Cymbalta & Lexapro

Has anyone taken cymbalta and lexapro and had the side effect of getting hot really easily and sweating more than you used to when you weren’t taking the medication? Are there any other antidepressants that don’t have that side effect?

[Hidden]

Yeah my doctor warned me about the sweating and nausea while on Cymbalta, thing is I am all ready that way so I hardly noticed the difference. I do like that Cymbalta does make me eat like I'm starving every second, which is why I stay on it. I don't remember the doctor saying it would over heat me though. That happens to me normally, partly cause of coffee and partly because in college I was trained in very cold water for swimming. My body just over heated all the time after that. Everyone is different though so who knows which side effects will take hold till you try them. I've been on a lot of other medications before settling with Cymbalta.

I don't think any of the other medications had the warning signs of over sweating and/or nausea.

[pandaeyes1]

I had sweating as well. They were worse when I was stressed and would manifest as night sweats. I think all the ssris have this side effect to a degree. It’s worse with the snri because they have norepinephrine effects, which makes you sweat

[Hidden in reply to pandaeyes1]

Yeah I’m literally wearing a tank top in the end of November because I get so hot. I have to go back to my doctor to ask her if she knows any antidepressants that don’t have that side effect. Because I would rather just try a different one than have to take another medicine for it. And when I wake up in the morning I literally feel sticky because of the sweat and I’ll wear pj shorts and a tank top but somehow sometimes I’ll put my bedsheets up to my knees but somehow they’ll still end up on top of me and get that wet/sweaty feeling in the morning when I wake up.

[Annabelle61]

I’m recently back in Lexapro and do get very hot & sweating at night. I’ve been on it in the past & it does stop - not sure about the Cymbalta tho ! Good luck with it - wishing you peace .

[Hidden in reply to Annabelle61]

When does it stop on the lexapro because I’m only on 15 mg.

[Annabelle61 in reply to Hidden]

I’m on 10 mg and I think it can take 4-6 weeks- that’s from my therapist not my GP tho ! Hang in there if it’s making you feel better ❤️

[Hidden in reply to Annabelle61]

4-6 weeks of taking it? Because I’ve been on the 15 mg since August

[Hidden in reply to Annabelle61]

Well I talked to my doctor about the sweating and she said this is the one time I’m right. So, she said to take 1 pill (10 mg) instead of 1.5 pills (15 mg) since she said it’s an adverse affect of the antidepressants

[Hidden in reply to Annabelle61]

And I’m on bipolar medicine which really helps my moods so that’s good when I start taking the 10 mg of lexapro

[Hidden in reply to Annabelle61]

Because i would like to talk to my doctor about it to see what we could do to stop it. But my counselor believes I have high functioning autism and wants me to get tested so I need to ask my doctor if she knows any psychiatrist that takes my medical insurance. And if the case is I am autistic I’d like to figure out if my depression comes from the autism and if it does I’d like to work on whatever I need to to make sure I don’t get depressed and hopefully go off my antidepressants.

[Annabelle61 in reply to Hidden]

Yes 4-6 weeks so perhaps it’s the combination with Cymbalta ? I think it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor about a referral to psychiatrist & get an accurate diagnosis and then go from there for medication I’d needed. Good luck to you & wishing you peace ❤️

[Hidden in reply to Annabelle61]

No I’m on lexapro right now and not cymbalta. And I’m going to ask my doctor on Tuesday if she knows of a psychiatrist that takes my medical insurance if not I’ll have to go to the local behavioral/mental health center to see a psychiatrist?

[MaskedNinja]

Had to edit my reply. Thought you were taking both! Then I seen that you later mentioned that you were not. I was going to warn you about Serotonin Syndrome but it's unlikely. You aren't taking any supplements or otc medicines? Stay clear of L-tryptophan, 5-htp, St. John's Wort, sedating antihistamines, high tryptophan containing foods (potatoes, beers, chocolate, and try to lower your carbs (especially quick relese /high glycemic carbs like confectionery, potato chips, sugary drinks, etc) and up your protein. A carb to protein ratio of at least 2:1, preferably 1:1 or even 1:2, respectively. But avoida complete or almost carb free/protein only diet. Very toxic.

