Finally went to the doctor

skyecat0117

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I dunno if any of you remember the post I made a while back about feeling sad all the time and if it was normal or not. Well I finally sucked it up and went into the doc today. I talked to her about the way I was feeling and how long I'd been not exactly feeling like myself and took a bunch of tests. Well she figured that it's manic depressive otherwise known as bipolar 2. It's where most of the time I feel down with very few high spikes in my mood. She put me on Cymbalta for a few weeks to see how I do on that and then go from there. I'm just glad I finally took the first step towards trying to feel normal again. Hope it works.
 

natalie_ca

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Good for you for having the courage to go and talk about it.


Sending lots of vibes that the medication does it's job and makes you feel "normal" again
 

addiebee

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Good for you!


I know I felt better once my "sadness" was addressed!
 

valanhb

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I hope it works for you!! And good for you to get up the courage to talk to your doctor. It's a difficult thing to admit - we're so programmed that it's OK to feel sad. And it is...sometimes. Not all the time.

I could be a poster child for Cymbalta.
It has been wonderful for me - made me feel human again without taking away my moods completely. Normalized me without removing my feelings which were normal (which another antidepressant did). It was recommended to me by a psychologist friend who said I should ask my doctor about it. One of the side effects is that it acts as an appetite suppressant.
Great side effect for me, anyway.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that forever (I've been on it for like 3 years now), so if you're like me and always trying to lose weight take advantage of it.
 

strange_wings

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Just be careful with Cymbalta. It's a SSNRI and has a few more side effects for some than a SSRI might. Since you're on it, I wonder if the doctor thinks you're norepinephrine is low? (low NE tends to cause depression... and/or autonomic nervous system problems for some).
If you feel anything weird, consult your doctor. Never try to take yourself off of it as the drug is known for causing bad withdrawal symptoms.
 
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skyecat0117

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Thanks for the vibes everyone. This is just my starting point. If in a few days I start to feel better I tell my doc about how I feel and how I think the Cymbalta is working for me. If the highs and lows go more erratic than normal then I'm to go in right away and we'll discuss other medications. I'm very lucky to have such great friends, family and a wonderfull SO who will be with me while I try to "normalize" myself.
 

strange_wings

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Just a quick question. You made sure your thyroid and other hormones were all within good range, didn't you? I've heard of people having the high and low swings with thyroid problems.
 
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skyecat0117

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That's what they thought at first. But after talking and going through a bunch of tests they're pretty sure it's not my thyroid. If the Cymbalta doesn't help things then they are gunna do blood work to see if they can rule that out.
 

strange_wings

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I would have hoped they'd rule that out first.. but pharmaceutical companies really toss money around. (wow, I didn't know that Eli Lilly (the pharmaceutical company that makes it) had some big lawsuits in the past).

Whatever the cause, if you can get some consoling that would help. Take care of yourself and I hope you get to feeling more like "you" soon.
 
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