[misskate]

me: 30 year old female
been on cymbalta for: about a year, started at 60mg, cut down to 30mg about 6 months ago.

Why: Anxiety mainly. Bit of OCD and bit of depression chucked in for good measure. Thanks brain, thanks chemical imbalance!

Started going crazy when: i tried to cut down my dosage by only taking my 30mg caps every couple of days... and then realised i was feeling terrible, so started taking them everyday again... and then felt even more horrible...

Today: i went and saw my Dr... enough is enough we both agreed... lets get rid of this drug i now refer to as SINbalta! Options are: remove it completely, or option 2 split the caps and cut down over the next few weeks.... hmmm now im a glutton for punishment... I choose door number 1 thanks... and lets get this stuff out sooner rather than prolonging it!

The challenge: i have a job interview for a really important and awesome job in 4 days.. I need to be in sound mind and health just for 1 hour on a Friday afternoon. I am awesome, i can do the job, i am worthy, I can do this while on withdrawal!!... repeat repeat repeat!!!!

The withdrawal accessories: xanax, anti nausea / anti psychotic drugs. A supportive flatmate, a understanding and only new boyfriend who has not given up on me even though i have acted like a maniac with all the anxiety etc and tried to push him away so many times so early into us seeing each other!

Symptoms so far: argghh Nausea. Ringing in ears. Just mis judged the doorway and walked into the door frame... ouch.

Why im writing on this forum: because i feel as though this is the only place where I will be understood about what im gonna be going through.

[cookie]

Dear MissKate:
Taking into account that you have a very important job interview, I wouldn´t stop cold turkey.
I like better option 2 (splitting the caps). I am a doctor, but I am afraid that if you stop completely, your symptoms won´t allow you to do your interview, and then have the strenght to work.

However, if you will have antipsychotic drugs support, then ask your doctor is this will diminish the withdrawal symptoms???

Hugs
Cookie

[misskate]

Ok so its day 3....

And i have to say things arent going too bad....

Major cravings of chocolate and junk food though.... went to the shops yesterday and walked out with pancakes, chocoalte, chocolate and more chocolate and then had pizza for dinner....

Feeling fuzzy in head randomly but trying to keep busy to just ignore it.... Im lucky enough to be a contractor so can take time off whenever I need it, so have not been working this week which i think helps... going to bed around 9.30 not waking up till around 10am....

Nausea still around and had to resort to anti nausea drugs the other night.

Feeling a bit irritated today.... but know I should just distract myself from it.

Not even feeling like staying in bed all day which for me is a HUGE improvement. I feel like getting up and going shopping and spending money i shouldnt.. hmmmm proabably not the best thing to do but well... im a girl and i like shopping.... however my desire to clean the bathroom has been greatly lost.... arggh i just cant be bothered doing it... much to my housemates dismay im sure!


I have been riding my bike a bit which I think helps too, oh and taking a multi vitiman and taking some acidophllus to make sure my stomach does not play up...

So to sum up... so far so good.... hope everyone is doing ok.... cant wait for my interview on Friday!!!

take care

Kate

[misskate]

2 weeks over....

Physical Symptoms have pretty much gone away..

As for mental symptoms well...

I didnt get the job i was hoping for... which really made me feel horrible and the feedback they gave me after the interview made me feel even worse... owell..


I felt the anxiety attacks come on pretty strong randomly, there were up days and down days...

Unfortunately on one of those down days / anxiety attacks the boy i was seeing decided he could not cope anymore and decided to end our relationship.
He thought he understood what was going on but didnt realise to the extent of the fact that the feelings / anxiety i was experiencing were magnifyed by 100% as I was withdrawing from drugs / then had no mood stabilizers.


So although now, I still have no job, and now no boyfriend, i still have friends and I have now gotten Cymbalta out of my system.. and put on a bit of weight as the chocolate cravings / junk food cravings were huge.

Tomorrow i start new medication called Prestiq... im looking forward to it as I know that my mind / body needs these drugs to be normal. I have only recently found out that my Fructose Allergy / IBS is all linked into my anxiety / depression.

