[MaureenV]

Hi Kris,

so sorry to hear you're not in a good place right now.

Can I ask what sort of dose you're taking at the moment. Perhaps you're trying to taper down too quick. You CAN come off Cymbalta without suffering excessive withdrawal side effects, but it may take longer than you'd like.

I started on anti-d a week after I started HRT. I thought all I was feeling was down to ghastly menopause symptoms, along with disturbed sleep like I'd never had before in my life. After a week on HRT, which DID help a bit, I just burst into tears at the doctor's and accepted that I was also depressed, which I'd suspected, but was hoping the HRT would put an end to the symptoms, and that I was wrong.

My GP said that it's not uncommon to put people on half dose HRT and half dose anti-d, and she has people doing well that way.

Feel free to share your health history, esp if you think it will put your situation in better perspective.

I couldn't agree with you more that when experiencing Cymbalta withdrawal the last thing you need is counselling, UNLESS it's just to tell you what you already know - it's not the real you. I had counselling on anti-d which did help me get on top of the issues which were contributing to the depression, but the way I felt at the withdrawal time was a way I've never felt before in my life. I just KNEW it wasn't me. Everyone else here will agree with us.

Unfortunately if your doctor doesn't accept that Cymbalta can do that you're going to have to work this out without his/her help.

I don't know what to say about the role of clinic nurses, we don't have them here much, and even then they only do things like asthma management, diabetes management etc, not as a go-between between doctor and patient thank god, and I hope we don't go that way. I've been sooooooooo lucky that my doctor trusted what I said, and has been prepared to learn from me as to how I did this.

Having said that, anyone who didn't get support from their doctor if they decided to go their own way with tapering off this drug, and did it successfully, needs to find a new doctor. If you stuck to weaning off the way they recommended with unpleasant results, you also need to find a new doctor. Next time there's a problem you're going to have the same problem.

Why not just ignore what your doctor wants you to do. If you've got sufficient supply of Cymbalta you can do this with the support of everyone here, just as I and others have done. We've got the runs on the board, most doctors don't because of the drug companies.

Take care, and keep in touch.

Maureen.

[MaureenV]

Me again,



Have just read your post in family support and was reminded of the tinnitus.


I found a very very very strong connection between brain zaps and the level of tinnitus I was getting. Each microsecond's zap was accompanied by what 'seemed like' a ten fold increase in the tinnitus, like someone was clashing cymbals inside my brain.

I found when my levels of tinnitus where high, my tolerance level for anything was very, very low.


What I realized after a while, and may help you, was that I was incredibly sensitive to noise like normal voices etc. I didn't actually register this consciously until one day I nearly snapped at my husband 'can you please stop ...' I was about to say 'shouting' when I realized he was just talking in anormal voice.

One night he and my daughter (both TopGear tragics) were watching the show, laughing and talking and I had to go to the other end of the house. Other days I couldn't even tolerate the ipod noise. When I did use it I had the volume turned right down.

I found it helped a lot to be where it was silent. Left the CD off in the car, etc etc. At my warehouse, where I can't expect the guys to turn the music off just because of me, I wore the ipod with it turned down to the point where it blocked out the noisy music they had on.

Hope that helps a bit.

cheers, Maureen.

regards, Maureen.

[MaureenV]

Oh wow thanks for the kind words, but I do know what you mean about people here understanding.


My husband doesn't even know I'm on HRT, much less anti-d (another long story) so I haven't been able to talk to anyone at home, and my nearly 18 yo daughter is a delight, but behaving, well, like the average teenager. She doesn't 'worry' me - she' not into drugs, too much alcohol or partying etc, but boy does she know how to push my (very visible) buttons.

I have two sisters I'm close to, but both are so anti-drugs that they've suffered severe menopause symptoms, one for 10 years now, and the other for five, so their first reaction if I told them what I was taking would be 'why on earth would you want to do that'?

