4 replies to this topic

[scarydays]

I have stopped could turkey after being on Cymbalta 60 mg for about three months, of not realizing what I was doing anymore being completely paranoid unable to eat and not being able to sleep for more then 2-3 hours a night. I stopped around 36 days ago and it was the absolute scariest experience in my life. I heard voices, thinking I was going completely mad I would wake up so dizzy and fall over, Seeing stars literally, crazy thoughts of doom, I was so intensely in fear that I would end up locked up from going insane. I tried multiple times telling my doctor I did not feel right he then upped the does from 30 mg to 60, along with giving me ativan for Anxiety. I have always been and extremely anxious person, however he never told me any of the side effects, so one day I decided I was done with all of them, after the side effects got so unbearable and I was unable to function at work, my fiancé thought I was completely mad and my 7 year old was starting to have problems at school due to my constant mood swings/crying and paranoid behavior.

The first 5 days were a living hell after stopping, on the 6 day I had my mom drive me to the ER as I was unable to drive or barley get myself dressed. It took EVERYTHING I had to care for my daughter. They gave me a shots and recommend I go back to the Cymbalta and tapper off, slowly. After being off of it so long there was NO WAY I would ever take that again, so I decided I wouldn't do it, tried calling my doctor who prescribed it he was "out of town", I never wanted to go back to him again as I felt like he doesn't care and I have been too trusting, but not now I realize most Dr's don't really give a crap and want you to just go away.

My mom was able to help me a few days with my daughter, I couldn't work, and I was so scared to be alone. Then a few days later after my fiancé and I had dinner hadn't take the pills for around 7 days or so, I was doing somewhat better, able to drive at least, then all of the sudden it was like something crazy happened My heart beat was beating so fast I never felt so anxious in my entire life and I blacked out, I remember waking up and thought I had died, It was really scary and a few minutes later it happened again, next thing I remember I was in the ambulance a seriously out of body experience, being taken to the hospital my life literally flashing before my eyes, every person close to me were saying things as I got there(in my head), I couldn't speak answer questions, then the next thing I know I wake up in the hospital.

No phone no numbers and I heard someone dying in the room next to me in severe pain. I just wanted to get out of there, the noise and the pain in my arm made me extremely agitated and I had the worst headache in my life.

The test showed low potassium and they had give me lots of fluid, thankfully my fiancé didn't leave and came back from after the past three months of COMPLETE insanity this drug caused us. I was recommend to see a psychologist and all he wanted to do is put my on 4 new meds after telling him I was terrified to take anything but, terrified to live the way I felt so reluctantly I got all of the meds filled however didn't end up taking LEXAPRO after reading that side effects, I did take the other 3 one for nerve pain, Ativan and ambien. The next appt 2 weeks later I told him I was too scared of the withdraw symptoms so he put me on Lamotringe, I read the withdraw symptoms and was still scared to take it, and still was hesitant, I tried reading to keep my mind busy and I read Darkness Visible by William Styron, (highly recommend this book) it made me see I wasn’t along in my feelings of depression, so  just this past Monday I decide to try as the insomnia is just getting worse and the depression still seemed too much to handle alone, after one week today I am still not sleeping by thank GOD I am able to smile and my daughter is more back to her old self.

Cymbalta caused almost a month of missed work and now lots of medical bills but, thankfully not my life. I would be seriously cautious before trying this medication and ask to know all of the withdraw symptoms and don't trust you doctor/if he doesn’t listen to you go and get a second opinion if you can, I wish I would have and avoided all of this misery!

 

Thanks for listening; it's nice to know this is here, happy Mother’s day!

 

 

 

 

 

[jlowe01]

HI Scarydays,

Pleaese dont feel alone.. There are so many people on here that have gone through and are going through what you are. I am one of them. However, it is not at all recommended to stop the cymbalta without tapering. The drug only has a 12 hour half life so it doesnt stay in your system long enough to do a ccompleted stop.. Wean using the bead count. Take out say 5 or 7 beads from the capsule a night and increase the number removed by that same numeral each day. 5,10,15 and so on. I have been on cymbalta for 3 years and I have tried every way to get off of it and I understand what youre going through,. Please take my advice and the advice of amy others. It is dangerous to cold turkey stop and may cause irreversible side effects that might not otherwise jhappen if you wouldve tappered. I have had a struggle with the taper but I am able to function. Researhc has shown that length of therapy for an antidepressant is 16-18 months. So once that time is reached. You can taper slowly and have a less likely chance of the origional depression to return. However not tapering can cause chronic UNTREATABLE depression. Think about this.. You can stand to go back on it.. taper the right way and be healthy when you come off. I have had diarrhea, nausea and dizziness while I was tapering. I came off completely May 7. I wont lie to you.. I am STILL having withdrawals. I get hot and start to sweat. Some insomnia and crying spells. I have told my family so they know what to expect.  Taking a multivitamin with Omega 3 fish oil helps a great deal.. I understand felling crazy.. I thought I was surely going to loose it today. Friday and today have been bad. Friday was severe nausea diarrhea and crying for no reason.. But We are all in this together! we will get off this drug. Stay strong!

[lady2882Nancy]

Oh man scarydays that must have been a really rough time.

 

I don't know that I could have done it that way. My hats off to you.

 

Congrats on being off Crapalta

 

Take care

[scarydays]

Thank you jlowe and lady2882nancy, you both I will try the fish oil, I read somewhere on here that oranges help, I would wake up with severe night sweats and crave oranges, which I never rellly eat, it did seem to really help. 

I did learn the hard way to quit cold turkey isn't the way to go, I just couldn't do it, put one more pill into my body, I hope the deppression will go away soon, I have started to feel better each day however, I do feel still just quite 'right" but, having support from family and reading some of the other stories on here does help, thank you for your replies. 

I am so thankful to be off of it, and I never want to feel the terror of Crapalta agian!

 

Good luck jlowe1 - hang in there glad you have the support of a family, I can't imagine how hard to get it off I had been taken it  for as long as you have, hopefully the hardest days are behind you.  Be strong!

 

Lady2882Nancy - I can tell from your posts you are a very caring person, it means a lot thank you!  just feels good to know we are not alone.

[lady2882Nancy]

Scarydays

 

Yes citrus fruit (oranges, lemons, limes) help the brain make GABA (the feel good neurotransmitter).

 

When getting off Crapalta our system needs lots of veggies and fruits to restore the correct chemical balance and detox.

 

I don't blame you for not trusting new meds. I have had enough of them too.

 

We are all in this together so none of us are completely alone

 

Take care