I'm ready to kick the Cymbalta habit myself, and found this thread very helpful. Does anyone have the names of the vitamins that should be taken during withdrawals? I can't seem to find the original topic posting.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Here are two posts from previous that offer some suggestions.
Folks,
Here is what I did. After 10 years on this stuff I went cold turkey. yeah I know a lot of you are going to tell me that I am really nuts; I have worked in the healthcare industry for over 15 so I had some pretty good advice. I had tried it before and went back on after about 2 weeks off due to the normal side effects.
So here is what I am doing differently this time.
1. Drammamine for Zaps
2. Benadryl to sleep and to calm the nightmares (I have some doozies from my time in Kuwait/Iraq)
3. St. John's Wort (for what it is wort) - That is a joke, laugh!
4. My wife's awesome hot salsa and chips on call 24/7 (Hot stuff releases endorphins which are good for you)
5. Taking a nap now and again
6. Fish Oil pills for Omega 3 and 6
7. Tons of B-12 (it is water soluble, so you cannot overdo it)
A great pastor who is also a sientist. Not one of those Scientology whackos, but a real scientist.
Let me know if any of this helps. I can be contacted via email if you have any other questions.
I am into my third week and while I feel like a retard running in honey at times, I am making it. I will not fail.
First of all, my background. I've been taking Cymbalta for a period of eight months. My prescribed dose has been 30mg daily. Before Cymbalta I was on Fluvoxamine (LUVOX) for about one year and for a brief stint (three weeks) Escitalopram (LEXAPRO). I was diagnosed as someone with great insurance. Just kidding, but that did make my psychiatrist happy: (no kiddding the first thing he always said to me when I walked in was, "Hello Michael, you're Value Options Blue Cross, right?" Haha. In any case, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder with obsessive tendencies as well.
I weaned off LUVOX and LEXAPRO with almost no problems: a few dizzy spells and some brain zaps. But with Cymbalta, I tried to wean off at a rate of 10mg a week and I felt like I had the flu. Swollen glands, sore throat, headache, soreness all over, etc. I've been weaning off the drug much more successfully using the following method: Opening the capsules and removing a few granules more each day. Please read the post by "arieln" (12/22/07) She totally has the right idea here. Currently I am down to the equivalent of about 12 mg. a day and I feel fine. I occasionally get a headache but it's nothing an aspirin doesn't help with. For those of you that are curious I have found there to be approximately 280 granules in each 30mg. does. I have been removing 7 more each day for a rate of 5mg. less/ week. If symptoms recur I can slow to 3-4 granules less/ dose for a rate of 2.5mg. less/ week.
Anyway, the reason we all feel like c**p is because of an effect Cymbalta creates called an "anticholergenic rebound." This means there has been an interruption in the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Hence, anything you can do to enhance or support acetylcholine production will assist in alleviating withdrawal symptoms. I almost never take vitamins regularly but I've been trying this and it appears to help so far. Here are a few daily vitamins that are helping me get through:
vitamins/ supplements directly related to acetylcholine production
B-Complex
Lecithin (has choline in it) 1200mg.
Lutein 250 mg. Find it in Centrum
vitamins/ supplements indirectly related
Vinpocetine 20mg. (increases dopamine which indirectly boosts acetylcholine)
Ginkgo Biloba 120mg. (increases blood flow in brain which supports creation of neurotransmitters)
St. John's Wart 600 mg. at night (increases acetylcholine by preventing its breakdown)
For Sleep
Melatonin 6 mg. at night
Please note that I am not a doctor or scientist and that this is simply the result of my own research. I have heard other things work for people as well like Benedril, Vicodin, other SSRIs, Xanax etc. But I'm really trying to get off of all drugs.
Diet is important too, so I've been trying to eat right and take a OMEGA 3-6-9 supplement. I've been eating foods that support acetylcholine production such as peanuts, almonds, spinach, wheat germ, and whole eggs. Beef liver is also a good source of choline but who wants to eat that! Thank you for reading this if you actually got to the end. I've been trying hard to understand what's happening to my brain and I hope I've found some useful information. I will continue to post until about two months after I'm totally off so that I can be objective about the effects of this method of withdrawal. See you next week.
Michael
Folks,
Here is what I did. After 10 years on this stuff I went cold turkey. yeah I know a lot of you are going to tell me that I am really nuts; I have worked in the healthcare industry for over 15 so I had some pretty good advice. I had tried it before and went back on after about 2 weeks off due to the normal side effects.