I have two friends I talk to about it, but one (who started HRT a month before me after suffering badly) who is supportive has only another 10 days to get her honours thesis finished, so have to try to be supportive of her rather than leaning on her. The other is a 33 year old male (boy, the things he's learnt about women .... ) but he's having his own relationship difficulties (which is how we started talking two years ago) so again, can't just be the needy one.

So, for me, this board has been incredible. The warmth I felt (morning Houdi!) when I first posted made me feel I'd get through this o.k.

So glad your endo is supportive of tapering. I agree that just dropping 30mg is not realistic. If you're in America you can get a 20mg capsule which is 180 balls, so that may help you.

Funny you talk about having sensitive hearing; I actually have poor 'high decibel' hearing (about 80% hearing loss at that level) but only about 10 - 20% hearing loss at lower levels. This means I can hear perfectly that someone is talking to me, I just can't work out what they're saying unless they're facing me and speaking clearly, and then in doesn't matter how quietly they're speaking. My husband tends to interpret my hearing problem as the need to shout!!

The ENT specialist I saw (because I was also suffering intermittent severe BPPV - commonly known as vertigo) said that if people in the household knew how to speak to me so I'd understand, I should just ignore them if they didn't. It's a genetic thing in our family - of five siblings another two have the same problem.

Just post on here, whenever, people will understand even if you just want to vent!

cheers, Maureen.

[Junior]

Hi Kris

So sorry you are having such a hard time with this. I'm glad you found us. There are some very helpful and supportive people on this board. Houdi is the moderator and she is 'lurking' but things are going well here and people are giving others lots of support, so she doesn't post much now.

I don't know whether anyone who hasn't had to go through the experience of trying to get off, not only Cymbalta, but other anti-depressants as well - although Cymbalta seems to be the worst - can truly understand just how hard it is. These are powerful drugs and they change our brains and our minds.

I agree with Maureen, if your own Dr isn't supportive then find one who is. It is not only the medical side that is important, it is the emotional. You need to know that he/ she is on YOUR side.

We are here for you as well :)
Junior

[nursedeborah]

Kris,
Welcome, and I am sorry I didn't respond sooner. I do understand everything you are going through!
You are not alone, and your so smart to be able to get that it was the drug, amd not you.

For 3 years I was on 60 mg, and became a vegetable almost. All I did was sit, or lay down, I had no
energy, and I too was alone all day, and night as I am single. I couldn't leave my home after being
on this drug for awhile, and then when I did I felt so out of it, and had so much more anxiety than before.
I coulndn't clean my home, shower, it was really bad.

I came here in Aug and started my slow decrease from 60 mg, and now I am on 22 mg! I never thought
I would make it. I was going to fast as I was having such a hard time with my memory, and I too wanted
to just get off this stuff. Then the withdrawls were so bad, I went the Prozac route, I learned here that it
helped with the withdrawls.

I have come a long long way, but still see that I have damage, and withdrawls. It just is so much better than
it was, my gooodness it's almost 2 months now.

You can keep a journal on here anywhere you want to. Just call it what ever's journal, another was doing the same
to see her progress, now I wish I would have done the same. I just go back, and read older posts I have writen,
and I can see the difference, so can my peers.

Glad you found us. Ask all the questions you want!!


Debbie

[nursedeborah]

Kris,
Just checking in on you. How are you doing today?
Let us all know, just worried about you that's all.

Debbie

[MaureenV]

Hi Kris,


you'll get there, I promise. You'll look back and wonder who the person was who took over your body for a while.


Can I ask where you live? Not that living in a sunny place is insurance against a Vitamin D deficiency these days. With Australia having near the highest skin cancer rates in the world people generally avoid too much of the sun, to the extent that random surveys have found widespread deficiencies. All the talk of mercury and lead in fish doesn't help us get enthusiastic about getting it from that source either!!

Can I ask what level of Cymbalta you're on now? I KNOW it's hard to accept that it's going to take time to get off it, but you CAN get off it, with minimal symptoms, by going very slowly, and allowing your body to adjust slowly to the reduced dose.


take care, Maureen.