I wish everyone on here all the very best of luck on their journey of removing cymbalta from their life. Mine came at a cost given I lost someone quite important to me, but on the upside im getting better and know that I need someone more understanding in my life who cares about me enough not to leave when things get tough!

big love
kate

[cookie]

 misskate, on 01 August 2010 - 04:15 AM, said:

2 weeks over....

Physical Symptoms have pretty much gone away..

As for mental symptoms well...

I didnt get the job i was hoping for... which really made me feel horrible and the feedback they gave me after the interview made me feel even worse... owell..


I felt the anxiety attacks come on pretty strong randomly, there were up days and down days...

Unfortunately on one of those down days / anxiety attacks the boy i was seeing decided he could not cope anymore and decided to end our relationship.
He thought he understood what was going on but didnt realise to the extent of the fact that the feelings / anxiety i was experiencing were magnifyed by 100% as I was withdrawing from drugs / then had no mood stabilizers.


So although now, I still have no job, and now no boyfriend, i still have friends and I have now gotten Cymbalta out of my system.. and put on a bit of weight as the chocolate cravings / junk food cravings were huge.

Tomorrow i start new medication called Prestiq... im looking forward to it as I know that my mind / body needs these drugs to be normal. I have only recently found out that my Fructose Allergy / IBS is all linked into my anxiety / depression.

I wish everyone on here all the very best of luck on their journey of removing cymbalta from their life. Mine came at a cost given I lost someone quite important to me, but on the upside im getting better and know that I need someone more understanding in my life who cares about me enough not to leave when things get tough!

big love
kate

Dear Kate

Do not worry, you will find the job and boyfriend that are right for you. At the end you are lucky that you received feedback on your interview, I never get feedback when I go to interviews. It is great that you have friends that support you.

Did you have anxiety attacks before taking cymbalta???? Or they started when you quit cymbalta?
Please ask your doctor about side and withdrawal effects of Pristiq. So you will be prepared once you take the pill.

Hugs
Cookie

[misskate]

Thanks for your reply Cookie, yeah the job im not so fussed about.... and yes at least i got feedback... but someone telling you 'you are too enthusastic, too keen, too excitable' isnt the best feedback. im pretty passionate about what i do and to be told that this is a bad thing.. well... who wants to work there anyway...

As for the boyfriend, well he had his own stuff going on and pretty much could not understand what i was going through.

The anxiety attacks were around before i started Cymbalta, and Cymbalta seemed to ease them greatlly. It was like in my head things were not a big deal anymore...

My doctor discussed with me the side effects of Pristiq and she pretty much said if i did ok with the Cymbalta i am going to find this drug a breeze. I am used to nausea and upset stomach due to my Irritable Bowel and the other symptoms suggested seem to be manageable as well.... hopefully i wont have a case of the 'yawns' which is very embarrassing at work places.

Im looking forward to being on the up...

Thankyou for being a friendly support....

Im still stupidly craving chocolate and junk food all the time though... dammit when will this withdrawal symptom end??? im going to end up going from a size 8 to a size 16!!!


thanks heaps

Kate

 cookie, on 01 August 2010 - 09:39 PM, said:

Dear Kate

Do not worry, you will find the job and boyfriend that are right for you. At the end you are lucky that you received feedback on your interview, I never get feedback when I go to interviews. It is great that you have friends that support you.

Did you have anxiety attacks before taking cymbalta???? Or they started when you quit cymbalta?
Please ask your doctor about side and withdrawal effects of Pristiq. So you will be prepared once you take the pill.

Hugs
Cookie

[JustJulz]

Be cautious about Pristiq. Check to see if there is a withrawal forum for that one too. We all thought cymbalta was helpful at first, but only when it didn't work, or we didn't feel we needed it did we learn how deep the hooks really were.

I had thought about switching too, but someone, a Dr. friend I think, said not to be too quick on that. It has stuck in my mind.