New Here Cold Turkey

New Here Cold Turkey was on 120mg daily had to stop cold turkey help please

#1 pq112570

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stopped taking cymbalta on friday. I was on 120 mg a day. I have just started having brain zaps wondering what is yet to come

Posted 12 April 2010 - 06:17 AM

I was on 120mg of cymbalta for over a year had to stop taking it this past friday. Its Monday and I'm starting to cry alot and have brain zaps. Please help need to know what to expect next and how long before it gets worse?
Can anyone help me how long before symptoms get worse already having brain zaps and uncontrollable crying. Please help me understand how much worse the symptoms could possible get?

#2 Doob

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Curently on day 6 of stopping "cold turkey"
Just looking for some support.

Posted 12 April 2010 - 11:08 AM

pq112570, on 12 April 2010 - 06:17 AM, said:

Hey PQ,
Doob here I have been cold turkey for 13 days now. Cold Turkey is not the easist way to go. I was only on 60 but have gone thru hell trying to get off this stuff. I have been going thru the brain zaps and crying. You may feel joint and ab pain, muscle pain and cramps, Very serious Zaps and headaches. The may be the toughest thing I have ever done.
There is hope wether you ween yourself down or go cold turkey. I have been feeling great the last few days. Still have some brain zaps and headaches but they are getting better. I have not cried in 5 days (Makes me want to cry with happiness).
Aches and pains are almost gone. And zaps and headaches are managable. I was a little hard on myself as I did't take any motrin or pain killers.
Hang in there. Close family will hear your cry.
Peace
Doob

#3 pq112570

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Posts: 3
Joined: 12-April 10
why_joining:
stopped taking cymbalta on friday. I was on 120 mg a day. I have just started having brain zaps wondering what is yet to come

Posted 12 April 2010 - 11:54 AM

Doob, on 12 April 2010 - 11:08 AM, said:

Thank you so much it helps to here that others have made it through it. I'm just really scared right now. Scared my family and my boss at work won't understand the withdrawal process. It's hard to tell you boss your withdrawing from something so I am trying to tough it out at work however its getting harder. Any suggestions on how to tell my boss would be great.

#4 Doob

Advanced Member

Group: Members
Posts: 57
Joined: 04-April 10
LocationCali
why_joining:
Curently on day 6 of stopping "cold turkey"
Just looking for some support.

Posted 12 April 2010 - 05:09 PM

pq112570, on 12 April 2010 - 11:54 AM, said:

Share this website with them. When I showed my wife that this is what I am going thru, she understood better why I was complaning and why I acting the way I was. It's an eye opener.
Hang in there and use the support that is out there. Sometimes it's not easy to verbalize. But it always helps to share what you are feeling.

Doob

#5 Junior

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LocationMelbourne, Australia
why_joining:
I am a sufferer of depression and GAD. After 20 years of suffering with undiagnosed GAD (to be fair to the medical profession, it wasn't in the DSM back then) I stumbled upon Aropax following a bout of depression. Having had the therapy I badly needed at the time, I came good and did well on Aropax for 11 years. Last year I started having difficulty with sleeping and thought I was suffering the poop out effect, so I switched to Lexapro. A few months later I realised it was causing me more problems than it was solving so my GP agreed to give me a referral to a psychiatrist - so we could work out the best medicine for me. Nearly 3 weeks on Cymbalta and I've stopped already. I've had restlessness, increased insomnia (I now recognise that there is more to that), an inability to concentrate (the opposite of the real me) and nausea. I want to converse with others who are going through the same issues with medication.

Posted 14 April 2010 - 10:49 PM

pq112570, on 12 April 2010 - 06:17 AM, said:

Hi PQ

Can you get samples from your Dr? 120mg is a high dose to go c/t from. I went c/t from 60mg and would NOT recommend it to anyone. If possible it would be better to get back on a lower dose and wean from there.

If that is not possible, most people find that the worst passes in about 2-3 weeks although there can be up and down symptoms for some months.

Cheers
Junior

#6 Doob

Advanced Member

Group: Members
Posts: 57
Joined: 04-April 10
LocationCali
why_joining:
Curently on day 6 of stopping "cold turkey"
Just looking for some support.

Posted 10 May 2010 - 10:43 PM

I am 37 days off Cymbalta and one of the only symptoms I still have are the
occassional Brain Zap. I also worry that it is a permanent damage. Only time will tell.
Keep an eye on our community here. If we can't help each other who will?
Doob

#7 MaureenV

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Am trying to get off Cymbalta 30mg and wondering about brain zaps.

Posted 11 May 2010 - 08:02 AM

Doob, on 10 May 2010 - 10:43 PM, said:

If it's any consolation Doob, I haven't seen anyone here saying that the brain zaps have not eventually completely disappeared.

By the time I started tapering properly, I was able to get by with 20mg and wean down from there, which took me 10 weeks, dropping about every four days. The last drops were 1mg at a time, and even then, the brain zaps, although mild, lasted nearly weeks.

The only comment I'd make, although I'm hesitant to sound negative, is that those who've gone cold turkey seem to be far more likely to suffer a recurrence of symptoms down the track a month or two. I'm just saying this so you know that even in those cases, they do pass again I haven't seen anyone here with permanent symptoms.

regards, Maureen.

AND WELL DONE!

You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.

#8 maddie

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why_joining:
I am in my 9th day of cold turkey withdrawal from Cymbalta and sort of need to read and/or talk about it.

Posted 22 August 2010 - 05:10 PM

I am now really confused. I was on Cymbalta 30mg for 5 weeks and was then increased to 60mg for approx 4 days. I began to have horrible vertigo and balance problems...it was a weekend and couldn't reach my doctor, so I stopped taking cymbalta cold turkey. At first I had a horrible headache and the dizzyness brain zaps and balance problem and horrible dreams. That was 10 days ago, and all that I have left of that today is very bad fatigue and the buzzing and brain zaps and some slight off balance feelings...but less than they were. I didn't have mood swings at all. As a matter of fact, today I am in a great mood. I'm only concerned that the really bad stuff could still be coming to get me. What a horrible medication. Good luck to all who are struggling with getting off of "the devil med".