[Lisa Nic]

I really need to call my Dr. Think I will do that today. All I know is, if he tries to prescribe something else I will tell him where to shove it!

No more drugs for me!

[coco12]

I have not contacted my Dr. because I know that they will try to keep me on the antidepressants. This is nuts. Does anyone know if all antidepressants have the same effect after stopping it?

[Sarah J]

When I had to drag myself to my shrink's office in January, feeling like pond scum, my doctor tried to put me on an anti-seizure medicine and stay on Cymbalta. After my telling him for a year that Cymbalta did not work for me anymore. That was when I put my foot down with him and told him I wanted out and off of Cymbalta. Being that the worst that could happen was for me to realize that I do need medical intervention for depression and would have to try another drug.

This is not easy kids, just remember, doctors practice medicine, it is not a guaranteed exact science.

[mslilrose]

I find that many times my physicians don't know that much about medications. They get the samples from the salespeople with the information that promotes that medication. Doctors don't have the time to read the pamphlet about contraindications. Sometimes we actually have to educate them. My adult son was taking prozac and his doctor was going to prescribe that weight loss drug that is no longer FDA approved. When he got it, I read not to take this drug if you are taking a serotonin booster or it could cause heart failure. When I wanted to get off cymbalta, my Doctor asked me my reasons. When I told her about my constipation, loss of sexual libido, and weight gain, she had no idea about cymbalta's side effects. So, when last week, my Doctor was surprised that I was still on the 30 mg. of cymbalta that I had weaned from 60mg. two weeks week before. She told me to just stop taking the 30 mg. So six days ago, I did. Whoa! She never told me I would have withdrawal symptoms. Doctors need to be educated about the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. I'm calling her today to ask if I should have gone off my 30 mg. cold turkey. Can anyone tell me if it makes a difference in the severity of withdrawal if you wean off 30 mg.(for an ex. taking it every other day until you stop), or just stopping the 30 mg. without weaning? Since I did stop cold turkey 6 days ago, should I might as well hang in there?

[coco12]

I weaned down to 30 mg.for a week from 60 mg. and then quit cold turkey. I think every other day just keeps it in your system that much longer. I know the first week sucks, the second week isn't much better but my third week is getting easier. When I feel tense or anxious I tighten my muscles up and count to 5 and then release them. This will help you relax. Good Luck

[schmb01]

mslilrose said:

I find that many times my physicians don't know that much about medications. They get the samples from the salespeople with the information that promotes that medication. Doctors don't have the time to read the pamphlet about contraindications. Sometimes we actually have to educate them. My adult son was taking prozac and his doctor was going to prescribe that weight loss drug that is no longer FDA approved. When he got it, I read not to take this drug if you are taking a serotonin booster or it could cause heart failure. When I wanted to get off cymbalta, my Doctor asked me my reasons. When I told her about my constipation, loss of sexual libido, and weight gain, she had no idea about cymbalta's side effects. So, when last week, my Doctor was surprised that I was still on the 30 mg. of cymbalta that I had weaned from 60mg. two weeks week before. She told me to just stop taking the 30 mg. So six days ago, I did. Whoa! She never told me I would have withdrawal symptoms. Doctors need to be educated about the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. I'm calling her today to ask if I should have gone off my 30 mg. cold turkey. Can anyone tell me if it makes a difference in the severity of withdrawal if you wean off 30 mg.(for an ex. taking it every other day until you stop), or just stopping the 30 mg. without weaning? Since I did stop cold turkey 6 days ago, should I might as well hang in there?

Sorry this is a late reply to your question, but I did one day after 30 then zero, and ended up taking 1/2 of the 30, just by emptying some of the pellets out. I'm not going to count them; I just don't have the patience.

I hope you are doing okay if you are still going cold turkey, but I would suggest getting an Omega 3 supplement, and taking it. Spend the money to get a good one, it seems to be helping.

Good Luck to you!

[That1TyGuy]

I'm not sure if its true but I hear in some cases if you get like fake of something and act like you are taking the medicine sometimes your mind will play tricks on you and make it so you don't feel the urge as much, but I would think that would be kinda wierd. But I personally haven't tried it so I wouldn't really know.

[mkhackler]

It's almost 1 a.m. now. I'm up watching the movie John Q with Denzel Washington. They were talking about the lack of care people receive unless, you are #1 Rich, #2 have insurance and #3 you have nothing. I'm #3 and guess what? I can't get a single doctor to help me. And no help through the county system either. So is my doctor informed or aware of what is going on? I have no idea since he won't talk to me....... :evil:

[sera]

I have a new primary doctor, who's great, and I've been trying to fill him in on cymbalta withdrawal, which I'm currently going through. A year and a half on the drug has left me 30 pounds heavier, with a higher LDL level (I've always had great cholesterol levels) and a blood sugar of 103 (I have a family history of diabetes but this is the first time my blood sugar has ever been a concern). So now he wants me to get the 2-hour glucose tolerance test next week and I can't imagine going through that on top of this horrible withdrawal. I'm considering calling him and asking if I can wait a week or two before doing that test. My biggest fear is throwing up since I've been nauseated on and off, especially in the morning.

