My panic attacks have been getting increasingly worse and the doctors have changed my medication from 10mg Citalopram to 30mg duloxetine/cymbalta. I wanted to find out if anyone else has taken this for panic attacks and how it's helped them. I'm due to start the new medication in about 2 weeks so just looking for info on it. Thank you.
Brendan
Medications side effects can be quite different in a selection of patients, so it is difficult to actually say what will happen or any side effects you may have. Ten mg of Citalopram is a moderate dose, so I would look into the box of the new mediation and will find a sheet of paper explaining any side effects or problems associated with your Cymbalta. You will need to allow about six weeks for the new medication to work, so be patient.
Are you having to withdraw from Citalopram over a two week period before starting you new medication ??
Can you start now before christmas or do you feel more safe taking them later rather than sooner
BOB
You just need to try it and see what happens. In addition to inhibiting the re-uptake of serotonin (like citalopram), duloxetine also inhibits the re-uptake of noradrenaline. In some patients suffering from anxiety disorders this is an unwanted effect, which may increase the anxiety symptoms. However, other patients exhibit a paradoxical reaction, whereby the increased motivation and energy levels (resulting from higher noradrenaline concentrations) enable them to shift the attention from anxiety to other things, like work or a hobby. The only way to determine whether duloxetine is a drug for you is to try it. Similarly to citalopram, it will induce some side-effects during the first 1-2 weeks of treatment, so be prepared for mild insomnia, headache, etc.