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Cymbalta-Free 4 Months ...


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#1 TmanB

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Posted 11 November 2019 - 12:01 PM

Hey guys,

 

Been reading this forum for ages and finally found the courage to contribute with my story.

 

Background: I have been on Cymbalta for some 12 years … Mostly on a 60 mg dosage, but I have been for quite a while on 30 mg, as I brought my dosage down when I felt I could deal with things. Gained a lot of weight on Cymbalta … roughly 30-35 kg.

 

Current situation: I took my last dose of 1 mg of Cymbalta on July 7th 2019 … So that makes me roughly 4 months free of the drug.

 

Tapering: I tapered myself down from 60 mg to nothing in a time frame of 2 months. As I mentioned above, for me the step between 60 mg and 30 mg is quite doable and did not give me too much of trouble. The real “fun” starts when you go down from 30 mg to 20 mg … and even worse, cutting (gradually) from 20 mg to nothing. But this has been discussed before and I think my situation and symptoms have been what most people experience.

 

Symptoms after last dosage: I think it has been discussed before, but some symptoms (except for these described below) come and go. For instance, I had severe tinnitus while tapering … it was completely gone by the 1st month of Cymbalta-free and then suddenly, it was there again for another month and now finally gone (let’s hope it stays that way).  

 

  • Weight loss – I have read this here quite often that people immediately after stopping Cymbalta gain weight instead of losing. I had the same issue … My explanation was that your head feels a bit funny and eating made it feel better … So the first 2 months of Cymbalta-free, I ate to counteract the withdrawal symptoms that affected my brain. Don’t know if this has been experienced by other people, but that definitely resulted in a rough 5 kg weight gain. After roughly 2 months, the craving for sugar and sweets gradually went down and you start losing weight. Even though I did not put much effort in it, at this time, I have lost 11 kg from my “top weight”. Also, this weight loss comes in waves … I was losing weight day after day until it suddenly stagnated … Been at a steady weight for 2 weeks now … so don’t despair when you are not losing weight … The body has to adjust and you will lose weight in the end.
  • GI problems – Had some issues with GERD, but that might be related to being currently overweight. Had some loose stool for 4 months, not diarrhea as there were no frequent visits, and that seems to improve over the last couple of weeks.
  • Anxiety/Hopelessness/ … - For me, these feelings are the worst early in the morning (Cortisol is high then) and gradually get better over the day. Starting your own company at this stage is not something that I recommend, but oh well, I do what I can … It gives some extra stress, which you should avoid, but on the other hand, it gives you some freedom to work whenever you are capable. So, double edged sword
  • Sleeplessness – Had some severe issues early on in the Cymbalta-free period of not being able to catch sleep, but that resolved itself. The only issue that I currently have is the quality of sleep. I wake up several times and wake up early due to the anxiety in a semi-dreamlike state with images of stressfull situations. Although, once getting up and running, this improves … but one feels quite exhausted and tired during the day.
  • Supplements – I take L-Tyrosine, L-Tryptophan, Vitamin B complex and Omega 3 Complex
  • Sleeping aids – I took one zolpidem (stilnoct) tablet to sleep and it gave me a 6 hour sleeping window, but I felt terrible for a week. Very groggy, tired, nauseous, anxiety rampant, etc. Don’t know why this severe reaction to a sleeping aid, but I stay away from them now, the 6 hours of sleep are not worth a week of suffering.
  • One questions I have … I have noticed (in the zolpidem story) but also when I use caffeine for a while and then stop, that my brain is really really sensitive to start-stopping these kind of stimulants … Feels like a mini-detox when I stop drinking anything with caffeine after a while ... Anybody else experienced that?

 

I am only 4 months Cymbalta-free, so I know I have a long road ahead of me, but just wanted to post something that might help people who are at an earlier stage and feel completely lost … I have been there (and sometimes still am), but one learns to cope with it, although it is very terrifying when you experience this for a first.

 

To all who are struggling with withdrawal, hang in there, we can overcome this terrible time … But be patient, these things take time … Being very impatient myself, I have to calm myself down quite often when I get frustrated about the current state I am in.

 

Be strong!

