[Pharas]

I just wanted to share my experience for all of the current and future Cymbalta "withdrawalee's". I am on day 4 of being Cymbalta free. I am choosing to go off Cymbalta for a few reasons but the main 2 are: 1. weight gain (18lbs!) 2. preferring to keep my body in its natural state. The first 2 days were completely normal. This was surprising to me since I could feel the "brain shocks" after being a little late on a dose. Day 3.. it all started. I woke up with the Brain shocks and they continued to get stronger as the day went on. The bad ones would be accompanied with eye shifting too. Since I had experienced them before and had read about what I should expect, I was ok with them. Today has not been so good. The shocks a little stronger than before and the cloudy thinking becoming more and more apparent. I feel like I am very tipsy at all times. Knowing that I am not is a very strange feeling. Despite everything & b/c of it I have bouts of uncontrollable laughing. Then the latest symptom and the worst so far... All day I was completely fine other than the constant feeling of vertigo and being slightly drunk. I get in my car to drive home from work and about 10 minutes into my drive I burst out in tears. Not just a little whimper, full out bawling. People in the cars around me must have thought I just found out someone died or I got fired. I started Cymbalta when I was going through some personal issues and was having anxiety attacks. The Cymbalta helped tremendously but my life has become significantly better since I started it. During these crying bouts everything that makes me slightly unhappy becomes this earth-shattering thing. Since the drive home I have been crying on and off. I will take the brain shocks ten fold to feeling this depression. I keep telling myself that it will go away and that is keeping me sane. Also, to those that have far worse symptoms than I do, I am grateful! I realize this could be a lot worse and very well may get worse but we all need to remind ourselves that there is an end to this! For those that are over this..how long does this last?

[ernie]

Pharas, on 09 July 2010 - 10:04 PM, said:

I just wanted to share my experience for all of the current and future Cymbalta "withdrawalee's". I am on day 4 of being Cymbalta free. I am choosing to go off Cymbalta for a few reasons but the main 2 are: 1. weight gain (18lbs!) 2. preferring to keep my body in its natural state. The first 2 days were completely normal. This was surprising to me since I could feel the "brain shocks" after being a little late on a dose. Day 3.. it all started. I woke up with the Brain shocks and they continued to get stronger as the day went on. The bad ones would be accompanied with eye shifting too. Since I had experienced them before and had read about what I should expect, I was ok with them. Today has not been so good. The shocks a little stronger than before and the cloudy thinking becoming more and more apparent. I feel like I am very tipsy at all times. Knowing that I am not is a very strange feeling. Despite everything & b/c of it I have bouts of uncontrollable laughing. Then the latest symptom and the worst so far... All day I was completely fine other than the constant feeling of vertigo and being slightly drunk. I get in my car to drive home from work and about 10 minutes into my drive I burst out in tears. Not just a little whimper, full out bawling. People in the cars around me must have thought I just found out someone died or I got fired. I started Cymbalta when I was going through some personal issues and was having anxiety attacks. The Cymbalta helped tremendously but my life has become significantly better since I started it. During these crying bouts everything that makes me slightly unhappy becomes this earth-shattering thing. Since the drive home I have been crying on and off. I will take the brain shocks ten fold to feeling this depression. I keep telling myself that it will go away and that is keeping me sane. Also, to those that have far worse symptoms than I do, I am grateful! I realize this could be a lot worse and very well may get worse but we all need to remind ourselves that there is an end to this! For those that are over this..how long does this last?

Your going to make it!!! You are not insane. It's the drug. Keep telling yourself.
Some things I wrote tonight to two other people fit you too... I will keep you three in my prayers...

It will last 30-60 days after your last Cymbalta hit. IMO Based on what I have read.
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If your an Angry person like me without drugs, you'll go back to an angry person. If your a shy person without drugs, you'll go back to what you once were. For me I would be divorced without the prozac because I'm an angry person. Go back 20 years and think about how you felt when you were a teenager around 18 or 19. That's what you will turn back into with drugs? Make sense?
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Step 1. If you don't know God and better find him fast because your going to need to cry out for his help.
Step 2. Tell your family what your going through and tell them you need their support. Tell them your time table.
Step 3. Drink water and healthy foods. God did not put fast food on the planet. We did!
Step 4. Keep telling yourself it's OK that your angry, it's OK that your sad it normal with this drug. It's not that your brain is broke it that this drug stinks on withdrawal.
Step 5. Low noise level or use a white noise to distract you when the zaps come and they will come.
Step 7. Find a special place were you can be alone and feel safe.
Step 8. Drink Slurpees... Yes I don't know why, but the cool feeling helped. No coke. Blue is my favorite.
Step 9. Keep telling yourself you will be better (Every minute of pain)
Step 10. Exercise. But do it lightly at first because it will make your ringing worse
Step 11. Relax is part of your body moving from the feet to your head. Let each muscle go limp. Praise God while doing it. He's real and will be there next to you. When your not strong "in your mind" lean on him.
Step 12. Do Kind things to others.

And the last step most important is try to lower any stress you have. Kids, family... You need time to heal...

Well I hope this helps and forgive me if I get to religious... I haven't been but need to turn around to survive this. My ears are ringing now... But my mood is good.

I will pray for you. Keep in touch
-Ernie

[ernie]

pharas328, on 12 July 2010 - 08:53 AM, said:

Thank you Ernie! I do have many ppl praying for me. I feel like I am on the verge of tears all of the time and am VERY iritable. I just keep telling myself that everything is from the cymbalta or lack thereof and that I will see the other side!

We both will. Hang in there kido we can make it through!!!

-Ernie