[heather1234]

Hello everyone-

I was wondering for those who have gone through the withdrawl how do you feel now? How is life going? I guess I am just really want to hear some positive stories to help encourage me like some of the people who already have talked with me.

Thanks-

Heather

Day 7 and I will get through this!

[Lori]

Hi Heather,
I am at day 88, Cymbalta free. I think I am doing pretty good. When around alot of people for a long period of time, I become alittle anxious, become more tired and maybe isolate myself if possible. If I have to continue to talk to someone or different of people, I may become alittle irritated and say things I should probably not say. :oops: But over all, I feel great, I have energy now that I am back on my B Complex, I smile alot, sing alot, laugh alot. Have I gone back to work yet? Ummmm, no, but I am not sure why, unless I am still having some issues I am unaware of. I seem to have become very comfortable at home, running here and there, but do not feel I am ready to work outside the home yet.

I may NOT post on the message board for a while, it really depends on how I feel in regards to not smoking anymore. I have not smoked a cigarette since last night around 7:30. Sooooo, I am sure MOST of the mood swings will be back with a vengence!!! I would not want to get all of that mixed up, so if I can not keep it separate it would probably be best for me not to post. Greybeard, do you think its a good idea or NOT a good idea to stop smoking right now, after being free from Cymbalta 88 days? I know I am going to experience a crazy roller coaster ride again, just as I did 3 months ago, but I just do not want to do anything too soon......look, I am needing Greybeards blessing on going out and buying a pack of cigarettes...lol But seriously, I welcome everyones thoughts or advice in regards that.

Hang in there Heather, things get easier.
Lori

[schmb01]

Well, good luck with the not smoking. I've not attacked that habit yet. I've stopped before, and had good luck using the patch, but boy, it takes a huge amount of committment and willpower, and I just don't have that in me yet. I actually bought Chantix, but didn't take it, and after what I've read lately, I won't be touching that stuff either. Nothing is worth messing up my brain again.

[Attorney_Victim]

Today is Day 12 for me (but on Prozac since Day 4), and I feel pretty good. I am sure that the Prozac has helped me a lot, and I might still have some bad days ahead of me...but, my head has been clear for about 3 days and I haven't had any nausea in over 24 hrs. My lethargy is almost completely gone...but, I think i have "too much" energy right now. I don't think I would be sleeping much if I wasn't taking Ambien at night to help. My doctor told me it would be important to keep getting a good night's sleep while going through this withdrawal (but I plan to come off the Ambien soon too). I'm guessing the Prozac is causing this sudden upswing in energy, but it could just be part of my withdrawal process. But, since I can't remember what my "normal" energy level felt like, maybe this is it :?: I'm just super thankful to have a clear head again!!

[robyn_amber]

Heather, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I feel that I may actually be symptom-free. And I know what you are going through. But, now I feel like I've woken up from a nightmare, which essentially I have. I have also been sick with the gastritis caused by this withdrawal, so I don't have the energy I expect to yet. But, I feel alive, and thank goodness for that. It's worth it, you can do it! <3

[Merriweather]

Hi Heather,

I took Cymbalta for two months in 2006. Withdrawal was hell-worse than opiate withdrawal. The experience was so frightening, in fact, that I swore off all medications. I don't take anything for depression, anxiety or insomnia. Two years later I feel fantastic. The medications actually make the symptoms worse. I now handle my emotions differently. I try to identify the source (cause) of the emotion and deal with that.If I feel anxious I try to figure out what is causing it-usually something that I am procrastinating about. If I feel depressed-it's usually that I need to go and do something or connect with someone. If I can't sleep I-I exercise more to tire my body out. So now, two years later, I am ten times healthier and happier. I do have a bad day from time-to-time, but I just move on and accept the emotions. After all they won't kill you-but Cymbalta just may. :)quote="heather1234"]Hello everyone-

I was wondering for those who have gone through the withdrawl how do you feel now? How is life going? I guess I am just really want to hear some positive stories to help encourage me like some of the people who already have talked with me.

Thanks-

Heather

Day 7 and I will get through this![/quote]

[Lori]

Hey Babby and Greybeard,
I left a post under, lets talk about something else...thanks for your posts!!!

Lori

[mslilrose]

I started my cymbalta wean last February. It was awful until I took 30 mg of prozac for relief from the brain zaps for three months. Since my uneventful wean off of prozac in April, and that I take wellbutrin for anxiety, I am presently feeling good! The cymbalta helped with some pain issues, but I'm doing research into alternative pain management.

