cymbalta should be BANNED

Cymbalta is the devil...I have been off of it for a week now and other than not having to run to the bathroom every 15 minutes I still feel like death warmed over. Why are psychs allowed to prescribe this crap when they KNOW what withdraw is like?? I have NEVER been so dizzy in my life, I am so tired that I can barely keep my eyes open, I am so irritable that I don't even want to be around myself, it feels like my mouth and my brain aren't connected and I am saying things that I can't control and I am occasionally (and I do mean occasionally) jittery but I am also on 150 mg of Wellbutrin SR in the morning. I was diagnosed bi-polar a few months ago but I think that it was just based on the fact that my mom was an undiagnosed bi-polar that committed suicide (she was on Zoloft from her primary doc...)and I have started taking Omega 3 fish oil. At this point in time I would try about anything to get rid of the dizziness, has anyone ever tried Dramamine?? It honestly feels like motion sickness to me, I feel alright (not great by any means) when I first wake up but the more that I move the dizzier that I get...I am sooooo tired of this-anyone that has beaten this and lived to tell about it PLEASE HELP!!

pls read :
http://www.steadyhealth.com/viewtopic.php?p=541502#541502

hello hello and happy new year.

so wonderful to hear back on my post re: tapering cymbalta.
just to add (during the time I tapered) and i'm feeling even better now.. i think its 4 weeks since i stopped completely. yahoo!

pls note the supplements mentioned by "U-NEED-acetylcholine - 12/31/07"
(thank you MICHAEL!)

i (try to remember to) take :
- 100 of each Vit.B's a day
- 4 x 1000mg salmon oil (omega 3's) = approx. 500 EPAs - the EPAs are important so check the content on the box/bottle.
- very good (and pricey) multivitamin (when i can afford it.. otherwise the best i can buy on a budget)

and watch your diet (i think we all get a bit cravey for sugar).. as per Michael's note..
i find i am so much better without too much SUGAR!!, caffeine, too much wheat, dairy etc.. but this isn't a diet.. just be aware of sugar cravings cos the aftermath is always harsh. (ie after an hour or so).

i also take aspirin cos i still get my headaches. but trying to slow down on this and rather take the herb FEVERFEW.

ok..
Hugs to all and HAPPIEST NEW YEAR.
Happy new me too, without Cymbalta!

sh[/enc]

I just want to warn others about Cymbalta withdrawal, even though my doctor says my symptoms aren't "typical". I was only on 30 mg for 5 days (I have GAD). I couldn't handle the side effects, so I took myself off it cold turkey. I know everyone says not to do it cold turkey, but I was only on 30 mg for 5 days, so tapering didn't really seem relevant in my situation. Well, long story short is that I had the most terrible withdrawl symptoms... headaches, jaw clenching, eye sensitivity to light, tenderness in my face, etc. Basically, I felt like someone had hit me in the face with a bat! I was on the medication for 5 days, but have had 6 days of withdrawl symptoms. Crazy!

So even if you've only been on the medication for a short time, be careful about quitting cold turkey. I don't know how I could have tapered after such a short time on it, but at least I didn't have many obligations to attend to during the withdrawal period. If you quit after a short time, maybe just check with your doctor and see if there's anything they can do to prevent withdrawal symptoms. At the very least, don't quit at a time in your life when you have to be "on your toes" at work or somewhere else.

Another thing that upsets me is that the manufacturer never did any systemitized testing on anxiety patients past 10 weeks. You can check this out yourself... it's on the leaflet that comes with the medication. Basically, they're marketing this drug for anxiety patients, but don't know what it does to them after 10 weeks! Yet, they know that it's very difficult to come off this med... which to me says Cymbalta is not intended for short-term usage. So it's like they're saying, "it's hard to get off our product, but we don't know what it does to you after 10 weeks." Does that stink of a little evil to you? The whole thing seems unethical to me, and I don't want to be a guinea pig for Big Pharma!