Afraid to start Cymbalta

[oban]

Hi all: does anyone have any experiences on Cymbalta? I was prescribed it for inattentive ADD and mild anxiety/ocd. But i am very afraid of taking it. I'm mostly concerned with the sexual effects (I'm male and believe me, I'm horny 24/7), and also my good friend is getting married this summer and chances are I'll be having more than 1-2 beers.

Sorry my previous post was an error.

[superchick22684]

I used to take Cymbalta. I'm a girl so I can't really help you on the information regarding sexual side effects but if you have any questions about Cymbalta I'll try to answer them.

Crystal

[oban]

OK, so what can i expect?

[Anne1221]

Unfortunately, the antidepressants do have the POTENTIAL to cause sexual side effects, some more than others. You have to try and see how it affects you, and then decide if the benefits of the medication outweigh the side effects . I found this:


Basics
Care at Mayo Clinic




I'm worried about the sexual side effects from antidepressants. What can be done to prevent or reduce such side effects?
Answers from Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.

Sexual side effects are common with antidepressants in both men and women. So your concern is understandable. The severity of sexual side effects depends on the individual and the specific type and dose of antidepressant. For some people, sexual side effects are minor or may ease up as their bodies adjust to the medication. For others, sexual side effects continue to be a problem.

Antidepressants with the lowest rate of sexual side effects include:

Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL)
Mirtazapine (Remeron, Remeron SolTab)

Antidepressants most likely to cause sexual side effects include:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These commonly prescribed antidepressants cause sexual side effects in many people. SSRIs include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Prozac Weekly, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox, Luvox CR), paroxetine (Paxil, Paxil CR, Pexeva) and sertraline (Zoloft).
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which include venlafaxine (Effexor XR), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) and duloxetine (Cymbalta).
Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, clomipramine (Anafranil), amoxapine and desipramine (Norpramin).
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil) and tranylcypromine (Parnate).

If you're taking an antidepressant that causes sexual side effects, one of these strategies may help:

Waiting several weeks to see whether sexual side effects get better.
Scheduling sexual activity before taking an antidepressant if your antidepressant requires a once-a-day dose.
Switching to another antidepressant that may be less likely to cause sexual side effects.
Adding a second antidepressant or another type of medication to counter sexual side effects. For example, the addition of the antidepressant bupropion or the anti-anxiety medication buspirone may ease sexual side effects caused by an antidepressant.
Adding a medication to directly improve sexual function, such as sildenafil (Viagra, Revatio), tadalafil (Adcirca, Cialis) or vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn). Although these medications are used to treat sexual problems in men, initial research suggests sildenafil may also improve sexual problems caused by antidepressants in some women.

Stopping medication because of sexual side effects is a common problem, and for most people this means depression returns. Work with your doctor to find an effective antidepressant or combination of medications that will reduce your sexual side effects and keep your depression under control. Be patient. Because everyone reacts differently to antidepressants, it may take some trial and error to identify what works best for you.

With

Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.

[Anne1221]

By the way, this article says that buspirone MAY counter sexual side effects. I take buspirone and it countered one of the side effects of my Lexapro (eating too much) so maybe it can counter other side effects from the AD's.

[oban]

By the way, this article says that buspirone MAY counter sexual side effects. I take buspirone and it countered one of the side effects of my Lexapro (eating too much) so maybe it can counter other side effects from the AD's.

My Dr told me that Cymbalta is one of the best for not affecting your sex drive, but everything I read on the Internet and in forums says my sex drive will be decimated. Is there anyone taking cymbalta who's sex drive is still perfect? Really don't know what to think...

[superchick22684]

OK, so what can i expect?

From what I can remember I don't remember having any significantly annoying side effects. There were a few unexpected benefits that I found from taking it. One of them is my focus was greatly improved at work and I had an easier time staying organized and on task. Around the time that I started taking it I was getting a lot of headaches and after I started taking it the frequency of headaches was greatly reduced. I had a very positive experience on Cymbalta and helped me significantly with my anxiety and depression.

Getting on and off of it was a bit rough. I remember having a bit of a brain fog when I first started it but after giving it some time that went away. If you ever want to stop taking it please do so under a doctor's supervision. When I stopped taking it I had to taper off of it on my own (I couldn't afford the meds anymore). I haven't been on Cymbalta since 2007 but if I ever go back on meds I hope my doctor will consider putting me back on Cymbalta.