[cookie]

robyn_amber, on 11 July 2008 - 11:15 AM, said:

Heather, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I feel that I may actually be symptom-free. And I know what you are going through. But, now I feel like I've woken up from a nightmare, which essentially I have. I have also been sick with the gastritis caused by this withdrawal, so I don't have the energy I expect to yet. But, I feel alive, and thank goodness for that. It's worth it, you can do it! <3

Why does withdrawal cause gastritis? shouldn´t be all the way around? (that the medicine causes gastritis WHILE taking it?

[Hellrazer]

Hi I am Bill, 47 from Australia

I have been on Cymbalta for nearly 2 years and have been on 60mg for the last 9 months.

I quit cold Turkey 7 days ago, and I can say, yes you do get severe Gastro arrrg! LOL

I think the withdrawal symptoms are getting a little better " or that could be wishful thinking ? " Gastro, Nausea, Dizziness, Brain Flashes, Not been able to sleep, Brain Buzz " like when you have just had a few to many to drink", Slightly over the top mood swings " in my case a bit giggly "

I think it is a little early yet for me to be feeling more energetic etc, but my sex drive and feeling, has come back, WOW!. NOW all I need is to find someone LOL. I actually thought I had lost it forever and it was a medical problem.

I do not recommend going off Cymbalta unless you have discussed it with your Dr and he/she is supervising you, as you can become Suicidal among other things stopping Anti Depressants.

I was on Zoloft about 4 years ago and stopped taking them without a problem, hence me stopping the Cymbalta Cold Tukey, but THEY ARE NOT THE SAME Cymbalta is a whole other Ball Game when you stop taking them.

Best wishes to all
Bill

[ExCymbaltaUser]

It's been one month and one day since my last dose of cymbalta. The hell has stopped. I am pretty much back to "normal." Hard to say for sure what "normal" is as though I have been on psycho-pharmaceuticals for decades.

My feelings are really forward. But I think I have always been very sensitive to my emotions and the emotions of others. That's what got me put on meds in the first place. I've never really been depressed. Just very very emotional.

But, yeah, all the ugly withdrawal symptoms seem to be gone for me now.

It is important to note that I did use amino acids, omega 3's, benadryl, and alternative medicine support such and herbal supplements, a SQUEAKY clean diet (no processed foods, no sugar, only water to drink), reiki and auriculotherapy to get through it.

Good luck.

[Imdone]

Congratulations ExCymbalta on all your hard work and getting off this stuff. I'm down from 120 mg to 50 mg and feeling great and looking forward to being off! Thanks for dropping by and letting us know of your success!

[cookie]

ExCymbaltaUser, on 02 September 2011 - 08:19 AM, said:

It's been one month and one day since my last dose of cymbalta. The hell has stopped. I am pretty much back to "normal." Hard to say for sure what "normal" is as though I have been on psycho-pharmaceuticals for decades.

My feelings are really forward. But I think I have always been very sensitive to my emotions and the emotions of others. That's what got me put on meds in the first place. I've never really been depressed. Just very very emotional.

But, yeah, all the ugly withdrawal symptoms seem to be gone for me now.

It is important to note that I did use amino acids, omega 3's, benadryl, and alternative medicine support such and herbal supplements, a SQUEAKY clean diet (no processed foods, no sugar, only water to drink), reiki and auriculotherapy to get through it.

Good luck.

I am glad that you are feeling "normal". It will be very useful if you shared in more detail about your weaning plan and all the aids you used (the aminoacids, herbal supplements, etc). You give me hope. Please try to write when you can, so we know your evolution and what to expect. Being 1 month symptom free is a good sign. Being emotional is something manageable.

[ExCymbaltaUser]

I started several months ago, in April, tapering down my dose. My dr initially wanted me to reduce 30mg/week. this, after abt 4 days produced severe withdrawal symptoms as you may imagine.

so i started a modified version of the bead taper method i found here, beginning with -1 mg. after 4-5 days, if i had not begun feeling withdrawal, i would double my reduction amount. example, 1st 5 days, reduced from 120, to 119. no withdrawal, so went to -2mg, then next 4 days, ok, went to -4mg, next 4 days, went to -8 mg. when i encountered any withdrawal effect i would stay at that dosage for a week, or until i stabilized. i got to a place where i was tapering down by -10mg every 2 weeks. that seemed to be the most i could reduce and 2 weeks was a good time period for me. or so i thought.

this turned out to be too quickly. at the end of being at 20mg/day for 2 weeks, i went ahead and dropped to 10mg, and i freaked out and had a severe agitated mood episode.

that's when i flushed the rest of my cymbalta and had to spend the month of August in cold turkey hell.