T


#2 fishinghat

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Posted 11 November 2019 - 12:16 PM

Welcome T to the family

"I have noticed (in the zolpidem story) but also when I use caffeine for a while and then stop, that my brain is really really sensitive to start-stopping these kind of stimulants … Feels like a mini-detox when I stop drinking anything with caffeine after a while ... Anybody else experienced that?"

Many members have noticed this over the years. Those synapses in your nerve cells take some time to fully recover but they will.

Actually it sounds like you did pretty well compared to some. I also would like to thank you for sharing details of your experience. Hopefully it will help others.

#3 TmanB

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Posted 11 November 2019 - 12:25 PM

Thanks fishing, been reading your comments for months ...

 

I think a famous philosopher said here once ... "patience and time" ;) It might have been copyrighted by now :P

 

And I agree, compared to some people, I cannot complain about progress ... It is a daily struggle and I have to admit that there are moments that I think that I have no future and that all things in the future will not work out ... But that alone indicates to me that this is the withdrawal speaking and that I have to push through, how hard it is sometimes.

 

Oh yes, forgot to mention that since a couple of weeks, I have noticed that I get easily moved by a movie or something nice ... To me at least, that is something that was not possible while being on Cymbalta and indicates for me progress as well ... Am I there yet? Hell no, but baby steps ... and every small improvement, as tiny as it can be, gives some more strength to proceed !!

 

Thanks again for everybody who has posted here, has given advice ... or is just there for all of us in distress ... When I feel bad, I find comfort in reading topics on here ... Not out of "Schadenfreude" (lovely german word) that other are suffering too ... But knowing that you are not alone and that we can pick up tips and help from each other ... THAT alone is a big comfort !!! So thanks to everybody !


#4 TryinginFL

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    Now that I have been off this poison for over 6 years, I hope to help others as they join us

Posted 11 November 2019 - 03:23 PM

Welcome T !

 

I have been off the poison for almost 6 yrs now, but will never forget my year-long withdrawal :(

 

I found many new friends here and much wise advice!

 

We are always here for you so please keep us updated!


#5 invalidusername

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Posted 11 November 2019 - 04:18 PM

Hi TmanB and welcome from me...
 
It is nice to hear from people that have been hovering in the background and taking advice from our site. Obviously there are a lot of people that do, but as Hat said, we really appreciate it when people detail their own respective journey on the site for the benefit of others and I am sure what you have written will help people in weeks and months to come.
 
Regarding the caffiene... each time you go through a point of drinking caffiene, you are stimulating adrenaline production, which is something that the Cymbalta did whilst you were on it. So, in effect, the caffiene is taking over where the C left off - in layperson's terms. So what is happening is that you are getting a burst of something that will be all over the place at the moment whilst your brain is trying to regulate it by itself. This is why you should do your best to prevent any adrenaline triggering circumstances, be it stress.. coffee... anything, as it will only make it more difficult for the brain to recalibrate itself. Does that make sense??
 
I also need to weigh in on the Zolpidem. This is a nasty drug that should really only be used in extreme cases and for only a short period of time. It has the effect of disrupting REM sleep, which is required for the brain to soothe itself everyday. Without REM cycles, you will feel anything from groggy to like you have not slept a wink. All these things do is knock you out. Other efforts should be targetted towards valerian, melatonin etc before bringing in the z-drugs.
 
Can you confirm the doses and frequency thereof for the tyrosine and theonine? Any notacble effects from either? Again, there needs to be caution exercised in some cases with these...
 
Once again, a hearty welcome and thanks for sharing,
 
IUN 

#6 frog

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Posted 12 November 2019 - 12:59 AM

Hi TmanB,

Welcome to the forum! I'm also currently also working through the post-Cymbalta slog though I'm only close to 5 weeks out from my last dose (though as of a few days ago I am taking about 7 beads a day to take the edge off some symptoms that were really killing me). It's always nice to hear from someone who's a little further ahead in the "journey" and I wanted to ask a little more about the anxiety symptom you're dealing with. As of about a week and a half ago I got hit with pretty severe non-stop anxiety and it's been really testing me especially as I started a new job today. Same as you it's significantly worse in the morning where I'm so jittery and panicked I can't even eat and around 2pm or so I sometimes feel it "lift" and suddenly start feeling pretty good as if it nothing ever happened.

