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Originally my MD wanted me to start taking an antidepressant because I got dumped by my boyfriend (for someone else) and my best friend (who I lived with AND was my manager at work) had a HUGE falling out and were never to speak again. Obviously I was grieving, stressed at work, weepy, and was having hot flashes in the night. I agreed to try cymbalta.
The symptoms of starting the drug for me were diarrhea, headache, exhaustion, memory loss, (I could list more if I could actually remember two months ago). After about two weeks I felt better. I stopped crying all the time and found my job more tolerable. I never took more than 30mg a day.
After being on the stuff for two months I became too tired to function. The yawning and fatigue was unbearable. One day I had to leave work early because I was too tired to be there. I got home and laid down for a nap. I woke up after an hour and found that my limbs started twitching. I tried to suppress the movements but could only stop for about ten seconds at a time. Over the course of 20 minutes the limb twitches became full on movements which were uncontrollable. My entire body including both arms, legs, torso, neck, fingers, toes, facial muscles were shaking and jerking around. My brain just kinda shut off. I was awake the entire time and was able to jerk and twitch my way into a cab to get to the emergency room. (Definitely couldn't believe this was happening, assumed it was a seizure) I was hitting and kicking and flailing around in the cab. When I got to the hospital the nurse had to carry me because I could not walk. While I was there the movements continued into the night. They did a CT scan, took a bunch of tests (I'm sure they thought I was smoking crack but I proved I wasn't by peeing in a cup for them!)
When the CT scan came back negative they told me to go home. I saw my MD who prescribed the meds the next day. I sat there in the exam room and watched him google "cymbalta side effects"! He had to consult a neurologist who said I should go from 30 mg to 15 mg RIGHT AWAY and stop completely ASAP because the movements were (in his opinion) a side effect of cymbalta.
...I weaned off for a week and stopped completely (per neurologist's orders). The body movement problem stopped but the side effects of quitting have been terrible.
THAT WAS THREE WEEKS AGO AND......
I have not bottomed out yet. Every day it's some other weird physical problem I would never have guessed I would have or could still be having. Here is what I am still experiencing: confusion, speech problems, gagging, sore throat, runny nose, HEADACHE, sleeplessness, temper, weepiness, memory loss. IT ISN'T LETTING UP AFTER BEING CYMBALTA FREE FOR 3 WHOLE WEEKS. I don't trust that my doctor knows anything. He can't help me. I'm starting to believe I will never be well.
Will I get well again or is this permanent?
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Still Miserable - I've Been 100% Off For 3 Weeks.. side effects, body movement,
MultiQuote#2 Guest_Cymbalta-Ex_*
Posted 31 July 2010 - 12:34 AM
Dear fellow sufferer,
I too had a falling out with cymbalta after about 5 months of benefit. First I want to tell you to keep a fighting spirit. You will make it.
Cymbalta's withdrawal syndrome is much MUCH worse than paxil's or zoloft's or lexapro's. I think it has to do with the norepinephrine component in the body. But who really cares why? You are hurting right?
The brain shakes will go away in about 2 months. The overwhelming fatigue will go away in about 6-8 months.
Here are some other suggestions to discuss with your doctor:
--low dose prozac (I read this on another site--I haven't actually seen a doc use it for this purpose)
--SAMe (s-adenosyl methionine) is a wonder drug. Technically, it is sold as a supplement. Start 200 mg AM and 200 mg in PM for 2 weeks. Then increase up to 400 mg three times a day. The beauty of SAMe is it's kinda like insulin for diabetics. You can take more on days you need it and less on other days.
--Ginkgo also boosts energy levels. (I take both SAMe and ginkgo)
--Any morning you wake up with the shakes take 12.5 mg meclizine. I take it about 20-30 times a year now. It is a wonder OTC. It is as good as ativan, and you don't have to see your doc for a rx.
I have never been an illegal drug addict, but I felt like one after taking cymbalta, ativan, lexapro, ritalin, zoloft, paxil etc.
I too had a falling out with cymbalta after about 5 months of benefit. First I want to tell you to keep a fighting spirit. You will make it.
Cymbalta's withdrawal syndrome is much MUCH worse than paxil's or zoloft's or lexapro's. I think it has to do with the norepinephrine component in the body. But who really cares why? You are hurting right?
