Help
My psychiatrist prescribed me different meds from Prozac to other anti-depressants. Finally, I was asked to try Cymbalta. They put me on 30mg, then 60mg, then 120mg. I've been on 120mg for over 6 months until I quit for two reasons:
Reasion #1: I called my psychiatrist to refill my cymbalta prescription because I had run out. I called 3 times for them to refill my RX. To no avail (which was very unusual because they usually refill my RX w/o hesitation), they would NOT call me back. Finally, I decided to call my psychiatrist under his "URGENT NUMBER" since I was going on 3 days w/o any meds and started to go through major withdrawal symptoms. What was his response? "You didn't show up to your last appointment". I told him that I understand that I didn't show up, but that I needed my RX refilled ASAP due to these withdrawal symptoms that I was experiencing. He again repeated "But you didn't show up to your last appointment", to which I replied again "I understand that, and I am sorry for that, but I am going through MAJOR withdrawal symptoms and I need my RX filled ASAP!", to which he replied "I will do that as long as you call and make an appointment tomorrow". So, my conclusion to his manipulating response was that he was more concerned about getting paid his $125 for my 15 min appointment with his office than refilling my RX. I decided THEN that I wasn't going to call back and that I was going to quit cold turkey. How dare he manipulate me?!?!!!
Reason #2: I lost my job, therefore my medical insurance, and could no longer afford to purchase Cymbalta (w/o insurance, it can cost up to $500 for 1 months prescription. So, I was ready (so I thought) to go through "hellish" withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal Symptoms:
- Non-stop brain zaps the first few weeks (it was as if someone was using a defibrillator on my brain). Now that I'm on my third week, my brain zaps occur less often, but STILL occur occasionally at least once a day.
- The first few weeks I felt like I was ready to SCREAM and YELL at anyone and anything that got in my way (I'm glad I'm unemployed because I would have been fired due to my uncontrollable spurts of anger). So I experienced MAJOR mood swings (I still am, but they are getting better). All I can say is that I am blessed to have my boyfriend's support (probably because he's afraid that I'm going to kick him out of HIS own house - lol!).
- Once I was driving and for a split second, I didn't know where I was.
- I even forgot how to sign my name once!
- For the past 3 weeks, I have not been able to hold down any substantial food... So, constant nausea is now something that I'm getting used to.
- I feel like I want to crawl out of my skin at times.
- My joints are KILLING me... I'm thinking that I have fybromyalgia or something because EVERYTHING hurts - even when my bf hugs me.
- Weight Gain - They said that I would lose weight on this. I did not. I gained 30lbs. So the extra weight on my joints is not helping either
Long Term Solution:
- I used to be in shape, so I know that eating well and going to the gym is going to help with my withdrawal symptoms. Since 2007, I've let myself go and have gained over 80lbs. SOOOOO, I want to start watching what I eat and go to the gym to do at least 45 minutes of cardio since that will help with the serotonin levels in my brain. I think by doing this, it's going to help get rid of my depression and get my MENTAL health back on track.
Conclusion: DO NOT take any ssri's until you do enough research on the withdrawal symptoms.
That's my story... What's yours?