[maybgoingon]

I have been supper depressed on and off for some time now,I have extreme chronic pain in my back, hips and left leg for about 20 months now & have been on percocet for 20months now for it.With so many things going on in my world that are just horrible,I went to a therapist.She said for me to put on anti-d's.I asked my doc and he said hes putting me on cymbalta for both the pain and dep.I have in the past tried to quit the perc's, the withdrawals were 100%....YUCK.I had to go back on.This crap sounds much much much worse that getting off the very addicting narcotics.
I have 3 small children,1teenage who molested 1 of my small children(who has been out my home now 4 almost 2 years,in which it was myself who had to remove him.not even the county nor my hubby would help me on any of that topic.) and I am sitting here not knowing what to do.I can't handle my life with this physical pain,I cannot even be a mom.I cannot handle the crappy husband I have choosen to stay with,he has not made my dep any better,only nasty horrible.I could not be a mom when I tried to get off the pain meds,I litterally have no clue what to do!!! I need to function,but what would the best bet be.I honestly am a christian who loves Jesus,I should be able to trust Him,to get better without any meds.I just cannot do it.I hate hate hate the fact that I am addicted to pain pills. I quit smoking&drinking when I got saved,never wanted to depend on any little thing again.Now here am I standing in a crossroads.I really never wanted to get addicted to the pain meds,I truly believe if I had read up on the side effects more like this time,I would've just forgot that idea to begin with.
That being said,I am dep,I have major pain issues,is it at all worth going on this psycho med? I am not even sure if this medicine is even for the pain I experience. I had a herniated disc,it pinched my sci nerve.The disc resolved,but central stenosi,scoliosis,and I believe perm nerve damage is still very much causing me pain.The mri's don't show anything wrong with my nerves,and I did an emg
(OUCH) to see if I had muscle/nerve damage.All says I am a ok.My body strongly disagrees. Is this medicine for this type of pain? I have to take more percs everyday to just get my pain bearable,& my doc said he will never up the dosage.He said no way.I am at 5-325's 10-12 a day. I am so sure my liver is running with the best of em as we speak.Any ideas?I need guidance BIG time here!! Thanks for all of you who have taken the time to read this,and not to preach, but pray about the withdrawals.....I did when i quit smoking cold turkey after 12years.It helped so much.

[nursedeborah]

maybgoingon,
Welcome to the site, and if you have not started this drug, I would not do so. If you think the withdrawls from
drinking, and smoking, or coming off Perc"s is very hard, it is nothing compared to this, not even close.

I am in recovery, and what has happened to you is that your body has reached a tolerance to the Perc's, that's
why it takes more of them now ttoget that same feeling as when you first started taking them, and only had to
take 2. this will only continue, and you will be taking more than the 10 per day that your already taking, I know
I was hooked on them myself. This has nothing to do with God, this is addiction, and it needs to be treated
medically. Of course you can't get off it yourself, it's to painful, and the only thing we know how to do it take
the drug to get rid of the way we are feeling, we want relief from the withdrawls at all cost. Most have to go
into a detox program in order to be taken off the Perc's, but you really have to be wanting this more thatn
anything else.

I know your in pain, I too live in pain everyday due to a failed back surgery, it's a long story, but I still never
take more than my 2 pain pills each am, ever! I remember only too well what it was like getting clean/sober
years ago.

I just pray that you will seek the help you need for the Perc's that your taking. I know your hear about the
Cymbalta, but I just can't overlook something like this being that I am in recovery. I don't have any doubt
that it was God who had me see this post today, as He is very active in my life, and He keeps me clean/sober
today, but that was only after I got help, and went to AA, and stayed there.

Like I said if your not on this stuff don't add another addiction to your pocket. I would really take care of the
Perc's. Long term pain meds can also cause you depression, do you know that, so does pain. I am really
suprised that your doc's are not aware of this. Until you can be free of the Per's your not going to have any
control over your life, because right now they are running your life. What will you do when your taking more
than what your doc gives you? Go to another doc to get another RX for more? That's what ends up happening
to most.

Sorry that I did preach, folllowed my heart.

God Bless,
Debbie