Cymbalta withdrawal, here I come

Brain Zaps feel like a jolt to your brain.  They don't really hurt, but they do feel weird! They seemed to hit me just as I was falling asleep most of the time, or even in the middle of the night when I was sleeping.   I had brain zaps a lot when I first started Cymbalta for depression about 4 years ago. Once I got over the side effects of getting on the meds, (sweating, dizzy spells, sleepiness, and weight gain) I must say, Cymbalta was a life-changer for me.  It really did what I needed it to do.  It helped me keep my emotions in check, and helped me get back to "normal".  The side effects only lasted about 4 weeks, and I will be forever greatfull for the benefits of sticking with it.  

I am on day six of coming off Cymbalta.  I was on a 60mg dosage for a number of years, then decided I wanted off, didn't want my life to be controlled by drugs anymore.  I did this is consultation with my Dr, we reduced the dosage to 30mg for two weeks, then off cold turkey as at Thursday last week.  I am not coping.  One bit.  I should have researched a bit further in the side effects of the come down, I didn't know it would be THIS hard.  The zaps (or whooziness as I call it) are most predominant at night.  The wanting to cry ALL OF THE TIME, and the headaches are unbearable.  I am also a single mother of two children and don't want them to have to suffer because of the come down.  I am getting out of bed each day though, that is a start, and making myself do an hour of exercise each day.  Unfortunately work is a bit of an issue, locking myself into my office, putting my headphones in so I can't hear myself think.  I certainly don't feel normal and wonder how I will make it through the next two weeks, which seems to be the average time to get out of this state.  I do appreciate all of the posts on here, certainly a horrific thing to go through.

I have all these symptoms...I hope I did not just have ear surgery because of Cymbalta withdrawal!  Doctors are sure my symptoms were all caused by Meniere's disease (vertigo, vomiting, dizziness) but now I am afraid that it is all Cymbalta withdrawal and I may have had corrective surgery for nothing.  I am so frazzled that I want to smack people for asking simple questions.  Every phone call sets my nerves on edge.  I want to lay in the fetal position until this goes away.  Will it stop?  How long does it take for the side effects from Cymbalta withdrawal to stop once one has stopped the drug?

Need hope...

I am going on my 3erd week of no cymbalta, I have been weaning off it for 6 weeks prior to that. I have been on anti deppressants for a little over 3 years and have gained 50 pounds.

When I made this decision to get off this I did not expect it to be easy, but whoa! The only thing is I keep reading about the "brain zaps" and I really have no idea what that is so I must not have them. But I ache and just this week started the crying. Now I have not shed a tear in 3 years so this is really weird. I have a terrible itchy rash that now is starting to dry up so I didn't even know it was from the Cynbalta that my doctor now says means I was allergic to cymbalta. So very very much want this gone! I am very irratable to the point I need to get a grip at work, well at home too! I am having bouts of nausea, headaches (they are getting better) But achy all the time like I'm 90 years old or something!!

damn long time..tell you dr. you need to withdrawl from this under a drs supervision, I wound up hospitalized.

7 beads a day out of the caps WORKS!! Horray! I read somewhere on a blog to try taking out 7 beads a day. IT WORKS. I feel fine. I feel more calm, peaceful + serene. I've been on antidepressents for 20 yrs and I could not come off them because of the withdrawal symtoms. This was the only thing that worked. Seven beads a day out of the caps. Its tedious but well worth the time. I do it on a sunday and plan out 2 weeks using 7-day medication boxes and I trumped up on vitamins, especially B. It's a miracle.

also not on it for depression but i am going through horrendous withdrawls,after being told by my fibromyalgia 'specialist' to not come off it gradually n just to stop taking it ......

