[kinger]

Hi all. I've been on 60mg of cymbalta for 6 years to address chronic pain and the depression caused by it. I won't go into details regarding the issues its caused in my life...reading your stories pretty much covers them. I just need to remove this poison from my body and my life. I have lost my insurance and I figure now is as good a time as any. I am on day 3 of quitting cold turkey. Y'all know what I'm going through. Has anyone put together a list of vitamins/herbs etc. I can take to make this bearable? Thanks for your help.

[kinger]

Day 7...what a ride. I keep telling myself this will eventually end. I do not recommend working if you are going to attempt this.

[kinger]

Day 23. At this point the only thing keeping me cymbalta free is knowing I've got 23 days invested in getting free from it. I never knew I could physically, mentally, and emotionally feel this bad. Unbelievable.

[outamymind]

Hi there. Read my post under "getting there - thank god".

I've been taking lots of natural stuff & 5 weeks down the track am actually starting to feel human again lol.

It's not an overnight sensation, but hang in there, I assure you it DOES get better. I was on 60mg for nearly 3 years for depression & fibromyalgia (one inthe same really). Withdrawals are horrific, I won't lie, but I'm living proof it can be done. 

[autimom4ever]

I'm on week 3.... Started on 60 mg daily.... Went down to 40 mg daily for a week. For the first 5 days, very uncomfortable symptoms that were "eased slightly" with dramamine. Then the symptoms started to ease (but not go completely away).
Went down to 20 mg for 2 weeks. First 7 days, same as when I started the taper. Again, used dramamine or phenergan for symptoms. Then I started noticing the dramamine wasn't "needed" every day .. that the symptoms weren't incapacitating..

Being very eager to get off this stuff, I have now started to "estimate" the beads in the capsules to half (trying to get as close to 10 mg as possible). It is impossible to count beads from a 20 mg capsule.

I'm on day 3 of this.... symptoms are back
Hopefully, I'm close to the end of this terrible ordeal!!!

[outamymind]

I'm no expert. I can only speak from experience but it seems to me reading right through this forum, that no matter what weaning method is tried, the symptoms still persist.

I went from 60mg for nearly 3 years for depression & fibromyalgia to 30mg for 3 weeks, then nothing 5 weeks ago.

My withdrawal symptoms were no worse than anyone elses here & in just 8 short weeks from start to now, I feel as though I'm pretty much there.

I was in a bad way when I went on this crap & coming off quickly doesn't seem to have had any worse effect than tapering slowly - but that's just me. I guess the speedy way is not for everyone, but after reading through these posts, I'm glad I'm not going to suffer months or more of the slow tapering hell.

Try & find something natural to help the process. Go speak to a naturopath or herbalist, it can't hurt & surely it's better than replacing one chemical with another. After all, it's the chemicals that have done the damage to all of us in the first place.

Now I'm moving forward & seeing things more clearly, the homicidal rage has gone but the anger remains. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS SHIT CAN BE MARKETED! What it does to people either while on it or coming off should be outlawed 

[Persistent]

Hi, is there a hope of getting completely normal an when?, I'm on the 4th week and still can't sleep. Anybody went through it?

[autimom4ever]

Persistent, on 06 December 2011 - 07:01 AM, said:

Hi, is there a hope of getting completely normal an when?, I'm on the 4th week and still can't sleep. Anybody went through it?

Week 6... Irritability and panic feeling still there (with some nausea).

Sleeping good though (the only 'peace' right now in my life)

I think its different based on how much you took and how long you took the med.

[andie01322]

outamymind, on 24 October 2011 - 03:12 AM, said:

Hi there. Read my post under "getting there - thank god".

I've been taking lots of natural stuff & 5 weeks down the track am actually starting to feel human again lol.

It's not an overnight sensation, but hang in there, I assure you it DOES get better. I was on 60mg for nearly 3 years for depression & fibromyalgia (one inthe same really). Withdrawals are horrific, I won't lie, but I'm living proof it can be done. 

So what are you taking for your fibro pain now x

[Harleygirl]

I started taking cymbalta on the advice of a psychiatrist to help me with pain and depression. I have an annular tear in my spine and fibromyalgia. I was taking 120mg and this is day 2 of my withdrawal. Not only did this drug not help it actually has made both of my conditions worse. Right now I am feeling sick, constipated, head zaps which are the worse for me. My poor husband is feeling it as well, I am out of control, up and down rambling, and I cannot possibly go to work. I work as a counsellor in a correctional centre and I feel as if that is where I belong, but on the other side of the wall. When is this going to end?? Help me please.

[Kim1969]

Hi harleygirl. I too was put on cymbalta for suspected fibro but my pain got worse when on it 18 months ago and has stayed the same since tapering off. I am actually scoping this site to see if people have got permanent pain (all over body aches) as a result of being on cymbalta and then going off it.