So here is what I am doing differently this time.
1. Drammamine for Zaps
2. Benadryl to sleep and to calm the nightmares (I have some doozies from my time in Kuwait/Iraq)
3. St. John's Wort (for what it is wort) - That is a joke, laugh!
4. My wife's awesome hot salsa and chips on call 24/7 (Hot stuff releases endorphins which are good for you)
5. Taking a nap now and again
6. Fish Oil pills for Omega 3 and 6
7. Tons of B-12 (it is water soluble, so you cannot overdo it)
A great pastor who is also a sientist. Not one of those Scientology whackos, but a real scientist.
Let me know if any of this helps. I can be contacted via email if you have any other questions.
I am into my third week and while I feel like a retard running in honey at times, I am making it. I will not fail.
First of all, my background. I've been taking Cymbalta for a period of eight months. My prescribed dose has been 30mg daily. Before Cymbalta I was on Fluvoxamine (LUVOX) for about one year and for a brief stint (three weeks) Escitalopram (LEXAPRO). I was diagnosed as someone with great insurance. Just kidding, but that did make my psychiatrist happy: (no kiddding the first thing he always said to me when I walked in was, "Hello Michael, you're Value Options Blue Cross, right?" Haha. In any case, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder with obsessive tendencies as well.
I weaned off LUVOX and LEXAPRO with almost no problems: a few dizzy spells and some brain zaps. But with Cymbalta, I tried to wean off at a rate of 10mg a week and I felt like I had the flu. Swollen glands, sore throat, headache, soreness all over, etc. I've been weaning off the drug much more successfully using the following method: Opening the capsules and removing a few granules more each day. Please read the post by "arieln" (12/22/07) She totally has the right idea here. Currently I am down to the equivalent of about 12 mg. a day and I feel fine. I occasionally get a headache but it's nothing an aspirin doesn't help with. For those of you that are curious I have found there to be approximately 280 granules in each 30mg. does. I have been removing 7 more each day for a rate of 5mg. less/ week. If symptoms recur I can slow to 3-4 granules less/ dose for a rate of 2.5mg. less/ week.
Anyway, the reason we all feel like c**p is because of an effect Cymbalta creates called an "anticholergenic rebound." This means there has been an interruption in the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Hence, anything you can do to enhance or support acetylcholine production will assist in alleviating withdrawal symptoms. I almost never take vitamins regularly but I've been trying this and it appears to help so far. Here are a few daily vitamins that are helping me get through:
vitamins/ supplements directly related to acetylcholine production
B-Complex
Lecithin (has choline in it) 1200mg.
Lutein 250 mg. Find it in Centrum
vitamins/ supplements indirectly related
Vinpocetine 20mg. (increases dopamine which indirectly boosts acetylcholine)
Ginkgo Biloba 120mg. (increases blood flow in brain which supports creation of neurotransmitters)
St. John's Wart 600 mg. at night (increases acetylcholine by preventing its breakdown)
For Sleep
Melatonin 6 mg. at night
Please note that I am not a doctor or scientist and that this is simply the result of my own research. I have heard other things work for people as well like Benedril, Vicodin, other SSRIs, Xanax etc. But I'm really trying to get off of all drugs.
Diet is important too, so I've been trying to eat right and take a OMEGA 3-6-9 supplement. I've been eating foods that support acetylcholine production such as peanuts, almonds, spinach, wheat germ, and whole eggs. Beef liver is also a good source of choline but who wants to eat that! Thank you for reading this if you actually got to the end. I've been trying hard to understand what's happening to my brain and I hope I've found some useful information. I will continue to post until about two months after I'm totally off so that I can be objective about the effects of this method of withdrawal. See you next week.
Michael
Hi all,
Mike, I tried finding your others posts by searching for your username and it didn't work - do you maybe have the post title for your story?
I will be trying your method starting tomorrow (going down 7 beads a day), and am interested in finding out what kinds of supplements you took while going through the process? You mentioned there was something that helped support the production of acetylcholine?
