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Wow, ok, so I suffer from daily headaches and frequent Migraines. I was in his office asking for help, I can't live in this pain daily. My P Doc says, have you ever tried Cymbalta? What's that I asked? Well he said, lots of headache patients are finding relief from Cymbalta. Let's give it a try...I'll get you samples. From that moment about 6 months ago I began my Cymbalta story... LOL more like Saga! So coming onto the drug, I was given 30mg 1x daily for 1 (one) week, moving to 60mg 1x daily. So getting up to speed on the meds was slow and uncomfortable for me. Stomach upset, heartburn, gas, diaharria to constipation, but always the gas. Memory as solid a a block of Swiss cheese. Short term memory has been totally shot. Nausea just about daily and throughout the day. I had been on the drug for about 4 weeks when it began to work on the chronic daily headaches!!! All the side effects could be worth this! It had been 1 1/2 YEARS since I had 1 (one) day without a headache, and then Tah-Dah!!! I had ZERO head pain for about a week. Just long enough to make me think Whoo Whooooo we finally got it!!! Well within the next week the sucess waned the headaches came back and the symptoms seemed horrible. Way worse than when the pill was working. Thinking back, about 6 weeks into treatment something went funny in my eyes, suddenly one night my eyes were hazy. I've NEVER had blurry vision until that night. I also had halos and starburst as I was driving home that night. It never went away. It was not until months later that it happend again. Now remember the 1st time blurred vision never stopped. So about a month ago my vision got worse, now I am blurry in the day and night. At the start of the new week, I went to my P Doc to say I thought Cymbalta might be causing my vision issue. He looked me in the eye and said got off of it. OK so how do I do that??? Well he said, stop taking the 60mg after today and start taking 30mg for 1 week and quit. He went to find samples and came back empty handed. "Well I have no samples" he said, "Just quit taking Cymbalta". I asked, what are the side effects of quitting that quickly? He said "Well, you will most likely feel a little dizziness, mostly a depth perception issue, nothing major". Whatever!!! Cymbalta 60mg for 6 months, then 30 for 1 week, no real issues, sure I'll try that! Holy cow this trip has been bad. I did not folow his cold turkey plan. I have read enough to know that would be dangerous to do so. I broke my 60mg into 30mg for 1 week, and down to 15mg for 1 week. Now here I am a work week into getting off Cymbalta and I am miserable Zaps,like little electrical shocks, brain zaps, coughing and gagging easily, GAS and bloating that if channeled properly might run a car on the fumes, sore tooth, heartburn, hungry all the time chills (no fever) hot flashes, irrability that beats all, aggression, and now tonight I notice spots in my vision, big ones in both eyes. What is going on?!?!?!? Can I actually get my old life back sometime soon?
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Wow My P Doc Is Clueless..... When do I find me again???
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#2
Ms_M 
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- Am currently going through withdrawals.
Posted 21 July 2010 - 01:43 PM
Sadly the docs are pretty clueless... From what I've read the testing on the drug doesn't include enough info on a w/d period. My doc will get an education next week when I have my next appointment.
I hadn't seen anyone else with the gag reflex issue. I have had that, too. This may sound gross, but blowing my nose makes me gag. Just thinking about it is doing it a little now. Ick.
This will get better - hang in there!
I hadn't seen anyone else with the gag reflex issue. I have had that, too. This may sound gross, but blowing my nose makes me gag. Just thinking about it is doing it a little now. Ick.
This will get better - hang in there!
#3
Tessa
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- I need help getting off of Cymbalta. I have tried to get off twice before and failed both times because of the terrible withdrawal symptoms. I love my doctor, but she does not have a clue about how evil Cymbalta can be when you try to stop taking it. I did manage to come down to 60mg from 90mg last month,as per her directions, but I thought I was going to die. Don't want to go through that again. There has to be a better way to come off of this stuff. HELP!
Posted 21 July 2010 - 01:50 PM
Hi Plumkatie,
OMG! You are not alone! I could have written this. It is almost my same story and experience since starting and trying to stop Cymbalta. What a trip! My doctor is also clueless. I have also had blurry vision since I have been on Cymbalta I have been to countless doctors to find out why my vision has all of a sudden gone blurry. Nothing was found and I was put on Restasis. And OMG!!!!!!!!!!! The gas is unbelievable, especially when you begin to lower your dose. Oh, and the constant craving for sugar? I am going to gain 50 lbs before I am off this stuff if I don't stop stuffing my face with candy and ice cream and every other bit of sugar that I can find. It is horrible. It is like I have lost all self control. Before getting on Cymbalta over a year ago, I used to exercise everyday and kept a very close watch on my weight. Now...I have become a worthless couch potato. I can't remember when I last walked on my treadmill. I am too tired and sleepy to do anything. It is pitiful. My whole personality has changed. I can't remember anything. I am getting fatter everyday. I have this huge belly that I don't know what to do with. I am constantly hungry. My stomach hurts off and on and I have nausea almost 24/7. Oh, and did I mention vivid dreams and nightmares? Yep, got 'em. I could write a book if I could remember past five minutes. Believe me...this is not all. I could go on and on and on. All I know is I want off of this terrible drug ASAP. I am currently on 60 mg. minus 36 beads this morning. At this rate I figure I ought to be Cymbalta free by 2015. HELP!