because of this site, and other things i found on the web, I started taking Udo's Choice 3-6-9 omega 3 oil, 1 cap 3x a day, 50 mg 5-HTP 1 cap each morning, 500 mg DL-phenlyalanine, 1 cap each morning, 500 mg L-Glutamine (these last 3 are amino acids, and I am still taking them daily), and one benadryl cap 3x/day

i was already on an herbal protocol and clean detox diet for lyme disease, which I believe helped me be in a healthier place and better equipped to physically deal with the withdrawal. my herbal protocol includes chinese herbs, HeShouWu (cousin of japanese knotweed), Anodrographis, and cat's claw. Among the things they do is immune system strengthening, and brain support (lyme spirochetes attack the soft tissue of the brain).

my diet consists of water, veggies, fruit, nuts and legumes. NO: sugar, caffeine, processed foods, wheat, meat ...

the auriculotherapy (like acupuncture, only done on the ear alone) was based on a 5 point protocol designed to treat heroin addicts in withdrawal, and got rid of all the physical symptoms (temporarily) and enabled me to function while my body adjusted.

i am a reiki student, and received an attunement august 19, which sent me into a massive detox (like the worst flu ever) after which all my withdrawal symptoms completely evaporated over the next week or so, while I continued giving myself reiki healing every day.

i would strongly suggest to anyone who has the leisure and access to pharmaceuticals to do so, to just taper as slowly as possible. i know now i went more quickly than i should have, and this is why i suffered withdrawal symptoms. but i was pressured to complete the taper by the time my prescription ran out since my insurance stopped covering cymbalta by removing it from its formulary and only had a limited supply of pills to work with. i didn't have a choice, and there are a lot of people out there who don't have a choice, and their numbers will increase as insurance companies tighten their belts and drop more and more coverage.

so in closing:

#1. taper as slowly as possible
#2. if you for any reason (no judgement) stop cold turkey you will experience negative withdrawal effects. BUT, there is an end to it, and there are things that can help.

i strongly suggest alternative practices for withdrawal support. the last thing you need to do IMHO is treat the problem with the same kind of thing that caused it. if your body is struggling to rid itself of toxic wastes caused by the sudden withdrawal of a chemical substance that rearranged the way your brain and body work, more chemicals are only going to prolong or exacerbate the problem.

but then, i am no doctor, and this is just my opinion.

in my experience alternative healing models worked wonderfully to detox my body and bring relief to my symptoms without re-poisoning my body with more psycho pharmaceuticals.

i will NEVER let that crap back into my body. [/rant]

the thing i needed to hear most when i was detoxing is this: this does not have to last forever. it did not for me.

take good care, and good luck. and THANK YOU ALL for being here when i was in the pits of hell. you helped me keep my sanity, and kept me from giving up in despair. <3

[cookie]

Hello ExCymbaltaUser: Thank you for the information.

[obiwonmike1]

This info was most helpful. It's been about four weeks for me since i weaned off cymbalta and im still feeling depressed and getting panick attacks. i hope this clears up soon.

[obiwonmike1]

I spoke to a good friend tonight who told me he went thru withdrawal when he quit smoking pot cold turkey. He got similar withdrawal effects to what I and many others are going thru after getting off cymbalta. He felt depressed and lethargic and felt like something bad was gonna happen. What he ended up doing (and this may sound funny) was to start smoking again but eventually weaned himself off slowly. Now he hasnt smoked in 4 months and feels good because he came down slowly and is very engulfed in his job and school.

I found all this out tonight because i was feeling depressed today but forced myself to go out and be around my ftreinds at a crowded bar. I feel much better now and after talking to him i calmed down a bit. Since I got off cymbalta, Ive been feeling confused, depressed, and kept thinking something awful was gonna happen or i was gonna die or something. I've been able to maintain because ive been throuigh this before and have had much training in therapy to deal with this stuff. It's still VERY difficult butIve been able to use my rational sense to combat the irrational and empotional feelings depression causes.

I've decided to get back on the meds to get my feet back on the ground and at a later date wean of the meds EVEN SLOWER. Right now, there are too many important things going on for me (new job, new home)and I was overwhelmed between them and getting off the meds. My advice to everyone is take your time and do things slowly. I know we all want to be off meds now but patience will make the transition from being medicated and healthy and being un-medicated and healthy WAY easier!!!

[Amber0788]

I have been cymbalta free for 3 weeks and I'm not enjoying it. I have been having constant headaches and feel hungry all the time and nauseated . Nothing tastes right and I'm just miserable.

[Harleygirl]

thank you very much for your post, however, going cold turkey is NOT a lack of judgement for some. It was an informed decision for me, I know my strengths and tapering would just lead to a continuation of using this drug, not only longer, but at the first sign of a negative side effect, I would have been right back at it. So more than two weeks in I am almost free of symptoms. Just a few brain zaps and all is good.