Cymbalta / Vyvanse / Xanax = Increased Anxiety??
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I am 34 years old and have been taking anti-depressants for about 3 years. I started on Lexapro, which quit working after a year and a half. While I was taking Lexapro I was experiencing horrible exhaustion (I have a disabled child and work full-time...VERY stressful), so my doctor put me on Vyvanse. She also gave me an Rx for Xanax .25mg to take as needed, which I RARELY took (usually only at night to relax).
Last spring my stress level went through the roof and my doctor switched me from the Lexapro (which wasn't working anymore) to Pristiq 50mg, which was AWFUL (Horrible, vivid nightmares). I took that for one month before switching to Cymbalta 30mg. I have never liked taking the Vyvanse because it's an amphetamine. During the summer I began experiencing horrible anxiety and panic attacks to the point that I didn't want to leave the house. My Cymbalta was doubled to 60mg recently, which helped with the depression, but the anxiety and panic attacks continued. I have been tapering down off the Vyvanse 10 mg at a time because I think that's definitely making the panic attacks worse. Problem is, I have to take the Xanax everyday now to relax, and eventually got up to 2 mg a day (1x a day in the evening). After reading up on Xanax I believe the anxiety I suffer during the day is actually withdrawal from the Xanax 'cause I won't take it during the day (makes me VERY loopy). I have begun tapering off that, as well. I am currently taking Cymbalta 60mg, Vyvanse 20mg and Xanax 1.5mg a day, yet still have horrible anxiety. Anyone have any advice? I want OFF the Vyvanse and Xanax, but the anxiety feelings are debilitating:(. I'm all for natural medicine, as well. Is there something I could take that's natural to help with the anxiety, but won't make me sleepy? When I've tried not taking the Vyvanse on the weekends I have ZERO energy. Can't be like this with a disabled child. Please help with any advice or personal experiences you may have. My doctors are all idiots and just wanna put me on more meds.

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What I dont get is, they give you meds to calm anxiety. Then they give u something to hop u up. Then they give u something to calm n sleep. Isn't that murder???? Hollywood is dying BECUZ they are doing the same thing. Xanax is one of the worst things u can give someone, my daughter died 2xs and came back BECUZ of that, and it's addictive!!!! So how can Drs. B allowed to give this toxic combo????

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Re: Eyerishchick (# 2)

My sister is a firm believer and she was a nurse!!!

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Those Essential Oils on Amazon and Ebay are tainted. They are usually watered down with another oil or liquid. The caps can be purchased wholesale and put on the watered down product and they look like new. The only way to get the oils safely is factory direct thru a distributor!

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I am having anxiety on Cymbalta along with disconnect in my thinking. I don't think there is a perfect fit in meds. I do know I have had a terrible time coming off Cymbalta. All I do now is cry and my moods are horrible. I was on it for fibromyalgia and not depression and now I am dealing with issues I did not have before taking the med.

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Hi, if it were me I would wean myself off all of the pharmaceuticals. I took Cymbalta for a short time and it gave me anxiety attacks to the point I had to flee out of the hospital and then threw up. I needed a Cat Scan and couldn't do that because of anxiety either. I normally don't use prescription or over the counter anything but I was quite sick, in pain and felt desperate. When I got home, I read about the terrible side effects and withdrawals you could have with Cymbalta and through it away. I use essential oils for all my health needs now. There are oils for addiction, Dill being one of them. And, plenty of oils for pain, anxiety, depression etc...Just do a google search. I believe YL oils are some of the best and wouldn't use any others, especially since I take some of them internally. In the long run, the oils aren't so expensive. I consider them part of my food budget and insurance. I'd be happy to help you explore the possibilities essential oils have to offer. Blessings...

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Do not take this medication. I tried it and had awful effects such as hallucinations, vivid nightmares, night sweats, heard noises, felt dizzy, threw up, headaches etc. I have never had a reaction to a med like I did with Cymbalta. I would strongly urge anyone to not take this medicine. It's dangerous and should be put off the market!