I'm also wondering if the effects of Cymbalta on the liver have led to a higher LDL level (while my overall cholesterol number and HDL are excellent).

[blueskye]

oh wow... sera and greybeard... i was just wondering if my sugar level being off could be because of withdrawal and here were ya'lls posts... my fasting blood sugar when i was in for my laproscopy was 118 and diabetes runs in my family... i freaked yesterday because it seemed if i ate anything sugary at all it would make my headaches and stuff worse but the doc said my level was 90 (hadn't ate in 6 hours) but can the withdrawal really impact blood sugar? it sounds odd to say but i'd be kinda glad if that was the case... i have a huge fear of being diabetic and having to do the finger stick thing... i tend to pass out with needles... even small ones... so to know it was because of withdrawal not my eating habits and stuff would actually be an odd comfort...

[blueskye]

oh and I also wanted to say that my doc (who I used to work for and have known my whole life) was the first doctor to not laugh at me when I told them my experience getting off of lexapro. He actually admitted that yes it could have bad withdrawal effects... he didn't say anything about the same thing happening with cymbalta so I'm not sure that he is aware that it happens with it as well, although I think he is of the mindset that it can happen it's just not common if you taper off the drug... at least he admits that it can happen though. I have to give him credit- any medicine that a rep brings into his office will be researched before he hands it out. He drills the reps and challenges them to counter things he has heard and read online he actually takes the time out to research medicines and will not prescribe things he hasn't at least done some of his own research on. At least he doesn't just take the reps/drug companies word for things. But on the other hand... he did still write my script for cymbalta. grrrr.

[schmb01]

Well, if he is open to research, provide him with this link, and let him read what others have felt. This site only had around 90 members when I joined in February, and it is well over 1000 now. If he is open, reading this may help him be even more compassionate, and limit or stop prescribing this drug.

[cabernet]

When I explained my withdrawl symptoms to my doctor the first time I tried to come off the stuff about a year ago, she was SHOCKED then seemed to belittle it and told me that I just must be very sensitive to it. Now reading this forum, my symptoms pale when compaired to what some of you have described... but I also haven't had to leave the house in 4 days. If it wasnt' for unemployment, my garden, and a supportive housemate, I doubt I'd be dealing as "well" as I am.
I think I need to call her tomorrow and warn her, although I'm fully prepared that I may just be belittled again... :?

[s.r.]

Told the psychiatrist's nurse, or as I should say, the psychiatric nurse, about the withdrawal symptoms I've been having since I stopped taking the Cymbalta. She said, "some people are more sensitive than others." Ok, I'm emotional and irritable lately since stopping the Cymbalta, but what does that mean? I thought next she'd say, "some people just aren't as tough as others" or "it's all in your head." Damn right it's in my head and I feel like crap!!!

When I told her about the electrical "zapping" sensation in my head she said she's heard others describe that. My God, really; any other little secrets you've overheard from the weaker people around us? Possibly you could've told me I might have some of these withdrawal symptoms ahead of time so I didn't have to go hunting around the web to find support and the realization that the "some people" are lot more than they realize or care to admit! But then she probably didn't want to insult me by assuming I might be one of the "sensitive ones."

Of course, as someone else pointed out before they don't refer to them as "withdrawal symptoms" its ADS. "Withdrawal" sounds too much like something you go through in rehab. And I mean psychiatrists aren't in the business of dispensing drugs that can do things like the mood altering, psychotropic/psychoactive drugs found in "rehab".

One thing I can say is if she didn't know about them before she will now from me; and whether-or-not she has another as "sensitive" like me again, I hope I will be able to convey as graciously as possible the fact she better warn people beforehand about these withdrawal symptoms they're likely to face.

WOW, that felt good!!!!

p.s. I've had to inform them about Chantix and its role in the death of my friend, Carter Albrecht, and my Dr. is in Dallas!! Not an isolated incident I'm sad to say, just more highly publicized. "Google" Chantix and you'll be on another pharmaceutical expedition.

[Attorney_Victim]

S.R.: I loved reading your post...it made laugh (with you...not at you ) All of us have such similiar thoughts and experiences!