Best of luck and know that you are not alone.
Tessa
OMG! You are not alone! I could have written this. It is almost my same story and experience since starting and trying to stop Cymbalta. What a trip! My doctor is also clueless. I have also had blurry vision since I have been on Cymbalta I have been to countless doctors to find out why my vision has all of a sudden gone blurry. Nothing was found and I was put on Restasis. And OMG!!!!!!!!!!! The gas is unbelievable, especially when you begin to lower your dose. Oh, and the constant craving for sugar? I am going to gain 50 lbs before I am off this stuff if I don't stop stuffing my face with candy and ice cream and every other bit of sugar that I can find. It is horrible. It is like I have lost all self control. Before getting on Cymbalta over a year ago, I used to exercise everyday and kept a very close watch on my weight. Now...I have become a worthless couch potato. I can't remember when I last walked on my treadmill. I am too tired and sleepy to do anything. It is pitiful. My whole personality has changed. I can't remember anything. I am getting fatter everyday. I have this huge belly that I don't know what to do with. I am constantly hungry. My stomach hurts off and on and I have nausea almost 24/7. Oh, and did I mention vivid dreams and nightmares? Yep, got 'em. I could write a book if I could remember past five minutes. Believe me...this is not all. I could go on and on and on. All I know is I want off of this terrible drug ASAP. I am currently on 60 mg. minus 36 beads this morning. At this rate I figure I ought to be Cymbalta free by 2015. HELP!
Best of luck and know that you are not alone.
Tessa
#4
Jude
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Posted 21 July 2010 - 10:33 PM
Dear Katie...you are so right ,Drs are clueless to the w/d symptons from SINbalta.....we have to find what works for us....i read on a post here about taking omega3(fishoil),Bcomplex, and dramamine when dizzy...i have been doing that along iwth 30 mg cymbalata for a week now...i usually take the cymbalata around noon...but today i have not taken the sin drug yet...it is now 5:30 and the brain zaps and dizziness are starting...i am going to try real hard to forgo the sindrug today....took a dramamine...poured a glass of wine...lol...we just have to hang in there and do what we can to kick this w/d...i have no faith in a dr to even know what we go thru....i will conquer,so will you katie...we have this awesome web site for support...good luck sweety...*huggs*
We don't stop playing because we get older,we get older because stop playing
#5
cookie
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- In the future I would like to stop cymbalta
Posted 22 July 2010 - 04:14 AM
Dear PlumKatie:
It is so sad to know, that the side effects of cymbalta were horrible, and that the headaches came back worse than when the pill was working.
It is shocking to hear that your doctor told you “just quit taking cymbalta”. Even in the package insert it says not to stop cold turkey.
The electrical shocks, hot flashes, agression, extreme hunger and blurry vision are symptoms that I´ve experienced while weaning slowly. I can´t imagine what would have been like to stop cymbalta so fast.
I told my doctor that I was having hot flashes at night, he said that it was just the weather. The next week I had extreme breathlessness, and he said that it was polution. I am so lucky to have found this site, at least I know what is happening to me in reality.
Since you are having horrible withdrawal symptoms, you could go back to a certain dose of cymbalta until you stabilize and start weaning slowly from there. There are lots of threats on this site explaining how
Hugs
Cookie
It is so sad to know, that the side effects of cymbalta were horrible, and that the headaches came back worse than when the pill was working.
It is shocking to hear that your doctor told you “just quit taking cymbalta”. Even in the package insert it says not to stop cold turkey.
The electrical shocks, hot flashes, agression, extreme hunger and blurry vision are symptoms that I´ve experienced while weaning slowly. I can´t imagine what would have been like to stop cymbalta so fast.
I told my doctor that I was having hot flashes at night, he said that it was just the weather. The next week I had extreme breathlessness, and he said that it was polution. I am so lucky to have found this site, at least I know what is happening to me in reality.
Since you are having horrible withdrawal symptoms, you could go back to a certain dose of cymbalta until you stabilize and start weaning slowly from there. There are lots of threats on this site explaining how
Hugs
Cookie
#6 Guest_Guest_Val_*
Posted 27 July 2010 - 12:18 AM
I am so glad I found this site! My new pain doctor tried to switch me from 30 mg of Cymbalta to Savella. I was to take Cymbalta for 4 days with 12.5 mg of Savella twice a day, then stop the Cymbalta and up the Savella. The Savella made my heart feel like it was pounding out of my chest! I almost went to the ER. When I called my pain doctor she said "just stop taking everything for two weeks". What? I called my regular doctor and she said to do the same thing. So here I am about a week out and feeling nauseus constantly.
They said it would be out of my system in 2 weeks. I guess rich people go to rehab and poor people just suffer. Although I have BC/BS PPO insurance, so I guess it's just that I'm worthless and don't deserve not to suffer.
Good luck to everyone.
They said it would be out of my system in 2 weeks. I guess rich people go to rehab and poor people just suffer. Although I have BC/BS PPO insurance, so I guess it's just that I'm worthless and don't deserve not to suffer.
Good luck to everyone.
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