Deloxitine

[Fyllida]

Have been taking this drug for four nights. Symptoms on following days were tired mornings and a couple if hours of extreme agitation in the afternoons. However, on the fifth night took the med (30mg) at 8 pm and woke at 4 a.m. with a horrendous agitated panic attack. This continued in waves, shaking, heated, panicked, exhausted until 11 p.m.! I am very sensitive to drugs but this experience was beyond intolerable. I thought if the panic and shaking continued much longer I would die if a heart attack. Am aware that the advice on starting this drug is to “stick with it” but I cannot believe such they can mean with such an extreme side effect. Was terrified to take another last night as the risk of a repeat experience woukd have been beyond my endurance as, equally, would the risk that things might have started an improvement today be a chance I did not dare to take.

Am aware I also risked Seratonin Syndrome by stopping the drugs early but please believe I had no choice. I was taken off Pregabalin for horrible side effects, but nothing could have been as bad as yesterday, despite being told that Duloxetine had fewer adverse side effects! Am not well today, very tired with just a very slight panicky, overwrought feeling but compared to yesterday it is a massive relief. I was prescribed the drugs for lower back pain, multiple surgeries and neuromodulater were all ineffective. I am wearing the Mezolar patch, lowest dose but that is all. I have tried Shortec 5mg x 8 daily without success. Am now getting so depressed going round and round in circles, have started to mistrust the medics and now can’t even see one to discuss except by phone. Please, friends, if you have had an identical experience with this hateful drug, I would be so grateful for reassurance and advice. Thank you very much.

[Kaytee1981]

I'm on duloxetine and pregabalin, I'm on 120mg duloxetine once in the morning. I struggled when I first started it, on a lower dose of cause, not as badly as you by the sounds of it but I had, and still do occasionally, horrible night sweats, I'd have to get up and get clean bedding and change pjs, I was in hospital at this point, quite embarrassing really!

I do notice that if I miss it for a day, even half a day, I get a fuzzy head, my eyes cant focus, I feel very sick and have been sick, got irritable, lethargic and just felt poop.

It's a strong drug, does it work? I dont know been on it since may last year and I'd say I'm still in the same place.

All the best with it x

[Fyllida in reply to Kaytee1981]

Very many thanks. Those are indeed strong drugs at a very high dose. If you are not getting the benefit you need, why not get them reviewed, can’t hurt. Best of luck.

[Skye001]

Hi, I was prescribed this last year to take while I reduced Mirtazapine, I took one dose and felt really unwell, GP told me it would take time to feel the benefits but i was not prepared to feel worse than i already did for one more day let alone 4/5 weeks. Still taking the Mirtazapine. . Going by your experiences I think I made the right decision. I

Hope you can get some relief soon

Take care.

[Fyllida in reply to Skye001]

Many thanx, I think you did too! That’s very reassuring and gives me confidence when speak to doc this week. Happy Mirtazapine is giving you some benefit. Keep us posted how you are getting on.

[Hidden]

People taking these medications can have problems in the first five weeks. Give the medications time to work

BOB

[Lin1944]

I have been on Duloxetine 60 mg for years. I don’t remember having such awful side effects but they can take weeks to get into the system. Maybe your Doctor could give you 5 mg Benzodiazapan to calm you down if you feel so bad. Good luck x

[No1wthayla]

Hi, Fylida.

I'm so sorry to hear you are going through this. The virus is definitely causing problems when we can't be helping either.

I took duloxetine years ago and I remember some really bad days of panic. And if I missed taking my dose by more than an hour, it was much worse. I felt like I was floating above my body and felt a buzzing in my head, my head was literally buzzing like a bee hive.

One time I was so manic I couldn't make myself get out of the car and go into my in-laws' house. It was a holiday of some sort but I was so angry and agitated that I cried in the car for an hour, called my best friend and cried on the phone with her during that time. And I repeatedly beat my fists and arms on the steering wheel. And a few other issues.

Ask your doc for a different medication. Brand names I've used included Lamictal, Citalopram, Wellbutrin and I'm currently taking both of the last two at the same time and will soon be just on the Wellbutrin. I'm on pain medications (Tramadol and Lyrica) too but the four of these together work for me. Everyone is different so you just have to keep trying combinations until you find one that fits. And find something you can do when you are feeling overly anxious. I have lots of crafts I can do and I can lock my room for privacy if needed. I've been told I should use yoga, tai chi, meditation to help re-center myself. Haven't done any of these yet but I will get to it eventually. (I learned how to crochet a granny square over the weekend and now have a new project to do and have about12 other projects I haven't finished yet. I can't seem to complete a project before I start another.)