I'm a 35-year old female who's been on Cymbalta for over 5 years, and been on some kind of anti-depressant since my early 20s. Having just realized the possibility that all the headaches, nausea, anxiety, fatigue, and muscle pain I've been getting over the past decade (and getting MORE drugs for from the doctor) may have actually been caused my Cymbalta, I'm really anxious to get off of it. However, my psychiatrist appears to be an id**t. When I asked him if the fatigue could possibly be a side effect of Cymbalta, he said "I'm not actually familiar with any of the side effects of Cymbalta - my area is more adolescent psychiatry." So, that was great to hear after he had already tried tapering me off it once, and did so by suggesting I take one every other day for a while! (That of course caused major withdrawal problems and I had to go back on because I was having symptoms that he said showed I was getting depressed again, when in retrospect, I think they were just withdrawal symptoms).
I am SO ANGRY at all these docs who have been prescribing more and more medications for me over the years without even considering the fact that the medications may have been making me sick. I also have hypothryoidism, and a doctor two years ago pushed me into thyrotoxicosis because he said he didn't "believe" in lab results and to ignore my steadily increasing TCH levels.
I'm grateful there is someplace on the internet where patients can research for themselves and discuss other options. I think we know more about the drugs than our doctors do.
Thanks,
Kris
Mike, I tried finding your others posts by searching for your username and it didn't work - do you maybe have the post title for your story?
I will be trying your method starting tomorrow (going down 7 beads a day), and am interested in finding out what kinds of supplements you took while going through the process? You mentioned there was something that helped support the production of acetylcholine?
I'm a 35-year old female who's been on Cymbalta for over 5 years, and been on some kind of anti-depressant since my early 20s. Having just realized the possibility that all the headaches, nausea, anxiety, fatigue, and muscle pain I've been getting over the past decade (and getting MORE drugs for from the doctor) may have actually been caused my Cymbalta, I'm really anxious to get off of it. However, my psychiatrist appears to be an id**t. When I asked him if the fatigue could possibly be a side effect of Cymbalta, he said "I'm not actually familiar with any of the side effects of Cymbalta - my area is more adolescent psychiatry." So, that was great to hear after he had already tried tapering me off it once, and did so by suggesting I take one every other day for a while! (That of course caused major withdrawal problems and I had to go back on because I was having symptoms that he said showed I was getting depressed again, when in retrospect, I think they were just withdrawal symptoms).
I am SO ANGRY at all these docs who have been prescribing more and more medications for me over the years without even considering the fact that the medications may have been making me sick. I also have hypothryoidism, and a doctor two years ago pushed me into thyrotoxicosis because he said he didn't "believe" in lab results and to ignore my steadily increasing TCH levels.
I'm grateful there is someplace on the internet where patients can research for themselves and discuss other options. I think we know more about the drugs than our doctors do.
Thanks,
Kris
Thank you to all who took the time to post your experiences. It's my turn, I guess. I was weaning off 60 mg of cymbalta (took it for about 2.5 years). My doc had me alternate 60 and 30 mg every other day for a week, then a week of 30 each day, then a week of alternating 30 and 0. He expected me to stop after that, but after a couple of days the withdrawal symptoms were bad enough that I ended up here looking for more info and found this board. After reading Mike's posts I popped open some pills and am tapering off a little more slowly. I started at 25 mg and am going down about 2 1/2 mg a day until I'm at zero. (I just took today's 13 mg worth of cymbalta beads).
The withdrawal symptoms are still pretty bad, but I am functioning okay, mostly. I suspect that the symptoms would be less difficult if I was weaning more slowly, (I feel a need to get off quickly) but also probably much worse if I had just stopped when my doc expected me to. (He's really a good guy, he probably doesn't k now how bad the DTs are from this drug--I'll have to explain it to him!)
Now I'm going to list my withdrawal symptoms and rate them from 0-10 for severity. All are intermittent, and are sometimes better or worse, but I'll try to come up with an average. Again, I know that it would probably be easier if I had eased more slowly, but I chose to put up with some pain in order to be cymbalta free sooner.
Brain cartwheels: occasional 2
Nausea: worse if I skip a meal 2
Muscle/joint aches: 1-5. Stretching & massage help (I got up and stretched my calves and spine during the night last night and was then able to get back to sleep).
Digestive turmoil/diarrhea: 3-10. Have had to RUN to the bathroom once or twice a day.
Headache: 1-4. Pain meds would probably help, but I tend not to take anything if I can tolerate it.
Irritability: 1-8. I'm usually a pretty even tempered person, but I made a scene when I was out with friends because I couldn't handle something that would have just annoyed me usually. Note to family/spouse of withdrawer: Please treat us with as much tolerance and love as possible. I told my husband that he shouldn't expect totally rational behavior from me during this period and promised that I wouldn't take advantage if he'd try to cut me some slack.