I had a very similar experience with Cymbalta. It is a terrifying drug. The malaise, argumentativeness, exhaustion, and PAIN are not worth it. The drug should be taken off the market

I felt like that after I quit taking Ultram too... Looking back now I realize not only was I dealing with the withdrawal effects but you will deal with what ever you took the drug for in the first place. My back started having painful spasms again, my joints got all sore and tight in the mornings again, It had a synergistic effect on my antidepressant, Prozac and really helped my depression too so that all came back too..

I was on Cymbalta 60 mg a day from 2010 until November 27, 2012. I decided to stop cold turkey for the second time on 11-27-2012. I WILL NEVER EVER TAKE CYMBALTA AGAIN! The withdrawal symptoms are so very brutal that it should be illegal for this medication to be prescribed to any patient for any reason. I started taking this drug for depression in 2010 after being on every other drug out there for depression. Today is day 17 without Cymbalta and I have nausea every day all day. I have diarrhea and headaches every day. My head feels like it is floating above my brain and I'm dizzy and light headed. I am so sick. I started reading some of the post on this web site and I decided to join. Can someone please give me some advice for some healthly natural remedies to help me get through this withdrawal period. I would really appreciate all the help I can get! 

I know EXACTLY how you feel. I was on Wellburtrin for anxiety and was doing great. Then I started having muscle and joint pain so my DR switched me to Cymbalta. 30 mg for a few weeks then upped it to 60mg. Was on it for about 2 months and had no relief in pain. So i told my Dr that I wanted off of it since it only made me groggy and my pain was the same. I tappered off, then was back on wellburtrin. Cymbalta AND Lexapro should be taken off the shelves!!! I've been experiencing heart racing, sweating, headaches, dizziness, sadness, a scared feeling I can't explain, chills, high blood pressure (whiche I've NEVER had issues with before). Aweful drug for sure!!!!

I'm on day 12 of my cold turkey off of 60mg.  Try taking Fish Oil capsules, drinking chamomile tea, and taking some benedryl.  The fish oil and the chamomile tea help with the brain zaps.  I've had itching crawling skin and the benedryl helps that some.

I have found that Dramamine helps with the brain zaps. 

Hi there thats good to hear i have been on 60mg for past four years but all over this christmas been really ill in hospital and was unable to keep most meds down.... when i came out of hospital i was expected to just be on pain control untill the surgeon i nee to see comes back from holiday..... I ended up with 90mg cymbalta, 25mg of pregablin, ora morph as require, paracetarl ibrufen and codeine, very other drugs to counter out sickness that didnt work !!!! enemas and laxatives coz developed a bowel problem !!!!! then when i came out of hospital I was blessed with the sickness and diareahh bug !!!!!! so i didnt eat or take any meds!!!!!! and have had withdrawals for two weeks and still struggling.... I boxed all the drugs up !!!! and had a fag !!!! i dont not whats worth all those meds or the odd cigarette..... my head hurts and spinning i get electric shock zaps in my head i sweat allthough that better... very bad tempered and stressed very easily ............. BUT i do not want to take any more medication ever !!!!!

Hi,

Can someone please help me.  I have now been on antidepressants for the last 6 years, for the last 4 and a half years I have been on 120mg of duloxetine (cymbalta) daily and have really not been myself.  I am desperate to come off my medication so me and my husband can get our life back.  He has been my full time carer for the last 6 years and wants to get back into work but my support workers are telling him he can't until they know what I am like off medication.

The problem is my psychiatrist is not helping me to come off them.  I have been waiting for the last 6 months for a plan to come off the duloxetine but my appointments keep getting cancelled for different reasons.  I have been told she is going to send me a plan in the post, phone me with a plan etc and still nothing 6 months later.

I am tempted to try and go cold turkey just to get off the medication and get my families life back.  I do not want to be put on any different antidepressants to help me come off the duloxetine as in the past I have been put on most and they all give me really bad side effects which is the reason they put me on duloxetine over 4 years ago but no-one told me of the side effects of the problems of getting off them.  I really want to get off the medication now and don't know which way to turn.