strongly advocate using it as a tool alongside talking therapies. I do not believe in them as a standalone treatment as they are great to plaster over the cracks, but don't allow a lasting fix. Diabetes and depression are good friends as few conditions require such extensive self management and experience such high profile press. Coupled with usual or usual stress in life, depression is a normal reaction to abnormal circumstances.

There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, even if at the moment it is just a pin prick. You've come through this before so brace! And good luck for coming through it again.
 
This thread really piqued my interest. My therapist thought trying SNRI would be a good idea for me. I tried few SNRIs and then settled with Cymbalta/Dulexotine. I took it for about 2 years. Taking this drug felt horrible. When I finally managed to got off of it (with extreme withdrawl symptoms), I was immediately diagnosed with Type 1 insulin dependent diabetes. I was 30 at the time and have no history of Diabetes in my very large extended family. Love to hear from anybody with more to say about this..
 
Hello
Been on this for few months and all of a sudden I was diagnosed with T1D, this drug gives you T1D-be careful!
 
A sweeping, anecdotal statement, that is not helpful to the diabetic community unless, backed up by substantial, pertinent evidence.
 
Thanks
 
I cannot point to any studies besides my own experience. My consulted suggested I should put the question out to other T1D and see if anybody else had such an outcome. That’s why I posted it. There really some other forums with other T1D making the same claim that I am about zyprexa and also other SSRI
 
Asking about it, like your consultant suggested, is perfectly fine. Stating that "this drug gives you T1D", like you did, is not fine.

Like you, I was suddenly diagnosed with diabetes. That doesn't prove that anything I did in the period prior to my diagnosis gave me diabetes.
 
Sorry let me rephrase this.
Anybody else been on Cymbalta and suddenly got T1D?

I am probably over stares it as it is very distressing for me. It was the only unnatural thing I was doing to my body st the time so I suspected it caused this T1D havoc to my body. I am probably wrong.
 
Forgot to mention I had the most horrible symptoms on this drug and it took me like 1.5 years to go off it. Each time I tried going off I felt like I was going to die. I had extreme flu symptoms, headaches, muscle aches it was literally impossible to go off it. Once I was finally off it I realised I had tingling and pain in my foot, I went to GP thinking it has to with my Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms. But sadly they came to a conclusion my leg pain was due to diabetes.
 
You have responded to an old thread with a title not connected to your question. I suggest starting a new thread and making sure it is clear what you experienced and what you'd like to know, so anyone with any information is alerted.
 
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