Emotional symptoms: Well, I'm feeling more which is a mixed blessing.
Okay, I hope that helps! Good luck.
Janine
The withdrawal symptoms are still pretty bad, but I am functioning okay, mostly. I suspect that the symptoms would be less difficult if I was weaning more slowly, (I feel a need to get off quickly) but also probably much worse if I had just stopped when my doc expected me to. (He's really a good guy, he probably doesn't k now how bad the DTs are from this drug--I'll have to explain it to him!)
Now I'm going to list my withdrawal symptoms and rate them from 0-10 for severity. All are intermittent, and are sometimes better or worse, but I'll try to come up with an average. Again, I know that it would probably be easier if I had eased more slowly, but I chose to put up with some pain in order to be cymbalta free sooner.
Brain cartwheels: occasional 2
Nausea: worse if I skip a meal 2
Muscle/joint aches: 1-5. Stretching & massage help (I got up and stretched my calves and spine during the night last night and was then able to get back to sleep).
Digestive turmoil/diarrhea: 3-10. Have had to RUN to the bathroom once or twice a day.
Headache: 1-4. Pain meds would probably help, but I tend not to take anything if I can tolerate it.
Irritability: 1-8. I'm usually a pretty even tempered person, but I made a scene when I was out with friends because I couldn't handle something that would have just annoyed me usually. Note to family/spouse of withdrawer: Please treat us with as much tolerance and love as possible. I told my husband that he shouldn't expect totally rational behavior from me during this period and promised that I wouldn't take advantage if he'd try to cut me some slack.
Emotional symptoms: Well, I'm feeling more which is a mixed blessing.
Okay, I hope that helps! Good luck.
Janine
Today is my first day off of Cymbalta, also the first time I found this forum unfortunately. Had I found it sooner I would have tapered differently. I tapered by emptying about an 1/8 of a capsule for 3 days, then a 1/4 of the the capsule for 3 days, then 1/2 of the capsule 3 days, then 2/3 of the capsule for 3 days and then 3/4 of the capsule for 3 days. About a week ago, I started swelling terribly in my ankles, then a few days ago I had terrible itching, ( I get hives sometimes from allergies and it felt the same but without the welts). Yesterday, I started feeling very dizzy. Today I am finding it was all the beginnings of the withdrawl.
I have warned my husband and kids and prepared myself for what could be a bumpy next few weeks.
Today I feel spacey, I can not move my head or eyes quickly and refocusing puts my head in a tailspin.
Everyonce in a while it feels like I have bugs crawling on me.
My face tingles and feels swollen and itchy.
My vision is funny, kind of like seeing double but not really.
Felt hungry this afternoon but now I think it was more mistaking a feeling of nausea as hunger.
After reading the things other's have gone through, I've decided to journal my symptoms in a notebook to try to keep things in perspective in case of mood swings and bouts of crying, knowing that 'this too shall pass' :|
I have warned my husband and kids and prepared myself for what could be a bumpy next few weeks.
Today I feel spacey, I can not move my head or eyes quickly and refocusing puts my head in a tailspin.
Everyonce in a while it feels like I have bugs crawling on me.
My face tingles and feels swollen and itchy.
My vision is funny, kind of like seeing double but not really.
Felt hungry this afternoon but now I think it was more mistaking a feeling of nausea as hunger.
After reading the things other's have gone through, I've decided to journal my symptoms in a notebook to try to keep things in perspective in case of mood swings and bouts of crying, knowing that 'this too shall pass' :|
Funny, I just reread my first post (08/09/09) and I think I misrepresented how crummy I was feeling. Add to my symptom list that I simply felt like I had the flu. I rated each symptom fairly low on my 1-10 scale, but added all together I was pretty incapacitated. Also add that the “brain zaps” I was also feeling on the bottoms of my feet and my tongue. My tongue was dizzy! (meant to be funny, but true.)
The past two weeks (since my first post) have been pretty tough. The worst part has been nausea and digestive issues, as well as irritability and feeling flu-like, all made worse by pretty extreme insomnia. Luckily my load at work was light during the worst of it, or I don’t know how I would have coped.
But take heart! The last couple of days have been better. Fewer and milder brain spins, lighter headache, more tolerant of humanity in general.