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That's a unpleasant situation to be in. I understand the alcoholism and finding a way to manage anxiety after you quit. I've always had anxiety problems, and the first time I drank, I started to come out of my shell, where I had always been very guarded and quiet. I was not happy like that. I wanted friends. So you see where this is leading. I don't drink anymore for many years, and thought I'd just toss out here to you that I took many of the anti-depressants, I think I've tried them all, but Effexor was the ONLY one that truly helped me significantly with my depression. And added to that, it helped my anxiety tremendously too!! Oh, when I discovered that, I was in Heaven! I could be myself, not suffer such acute anxiety symptoms, and not be in that uncomfortable spot where I didn't want to drink, but I was certainly remembering why I did. Some people are hard to treat with anti-depressants. I think by this point, I have enough personal experience to represent for some of these types, because I am one, and I've known it for almost 15 yrs. I did try Celexa when I went back on antidepressants this last time, but it didn't work. I kept taking them for a period, cause they weren't hurting at least, and I was trying to avoid the effexor, because I was afraid I'd become immune to it, because the first time I was on it, I felt like a million bucks, and slowly, that extreme feeling went away. I still felt stable, but they had me on a high dose, and come to find out, it can cause decreased night vision. I knew it was awfully dark out that night, and I was on a lonely road somewhere I wasn't very familiar with, thought I was on a straight path, when all of a sudden a U-turn curve under an overpass jumped out right in front of me, and I was heading straight into a deep gorge that ran right in front of a railroad track. God was with me, cause I slammed on my brakes, and did a Dukes of Hazzard slam-stop, the front of my car skid a ways, and the back of my car did a complete 360. When I calmed down enough to look, my back tires were right at the very tip of that gorge. Anything short of that slam-stop, I would've been dead. I probably would've laid in that gorge till sunlight, cause there was no traffic. I did some reading later on, and found out I wasn't the only person this had happened to. So I tapered down and got off. This time, I've been on Effexor for a year, and I had went through some really traumatic stuff, lost everything we had, my family was totally uprooted from our entire state we lived in to go to a place I totally hated, I got sick with fibromyalgia, and experienced an economic decline like I had never imagined in my entire life. I was devastatingly depressed and cymbalta wasn't working, I decided to try effexor again, because I knew it worked, and I decided just to be careful of side effects. I might not be able to drive at night on it, oh well. My health depended on it. This time around, I have had no intolerable side effects, maybe somewhat of a reduced libido, but that's only been a mild problem from time to time. I'm pretty certain it's the effexor. I can just tell, I can't explain how though. I had somebody I was seeing that told me to keep taking the effexor. He was a disabled social worker (which is what I am too) and he said he's taken it long-term for depression, but he said the longer I take it the better it would work (cause there had been a definite improvement, but not near the degree I needed to truly be well). I had never heard that before. I still haven't looked that up, but I can say that's been about 6 mos ago, and the past month or two, I have felt better than I have in 3 years, since this nightmare started. I have had so much mood improvement, I'd say from a1-2 (at 43 yrs old, I was seriously suicidal. But with a 13 yr old son who needed me, I couldn't and wouldn't do it. Thank God I had a reason to live. Because now my mood has skyrocketed! My anxiety is so much better, along with my depression. My anxiety is actually usually a primary with my depression secondary, bc a person can only take so much stress and anxiety, and it was just way past my thresh-hold. I wish I could offer more help on the vyvanse end. My son takes it for school work, and he is definitely ADD, with a learning disability to boot, so he really needs something to help him overcome that hurdle. I haven't seen any negative side effects, although I hate giving him an amphetamine, but I have my own personal insight as to why I believe the benefits are outweighing any harm - even considering future harm - at this time. He only takes it on school days. Never on vacations, weekends, or summer, although when he was younger, he really needed it everyday, because he was so tongue-tied, bless his heart. He couldn't make friends or form close family relationships outside us, because of this. I don't really know what exactly is wrong with him. Nobody has been able to tell me. But I do see his symptoms & know what has to be fixed, without hurting his health. I don't want him taking this in high school. He'll be in 7th grade in the fall. Just some food for thought. Thanks for bearing with me describing my experiences with anti-depressants. Maybe that will give you something to consider or to research a little. Good luck to you!!

