[shadow]

I have been withdrawing for 1 month from 60mg daily. I went to a senior pharmacist today working at a drug store/pharmacy, in Sydney, Australia. I asked her how to decrease the dose exactly or proportionally. She told me that what I am experiencing has nothing to do with Cymbalta. Brain zaps, massive weight gain, breathing difficulties, food intolerances, liver problems etc. and etc. She stated Cymbalta is very easy to stop for the majority of people and it has virtually no side effects, other than a small number of people experienced some very minor side effects and she was not going to argue about it. She stated that I am the one with a problem not Cymbalta. She stated that cymbalta (duloxetine) in Australia is a totally different chemical to cymbalta (duloxetine) in other countries. She said that some people outside of Australia might get terrible side effects but it is totally impossible here. This woman is dispensing medicines to the public, she is also a compound pharmacist, which makes her even more dangerous.

[Cat]

shadow, on 31 December 2010 - 03:13 AM, said:

I have been withdrawing for 1 month from 60mg daily. I went to a senior pharmacist today working at a drug store/pharmacy, in Sydney, Australia. I asked her how to decrease the dose exactly or proportionally. She told me that what I am experiencing has nothing to do with Cymbalta. Brain zaps, massive weight gain, breathing difficulties, food intolerances, liver problems etc. and etc. She stated Cymbalta is very easy to stop for the majority of people and it has virtually no side effects, other than a small number of people experienced some very minor side effects and she was not going to argue about it. She stated that I am the one with a problem not Cymbalta. She stated that cymbalta (duloxetine) in Australia is a totally different chemical to cymbalta (duloxetine) in other countries. She said that some people outside of Australia might get terrible side effects but it is totally impossible here. This woman is dispensing medicines to the public, she is also a compound pharmacist, which makes her even more dangerous.

Heres a woman obviously getting a kickback from Eli Lilly. Show her our forum! I fired my dr after he told me that statistically speaking I was not in the age group of those experiencing suicidal thoughts. So I asked him if it would help if I killed myself in his office that way the statistics would shift! If you go onto clinical trials.gov you will see that Eli Lilly is just now doing research on this drug and people over the age of 25.
I would love to see some of the support material this pharmacist has.....I would slam her with all the testimony of people here! One death is one too many no matter what the age and for those of us still fighting we've lost friends, family, some of us jobs. Keep weaning off the drug carefully!

Best
Cat

[pamela]

shadow, on 31 December 2010 - 03:13 AM, said:

I have been withdrawing for 1 month from 60mg daily. I went to a senior pharmacist today working at a drug store/pharmacy, in Sydney, Australia. I asked her how to decrease the dose exactly or proportionally. She told me that what I am experiencing has nothing to do with Cymbalta. Brain zaps, massive weight gain, breathing difficulties, food intolerances, liver problems etc. and etc. She stated Cymbalta is very easy to stop for the majority of people and it has virtually no side effects, other than a small number of people experienced some very minor side effects and she was not going to argue about it. She stated that I am the one with a problem not Cymbalta. She stated that cymbalta (duloxetine) in Australia is a totally different chemical to cymbalta (duloxetine) in other countries. She said that some people outside of Australia might get terrible side effects but it is totally impossible here. This woman is dispensing medicines to the public, she is also a compound pharmacist, which makes her even more dangerous.

I find it hard to believe that the chemical in cymbalta is different from country to country. Eli Lilly has a patent on the formula.....I don't see how it would differ.

Anyhow.......how condescending of that pharmacist. I have had pharmacists in the US pretty much look at me like I was nuts too. I think that until you expereince it yourself then you just have no idea. Much like my male OB telling me what childbirth was going to feel like. Uh.....when did HE give birth?

[cookie]

Dear Shadow:
I have been weaning slowly for 8 months (initial dosage was 60mg). And I´ve had a long list of withdrawal symptoms (emotional and physical). During the 5 years I took the drug I gained a lot of weight. Since I started weaning I´ve had Brain zaps (although not frequent), breathing difficulties, liver pain. I had a friend who had no problem weaning from cymbalta, (she switched to another antidepressant though). So I guess everyone is different. What matters here is that YOU ARE having difficulties quitting and that is what should matter to you. This site was a lifesaver for me. I realized that most symptoms I am having, are the same ones as other people´s when quitting. That makes me more calm about it.
I wish you a happy new year full of health, happiness and strength to overcome this situation.

[shadow]

shadow, on 31 December 2010 - 03:13 AM, said:

I have been withdrawing for 1 month from 60mg daily. I went to a senior pharmacist today working at a drug store/pharmacy, in Sydney, Australia. I asked her how to decrease the dose exactly or proportionally. She told me that what I am experiencing has nothing to do with Cymbalta. Brain zaps, massive weight gain, breathing difficulties, food intolerances, liver problems etc. and etc. She stated Cymbalta is very easy to stop for the majority of people and it has virtually no side effects, other than a small number of people experienced some very minor side effects and she was not going to argue about it. She stated that I am the one with a problem not Cymbalta. She stated that cymbalta (duloxetine) in Australia is a totally different chemical to cymbalta (duloxetine) in other countries. She said that some people outside of Australia might get terrible side effects but it is totally impossible here. This woman is dispensing medicines to the public, she is also a compound pharmacist, which makes her even more dangerous.