The improvement is probably in part just the passing of time, but it seems that when I am consistent with certain vitamins, supplements and Amino Acids I feel much better. I’ve also avoided alcohol (thankfully I’m not a big drinker, but it seemed even a glass or two of wine made the next day worse) and decreased caffeine (couldn’t give that one up completely) since reading alcohol and caffeine suppress melatonin production and I’m trying to get better sleep. (It’s 1:30 AM now, I hoped to be asleep hours ago).
The vitamins I’m taking are: a good mega multi, omega-3, b-complex , and an antioxidant and a calcium/magnesium/zinc combo when I can stand swallowing that much. I’m not terribly consistent with taking them, but today I stayed with it and today I feel better! (BTW, I take the b-complex only during the day because I read it can interfere with sleep). I also reread sections of Julie Ross’ book The Mood Cure and am taking specific Amino Acids that she suggests. I highly recommend the book. There is a section about coming off of SSRIs that is very helpful. The info is pretty inspiring regarding the possibility of feeling normal/content/calm..happy even. Now that I’m off of Cymbalta I’m excited to use the info in that book to recover naturally.
I just wanted to post now to report I’m feeling pretty good, since I know a couple of weeks ago I was wishing to read something positive about the experience!! More positive news: I’m feeling more physical pleasure. Yes, my “busted libido” as I called it seems to be repairing, but I’ve also been aware of sensations that I wouldn’t have noticed a couple of weeks ago my body is now registering as pleasure. Example: I woke up briefly last night and in shifting my position I slid my arms beneath my pillow. I was surprised to enjoy the feeling of the softness of my sheets on my arms. That kind of simple pleasure. Yea! I had forgotten.
Janine
The past two weeks (since my first post) have been pretty tough. The worst part has been nausea and digestive issues, as well as irritability and feeling flu-like, all made worse by pretty extreme insomnia. Luckily my load at work was light during the worst of it, or I don’t know how I would have coped.
But take heart! The last couple of days have been better. Fewer and milder brain spins, lighter headache, more tolerant of humanity in general.
The improvement is probably in part just the passing of time, but it seems that when I am consistent with certain vitamins, supplements and Amino Acids I feel much better. I’ve also avoided alcohol (thankfully I’m not a big drinker, but it seemed even a glass or two of wine made the next day worse) and decreased caffeine (couldn’t give that one up completely) since reading alcohol and caffeine suppress melatonin production and I’m trying to get better sleep. (It’s 1:30 AM now, I hoped to be asleep hours ago).
The vitamins I’m taking are: a good mega multi, omega-3, b-complex , and an antioxidant and a calcium/magnesium/zinc combo when I can stand swallowing that much. I’m not terribly consistent with taking them, but today I stayed with it and today I feel better! (BTW, I take the b-complex only during the day because I read it can interfere with sleep). I also reread sections of Julie Ross’ book The Mood Cure and am taking specific Amino Acids that she suggests. I highly recommend the book. There is a section about coming off of SSRIs that is very helpful. The info is pretty inspiring regarding the possibility of feeling normal/content/calm..happy even. Now that I’m off of Cymbalta I’m excited to use the info in that book to recover naturally.
I just wanted to post now to report I’m feeling pretty good, since I know a couple of weeks ago I was wishing to read something positive about the experience!! More positive news: I’m feeling more physical pleasure. Yes, my “busted libido” as I called it seems to be repairing, but I’ve also been aware of sensations that I wouldn’t have noticed a couple of weeks ago my body is now registering as pleasure. Example: I woke up briefly last night and in shifting my position I slid my arms beneath my pillow. I was surprised to enjoy the feeling of the softness of my sheets on my arms. That kind of simple pleasure. Yea! I had forgotten.
Janine
Oh my gosh! Any ideas of when the brain zaps and nerves settle down? I am 6 days free of the Cymbalta and still feeling horrible. Any thoughts on how to lessen these side effects?
I first took Cymbalta in May 2006 when I was diagnosed with clinical depression during my divorce. After 10 months on the 60 mg dosage, I decided I didn't need it any more and quit cold turkey. I had absolutely NO withdrawal symptoms. None, nada, nil. Life was good.
2 1/2 years later I got back on it for some much milder depression symptoms. This time it seemed to make me worse instead of better. I gained 20 pounds in a month and could not stop binge eating. So 7 days ago I decided to quit cold turkey again.
