[concernedmama]

My daughter is 32 and stopped taking Cymbalta in May 1 year ago. She had nausea and vomitting and ended up in the hospital. She was diagnosed with gastroparesis. She had anxiety attacks after coming off of this med, she could not sleep and she continues to be ill. She was prescribed anti-anxiety meds and pain killers for her stomach and anxiety. Her condition has worsened and would appear to be permanent. She can barely get out of bed and may lose her job. She has difficulty holding any food down. Since being on this drug her physical and mental condition has spiraled downward. Has anyone experienced this and had any recovery?

[cookie]

Maybe I´m not the right person to answer, because I am still taking the medication. I weaned slowly for a year, was close to getting completely off, but had to updose because I wasn´t feeling well. (I did suffer horrible nausea and vomitting at lower dosages). My anxiety is worse than it was before taking the medication. I don´t know what the long term effects of this med are. I haven´t been able to quit it. What you described about your daughter has been going on for a year??? (the nausea, vomiting, panic attacks, hard to get out of bed?). How has she been able to hold the job all this year if she was feeling so bad? What treatment is she receiving for the Gastroparesis?

[hairgirl]

Maybe the symptoms your daughter is having has nothing to do with being on cymbalta. It could be symptoms she had that the cymbalta was helping. I had nausea and diarrehea and anxiety and cymbalta made it all go away.

[Vicenzo]

hairgirl, on 07 July 2011 - 06:34 AM, said:

Maybe the symptoms your daughter is having has nothing to do with being on cymbalta. It could be symptoms she had that the cymbalta was helping. I had nausea and diarrehea and anxiety and cymbalta made it all go away.

Hello hairgirl - I'm new to this forum myself. Your comment is the first positive thing I've read about Cymbalta. Like some other folks whose posts I've read, I was just prescribed this medication. I certainly had heard of it many times before, but now I'm terrified to actually START the medication. My fatigue, muscle problems, mood downers and anxiety were related to coming off a med I'd been on for YEARS to control migraines. I came off that med over 4 months ago, but the symptoms I mentioned are STILL there. So my family doc prescribed Cymbalta to hopefully help alleviate those. However, I'm afraid of those side effects SO many people report. When you say "made it all go away", how long did that take? And did you have any adverse side effects at all? -- thanks - V

[hairgirl]

It took about a month for cymbalta to kick in and I felt alot better.....but I also felt like I was on vacation meaning I didnt care much about anything. I was once very organized and on top of all that needed to be done to the worst procastinater ever. After being on it for over 4 years I just felt like I wanted my life back. Another side effect was losing all desire for sex which is fine if your not married, but I have been for 19 years. Cymbalta did take my stomache aches, diarreah and anxiety away(which I never had until I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism) and it was replaced with an I dont care attitude, I will get to it later attitude. It did help me but now I am moving on and want to be off of it, and so far so good. You have to weigh the pros and cons of taking any medication and at the time cymbalta was right for me.

[Meg11]

concernedmama, on 29 June 2011 - 02:39 PM, said:

My daughter is 32 and stopped taking Cymbalta in May 1 year ago. She had nausea and vomitting and ended up in the hospital. She was diagnosed with gastroparesis. She had anxiety attacks after coming off of this med, she could not sleep and she continues to be ill. She was prescribed anti-anxiety meds and pain killers for her stomach and anxiety. Her condition has worsened and would appear to be permanent. She can barely get out of bed and may lose her job. She has difficulty holding any food down. Since being on this drug her physical and mental condition has spiraled downward. Has anyone experienced this and had any recovery?

I have been reading some of the replies and do not feel they respond much to what you are describing. I too have had the most horrible time being off this medication but I refuse to put this drug back in my body to "ween" off. If I knew any of this before taking it, it would have never went in my mouth in the first place.
I cannot miss work and have been so ill I have gone into the bathroom and laid on the dirty floor trying to decide how I could get back up and function enough to get through the rest of the work day. It's like a living nightmare. I feel like people wouldn't understand because it sounds ridicilous that coming off a medication would do this and I wouldn't believe it unless I experienced it myself. I feel for what you're daughter is going through - she's very lucky to have someone to share with and have a support team. If I had anyone to tell my problems to that would listen and understand I think it would help a lot so keep letting her unload on you and keep letting her lean on you while going through this hell - I'm sure it helps more then you could ever imagine and she sounds very lucky to have you!
I personally cannot hold any food down as well and have lost 30lb. I am 5" 1' and weigh a little over 100lb. everyone at work has been commenting so I say I'm on a diet but truth us I can barley eat - or function half the time!
Tonight I made ravioli's - I thought I can't eat but sat down to try, I had one and it made me feel a bit better so I ate 4 more - within minutes I had the worst pain in my chest and stomach, I just stood in my bathroom doubled over until back up the dinner came.
I feel there has to be a light at the end of the tunnel - do not listen to any of these post and have your daughter go back on the med. I would never put this back in my body - I know it is the cause for all of my symptoms and pray my body will find a way to work it out - that's all I really can hope for. I can't afford to keep going to the doctor for help - I pretty much blew my life savings buying the damn cymbalta when I was told I needed it!!!!!!
I guess I can't offer much advice - just wanted to say I understand where you are coming from and what your daughter is going through and I wanted to tell you guys, you are not alone.
I actually need to get off just while typing this I keep getting this wave through my brain I get often and just cannot take the creepy feeling it causes so I'm off to deal with that!
Keep staying strong and know you are not the only ones.