 

My questions to you are: 

At what point did you start experiencing the anxiety? And has it improved it in any noticeably significant way since then? Also do you think any supplements are helping you cope with the anxiety? Like I said I'm currently taking a tiny bit of Cymbalta and also taking Ashwagandha twice a day. I can't tell if they're the reason I feel better as the day goes on or if I would be feeling better anyway, but I'm honestly not about to stop taking them to try to figure it out right now. 

 

It's nice that we are all able to help each other in this way since there is so little in the way of official information out there on the withdrawals from this drug. 


#7 TmanB

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Posted 12 November 2019 - 05:38 AM

Hi Frog,

 

so sorry to read what you are going through, but keep your chin up, things will get better soon !!!

 

With regard to your questions and IUNs about the supplements and anxiety.

 

- Supplements ... I made a mistake in the original post and put Threonine there,while I mean Tryptophan. The doses that I take are 500 mg of Tryptophan and Tyrosine and 1000 mg of Omega 3. These are the recommended doses for a supplement, so I am not going crazy with the amount I take them. I started taking them a month after my last dose of Cymbalta and I had some severe stomach pain and belly ache ... Since 90% of the Serotinin in our bodies is made in the digestive tract, I reasoned that this might help and lucky me, it did help. On the question whether I feel a daily benefit from them, I really cannot answer this ... as I just kept on taking them and don't feel up to experimenting now that I have things more or less under controle (its manageable). A nice website about supplements (and other topics with regard to detox) is probably shared a ton of times here, but in case, here it is ... https://mentalhealth...ant-withdrawal/... I found it very useful reading !!!

 

- Anxiety ... Well, I had to quite well under control, the first 2 months after taking my last dose. I was at home and did not have too much anxiety as I could take things slowly. When I started working and starting a new business is especially stressful, I noticed the morning anxiety to be there ... It would subside after a couple of hours (not by 2 PM like you) and by 10-11 AM I would have no trouble with it. It is also the moment that I start being active at work ... so I think for anxiety it is also good to keep your mind busy and focus on work or something else (if you can of course !!). Just sitting there and thinking "oh, I might get some anxiety when I do this or think of this" will get you into trouble ... As I mentioned, starting a new business is a bit stressful, but it also keeps your mind busy. And although there are times when I worry and think about the future ... At least, during the day I am busy and have other things to focus on ... I know, easier said than done, but one can only try !!!

 

- Zolpidem ... I just took 1 tablet because I was in need of a good night sleep ... Boy, did I regret taking that tablet. Lesson learned and I stay away from these things. I rather sleep 3-4 hours than sleep 6 and have to suffer a whole week from it.

 

- Caffeine ... Strangely, caffeine normally does not give me any issues ... It keeps me focused, does not give me anxiety, etc. It is only a problem when I think "Maybe you drink a bit too much Coke" and start cutting back, that I notice clearly that I feel a bit more down and struggle a bit. So, another indication for me that the brain is recalibrating and hard at work to restore itself.

 

Again, thanks all for being supportive and if anybody has any questions, more than happy to help ... as many of your posts helped me when I was in the early stages !!


#8 fishinghat

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Posted 12 November 2019 - 08:39 AM

Hi TmanB

A note on the tryptophan. When coming off of it wean slowly as well as it has a nasty withdrawal most of the time.

#9 TmanB

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Posted 12 November 2019 - 09:21 AM

Thanks for letting me know Hat ... I will keep an eye on how much I have left and when I see the end in sight of the bottle, I will start tapering with that as well ... I got in the routine of tapering anyways ;)


#10 invalidusername

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Posted 12 November 2019 - 12:56 PM

Most people side with the 5-HTP as the tryptophan has a further stage to get to before reaching the serotonin stage, so rather than risk the conversion from tryptophan to 5-HTP to serotonin, sometime it is better to cut out the first in the chain to ensure that the conversion is not a factor for when it may not work.

 

Glad that you have seen the dark side of z-drugs, You would do well to stay well away from them.

 

A note on the Coke and carbonated drinks - I seem to recall Hat mentioning the possibility of this causing respiatory acidosis. Just a heads-up.

 

Notes on the link - some good information, but GABA shouldn't be mess with and Rhodiola Rosea is very common for increasing anxiety so people need to start very low with that. It should also mention somewhere in that article that supplements should be introduced one at a time rather than "if you have this symptom, take that...". There are a lot of sites which do this and it needs to be dealt with carefully. And there CAN be interactions between supplements.


#11 TmanB

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Posted 01 December 2019 - 05:12 AM

Thanks again for all the good advice !!

 

I am reaching the 5th month milestone and here is a little update on the situation:

 

- Caffeine ... kicked the little amount (only 60 mg, which is nothing compared to heavy coffee drinkers) that I used daily from my diet. It has been a rough ride and took about 2 weeks for the worst side effects to subside ... Mostly light head aches, anxiety, no focus, ... Especially the anxiety was terrible. Cutting out the caffeine amplified my anxiety by about a factor 10 up to a point where one starts to think "Maybe that 60 mg is not too terrible to take on a daily basis". But anyway, I persisted and after two weeks, my anxiety levels are lower than when I was taking caffeine ... So this seems to be the theme to most withdrawals ... "Things have to get worse before they get better" ... Something to keep in mind for ALL of our withdrawals. I just decided that if my brain wants to reach homeostasis ... ANY stimulant that I take will stand in the way of this or creates an alternative level of homeostasis that will never allow me to achieve complete healing.

 

- Muscle pain ... Maybe related to the caffeine detox, but since 2 weeks, I have some pain in my fingers ... For instance, squeezing between thumb and index finger is quite painful ... Anybody experience with this? I think this is more a result of the caffeine withdrawal than the cymbalta, but anyway

 

- Anxiety ... Besides those 2 caffeine detox weeks, getting a bit better.

 

Probably a bit controversial ... But has anybody tried Ibogaine? Controversial as this is illegal in many countries. It seems to have produced very good results in the withdrawal of addicted substances by rewiring the brain, producing BDGF, etc.

 

During the first month of withdrawal, I had been taking a microdose of Ibogaine every morning ... A microdose of 1 drop of an extract ... Don't know if it has anything to do with it, but I felt quite good ... almost no anxiety and only mild brain fog. After 1 month, I stopped taking it and my anxiety was there with brain fog and I would say much harsher withdrawal symptoms (this could be the withdrawal time line, I know). One week ago, I started taking my microdose of Ibogaine again and symptoms have been subsiding again. Can't say if the one drop of Ibogaine did the trick or the fact that it was 2 weeks post-caffeine and things got better on their own ... But maybe somebody else has some experience with this? There are quite a number of studies indicating microdosing with mushrooms, LSD, Ibogaine, etc can help with depression/anxiety ... Just wanted to hear some feedback/experiences from the board !!

 

Thanks again for this nice forum !!

 

T


#12 fishinghat

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Posted 01 December 2019 - 10:17 AM

""Things have to get worse before they get better" ... Something to keep in mind for ALL of our withdrawals"

Sooo true.

"Muscle pain"

Oh so common. Some have it so bad they have a hard time dealing with it.

Ibogaine, now that is dangerous stuff. Besides the usual side effects of many meds it also has the effect of destroying Purkinje cells in the brain which control the firing of many nerve cells in over a dozen systems. nearly 100 deaths have been attributed to this material.

#13 fishinghat

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Posted 01 December 2019 - 10:20 AM

TmanB

You might want to take a look at this thread. It is the only reference to Ibogaine I could find by another member.

https://www.cymbalta...ne/?hl=ibogaine

#14 TmanB

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Posted 01 December 2019 - 11:09 AM

True, but most of the cases of fatalities relate to the "full dose" which includes a couple of grams of the stuff in 1 "ceremonie" ... The compound comes with this disclaimer that you cannot take it when you have heart issues or are actively taking SSRI/SNRIs ...

 

What I am talking is a microdose ... which relates to 50 mg (compared to > 5g) ... There are a couple of great websites on it out there ... https://thethirdwave.co/being one of them. I have to say I am intrigued by the results that these compounds have on things like anxiety, depression and others ... Although limited evidence exists, it might be a field to keep in mind when it matures ...

 

But thanks for the info


#15 fishinghat

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Posted 01 December 2019 - 12:42 PM

"Although limited evidence exists, it might be a field to keep in mind when it matures ... "

I agree. I just wanted you and others to realize how dangerous it can be if used improperly.

#16 fishinghat

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Posted 01 December 2019 - 01:02 PM

I found over 100 medical research articles on this substance. Links to the most recent ones are below. If you are having trouble sleeping these will definitely put you to sleep. lol

Ibogaine

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/23627782
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/26807959(Health effects)
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/30216039
https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC5545647/
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/27734823
https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC4837967/
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/30471681
https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC4382526/
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/27426011(safe dose study)
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/30272050
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/28489458
https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC6750207/
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/28541119
https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC5934978/
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/28402682
https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC6111465/
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/27180314(low dose effects on mood)
https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/25877487
https://www.ncbi.nlm.../pubmed/9668680

#17 TmanB

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Posted 12 May 2020 - 02:45 PM

Hello everybody,

 

I thought an update is due ... On May 7th, I hit the 10 month mark and it has been a while since I have been writing an update ... so here goes !!!

 

Overall, things have been slowly improving ... I know that the 9-12 month period is the time when real improvement usually becomes apparent ... But I am sure that when people go through it, they often don't realize they are actually improving ... I will go through some of the symptoms I reported earlier and add some comments on other things/issues:

 

- Dorpping the caffeine has been a hard thing to do ... it is an additional withdrawal within the withdrawal and depending on how much caffeine you drink (In my case, it was moderate ... 2x 33cl cans of Coke or roughly 60 mg caffeine) ... So, if you are a heavy coffee drinker, this can be another rough speed bump on the road. But I can only recommend it ... It took me roughly 1-2 months to completely get rid of the effects of the caffeine (anxiety, jumpy, sugar drops, etc.), but it has been worth it, as I feel that dropping the caffeine has definitely contributed to heading into the right direction. I know, for some it is hard to go through the day without the good old cup of coffee, but if you are withdrawing, you don't need to add extra road blocks ...

 

- (morning) Anxiety ... This has improved quite a bit. Some mornings, I wake up or lie in bed with some worry, but it has never reached the levels anymore of complete hopelessness .. By the time I get up, it goes away and I can start my day ...

 

- Sleeplessness ... In the beginning this was quite devastating ... Still awake by 2 AM and wide awake at 6 AM with terrible anxiety. This has improved tremendously. Sometimes, I spend some time having difficulty catching sleep, but this is an exception and I manage to sleep 7-9 hours per night ... Still not perfect, but definitely an improvement over the last months.

 

- Weight loss ... Also seems to be heading in the right direction ... Kilo's don't come off super easy, but putting some effort with focus on food/calories and staying active (see below) definitely helps

 

- Activity ... Losing weight goes a bit easier when you stay active. Early on in the withdrawal, if I for instance went for a walk of 5-10 km (slow pace), I was a complete mess the 2-3 days after ... Depressed, anxiety, etc ... This has improved a lot and I can go for walking 10-15 km without any noticeable effects the day(s) after ... Motivation to actually move has improved as well, not always there, but definitely not spending every moment I can laying in bed without any motivation to get up.

 

- Supplements ... I have completely eliminated supplements a month ago and do not notice any negative effects ... So I feel that I will not be needing them at the moment.

 

Remaining issues:

 

- Sexually ... Although I feel some progress in the sexual department ... I am definitely not out of the woods there. Erections are fine, "harder" than when compared when on Cymbalta (Apologies for the "too much info") but it seems that everything is a bit too sensitive resulting in very quick ejaculations ... I would assume that this will improve as well when weight loss continues and getting used again to feeling.

 

- Negative thoughts ... I have noticed that I can dwell pretty severely on memories, potential scenarios occuing in life, etc etc. It seems at these moments that my brain is in a treadmill and keeps milling away over and over on these issues ... Even though if I am rational about them, I KNOW they mean nothing, my brain keeps thinking and brainstorming about them ... 

 

- Insecurity ... Something I never had any problems was being insecure about my work and capabilities ... Now I notice that I keep doubting whether I can accomplish some tasks/jobs ... Which is sometimes stupid and I keep milling about then ...

 

- Memories ... Still some weird dreams with stupid memories that I thought would have been long gone ... They sometimes pop up

 

 

Not to brag, but when I re-read my previous posts, I feel that I am progressing ... As many people have pointed out, this is not a linear progress ... Some days are really shitty ... But I notice they become fewer and fewer. I post this to get some feedback on the remaining issues (cause people over here have already been through them),  but also for all you brave people who are at the beginning of this journey ... Believe me, I know how hard it is ... and I want to show you that you must persist ... Keep going, even if you day hellish and you don't see any light in the darkness ... Sooner or later, you will hit this mark as well and you will feel a lot better, that is a promise !!! Time goes by slowly and especially in the first couple of months, you might feel you will never make it ... I can promise you, it WILL get easier.

 

Also a bit thanks to this wonderful forum and its great people/residents (you know who you are guys), Big thank you, cause you guys probably don't realize how many of us "withdrawelers" you help, support and give hope to !!!


#18 fishinghat

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Posted 12 May 2020 - 03:58 PM

Wonderful post Tman. Not really surprised by the state you are in now except for the sexual ones. As you may know I went through something similar including testosterone failure with mine but the drs told me that for most folks things tend to return to normal within 3 months. From what I have seen on this site I would tend to say 3 to 5 months but yours is a little longer than most. The sensitivity issue should get better as the anxiety continues to fade. I will my fingers crossed for you.


#19 TmanB

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Posted 12 May 2020 - 04:07 PM

Thanks a lot Fishing ... Again, thanks for all the support, it is definitely appreciated !!

 

I have read the dreadful experience you have sexually post-withdrawal ... and I hope things improve for you !!!

 

I have to admit that things have improved on that level as well, but there are some things that remain. When it comes to sexual performance, having extra weight is also not really beneficial ... So I am at this point not too worried and I keep on focusing on losing weight and working out ... Going from a BMI from 38 (Obesity class II) to currently 32 (lower Obesity Class I) something in 10 months is decent, but still room for improvement ... So that will be my challenge for the upcoming months ... Once I am at a BMI of 27 something combined with being in better physical shape, I expect things to work out.

 

With regard to the negative thoughts/insecurity ... anybody else experienced them? if so, did they keep on fading as time goes by ?


#20 fishinghat

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Posted 12 May 2020 - 04:13 PM

It took 7 years but my sexual issues resolved and it is interesting your comment about weight because during that time I lost 54 lbs. It really does help in so many ways. Slow but steady wins the race.

 

Most also have the negative thoughts and insecurity as Cymbalta effects that part of the brain. Yes it does slowly fade with time. After a while you become more confident and sure of yourself. Ambition returns as well. Just hang in there.


#21 TmanB

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Posted 12 May 2020 - 04:20 PM

Thanks fishing and I am so happy to hear that your problem resolved ... took some time, but I am sure you are thrilled with the end result !!!

 

Yes, it is actually one of the first things you find on websites regarding to "improving stamina" is 1. Lose weight, 2. get in shape ... so I am sure that these 2 factors contribute enormous and as you point, these things take time ... but weight is one of the nastiest side effects of Cymbalta and it affects so many processes in the body ... sexually, GI tract (GERD is usually caused by overweight), self confidence, ability to work out, etc etc ... As I said, this is my main working point over the Summer.

 

Juky 7th is my next milestone ... that will be the 1 year cymbalta-free mark ... I don't expect to be 100% back to normal (or as close to normal as you could qualify me lol) ... but I am sure that compared to July 2019 ... the difference will be there and I am sure by then the worst is behind me and I can start looking forward !! Will keep you guys posted in 2 months ;)

 

Stay safe, as the corona lock downs are definitely not helping people in withdrawal ... as we are even more restricted to meeting people, staying active, ... all things than help during withdrawal !


#22 frog

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Posted 12 May 2020 - 04:46 PM

Just wanted to say Congrats! It sounds like you've come a really long way.

