Cymbalta withdrawal

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I was on Cymbalta for 4 months and gained 20 pounds thats like 10 pounds a month!!! Then to help me lose weight I was put on Topamax. I took one in the AM and one in the PM. I was so not on earth!!! and Im only 25 years old. I was in a bad car accident and I have bad nerve pain in my neck so I was put on 60mg Cymbalta. The Cymbalta does do its job I never felt the pain in my neck and my focus at work was awsome,but I'd rether take a pain pill when I needed it than be really fat!!!Well I didnt want to take both so I quite the Cymbalta Cold turkey!! WOW!!! It is now week 3 I think. I had lots of dizzyness and a turning stomach, which I still get now. I get sever aggressive outbursts and I cry all the time, I think my husbands going to go nuts Smile

The Topamax I did stay on and It does help me not feel hungry and is helping lose weight,but there is always a neg. to a pos. This was a big learning exp. for me I hope I help some one out there.

4ALLIE · Newbie Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 1 Location: OHIO

Hopefully this post may help someone out there thinking of going on Cymbalta or withdrawing from it. I switched from Effexor XR 37.5 to Cymbalta because I was feeling anxious from the Effexor. There was no problem switchung right over to 20 mgs. Thankfully, I never went above 30 mgs. I began to notice a weight gain (10 lbs in a month), insomnia, itching,sweats, blury vision, and so many other things that I attributed to being 50 years old. BUT...as I read this forum and realized this is directly linked to Cymbalta I decided to get off of it. Unfortunately this is not an overnight process. I went to 20 mgs, then 20 mgs every other day . I am just at about one week every other day. When I am not on it I start to get motion sickness, dizzy, headache, nausea and a feeling of jumping out of my skin...once I pop one I start to feel better. A vicious cycle. But I am going to taper off after another week to 20 mg every three days for two weeks , then every four days etc. Meantime I am loading up on my vitamins, Omega 3's, B12 shots, etc.
ANYONE who has any success stories I would be greatly appreciative. I have read enough horror stories to know this is the drug from hell and I hope one day a class action law suit does get filed against it. The drug company states weight loss (not weight gain), and kindly omits the toxic withdrawl syptoms. Yet they are so kind to offer a free 14 day 30 mg trial. Just enough to get you hooked so either you HAVE to buy more either way...to stay on it or go off it. Confused

Guest · Guest

This frankly sucks but I'm hoping the weight gain and swelling are from the Cymbalta. I took an extra half of prescribed Klonopin to get me through the day. I'm new to this and need some support. Did anyone else out there have enormous weight gain and fluid retention from this drug? [/quote]

Sorry to hear about the trouble you are all having with this drug. The problem is that everyone reacts differently. Weight gain on this drug is not the norm and many times they are watching you for signs of anorexia. I have to say that no other drug has helped me in the past and I finally feel free from the anxiety and depression that I was feeling in the past…. I am glad that we have a choice to use this product.

lauried · Newbie Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 1

I changed over from 175mg of
Effexor XR to 60 mg of Cymbalta. I feel great and not hungry ! I have decided medication will be a permanent part of my life. I can't be happy and make good choices without. Why fight it??? I am 42 years old with horrible arthritis and had a total hysterectomy. I can finally say I'm happy, joyous and free. I believe by taking the medication as prescribed and keeping your physician informed things will improve. I took Effexor for 4 years and never felt this good. I also tried Topamax and felt like I was on Dopamax !! Made me grouchy and stupid !! Goo Razz

d Luck everyone (:

Laurie
York,Pa

mdswick · Newbie Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 1

I was addicted to Methadone for about 4 months, 20 mg per day. So I went to a doctor for help and got on Cymbalta. The first 5 weeks were really bad. I had dizzy spells, blurry vision, twitching, sleeplessness, anxiety attacks, you name it. But I've been getting better. The big problem I still have is anxiety & sleeplessness.
So my doctor recently put me on Lamictal. I took it three days and I've starting having blurry vision and hallucinations. Like right now the icons on the computer are getting smaller then bigger. And ten minuts ago I thought I saw someone behind my neighbors truck!
I hope the hallucinations are being caused by the Lamictal because I'm pretty sure I'm not by-polor and have no idea why the doc put me on the stuff. If I could just sleep at night then the Cymbalta could get me through the day. Smile

Guest · Guest

I thought that I was the only one feeling this way and thought that I was going nuts! The aches, the pain, anxiety, severe aggression, crying jags that followed. Now reading all of these discriptions I realize that it's the stinkin' Cymbalta. I don't think the Dr. helping me even knows! He tested me for Fibromyalgia because I complained of the joint aches, but everything has come out negative...No wonder! I will just take longer getting off of the Cymbalta. The only other problem is that he wants to switch me to Effexor. I'm not on XR yet, just the regular. I hear the XR causes most of the withdrawl problems. Any clues on what to do? Maybe a higher dose of Zoloft?
Thank you all for making me realize that I'm not going insane...any more than I already have anyway! Shocked

Guest · Guest

I recommend opening the capsules and pouring out a tiny amount of the pebbles, lessening your daily dose only slightly over time. You can guestimate how much to pour out each time. That might allow you to go from a 60mg capsule to around 50mg for a month, then to 40mg, and so on down to maybe 20mg. It may take two months to do this. I am starting the process now, and don't know exactly what to expect.

Good luck!

Guest · Guest

I was on Cymbalta for 3 years after being on Prozac for 14 years and it quit working. I got to where I wanted to sleep all the time on Cymbalta and I couldn't feel anything - I couldn't cry. My P-doc took me off of it slowly (4 day ago) by cutting it down by adding 100 mg. of Wellbutrin at the to 30 mg. a day I had been taking and then after a month dropping the Cymbalta 30 30 mg. for a month and then completely off the Cymbalta. I haven't had any Cymbalta in 4 days and I've had dizziness and strange feelings in my head - probably some people call them brain zaps. I knew what to expect from reading posts and I kind of like the brain zaps - they feel kind of cool. The nurse said to drink lots and lots of water to wash out the Cymbalta. I don't know were I go from here because all my aches and pains have come back and I'm missing the Cymbalta. I'm one of the few people who feel it's a great drug - for me at least.

Guest · Guest

I'm on my third withdrawel from Cymbalta, and yes it's hell for a week or two. But that's little hell, big hell is getting rushed away in an ambulance after trying to take your own life...again. Cymbalta is the ONLY drug that has consistantly raised me up after a suicide attempt. Please don't go writing the FDA to get it removed when some of us need it. That's already happened to me once with a different med Sad

Guest · Guest

I went off Effexor to Cymbalta.Cymbalta for Depression and nerve pain.I took it for 4 weeks and was sick ,got car sick everytime I got in A car.I cryed everday for no reason for 4 weeks.Maybe some having to do with being off Effexor.The nausia was defenantly from Cymbalta.I got off after that.No real side effects after 10 days.. But am going back on Effexor.What a mistake to switch to the poison Cybalta.But everyone is different[/list][/b]

Cymbalta withdrawal

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