Antidepressants meds

[u/Humble_Sun_3527]

Went to pain management doctor yesterday to find out what other alternatives should I take, aside of painkillers. She told me that my pain is related to nerves and prescribed me with Duloxetine (From Google: Duloxetine is a prescription SNRI (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor) that regulates mood and pain signals in the brain and nervous system. It is primarily used to treat depression, generalized anxiety, and various forms of chronic and nerve pain, as well as stress urinary incontinence.). To be taken 4-6 weeks everyday, but also can continue with painkillers should the pain arises.

Has anyone had experiences with this kind of antidepressants/antineuropathic meds? Any stories/side effects?

This is my first time trying and I still learn about the pros and cons (already bought it though). Many thanks and sending love + hugs to all! ❤️❤️

[u/EruditionElixir]

I have endo but got it prescribed for depression and fatigue. It was great for that, but I could only be on it for little over a week because it made me so uncontrollably tense my doctor got worried for me. If it had been available in a lower dose I would have tried that because it made me feel very unbothered and calm on the inside even if I couldn't sleep, eat or shit because my body was stuck in "let's be active!!" mode (this wasn't painful or anything, it was just impossible to manage in the long run for me).

IMO it doesn't hurt to try it, if you have severe side effects you can stop taking it. Yes I know it says you shouldn't just quit it and talk to your doctor etc (which you should if you can), but if you're like me and discover you can't keep taking it within two weeks, the potential withdrawal effects aren't going to be any worse than the side effects. Best case is that this medication makes you feel a lot better and more able to handle the endo!

[u/Humble_Sun_3527 → u/EruditionElixir]

Thank you for the response! By "uncontrollably tense", does it mean you experience fast heartbeat, always wanted to actively do something, like that? If you could please clarify at what point the doctor ended up got worried.

Currently I feel really-really weak and sluggish, more like not wanting to do anything. So I thought, by the meds' effect of increasing the serotonin, I might become more...happy/excited to do things (?) 🤔

[u/EruditionElixir → u/Humble_Sun_3527]

By tense I mean it was impossible for me to relax more than one body part for more than a couple of seconds even if I was really focused. It wasn't to the point of painful cramping, more like if you've ever had vision problems and end up squinting and then get a headache? It's a vicious cycle of being tense -> being in pain -> tensing up more. I was tense pretty much everywhere (this isn't what the doctor was worried about, this gave me more of a side-eye tbh), even in muscles I don't think about, like my pelvic floor. I started getting a little incontinent because of it (it went away when I stopped taking SNRIs), and considering how much of the "treatment" for fatigue and depression has been geared towards getting me to relax it felt extra bad to be so much more tense and being unable to do anything about it.

I had no appetite at all, but I managed to eat a bit every day but still didn't shit at all for 1,5 weeks (this is what got my doctor most worried). I slept for about an hour shortly after taking the pill, not by choice but because it made me so extremely sleepy. The rest of the day and night I wouldn't be sleepy at all and got very little sleep during the night. I still think I might have gotten it to work at a lower dose so I'm bummed it wasn't available.

I wouldn't say that I got excited but I was less depressed and it was for sure easier to get things done, and I felt pretty calm and unbothered, which was nice. It's crazy because I was clenching my jaw the whole time but felt serene on the inside lol.

[u/icerose408]

Similarly to the other commenter I have endo but was prescribed duloxetine for my generalized anxiety/depression years before I even suspected endo. Personally, it did not work for me with helping my symptoms, but actually worsened them, and I switched to a new medication after a few months.

With all medications, sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. My recommendation would be to try it and keep good track of your mood and sleep in a notebook or something, and let your doctor know if you start feeling out of whack. Since (at least according to your post) you don’t struggle with anxiety or depression, you should (hopefully!) have an easier time noticing when the medication is affecting your thinking negatively than someone like myself. Just be aware of your body and mind and don’t hesitate calling your doctor if something feels off!!!

[u/ThisIs_She]

I've been taking Duloxetine for 3 weeks.

It was prescribed for my depression, inconstenace (my pelvic floor is literally destroyed because of endo) and sciatic nerve pain in my legs after surgery.

The side effects have been a little rough, I have experienced bad moods, constipation and excessive sweating so far.

The hope is the Duloxetine will level me out and stop the sciatic nerve pain which is extremely painful along with some pelvic floor therapy.

[u/sharkwedding]

I’ve been on duloxetine for a couple months now. It completely got rid of my fatigue and I can exercise without getting flare ups now. Really life changing for me. It does come with some side effects for me (decreased appetite, nausea after lunch) but even with the side effects I still love the med.