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To me, because cymbalta from hell acts on adrenaline/noradrenaline, epinephrine. Thus the name SN(oradrenaline)RI. No one with a high stress phobia anxiety paranoia profile should be on it. This would likely cause a fight or flight response everywhere you go. You would not be able to relax and then only an idiot would dump a benzodiazepine like xanax on top.

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Hi
my doctor prescribed me to take cymbalta 30mg one capsule per day due to panic attack, anxiety disorder, negative feelings. when I am taking this medication I feel good and happy. but if I not taking them for one day feel horrible. Also I am doing meditation from buddhist teaching how to control our feelings and day to day life.
Please try this it will help you as well
I wish you a better health and happiness.
Amila from Australia

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This is what I am on, starting last month.
Vyvanse 30 mg which by the end of the month the prescription gradually increases to 60mg.
Cipralex 10 mg
Ativan 4x 1mg daily
Sublinox 10mg to help me sleep
Temazapam 15mg to help me sleep

I feel like gagging, my stomach is so sick, my head is aching, and my anxiety is worse than it was and I mean really bad. I don't know...I go to the doctor for anxiety and depression, so why would he give me meds that cause anxiety. I can't cope with it at all, it's debiliating and I have 2 small boys here to take care of. I tried to speak to him about it, and this is my 3 rd doctor cause they are all doing the same thing??? What's up with that....they give me something to calm me down like Ativan, and then give me something to make my anxiety worse...I feel like i am crawling out of my own skin and going nuts besides.

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Have you tried to stay with Cymbalta? I'd be interest in
knowing because I took my first capsule yesterday and
my side effects were so severe and frightening that I
stayed in bed all day. It's now almost noon into the next
day and I feel like I'm recovering from being in a war zone.
I've decided to not take another dose but maybe I'm not
giving it enough time. I do know that I couldn't go through another day like yesterday. Did it feel a little better each day for you in the beginning?

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I am currently weaning MYSELF off Cymbalta because I couldn't get my doctor to give me samples lowering my dose when I lost my insurance. They have no problem keeping you ON IT, but God forbid you dare to decide to stop taking it! I have been on it for about a year and I DEFINITELY believe it has made my depression WORSE. DO NOT TAKE IT. I was on Pristiq for 1 month before the doctor put me on the Cymbalta and that was even worse. I took Lexapro for 2 years before it just stopped working for me. I've made the decision to stop taking meds altogether because I feel my health has gone completely in the toilet since starting meds. I'm almost 35 years old and I feel twice that age. Try intensive therapy (I'm trying to find some help with no insurance...nothing so far:/) and the "mindfulness" approach, which includes meditating. I'm serious....do not take the Cymbalta. I'm going through HORRIFIC withdrawal symptoms now while trying to get off it with NO HELP from the a-hole doctor that put me on it to begin with. The withdrawal symptoms can last MONTHS and I've only been weaning for the past couple months. Hope this helps you...don't put yourself through what I'm going through now...please.

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Hi, im 24 years old and from ontario, i suffer from sever anxiety and have been for the past 4 years!! :( im finally trying to get help for it! Im a recovering alcoholic, and when i quit drinking when i found out i was pregnant with my son,, thats when my anxiety started and has only gotten worse over the years!! :( ... so my doctor just percribed me cymbalta.. and im terrified to take it cause ive been doing some research about it obline and im onlly hearing bad stuff about it!! :o ... So if any one has been taking the medication can you please let me know how it is and if its worth even taking???? thanx

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My apologies Kelly!