I was only on cymbalta for 4 months so perhaps the withdrawal for me isn't as bad as for you, but then I have been so physically sick the past 2 years maybe it didn't stand out to me. The brain zaps were freaky but then cymbalta caused so many weird stuff! Body twitches, spasms and auditory hallucinations to name a few.

Good luck! I think I may have seen you on another board

[Harleygirl]

Kim1969, on 02 March 2012 - 01:08 PM, said:

Hi harleygirl. I too was put on cymbalta for suspected fibro but my pain got worse when on it 18 months ago and has stayed the same since tapering off. I am actually scoping this site to see if people have got permanent pain (all over body aches) as a result of being on cymbalta and then going off it.

I was only on cymbalta for 4 months so perhaps the withdrawal for me isn't as bad as for you, but then I have been so physically sick the past 2 years maybe it didn't stand out to me. The brain zaps were freaky but then cymbalta caused so many weird stuff! Body twitches, spasms and auditory hallucinations to name a few.

Good luck! I think I may have seen you on another board

Thanks KIm, I wonder which board that is? I don't recall if I made any other posts elsewhere, (thank you very much cymbalta >, Hope we both feel better soon.

[new4568]

autimom4ever, on 24 October 2011 - 07:14 AM, said:

I'm on week 3.... Started on 60 mg daily.... Went down to 40 mg daily for a week. For the first 5 days, very uncomfortable symptoms that were "eased slightly" with dramamine. Then the symptoms started to ease (but not go completely away).
Went down to 20 mg for 2 weeks. First 7 days, same as when I started the taper. Again, used dramamine or phenergan for symptoms. Then I started noticing the dramamine wasn't "needed" every day .. that the symptoms weren't incapacitating..

Being very eager to get off this stuff, I have now started to "estimate" the beads in the capsules to half (trying to get as close to 10 mg as possible). It is impossible to count beads from a 20 mg capsule.

I'm on day 3 of this.... symptoms are back
Hopefully, I'm close to the end of this terrible ordeal!!!

Can you help me I want to taper off of this medication. I need to know what kind of syptoms to expect when withdrawing and should I go to 40 then 20 I have been taking 60mg for about 9 or 10 mths. I am really frightened because I had this experience when getting off of boniva. It took a year for the symptoms to go away. Please can you help. How do you split the capsules? Is it safe to do that?

Thanks,
New4568

[Harleygirl]

Ok, here I sit, day 8 of withdrawing from the meds my so called medical professional gave me to help with depression caused by chronic pain. I have brain buzzing all day long, worse in the evening and when I turn my head left. I haven`t slept for more than an hour a night for 5 days and I am feeling murderous anger and some self harm, that I will not give in to. I am dizzy, I have fallen twice (don`t tell Dave) and I bounce between insane laughter and crying. This is not the hardass bitch I usually am and I don`t like it. The meds actually started to worsen my pain, so I decided to take my health into my own hands and withdraw from all of the poison that has added to my pain, depression and the loss of wages due to a huge amount of sick time. But, the worst was, I just about lost sight of me. The one that can laugh at silly jokes, smile with warmth and sincerity, have compassion for others because in reality I have a good life. This drug made me so self absorbed it was sickening. Well I am done, the effects of withdrawal are horrific and I have no idea how long they will last but I am determined not to become a slave to any chemical that just doesn`t belong in our world. I cannot imagine how many people have lost the people they love as a result of some `professional`saying, `here, take this, it will help.`Well it doesn`t fucking help, it masks the reality of a persons life. I takes away who they are and makes them into a self serving zombie. It should be banned it should be withdrawn from the pharmaceutical books, oh wait I forgot, don`t those pharmaceutical companes give this shit to Dr.s to hand out...why not find the cause and fix it people....!!! Okay, I am done my rant, however, think twice and research any drug your medical professional gives you before you fill that script. I don`t mean going to their websites because that is just mellow bullshit they tell you, go to the ones who know first hand and have experienced the good and the bad that comes with taking these drugs. Arm yourself with information and do NOT back down to some pro who in their arrogance think they know better. We know how we feel, we know the effects and we know when to stop the madness. Have a great day people

[Harleygirl]

kinger, on 03 October 2011 - 08:55 PM, said:

Hi all. I've been on 60mg of cymbalta for 6 years to address chronic pain and the depression caused by it. I won't go into details regarding the issues its caused in my life...reading your stories pretty much covers them. I just need to remove this poison from my body and my life. I have lost my insurance and I figure now is as good a time as any. I am on day 3 of quitting cold turkey. Y'all know what I'm going through. Has anyone put together a list of vitamins/herbs etc. I can take to make this bearable? Thanks for your help.

I have heard that 5HTP, a natural medicine can reduce the symptoms and that vit. B is also helpful