Long Term Effects

#1 freakedout

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Joined: 26-April 10
why_joining:
I have been struggling with depression, anxiety and antidepressants for 10 years and want to find out what is happening to anyone else who has been on cymbalta for extended time periods and then went off it

Posted 26 April 2010 - 02:20 PM

About a year ago I went off Cymbalta cold turkey because I no longer had insurance or healthcare and I couldn't afford the $130 a month to stay on it. I had been on it for 4 years. It worked well for me and mostly alleviated my depression. The previous 4 years I had been on Paxil which also worked well until it stopped being effective and I was switched to Cymbalta. It's been almost a year of no antidepressants and I'm in hell. My anxiety levels are through the roof. I've tried going back on cymbalta, paxil and celexa (all done under a doctors care) and find that I can't tolerate it. It just makes me feel so anxious. I'm a basket case. Has anyone else who has been off cymbalta for a long time experienced anything like this? What I don't know and am trying to figure out is if being on antidepressants for so long really messed up my brain chemistry and it is just taking this long to get back to some sort of normalcy or if this is just my depression coming back with a vengeance. It was never this bad before I went on antidepressants initially. I'm at wits end and just don't know what to think or do. Any feedback would be appreciated.[/font]

#2 MaureenV

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Joined: 10-August 09
LocationMelbourne, Australia
why_joining:
Am trying to get off Cymbalta 30mg and wondering about brain zaps.

Posted 26 April 2010 - 05:15 PM

freakedout, on 26 April 2010 - 02:20 PM, said:

Sorry I can't be much help; have you tried working with a professional to try to sort out the reasons for your depression and anxiety. Sometimes drugs are not the best solution.

I can't comment on the length of time you've been off, but I DO believe there's NO evidence that these drugs cause any permanent brain damage.

regards, Maureen.

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

#3 Junior

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Joined: 11-August 09
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 02 May 2010 - 01:59 AM

freakedout, on 26 April 2010 - 02:20 PM, said:

Hi Freaked

I didn't see this post or I would have responded earlier. Apologies.

It's likely that going off Cymbalta C/t is the reason for your current issues. Unfortunately, there is only a small window of time (not sure what it is but a year would be too long) in which reinstatement works. This is also the reason for your inability to tolerate the drugs you mentioned. Your brain is still healing from the chemical changes made by Cymbalta.

The good news is that it should get better from here on. I've read of people who have major problems a year out who improve greatly over the next 12 months. You might find this site helpful http://www.paxilprog...display.php?f=7 There are a number of people there who have suffered protracted withdrawal.

Some of the recommendations I've heard are: stay away from Vitamin B as it ramps up the nervous system and can actually increase anxiety. Magnesium is a calming natural element. Supplements work for some but not for others. Other suggestions are to look up Claire Weekes. She's dead now but has some very good books on how to calm anxiety. I've got one of them and personally highly recommend her methods. I believe there are online links to some of her stuff but I don't have them. Sorry.

Keep in touch and let us know how you go
Junior