Eyerishchick---Wow, I'm not sure why I thought that was you with a different name hah :P

If im not mistaken, Cadidiasis can be caused by a build up of yeast from taking a number of antibiotics (as well as acidic foods) over a period of time. The bacteria/flora intestines in the stomach lining aren't up to par for lack of a textbook definition :P But yes this can also be cross-influenced by anxiety and depression as you mentioned; But to my knowledge this yeast causes depression and anxiety. Once again the "natural" cure to get rid of this yeast and to start rebuilding your aerobic bacteria in the stomach is fruits and veggies for most of your diet! haha :P
My research tells me that for optimum health and wellness and to thrive the human body needs 3-5lbs of aerobic bacteria in the stomach; but the only way to build it up that much is from possibly the most difficult diet in the world for most people "raw vegan". Anyhow, I don't want to keep pushing that because I know not everyone can make such a drastic change just like that. It has to happen gradually over time depending on how bad you want it, (and how bad the government screws with organic produce prices) :-/

That's a nice list of herbs and vitamins you found! Based on my experience I'm going to pick a few from that list that I have personally used to aid with depression and anxiety:

St. John's Wort - I have only used a concentrated version of this that came in a facial lotion. I noticed it's uplifting effects to a small degree but maybe that was because it was just a primary ingredient in a lotion? I feel like if I had the real deal it would've been a lot more powerful.

Essential Oils-bergamont oil, orange oil, clary sage, rose oil...these are a few that I felt took away serious levels of depression. If you order from that brand called young living, the majority of the oils are able to be taken internally, but not all of them of course. When you get the real essential oils, they should have a nutrition label on the back like food. and it should say how many milligrams per drop or something along those lines along with directions on how to ingest or use it. This is why I like the young living brand. It will tell you how many times a day to use 2 drops in an empty capsule- for example. There is what's called a GRAS (generally regarded as safe) list that will show all the oils that are edible and not edible, etc. Let me know if you can't find it on google and i'll try to locate one.

Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids- The capsules they sell in the stores are a waste of money, due to the amount of capsules you'd have to take in order to feel results. For these fats, the best options are flaxseeds or even more so hemp seeds/hemp seed oil...I perfer hempseeds over flax, because they also have about 11g of protein per 2 tablespoons along with 9-10g of omega 3 and 6 fat. The softgels they sell at the store have about 250mg per capsule...you need like 10 capsules to get the same amount. hempseeds sell for about $9-10 a bag at wholefood stores. With daily use the bag lasts a solid week or more. If that is too pricey then flaxseeds are the way to go, being only $2 or so for a pound of them! An abundance of these fats will help with stress factors and depression.

Magnesium- I used to use this a lot to help lower blood pressure, and it relaxes you too! You can get it in powdered form to put in juices or water, which would be more effective than capsules. The powdered form should have directions on how much to add to your drinks. Usually there is a little scooper in the container to give you a fixed amount.

C and B vitamins, holy basil, garlic, salt substitutes and rosemary are other ones I have had success with and still use quite a bit in my daily diet. I can definitely vouch for their success if taken consistently in conjunction with the others above.
To answer your question about how much and how often, I think it's best to invest in Magnesium as well as B & C-vitamin, and garlic,supplements in order to consistently get enough in your diet. How often you take these will of course depend on the instructions on the back of the bottles. As far the omega fats, magnesium, and essential oils go, you should be able to use those as often as you like. (a little bit of magnesium and omega fats with each meal during the day- I would say is good enough).

I have yet to look into the rest of the list you have gathered, but I hope some of what I said can help in the mean time. Let me know if you have a chance to look into those Velvet Deer Antler pills (they look just like multivitamins). I wanna say I swear by their anti stress/depression effects, but I'm still going through the bottle, so I'll keep you updated (So far so good though!). The hippie-guy in me says we need to hang out sometime! haha- looking forward to hearing back from you.