My primary care doc, who I have seen since I was 8 years old (and my mom was his RN for 10 yrs) told me the other day that I needed to consider the possibility that my symptoms were part of my anxiety problems. He said that maybe I had worked myself up about possible side effects before going off Cymbalta, and it was just a "self fulfilling prophecy" situation :roll: Of course, I didn't research BEFORE my Psychiatrist told me to switch straight from Cymbalta to Pristiq 3 weeks ago...so I'm pretty sure I didn't dream up these symptoms...clearly he is wrong!! In fact, I didn't do any research until last Sunday when my withdrawal symptoms were so bad I thought I was having a mental breakdown and ready to go to the mental hospital!! THEN I discovered this site and realized it was the drug...not ME!! Six days Cymbalta free and I am sooo much better!!

Luckily, I saw my psychiatrist the same day and she immediately knew what I was experiencing...although she blamed it on the switch from Cymbalta to the low dose of Pristiq and said she probably should have started me on a higher dose of Pristiq. I disagree...Pristiq is the newest form of Cymbalta and it wouldn't have helped me either...I would've eventually had to come off that too, so I'm just glad my problems surfaced sooner rather than later!

My Psychiatrist wanted to put me back on Cymbalta or Pristiq and wean off. I said NO WAY!! By that point it had been 3 days, it was out of my system, and I wasn't going backwards! She was understanding, and suggested Prozac which I agreed to. I had read on here that others had taken Prozac or Lexapro to help during withdrawal (since I have taken it before without problem, I figured it was worth a shot). 48 hrs into the Prozac, 6 days off of Cymbalta, and 4 days off Pristiq, I feel much better.

[schmb01]

s.r. said:

Told the psychiatrist's nurse, or as I should say, the psychiatric nurse, about the withdrawal symptoms I've been having since I stopped taking the Cymbalta. She said, "some people are more sensitive than others." Ok, I'm emotional and irritable lately since stopping the Cymbalta, but what does that mean? I thought next she'd say, "some people just aren't as tough as others" or "it's all in your head." Damn right it's in my head and I feel like crap!!!

When I told her about the electrical "zapping" sensation in my head she said she's heard others describe that. My God, really; any other little secrets you've overheard from the weaker people around us? Possibly you could've told me I might have some of these withdrawal symptoms ahead of time so I didn't have to go hunting around the web to find support and the realization that the "some people" are lot more than they realize or care to admit! But then she probably didn't want to insult me by assuming I might be one of the "sensitive ones."

Of course, as someone else pointed out before they don't refer to them as "withdrawal symptoms" its ADS. "Withdrawal" sounds too much like something you go through in rehab. And I mean psychiatrists aren't in the business of dispensing drugs that can do things like the mood altering, psychotropic/psychoactive drugs found in "rehab".

One thing I can say is if she didn't know about them before she will now from me; and whether-or-not she has another as "sensitive" like me again, I hope I will be able to convey as graciously as possible the fact she better warn people beforehand about these withdrawal symptoms they're likely to face.

WOW, that felt good!!!!

p.s. I've had to inform them about Chantix and its role in the death of my friend, Carter Albrecht, and my Dr. is in Dallas!! Not an isolated incident I'm sad to say, just more highly publicized. "Google" Chantix and you'll be on another pharmaceutical expedition.

You know, I have a box of Chantix here, that I filled while still on Cymbalta, but I never took it. After what I went through with Cymbalta, I decided there was no way I would take the Chantix. I haven't googled it yet, but I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I feel like someone was watching me when I decided not to use it. Shoot, I'll keep smoking, at least I know what it is doing to me.

[Attorney_Victim]

S.R.,
In my earlier post, I forgot to you give my condolences regarding your friend. I'm very sorry for your loss. It sounds like that is another potentially dangerous drug on the market!

[nursedeborah]

I don't know if my shrink or my family doc is aware of the withdrawals of this posion, but they both will be
made aware real soon.

My shrink ordered Tegretol for me to take as I was to be decreasing the Cymbalta from 60 to 30 x's 2 wks
then off, so it is obvious he doesn't have a clue about the side effects at all. Plus now that I know about
Cymbalta, I don't need that other med. All alone it's been the Cymbalta!!!!

Has anyone ever taken this to their doctors office, amnd let them see what we are saying?

Debbie

[Laurennk]

' date=, on 23 January 2008 - 09:03 AM, said:

A lot of doctors are not aware of the severity of Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms. But what I have been reading in a lot of people's comments is that because they kept on top of their doctor and kept going in all throughout their withdrawal, their doctor now realizes the severity of the Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms.

Did your doctor already know about the possibility of Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms? If not, is he/she now aware?

No... My doctor looked at me like i was crazy when I told her what was going on... I felt crazy untill I did some research. Im pissed at her for ever putting me on this!