Vitamin B3 in the form of Nicotinic Acid gives a blushing/flushing effect at doses of 50mg & more. This is quite harmless and not only widens the small periferal blood vessels but can help ease flushes caused by other factors. It also has the bonus effect of lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol (that's why I take 3g daily).

You can add Wellbutrin to an SSRI, not sure about Cymbalta though (SNRI).

Mirtazapine is a popular and effective alternative to SSRIs or SNRIs. Totally different side-effect profile without sexual related or nausea /loss of appetite side effects. Main side effects are sedation, which you should become more tolerant to, and possibly weight gain, though that is more to do with increased appetite and thus increased calorie intake. So is technically avoidable. Increasing protein intake to a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio to carbs will help curb appetite.

Just remember, if your meds are causing problems there are dozens of other options, meds or otherwise.

One last thing. I didn't want to mention this. Its a wild stab in the dark, but do you think that your hormone levels might need a check? Just a thought. Please don't take offence.

Wish you well.

[Hidden in reply to MaskedNinja]

But, I feel like I'm sweating all the time but can't tell; I've never seen an actual wet stain or sweat stain on my clothes other than when I put way too much deodorant on. Yet I will start getting this sticky feeling when I’m in bed or after I wake up on my back or around my legs/thighs but I've never seen a wet spot but when I put my hands on it it's hard to tell if it's wet or dry. And when I go to bed I've woken up with a light bedsheet on top of me and feel kind of hot and sticky but there is not wet/sweat spot on the clothes; and during the night i'm usally wearing a tank top/pajama shorts with the fan on because even in late November when I've worn a tank top and pajama pants to bed without the fan on I wake up with the sheet on top of me including my face and my back and legs have that sticky feeling and feeling pretty warm, but there is no visible sign of sweat. Any suggestions?

[MaskedNinja]

Sounds like your pores are opening despite no sweat coming out. Or maybe you are allergic to something you put on your skin? Be careful with antiperspirant. Personally, I won't touch the stuff. Look at the ingredients list on any popular antiperspirant, be it spray or roll-on and you will see ALUMINUM somewhere on the list. Basically its aluminium (that's what we call it in the UK most of the time). Also called alloy, as in alloys on car wheels. They even put it in Antacids! Like Rennie, which has 3 active ingredients - Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Carbonate and Aluminium. Despite not actually being very 'heavy', it is still classed as a heavy metal once it gets inside of you.

What goes on the skin goes through the skin. And aluminium gets through the blood-brain barrier fairly easily, but once in there, it is very hard to get it out! And it has been linked to Parkinson's and other brain disorders. The only way to get it out is the use of 'chelation therapy'. Using a nutrient, like a mineral to bind to it so it can be carried out of the brain.

And no, you GP/MD won't tell you about it. Your best bet would be to see a Nutritionist or a Naturopath.

Of course, there are tones of other crazy chemicals we put on our skin. Chemicals in shampoo and conditioner, dishwashing liquid, bleach, detergent for washing clothes, anti-bac sprays and wipes, air freshener, perfume, deodorant. Look at the ingredients on any of those products and there will be at least 1 that you probably won't be able to pronounce!

Visit a health food store instead and buy something organic. Even if it doesn't help your particular symptoms you will still be a lot better off.

One more thing. Double-check the list of ingredients that are in your medication. It may sound crazy, but many meds for mental illness actually contain common allergens. For example, Nardil (phenelzine) contains sunset yellow, simply to add the orange to the coating. And it is now a known fact that sunset yellow can cause hyperactivity in kids! They could easily use something else like riboflavin (vitamin B2, which is yellow and stains) + beetroot, or turmeric. CRAZY!

Reminds me of what they did with Lucozade. The government forced the manufacturers to use less glucose/sugar in the beverage. So what did they do? Replaced some of the sugar with artificial sweeteners! 2 of the worst too, Aspartame & Acesulfame K. Out of the frying pan, into the fire!

It even contains sunset yellow and another chemical colouring called Ponceau 4R! It even says on the bottle that "Sunset Yellow and Ponceau 4R may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children"! Its colouring and it isn't even needed. Adds no flavour, is not a preservative and they clearly know how it can affect kids and they still put it in!

Oops! Kinda side-tracked a bit.