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David....Kelly was someone else replying, not me:P.

So I've been doing lots of research this weekend for natural remedies for depression, stress and anxiety....so many things come up to use that I'm not sure where to start or what to try. Here's the list of things I've found. Maybe you can give me your insight on what might and might not work....and what exactly to take (what combination of herbs and vitamins to take, I mean.....how many mg of each and how many times per day to take each):

Natural anxiety inhibitors and depression remedies (some of these are also ones I found for candidiasis, which I believe I might have 'cause of stomach issues I have and can lead to and be exacerbated by....anxiety and depression! SHOCKING!:P):

-salt substitutes: Lemon, herbs such as oregano and basil
-magnesium (this is something I saw A LOT on different pages I checked out)
-passion flower
-valerian
-essential oils (some said they could be taken internally, some said flat out DO NOT take internally...huh??:P)
-omega-3 fatty acids (I have been taking a multi-omega 3-6-9 supplement lately, 2 softgels 2x a day....mixtures of flax, borage and fish oils)
-St. John's Wort (which has LOTS of warnings to go along with it...hmmm)
-ginseng
-lemon balm
-B vitamins: B-6, B-12
-folic acid
-licorice (Glycyrrhiza Glabra): another one that was said to be used in extreme moderation....obviously they're talking about licorice root, not the candy;).
-ginger
-purslane (said to be very rich in potassium and magnesium)
-folate (the natural form of folic acid)
-calcium
-lithium (This confused me...thought that was a PRESCRIBED medication?? Found one site that said the natural herb Thyme is high in lithium....weird)
-rosemary
-holy basil
-gingko biloba
-siberian ginseng
-L-carnitine
-astragalus (also known as huang qi)
-NADH
-vitamin C
-Pau D' arco
-burdock
-goldenseal
-slippery elm
-lobelia
-psyllium
-garlic
-echinacea

I could go on and on....so many sites and sources say different things. Makes you wonder.....what the heck DO I take exactly, how MUCH and how many times a day?:P Just threw a curveball at ya, David:P. Any ideas and/or advice you might have would be GREAT. I want OFF prescription meds, period. My doctor knows this too, which of course they don't agree because they only believe in what the drug companies tell them). I'm not suicidal in any way, so don't worry about that. Just sick of taking meds that, yes....take away the sadness, but end up leaving me feeling just numb. The hippie-chick in me says there must be another way. Looking into a vegan diet, as well as gluten-free. Not sure if I can pull off a vegan diet, though. Not very cost-effective for the cash-strapped single mom:/. I'm all for organic foods too....but they cost a damn fortune:/. I swear our government WANTS us dependent on cheap crap. Makes money for the insurance companies>:(.

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Here is the link to the Vyvanse drug article, so you can take a look at the side effects if you haven't already...
https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Vyvanse/­

Also as I briefly mentioned in my other reply, here is the link to information regarding Velvet Deer Antler and its anti stress, anti hypertension properties, etc...
http:/­/­www.southerncrossvelvet.com/­benefits.htm

Let me know if you have any feedback regarding those two links. :) Thanks!

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Hey Kelly,

I actually thought the eyerishchick name was pretty awesome :P ...it's unique!

So if I understand correctly (just trying to sum everything up), you're thinking based on your friend having what sounds like withdrawal symptoms from Xanax (and possibly other prescriptions), that you may experience them too, being on multiple drugs?

About this Jolt that you feel after taking Vyvanse, is it more like a restlessness sort of feeling, maybe with a headache and even more anxiety? I was just reviewing over the side effects of Vyvanse, and there area number of possible side effects it could be; not necessarily the ones I mentioned, but I have a link to them so you can see which ones you may be experiencing and based on that we can look for a natural alternative to treat the symptom(s) as you try to go off the pills -- Does that sound like a solid plan? I'll actively be watching this thread to give as much support as I can as far as directing you to certain products that may be more reputable than others and other factors such as cost versus effectiveness, etc. I know that once you are broken free from these prescriptions, the key will be in maintaining preventative care instead of treating the actual symptoms of something.

