I have been on Zoloft for about 4 years (started at 50mg now at 100). Two years ago I started Effexor 37.5 since I felt the Zoloft was no longer working, it made me sick (nausea). I have since moved to VA and have a new PCM who has kept me on Zoloft 100mg daily as he says it is the safest drug out there. I am going to see him Wednesday because I have body aches, etc. which seem to go along with the depression. He gave me Clonazapam for sleep/anxiety which I take only as needed. I see another pm doc for herniated disks and take hydro for that. I am wondering if a trial of Cymbalta would be a good choice due to the aches? I hope I can convince him to let me try something other than zoloft.. it just isn't doing it anymore. I am also wondering if it may be fibromyalgia since it is like my whole body hurts. Thanks.

I've never tried Zoloft but I did take Effexor extensively. I ended up having an anger mania episode and was told I'm actually allergic to Effexor and it's what caused my anger mania.

I've since stopped taking the Effexor and my anger issues are all gone. I was on a dose of 150+ when I finally ended it.

Effexor made me crazier (than I am)..

Referring your Cymbalta question:

I suffer from depression and from chronic pain. I also had the hope that Cymbalta could help me w/ my pain - but it wasnīt the case. Anyway, in my experience it is a good drug against depression. I am taking it for over a year now and am content with it.
Still, there should be people who are taking Cymb. against their pain

Btw, I also took Zoloft over a longer period of time until it did nothing for me...

I went to the doc and she upped the zoloft to 150mg daily from 100mg. For some reason they don't want to change my rx ( I even brought a free trial coupon). I tried Effexor a while back and it made me sick. She also put in a consult for counseling if I want to go.

If you think it is fibro, pls ask the doc for a pressure point test.

I am sorry to read that mskat. Somehow, most docs just do with their patients, what they want to do

You should still try to change your docīs mind on your next appointment.

Well I guess that you wanted to try another medication because the zoloft was not working, or had a negitive effect.
The doctor, may have listened or not, but I think that you must be confindent and tell your doctor why you want to switch.

Give the doctor some examples of how you feel on the med, or a partictular situation that turned out bad, that you feel was the result of the zoloft. Ask the doctor way can't I try this xxx med instead? She may have been looking out for an bad interaction with another med, or just not listening at all. I'm sure you can tell if if you pay close attention to your doctor.

Otherwise I may mention that "I am thinking of switching doctors, if I have trouble communication with you".
Good luck.

I'm disappointed that after so many years on prozac and increasing it to full strength recently it doesn't seem to relieve feelings of despair, crying, other serious symptoms of depression. It's a very good medication if it doesn't precipitate an episode of underlying manic tendencies, but apparently I've dipped into major depression, again, after all these years.

Maybe there is something to be said about gaining relief from benzo's, especially xanax, because it seems to have a mood lifting component.

Couple things.

Why is this the best medicine for my depression and/or anxiety. Why not use Prozac or something else.

Interaction w/other meds and supplements, and if you can drink alcohol.

How long you will need to take it b4 you feel the benefit.

Dose he/she would start you on and how much is the maximum dose.

If it is difficult to stop taking. Many folks have horrible side effects when they stop taking certain A/Ds.

If it will impact your sex drive.

If it will make you gain weight.

****

I used to take Prozac and now take Cymbalta. Both worked for me quickly no side effects. However, I knew from the get-go that I would never stop taking A/Ds and so I did not worry about side effects related to stopping.

I also have disc issues in my neck and Cymbalta reduced the referred pain I was getting in my upper body from my neck.

I have been trying to get off of this horrible medication but these horrible electrical zaps drive me crazy. I've had some crazy back pain for about 2 months coming from what feels like a disc, so I go to the doctor (I have no insurance) and pay $ up front for him to tell me:

"It's not spinal/disc pain... you're depressed."

Well that's why I'm taking Zoloft, but I can't stand the weight gain, libido problems and general fuzziness and memory loss. I'm in horrible pain and don't know what to do. I don't want to be on this medication but why does the doctor insist I take this medicine? I feel like doctors never listen to you. And I paid $80 for him to tell me that. Jerk.

Anyway... no resolution or cause of my back pain. I've been trying to treat it myself with OTC NSAIDs... Not working. It's like a slightly swollen, bruised-feeling on my thoracic spine, in between my shoulder blades. Can't even lie on my back without pain. Does this sound like depression - type pain, or was my doctor an idiot?

And, how do I stop taking this horrible medicine?

My anxiety led me to the doctor 10 years ago, he gave me effexor to start, I was on it for a little over a year, found out weight gain happened because of the effexor. Asked to switch to something else and we tried prozac and that did ok, not as well as effexor but manageable.

Got pregnant and doctors all said zoloft is the go to med while pregnant and later breast feeding. I still take zoloft and am doing fine. I sometimes miss a day or two on purpose to see what it feels like and its not good. Zaps, Zaps, Zaps, anyone familiar will know what I'm talking about.

Realize that the depression and anxiety meds are here to make life more enjoyable. I have a few friends that take 2 kinds of this medicine, so maybe it's an idea to discuss with your doctor.

To someonesgirl....your doc is a jerk>find another>don't stop medication without a doc's oversight because you are messing with a drug that effects the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine. This drug (cymbalta and effexor) inhibit the reuptake of those two neurotransmitters which means that the drugs keep more of those neurtransmitters flooding the synapse (firing space between neurons) >you have to be so careful....this drug should be slowly discontinued for many reasons. I quit a SSRI one time without my doc's okay and had the 'washout' of serotonin and was planning ways to kill myself..not like me at all!

479abc...that is why the zaps,zaps,zaps. When you quit, you are messing with the firing of neurons in the CNS.

I hope that all made sense, I am not having a great day today.

if it helps any,

I stopped cymbalta too quickly and got the zaps, nervousness, like a week long panic attack, fear, anger, more fear,the worst of the emotions and paranoia that lurks in the back of the human mind. I never thought that it would be THAT bad..but it was pretty awful. It may have also be partially responsible or a seizure that caused other physical injury.

Never cold-turkey brain chemistry. it takes a good week to 10 days at MIN to taper down to a level that you might survive without serious risk.