Quite a different experience this time - dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, had my first brain zaps this morning (unfortunately while I was driving!), no energy, feeling exremely aggressive, blah, blah, blah.
So now I'm just trying to figure out should I tough it out and keep with the cold turkey route or should I make some very low dose pills just to try to ease the symptoms and then wean myself off them gradually.
Any thoughts???????
2 1/2 years later I got back on it for some much milder depression symptoms. This time it seemed to make me worse instead of better. I gained 20 pounds in a month and could not stop binge eating. So 7 days ago I decided to quit cold turkey again.
Quite a different experience this time - dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, had my first brain zaps this morning (unfortunately while I was driving!), no energy, feeling exremely aggressive, blah, blah, blah.
So now I'm just trying to figure out should I tough it out and keep with the cold turkey route or should I make some very low dose pills just to try to ease the symptoms and then wean myself off them gradually.
Any thoughts???????
I have tried to go off cymbalta twice
both times extreme mood swings extreme pain I call the brain zaps as
electrical spasms in the brain i too am a health care provider: I have
been on this drug for two years, this time im not going back to this
drug im going to a lawyer!!!!! two weeks off i too have had flu like
symptoms,electrical impulses to the brain extreme pain in my abdominal
cavity in everyway you can think of!dizziness to the point of needing
help to walk until today when i went to the doctor {by the way this DR.
did not prescribe the cymbalta} he is the one who finally told me after
having been to the cleveland clinic that cymbalta was the cause of all
my problems I had no idea what was going on in the last yr to me.
Suicidal ideation is mild to what ive been feeling in that catigory for
a year ive been thinking i was crazy. I got on this site right after my
DR appt and all's i could do was cry i could not believe what i was
reading from this whole web site the sea of suffers because the FDA
that wont let us have home grown refer for kemo patients in most states
but will allow this drug on the market after two hrs of reading and
crying i got pissed wrote and filed a complaint to the FDA then called
my lawyer{which i will meet with next week}I have been unable to work
for a year due to pain, fautigue,panic attacks,left side weakness been
hospitalized twice due to the likeness of stroke symptoms,memory loss
slurred speech at times,unable to speak words for the loss in the
memory of the word. i could go on and on but the truth of the matter is
its unreal that it came down to one drug .you have the idea ,to stick
together, that's our start getting a voice out there for everyone to
hear. i hope and pray that each of you with these terrible symptoms
find peace within your bodies soon! thanks dee.
both times extreme mood swings extreme pain I call the brain zaps as
electrical spasms in the brain i too am a health care provider: I have
been on this drug for two years, this time im not going back to this
drug im going to a lawyer!!!!! two weeks off i too have had flu like
symptoms,electrical impulses to the brain extreme pain in my abdominal
cavity in everyway you can think of!dizziness to the point of needing
help to walk until today when i went to the doctor {by the way this DR.
did not prescribe the cymbalta} he is the one who finally told me after
having been to the cleveland clinic that cymbalta was the cause of all
my problems I had no idea what was going on in the last yr to me.
Suicidal ideation is mild to what ive been feeling in that catigory for
a year ive been thinking i was crazy. I got on this site right after my
DR appt and all's i could do was cry i could not believe what i was
reading from this whole web site the sea of suffers because the FDA
that wont let us have home grown refer for kemo patients in most states
but will allow this drug on the market after two hrs of reading and
crying i got pissed wrote and filed a complaint to the FDA then called
my lawyer{which i will meet with next week}I have been unable to work
for a year due to pain, fautigue,panic attacks,left side weakness been
hospitalized twice due to the likeness of stroke symptoms,memory loss
slurred speech at times,unable to speak words for the loss in the
memory of the word. i could go on and on but the truth of the matter is
its unreal that it came down to one drug .you have the idea ,to stick
together, that's our start getting a voice out there for everyone to
hear. i hope and pray that each of you with these terrible symptoms
find peace within your bodies soon! thanks dee.
Wow, that's fascinating. I have been getting tingling "pressure" in my feet, radiating up into my legs. I also sometimes get it in my lips, and once in my hand. I had not considered that it might be related to the Cymbalta.
I have also been having a "sloshy" feeling in my head, with a bit of ear pain.
I thought it might be related to a neurological issue I am dealing with, but I need to consider the possibility that it's Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms.
Thanks for the insight!
I have also been having a "sloshy" feeling in my head, with a bit of ear pain.