To sum that up; after taking the steps to going the natural route and having success in doing so, that is where the whole raw vegan diet (or for sanity's sake 70% raw vegan haha) comes in handy. When you consistently eat like this you will eventually notice that you do not have to take any of these natural medications anymore, because these natural medications come from these foods *per say*. So in a sense you will be eating your medication in the form of fruits and veggies. I don't know if this makes sense to you at all, I am on a roll here with typing lol.

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Hello eyerishchick-- This sounds so icky for you:(... I am on Vyvanse.. But it was easy for me to treat because I have always had ADHD/ADD all my life( I am 27), and I had always refused trestment when my mother took in me in highschool.. I never wanted to be medicated. For the first time last year now my symptoms became unmanageable.. So I went to a psychotherapist, and a doctor and decided it was time to treat it. I have a friend who has been through similar stresses, at least that it seems you have, and she was also prescribed to several different meds.. She has had the most trouble with the xanax, as far as getting off of it..She gets massive anxiety when she is in social situations, which honestly she never complained of before taking it. But, she was injured and prescribed to narcotics, so I feel like when you are given multiple drugs to improve the side effects of withdrwal from other drugs it gets blurry where the lines are from one to another. For me I have a jolt when I take Vyvanse for about three hours after taking it, that wheres off throughout the day.. I hope I was helpful:) Good luck!

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Oh nice, I have family in Jacksonville, Florida. That would be insane if I was him :P
Maybe I am... haha just kidding. It's great to respond to someone with a sense of humor! I've noticed so many of those Rx commercials where the guy is talking so fast that you can't hear all the side effects associated with the drug. I find it really humorous how it turns out that the side effects are worse than what you are actually dealing with! :-/

I definitely have to agree with you that the transition to raw vegan is difficult, unless you have a high powered blender (even then it may take a few weeks or months to eventually get in the groove of it as you gradually cut out certain things from your diet). I sorta jumped right into it only because I have a heavy duty blender. So I wouldn't say it's essential, but highly recommended since it makes life a lot easier when you don't want to chew on a bunch of leafs and other various interesting tasting veggies lol. They can be expensive though for the one's that actually do a good job. I don't want to scare you by posting the cost of the one I have been using, but for around $300-$400 there are very good Vitamix ones that blend pretty much anything you need without being gritty.

As corny as this may sound I'm currently (just started a week ago) supplementing with Velvet Deer Antler (It is in fact humane, the way the velvet is extracted lol). I'm just mentioning this because it has really strong anti-stress properties and actually somewhat euphoric because it is uplifting. I can follow up with an information site for it in the next posting.

Ok, I will keep an eye out on this post; I appreciate the follow-up since I enjoy our dialogue :) Have a fantastic day!

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Thanks for the help! I live in Florida....was asking where you lived because I have a friend named David who is studying the same stuff you are (he's a very busy student, though...can never get a hold of him lately)....thought it would have been hilarious if I found out my poster was HIM!:P
I have been doing a lot of natural remedy research to replace some of these Rx meds....I think they're doing more physical damage to my body than helping:/. I will definitely check into some of your ideas (don't know if I could do a raw vegan diet, though...I've heard it's a VERY rough transition...ughh), but I'm open to trying anything. I've done some of my own research on different vitamins and herbal supplements that I've read can help when your body is deficient in these these things. I will type up some of my findings on here when I get a chance this week. Time for bed now....I work with autistic kids and need all the energy and sleep I can get for those kiddos (I love them dearly...truly fascinating to work with, really). Thanks for the help. I will follow-up this week with my own findings, so keep an eye on this post;).

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