[Jess]

hairgirl, on 07 July 2011 - 08:06 PM, said:

It took about a month for cymbalta to kick in and I felt alot better.....but I also felt like I was on vacation meaning I didnt care much about anything. I was once very organized and on top of all that needed to be done to the worst procastinater ever. After being on it for over 4 years I just felt like I wanted my life back. Another side effect was losing all desire for sex which is fine if your not married, but I have been for 19 years. Cymbalta did take my stomache aches, diarreah and anxiety away(which I never had until I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism) and it was replaced with an I dont care attitude, I will get to it later attitude. It did help me but now I am moving on and want to be off of it, and so far so good. You have to weigh the pros and cons of taking any medication and at the time cymbalta was right for me.

Hairgirl--I've been on Cymbalta for probably 5 years and want off, cause it's not helping me anymore. After reading many of these posts, I'm kind of dreading discontinuing it! It is encouraging for me that you were on it for 4 years and "so far so good" during your process. I have an appt with a psychiatrist next week so he can help me do this. Got my fingers crossed!

[thatnursegirl]

concernedmama, on 29 June 2011 - 02:39 PM, said:

My daughter is 32 and stopped taking Cymbalta in May 1 year ago. She had nausea and vomitting and ended up in the hospital. She was diagnosed with gastroparesis. She had anxiety attacks after coming off of this med, she could not sleep and she continues to be ill. She was prescribed anti-anxiety meds and pain killers for her stomach and anxiety. Her condition has worsened and would appear to be permanent. She can barely get out of bed and may lose her job. She has difficulty holding any food down. Since being on this drug her physical and mental condition has spiraled downward. Has anyone experienced this and had any recovery?

Hello!
I just stopped this med after a slow wean off process and the weeks/months after stopping completely can be AWFUL. But please encourage your daughter to talk to her MD or to get a neuro doc who can prescribe some meds to help with the nausea ( phenergan is one) or something for anxiety. I also took over the counter Zegerid EVERYDAY and it helped tremendously with the nausea and loss of appetite. I also lost about 30 pounds. If o had my way, a class action suit would be filed against this company. This drug is so harmful. Let me know how she is doing, my email is nurseronna@gmail.com. Good luck to her and encourage her tomstick it out. It will be the hardest thing she have ever done she will br so happy!

[CJW]

I am new to forum; have taken 60 mg. for years. Male. Titered down to 30 mg. over 2-3 weeks. Diaharea and horrible dreams which scare the hell out of me. Writing right now to stave off same. 20# weight loss rapidly. Out of town; will see PCP as soon as home .Psychologist cautioned me. Has said stay on 30mg. I want off, but will abide. Glad to know I'm not alone. Thought I was losing it . Will study more and post further. Loss ofsexual function, too. This stuff is bad!

[cymfubar]

Kicking cymbalta is ten times worse than kicking nicotine. ALL of the following apply
dizziness
pukeyness
diarrhea
constipation
skin itch
skin crawl
brain fog
brain zaps
throat constriction
joint pain
light headed
disorientated
memory loss
irritable
moody up/down
irrational anger
anxiety
chest constriction
crying fits
hyper sensitivity to taste/smells
night sweats
nightmares
insomnia
total indifference to stimuli
muscle weakness

All of the above are happening to me (and more-just can't remember), it is crippling, it is wrong, I hate it more than the MDD and GAD I have been living with for years. This crap is not helping me, I am tired of being emotionally neutered by the gilded "Lily".

[concernedmama]

My daughter did initially take Cymbalta for anxiety. As far as her job she has barely been able to keep it and probably will not be able to work this next year. They have tried all treatments for the gastroparesis and recommended a pump to empty her stomach. They give that only a 40% chance of helping. She feels she is "dying" literally. I know this all started with this drug and she has continued to have problems since being off of it. I as her mom am beyond frustrated, scared, sad. Nothing has helped. I guess I posted so that maybe someone will think carefully before taking something that seems to be an answer for so much. I actually work in the medical field and I've not seen anything like this in my 23 years as a nurse. Of course it is personal and I love my child. She has not been able to be a mother or even function and no one does anything but give her more drugs to stop her physical symptoms.