I thought it might be related to a neurological issue I am dealing with, but I need to consider the possibility that it's Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms.
Thanks for the insight!
Hello. I have been weaning myself off of Cymbalta for 5 weeks now. I had myself down to approx 20 beads per day for the past week and thought I could stop completely now, but back came the flu like symptoms and a milder version of the brain zaps. Am I ever going to be able to stop taking this medication? I am very tired of feeling this way.
I have been off Cymbalta, 60mg, for 2 weeks now. Stopped cold turkey. Do not have health insurance any more and the cost was going to be outrageous. I was originally put on this medication 2 years ago for pre-menopausal symptoms. After reading lots of what was ahead of me 2 weeks ago, I was almost glad to have had to make the decision to stop. It's kind of scary realizing what havoc is in store for you.
The "brain zaps" started for me 2 days after my last dose, and to this day, still have some. I'm not sure if they have lessened in severity, or if I have become accustomed to them. Not to say that the are not a distraction, just not as bothersome. Still a pain in the ass, however.
Crying. I think I have cried more in the past week, then maybe my entire life. I'm 44. I cry at everything these days. Happy, sad, angry, whatever!
I still have headaches also, but they are subsiding.
I have had terrible mood swings. Happy one minute, pissed off the next.
I did take others suggestions, and took Benadryl on my really bad days. It did seem to help. Placebo effect??
Hopefully, at this point, the end is in sight for me. I would never suggest anyone ever start taking Cymbalta. The ends do not justify the means.
The "brain zaps" started for me 2 days after my last dose, and to this day, still have some. I'm not sure if they have lessened in severity, or if I have become accustomed to them. Not to say that the are not a distraction, just not as bothersome. Still a pain in the ass, however.
Crying. I think I have cried more in the past week, then maybe my entire life. I'm 44. I cry at everything these days. Happy, sad, angry, whatever!
I still have headaches also, but they are subsiding.
I have had terrible mood swings. Happy one minute, pissed off the next.
I did take others suggestions, and took Benadryl on my really bad days. It did seem to help. Placebo effect??
Hopefully, at this point, the end is in sight for me. I would never suggest anyone ever start taking Cymbalta. The ends do not justify the means.
I was originally prescribed Cymbalta for "temporary situational depression". I hadn't ever had problems with depression before and am very healthy - but was going through a traumatic personal experience. I was on Cymbalta for almost a year and I kept voicing that I wanted to get off but my therapist kept advising not to. Finally I did. I read about the hard withdrawals and I decided to taper off - but they were making me feel weird and confused. I was unproductive and uncomfortable in public. Finally I realized that I needed to leave on a business trip and decided to up the ante abruptly to cold turkey. It was really horrible. I laid in bed having nightsweats and I hallucinated - first with sounds and then visuals. I got through it and in a week I was working again and feeling back to life. The relief was immediate and I was very excited to feel free and started tending to working through the original traumatic experience - which was hard, but the medication was prolonging it. Looking back though it probably took a couple of months very subtely and slowly until I felt back to my full self. I've had no side effects and am healthy again, physically and emotionally. On medication I was slightly bland and gained 20 pounds and had no sex drive and decreased desire for exercise (which I'm normally a fanatic about). In withdrawal I also had the brain zaps and was very forgetful, even completely forgetting where I was and what I was doing much of the time (this was before I went cold turkey). MY ADVICE from my own one experience: do it COLD TURKEY. Horrible, yes - but then it's done.
I have been taking 60 mg. cymbalta for about 5 years mainly for fibromyalgia discomfort. Because of the expense, I am now weaning off it, and like others, I am having the withdrawal of confusion, and all over flu-like feeling. But, I am determined to stop it. My doc said it is ok to wean off. I actually bought some empty gel capsules at the health food store and split my 60 mgs. into 3 capsules. It is working out ok for lowing the dosage slowly. But, I never will again take cymbalta. It is a great med, but you have to take it forever and it is still very expensive. I would not recommend it to anyone unless they are in very, very severe pain or depression.
This forum is a godsend. I have been on Cymbalta since the Storm five years ago. I am going to wean starting tomorrow. I assumed many of the side affects I now know about were simply age and allergies. The itching has gotten unbearable. I opened up my first capsule today and saw how easy it will be to remove portions. As I get my prescription from my Ob/gyn I dont really have a dr to talk to about this so wish me luck.