4 replies to this topic

[littlemrnofear]

I was only on this stuff for 5.5 months and up to 60mgs. My doctor told me to taper from 60 to 40 for a week then 20 for a week then stop. I was feeling like crap 2 days after and then found this site and apparently it's no suprise I feel this way. I had debilitating headached when I got down to 20 mg and now I feel like I am in a dream? I can't explain it, but it's like I turn to look at something and my mind has to catch up?, I feel like my extremities are "asleep" like when your arm falls asleep, but not quite to that degree. I have just weird sensations and I am irritable as hell.

I don't want to go back on it, I have been completely off of it for 3 days. 5 months doesn't seem like that long to be taking it, but I am scared that this is going to go on for months like others have posted here? Not sure what a brain zap is supposed to feel like? I thought like an electrical shock? I have these weird things in my head and I think that is what you are talking about, but can someone try to describe them to me??

thanx in advance

[thismoment]

Hi littlemrnofear

Welcome!

I see you are in cold turkey withdrawal. Sorry your doctor never read the Cymbalta box notes-- Eli Lilly instructs that the patient is slowly weaned off Duloxetine, with no large steps in dosage and no skipped days. Should symptoms appear, the dosage is leveled off or raised back up some. Once the patient is stable, weaning is continued, but at a slower rate.

Your level of exposure is light at 5.5 months, but the drug is fully uploaded and you need to wean off it.

You can either go back on and wean off-- or stay cold turkey. At 3 days the symptoms have just begun, and what you describe is pretty typical. Many intrepid souls on this forum got off by cold turkey, and many others (like me) weaned off.

The brain zaps are electric-like shocks that run approximately from ear-to-ear and are accompanied by the sensation of a flash. They can cause you to turn your head and say something like, "Shit!" or "Faaak!" People often get a dozen or so a day over 5-7 days. They go away. The mechanism isn't known, and it's thought they cause no damage. Yours could start in a few days, or you may get none at all; let's hope it's the latter!

Keep us posted on what you decide to do-- in any case we will be here to help you through.

[Cse70]

TM,

My brain zaps are rare and feel like cramps in the back of my head. I want to be optimistic when I feel them and think, "Yay, my brain is working on synapses!"

[littlemrnofear]

well, I gave up drinking two months ago and with on top of that? this is gonna be a wild ride I guess. So far I can manage, but it's unnerving and frustrating to say the least. At 4 days though, I may get worse? yikes. I will keep you posted. Thank you!

[AnaIreland]

Hi littlemrnofear

 

I'm like you and was on for a short time (6months) at 60mg. My GP told me to go the everyotherday route. I was ok mostly for the first few days as I lowered the dose. Like you, I didn't have brain zaps or much in terms of v physical side effects until now...this was meant to be the day I skipped the everysecondday dose and went to every third day. As I have found out from the kind souls on this forum, this was OPPOSITE to the appropriate way to wean off and I was putting my body in and out of withdrawal every day.

 

Anyway, I had a VERY BAD NIGHT last night (you can read in the introduce yourself forum) last night and I'm convinced now to take it slow by doing bead counting and not slowing down any further if symptoms arise. In fact, they are back now, despite the fact I took at 60mg tablet a few hours ago because I wanted to stabilise before starting the bead counting.

 

I feel your pain though!