[shadow]

Thank you all so much for your support.
I have been feeling really fragile for a few days, I hold on to the fact it is going to get better. It may not get better as fast as I would like, but I will improve. It makes a big difference to have people who understand. I have decided to report the Pharmacist to her governing association, it is really irresponsible and dangerous to behave as she did.

[mixiepixie]

I'd feel angry, too, if a doctor or pharmacist talked to me like that! You are not the problem- I hope that is obvious by now. There are good people and crappy ones in every profession, and you ran into a crappy one. As for your withdrawal symptoms- many on this forum have mentioned this site, which I also found very helpful http://www.theroadback.org/ It is a non-profit just out to help us with this very thing. They list the specific symptoms and specific solution/nutritional help for it (which they do not sell or make any money off of). I have had a lot of the "zaps" and dizziness- unlike any other sensations I have ever had in my life, and not just in my brain, but stronger in my chest, upper arms, and front neck to up under my tongue! Oddly, tho, I enjoy the weird/vivid dreams. The fish oil capsules helped HUGELY with the physical sensations. I had some cheap cod liver oil capsules that helped, then got some krill oil which has helped even more- and no fishy burps. For the first time since I started tapering off I am symptom free this morning. Yeah!!!! Also, eating bananas and eggs, has helped me- which others on this site recommended. Best wishes to you. I hope this helped. Hang in there. I promise it will get better.

[cookie]

Dear Shadow:
What food intolerances are you having????? What test can I do to check that out????

[cookie]

shadow, on 18 January 2011 - 07:26 AM, said:

Hi Cookie,

Just about everything I eat makes my abdomen swell massively, I feel nauseous, lethargic and very uncomfortable after every meal. My body seems to react badly to every food, though not so badly to sugar and I am continually starving. As soon as I eat a meal, I am starving hungry again, within about 30 minutes. It takes a huge amount of willpower to ignore this. In Australia where I live, you have to see a doctor who will organize tests. I had an endosocopy, a colonoscopy, multiple blood tests, for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, thyroid, liver function and also a full blood count. I also had a MRI and sonograms performed on my torso, from my neck to the top of my legs. I dont believe you can test yourself other than watch your reactions to what you eat. None of the tests I had showed any allergies or any intolerances to food. Apparently I am healthy, though my liver is not functioning normally. My doctor believes every intolerance I have is caused by cymbalta, the same applies to my liver problems. Before I took cymbalta I had no food intolerances of any kind, I am hoping they will all disappear when this monster drug is out of my system. I was also very slim and very healthy. Not any more, thanks to this wonder drug.

Dear Shadow:

Thank you for your response. Your body reacting badly to every food, is not something good. Food and nutrients are essential to live. In my case, I´ve seen a relation between nutrition and depression. Lack of proper nutrients, make my depression symptoms worse.

When you say “it takes a huge amount of willpower to ignore this”, I think it is something that must not be ignored at all. It is curious that you don´t react badly to sugar. I don´t know if you meant anything sweet, or regular sugar. In my case I have eliminated sugar intake completely. I rather “natural sugars” from fruits for example.

A week ago, I started having these symptoms: extreme thirst, extreme hunger, frequent urination, weakness. I felt that my body wasn´t absorbing any of the foods I ate. The body can become very weak, if it doesn´t receive proper nutrients.

Concerning diabetes, did you do the 2 hour glucose/insulin tolerance test???.....regular fasting glucose sometimes doesn´t show problems, but the tolerance test, can show “insulin resistance” problems or diabetes.

I think I´ve read there is a particular test to determine Food Intolerance. I think it was called the Alcat test.

What tests did you do to determine that your liver wasn´t functioning properly? When I started weaning I had a pain right below my right rib. These 2 weeks I have flu-like symptoms that won´t go away. Did you have any of these?

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[pamela]

ifeelill, on 19 January 2011 - 02:57 PM, said:

I am a Pharmacist and going thru Cymbalta and Remeron withdrawal. I can only say that anyone who says there is no withdrawal from these meds is not well informed. Some people, including doctors and pharmacists just don't know. When there are thousands of reports of serious withdrawal symptoms posted on the internet, you know that withdrawal is real.

You would have been much more supportive than the pharmacist who I asked. He looked at me like I had a 3rd eye. He then proceeded to tell me to take a few more days of 20mg and then just stop. In his exact words "20mg is nothing....you shouldn't even feel anything". That infuriated me! Not only was he incorrect he was rude to me.
Glad to hear that there are professionals such as yourself who are aware. I am sorry that you have to experience it first hand though. I hope that you are able to use your knowledge to help others.

All my best,
Pam

[pamela]

Rollercoaster, on 19 January 2011 - 06:49 PM, said:

Every single bead counts!!!! 20mg is equivalent to 180 beads

YEP!

I am down to taking 5 beads. Yes, 5 beads. About .5mg and I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop.