[Emma]

I feel as if I am going mad. I have been taking Cymbalta since early Oct 2010, first in 30mg and then in 60mg. As I was taking it my symptoms and side effects began to increase.The doctors said it was my underlying anxiety and I had to relax. I should mention that I took Zopiclone for 10 weeks, (the doctor said that was ok) I wasn't happy taking it that long and so withdrew myself off it over the course of a week in November. The doctor again said this was ok, but I have since read this is a very short time to wean myself off it.

Current symptoms at 60mg are electic shocks in head (particularly back of head) neck and spine. All over feeling of creeping needles. Feeling of being hot on any activity, the feeling rises at the back of my neck. Restless legs at night. Night sweats. PERMANENT HEADACHE. Under the advice of a doctor I reduced my dose to 30mg. BIG MISTAKE. After 10 days had to go back up to 60mg.

I just wondered what symptoms others had whilst taking the medicine at a therapeutic level BEFORE they began to wean? I feel like my brain is dying. How am I ever going to get off this medicine and get rid of effects if I have them at 60mg? Any advice welcomed greatly.


ps My psychiatrist has never heard of withdrawal symdrome or these kind of symptoms.

Emma

[runslikeagrl11]

Emma-
Yikes! One week and you took yourself off of it?? Yes that is fast. I weaned myself down for 4 weeks from 60 mg rather slowly but probaly not as slow as my body needed. I am experiencing withdrawls bad now. Today is day 3 of no meds at all, juts this past Friday I ingested only 6% cymbalta of 60 mg. Are you still withdrawing? youre not alone and youre not going crazy either. Its hard. I knew what I was getting into when I decided to come off the drugs but I swear its hard to prepare for the moodiness, brain zaps and this ODD ODD body tingley feeling. hang in there girl. we will do this together.

[Emma]

I have spoken to the Ely Lilly and they say that my symptoms can be felt while ON the medicine. I am so angry that my doctors persisted in making me take this saying it was me all the time when it was the medicine. I just wonder how much damage I have done by continuing to take it. For anyone who is interested here is a link which details the symptoms reported by people while on it:

http://www.medicines...tant%20capsules

How I will ever get off 60mg I have no idea.

[Pixi]

Um, Emma, I can't believe your psychiatrist has never heard of (SSNI/SSRI) withdrawal syndrome! This person needs firing & reporting to the authorities who govern mental health wherever you live! Breaks my heart to read just how many of us have been basically abused by our trusted Doctor's lack of education about something so common and so very critical! Weaning is the safest way to go with Cymbalta, Lexapro and many of these head meds, no matter what they are originally prescribed for... Cymbalta made me crazy too. Really crazy. I ended up having episodes of DID/MPD and a plethora of awful symptoms for the last 2.5 years. I tried cutting it down with no luck - always having to up the dose again just to function. I've been weaning for 6-7 months and got it down to around 5 of the granules inside the capsules per day. It's day one of NO Cymbalta and I am feeling it, even from just that tiny amount. I have brain zaps every time I move, am sweating on top of my head and feet are on fire & buzzing away all the time. The only way I can stop the zaps is to take some more granules - but I am trying to ride out the storm or I will never get free of this thing. I know from experience going cold turkey off Lexapro that the zaps might go on for months. I experienced almost all of the side effects listed on the info sheet, plus being emotionless, sexless, even more depressed, getting really bad neuropathy & losing bladder control. It's affected my memory badly too. I've had headaches/migraines the whole time and my Docs didn't care either. Just said take one every other day then! Cymbalta does not allow for that long a half life, so taking it every other day just brings on worse symptoms as you start to withdraw and then you top up and repeat the cycle, never breaking it. It has to be done daily and very very slowly. I gave myself around 6 months, but am thinking it needs to be a bit longer like 9-12 months, in order to retain something of oneself and not give in and go back on it. It may give some relief for basic mild depression or pain, but not for bipolar 1 or 2 and certainly has made my insulin resistance much worse with full on neuropathy now and vision impairment. I hate this stuff with a passion and the ill informed medics handing it out like lollies to people who may end up even more broken. Good luck with your wean. Please take your time.

[cookie]

Dear Pixi. I read that you ended having episodes of DID/MPD, did you have them before the medication. I weaned slowly for a year, and started to have DID episodes, which I never had prior to the medication. This is the first time I read on this site about another person having them

[cookie]

I am experiencing pin & needles all over my body, does anybody feel this too?

[CrazyGirl]

Day 5 -- No Cymbalta -- I feel like my head if full of (I'm not sure how to describe it) but full. I'm having spells of dizziness and light headedness. I feel so tired all the time and last night woke up with the sweats...UGH! My husband and I are wanting to have a baby, but I am scared to get pregnant while still experiencing these withdrawal systems....How long does this last. My systoms do not seem to be as harsh as some other, but I guess they are bad enough to make me want to say forget it and start on them again. Please pray for me and I'll do the same for all of you!

[Pixi]

cookie, on 17 June 2011 - 10:18 PM, said:

Dear Pixi. I read that you ended having episodes of DID/MPD, did you have them before the medication. I weaned slowly for a year, and started to have DID episodes, which I never had prior to the medication. This is the first time I read on this site about another person having them

Cookie, so sorry this reply is months late. I have not been getting post alerts until now even tho I'm subscribed and I can't bear to hang around on this forum reading too much suffering, especially by the young postees so desperately seeking help I cannot give them.


I never knowingly had DID/MPD until stupidly going cold turkey the first time. It was horrific. Cymbalta caused me a lot of weirdness in that department. It brings out all sorts of things. I had a very hard time dealing with that, but now I am aware! I am completely weaned now & off Cymbalta for 6 months. I come back here with the odd update sometimes and just posted in another thread about that.


Hope ur going well & it's settled down. I will never be the same again after this drug. It must be banned.

[Pixi]

CrazyGirl, on 21 November 2011 - 01:58 PM, said:

Day 5 -- No Cymbalta -- I feel like my head if full of (I'm not sure how to describe it) but full. I'm having spells of dizziness and light headedness. I feel so tired all the time and last night woke up with the sweats...UGH! My husband and I are wanting to have a baby, but I am scared to get pregnant while still experiencing these withdrawal systems....How long does this last. My systoms do not seem to be as harsh as some other, but I guess they are bad enough to make me want to say forget it and start on them again. Please pray for me and I'll do the same for all of you!

Hi Crazygirl(not!)



Please see my post here to save me trying to type anymore: http://www.cymbaltaw...mptoms-stopped/

[cookie]

Pixi, on 27 November 2011 - 01:27 AM, said:

Cookie, so sorry this reply is months late. I have not been getting post alerts until now even tho I'm subscribed and I can't bear to hang around on this forum reading too much suffering, especially by the young postees so desperately seeking help I cannot give them.


I never knowingly had DID/MPD until stupidly going cold turkey the first time. It was horrific. Cymbalta caused me a lot of weirdness in that department. It brings out all sorts of things. I had a very hard time dealing with that, but now I am aware! I am completely weaned now & off Cymbalta for 6 months. I come back here with the odd update sometimes and just posted in another thread about that.


Hope ur going well & it's settled down. I will never be the same again after this drug. It must be banned.

How do you feel now?????

[Pixi]

Comfortably numb I suppose. I am aware now of the subtle shifts, whereas on C, I was oblivious.

[Pixi]

Cookie - your pins & needles sounds like insulin resistance neuropathy. C brought it out in me & was hell. Much better now C free, but it's constant in my feet & legs. I have IR T2 diabetes & it affects my vision badly. Allergic to metformin, so just keep off the sugars.

[cookie]

Pixi, on 28 November 2011 - 01:21 PM, said:

Cookie - your pins & needles sounds like insulin resistance neuropathy. C brought it out in me & was hell. Much better now C free, but it's constant in my feet & legs. I have IR T2 diabetes & it affects my vision badly. Allergic to metformin, so just keep off the sugars.

Pixi:
The pin & needles and prickling sensations started 10 days after cymbalta dosage increase. My shrink says prickling sensations and itching have nothing to do with cymbalta. I read that your symptoms got better when you decreased dosage. Do you think the prickling sensations, itching will get better if I decrease dosage????? I am afraid that C triggered this and won´t go away even if I diminish dosage. What treatments are available to treat neuropathy?? is neuropathy reversible????

[Blackapple]

I had terrible night terrors, and night sweats, and hot flashes, I had to change my sheets every morning ( I am not going through menopause I am only 26 years old!). A constant head ache, I felt like I was disconnected from reality a little bit, like I could never fully feel an emotion. Also, I went from being an occasional drinker (about 2 drink on the weekends) to drinking about 6 drinks a night. Its all I could think about and I could never stop at just 1. I wondered if it had anything to do with the medication so I looked online and found hundreds of other people who had the same problem with alcohol. After stopping Cymbalta I haven't thought about it since, I no longer have craving, I even went out with my friends the other night and didnt have a single drink just because I didnt really feel like drinking. (which I would have never been able to do before).I also gained almost 40 lbs after taking this medication., this was after my doctor assured me it would not make me gain weight. I feel so much better now that Im off this medication, Doctors really need to start educating them selves before they prescribe this to a patient, I personally think it should be taken off the market.

[pukachelle]

Day 3 cessation: I went back on because I was having a total Hunter S. Thompson experience. A couple of months ago I reduced myself from 30 to 20 mg and noticed some incidents, but not enough to increase my dosage. A little weepy over strange things, more headaches than would be typical for me and increased irritability but nothing drastic. Upon removal of the 20 mg daily, however, oh my. After 48 hours, I was REALLY weepy at the stupidest things, constant headache, really bad brain zaps. So I took one today.. headache is gone but I still feel way off.. will try to reduce to 20 mg every third day (every other day if that fails) and hope this ends soon.