The brain shakes will go away in about 2 months. The overwhelming fatigue will go away in about 6-8 months.
Here are some other suggestions to discuss with your doctor:
--low dose prozac (I read this on another site--I haven't actually seen a doc use it for this purpose)
--SAMe (s-adenosyl methionine) is a wonder drug. Technically, it is sold as a supplement. Start 200 mg AM and 200 mg in PM for 2 weeks. Then increase up to 400 mg three times a day. The beauty of SAMe is it's kinda like insulin for diabetics. You can take more on days you need it and less on other days.
--Ginkgo also boosts energy levels. (I take both SAMe and ginkgo)
--Any morning you wake up with the shakes take 12.5 mg meclizine. I take it about 20-30 times a year now. It is a wonder OTC. It is as good as ativan, and you don't have to see your doc for a rx.
I have never been an illegal drug addict, but I felt like one after taking cymbalta, ativan, lexapro, ritalin, zoloft, paxil etc.
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Posted 31 July 2010 - 05:43 AM
Dear 'xxoskeleton':
First it is a shame, that antidepressants are prescribed so easily to mentally healthy people when going through rough times in life. I think the external stressors (boyfriend, best friend, work, etc) could have been solved some other way (talk therapy maybe). For me there are 2 types of depression. One is the chemical depression, which is suffered by people with imbalances in brain neurotrasmitters. The second type is suffered by any healthy person in their life when going through a hard time.
It is good that you only took 30mg and that you only took it for 2 months. Since it seems you were too sensible to this product, a higher dose would have been worse.
I have also experienced Fatigue.
It is curious that you mentioned that your "brain shut off". When I started weaning I experienced this same symptom. I didn´t know what it was, until I posted it on this site and someone mentioned it could be a seizure. In my case I didn´t have the shaking or uncontrollable movements.
Quitting cold turkey or real fast, is not recommended, but since you had seizures as a side effect I think it was the best thing your doctor and neurologist could have done.
Speech problems, flu like symptoms, headache, sleepiness, irritability, weepiness, have been withdrawal symptoms I have experienced. I can so relate with your phrase "Every day it's some other weird physical problem I would never have guessed I would have". There is always a new symptom!
I am not a doctor. But I definitely think this is a temporary situation not a permanent damage. Your body/brain are just getting used to be without the medication.
Besides, you didn´t have all this symptoms when cymbalta was first prescribed, so I think you will go back to what you were before cymbalta. A healthy person.
From what I´ve read on this site, withdrawal last different from person to person.
Going to the first paragraph I wrote. I think you were a normal person who was just depressed and stressed by external things (environment) in your life. It seems that you had no chemical imbalance. So there is a lot of hope for you.
hugs
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First it is a shame, that antidepressants are prescribed so easily to mentally healthy people when going through rough times in life. I think the external stressors (boyfriend, best friend, work, etc) could have been solved some other way (talk therapy maybe). For me there are 2 types of depression. One is the chemical depression, which is suffered by people with imbalances in brain neurotrasmitters. The second type is suffered by any healthy person in their life when going through a hard time.
It is good that you only took 30mg and that you only took it for 2 months. Since it seems you were too sensible to this product, a higher dose would have been worse.
I have also experienced Fatigue.
It is curious that you mentioned that your "brain shut off". When I started weaning I experienced this same symptom. I didn´t know what it was, until I posted it on this site and someone mentioned it could be a seizure. In my case I didn´t have the shaking or uncontrollable movements.
Quitting cold turkey or real fast, is not recommended, but since you had seizures as a side effect I think it was the best thing your doctor and neurologist could have done.
Speech problems, flu like symptoms, headache, sleepiness, irritability, weepiness, have been withdrawal symptoms I have experienced. I can so relate with your phrase "Every day it's some other weird physical problem I would never have guessed I would have". There is always a new symptom!
I am not a doctor. But I definitely think this is a temporary situation not a permanent damage. Your body/brain are just getting used to be without the medication.
Besides, you didn´t have all this symptoms when cymbalta was first prescribed, so I think you will go back to what you were before cymbalta. A healthy person.
From what I´ve read on this site, withdrawal last different from person to person.
Going to the first paragraph I wrote. I think you were a normal person who was just depressed and stressed by external things (environment) in your life. It seems that you had no chemical imbalance. So there is a lot of hope for you.
hugs
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