Not much to add here. I think the ruminating and the dwelling is common to all of us. I find that it still comes in waves. There are days, mostly singular sometimes a few in a row, where I just feel needlessly anxious. Then it's like the cloud passes over and those same things don't fill me with anxiety anymore. I believe it's still an issue of adrenaline balance. Hoping it continues to inch along and improve. I'm just under 7 months off. 


#23 TmanB

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Posted 12 May 2020 - 04:48 PM

thanks a lot Frog ... Well, 7 months is not nothing ... so you will soon through the dreadful 6-9 months time frame ... I am sure you will do well and get through this period ... Hang in there !!!


#24 invalidusername

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Posted 12 May 2020 - 05:43 PM

 

Not to brag, but when I re-read my previous posts, I feel that I am progressing ... 

 

Nothing to brag about - this is one of the great things about the forum that you can create your own little time-capsule here. I think of those weight adverts when people hold up a photo and saw "this was me a year ago". I find I am doing that when I look at my posts from months and years ago. Use this process to gain confidence and find your way through the last of the crapola. 

 

Thanks very much for sharing your update - it will serve to help many.

 

...and a congratulations from me for sticking with it and going through it all. Here's the the 1 year anniversary!


#25 dtfdtf01

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Posted 14 May 2020 - 03:18 AM

TmanB congrats on your milestone and thank you for the update. It really does help to hear the success stories and how they relate to an individuals circumstances. I am in the middle of my journey and reading your posts have helped thank you. 

keep it up

(no pun intended.....ok only a little one) :o 


#26 TmanB

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Posted 14 May 2020 - 09:59 AM

Thanks dtf, and I have read your story ... I feel for you but I am also positive that you will make it ... Reading your story takes me back a couple of months and everything sounds so familiar ... so, hang in there, good times are coming !!

 

Thanks as well IUN, your posts are always so positive and definitely something to come back for !!


#27 Mxpro32

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Posted 16 May 2020 - 03:30 PM

It took 7 years but my sexual issues resolved and it is interesting your comment about weight because during that time I lost 54 lbs. It really does help in so many ways. Slow but steady wins the race.

Most also have the negative thoughts and insecurity as Cymbalta effects that part of the brain. Yes it does slowly fade with time. After a while you become more confident and sure of yourself. Ambition returns as well. Just hang in there.


It would be nice to have ambition back. I feel lazy and I don't care to accomplish anything, not even fun side projects.

#28 Mxpro32

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Posted 16 May 2020 - 03:37 PM

Welcome T to the family

"I have noticed (in the zolpidem story) but also when I use caffeine for a while and then stop, that my brain is really really sensitive to start-stopping these kind of stimulants … Feels like a mini-detox when I stop drinking anything with caffeine after a while ... Anybody else experienced that?"

Many members have noticed this over the years. Those synapses in your nerve cells take some time to fully recover but they will.

Actually it sounds like you did pretty well compared to some. I also would like to thank you for sharing details of your experience. Hopefully it will help others.


I can't handle coffee at all. Makes my anxiety run wild, and I used to be able to drink a cup before bed and sleep fine. Alcohol gives me anxiety too.

#29 TmanB

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Posted 17 May 2020 - 04:19 PM

Mxpro, I feel for you ... But once we start with withdrawal, our brains become more sensitive ... Caffeine, alcohol, exercising, etc ... I am afraid that is one of the withdrawal effects ...

 

Also, the motivation comes back slowly ... early in withdrawal, I had to push myself to even get out of bed ... This has improved enormously ... but still not 100% ... Some days are  really a struggle ... but as you see small improvement over months ... you see that full recovery is NOT impossible ... given time ...


#30 Mxpro32

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Posted 26 May 2020 - 04:36 PM

Mxpro, I feel for you ... But once we start with withdrawal, our brains become more sensitive ... Caffeine, alcohol, exercising, etc ... I am afraid that is one of the withdrawal effects ...

Also, the motivation comes back slowly ... early in withdrawal, I had to push myself to even get out of bed ... This has improved enormously ... but still not 100% ... Some days are really a struggle ... but as you see small improvement over months ... you see that full recovery is NOT impossible ... given time ...


How long have you been off?



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