My journey off of Cymbalta
#1
Posted 18 August 2008 - 03:51 PM
Two months ago I started taking Cymbalta because the Lexapro I was on had me walking around like a zombie. Even though I was going out and driving some distances away from home into unfamiliar territory (something that is very rare for me to do) I felt unreal, detached and unable to enjoy my successes. I heard good things about Cymbalta so along with agreement from my doctor I decided to give it a try. Well if anything, I feel a whole lot worse now than I did before. My starting dose was 30mg and for the last month and a half it’s been 60 mg. I have a boat load of side effects such as insomnia, horrific nightmares, increased anxiety, fatigue, sweating spells, erectile dysfunction and complete loss interest in sex. Heck, if I’m gunna feel this way on meds I’d rather feel this way without them. I figure without the anti depressants at least I can work on my issues with a clear head… kind of like starting with a clean slate. Anyway I thought that I would post my daily progress here as a way to help others and have others help me. Hopefully we will all learn something during this journey. I started this morning by visually dividing my 60 mg tablet in half and putting each half into empty clear gelatin capsules that my wife picked up at a local vitamin shop. The fact that they are clear made comparing the amount of the two halves much easier. I plan to stick with this approximate 30 mg amount for 10 to 14 days before decreasing again.
So far today I don’t feel any different, not that I expected to this soon. I will post here again tomorrow with the latest news on my journey. If you have any comments, questions anything that you feel might help me I’d really appreciate your input.
Sincerely,
Perry
#3
Posted 19 August 2008 - 11:43 AM
Perry
#4
Posted 19 August 2008 - 01:28 PM
Today I have had a break through! I went to my pharmacist.....when I told her I went off the cymbalta cold turkey her eyes got really big and I knew I'd made a mistake....But when I explained that it has been a week, I explained the symptoms and side effects of the withdrawal, she said...no sense in going back to a lower dose now, you are just about over the worst!
So she took me to the otc stuff and tho she couldn't prescribe it, she said that people have had good luck with "dramamine less drowsy" for the motion sickness and dizziness/nausea. I took two tabs and went for a full body one hour swedish massage. I am also a licensed massage therapist so the realization that massage can help the body flush the latent bad stuff out of my system was a welcome thought in my brain fog!
Basically massage will help to flush any latent stuff out of my tissues, much like stirring up the silt at the bottom of a creek bed will. It stirs it all up into the blood stream and then with a lot of water intake (and a lot of peeing) it is flushed out of the body. By the time the hour was up I had to pee so bad I could hardly stand it! YES! My circulatory system at work!
Amazingly, I have a very LITTLE headache right now, and not much dizziness, and my tummy isn't that queasy. So I think the "dramamine less drowsy" might help pull me through the symptoms, and I need to keep drinking water to flush out the toxins the massage stirred up.
But I am DEFINATELY better than I was this morning!
Bonnie
#5
Posted 19 August 2008 - 02:45 PM
I see your from North Carolina.... I have friends there. My goal is to finally visit them when I beat this anxiety and agoraphobia. Thank you very much for the info and continued good luck with your withdrawal. Hope to talk to you again soon with more good news!
Sincerely,
Perry
P.S. Are you on any other meds?
#8
Posted 20 August 2008 - 11:49 AM
Well day one of tapering off Cymbalta has come and gone! Other than a very bad headache (that may have been caused by alergies) day one went pretty good. No real withdrawal symptoms that I know of. Day two has been fine so far... I actually felt good when I woke this morning and I'm feeling a sense of confidence and accomplishment due to my decision to rid my mind and body of antidepreesants. I hope this feeling last! I truely believe that I can conquer my anxiety and depression. I refuse to go down without a fight....LOL Till tomorrow... have a good day everyone!!!
Perry
Well it's now day 3 of my weaning off Cymbalt journey and I must say today I'm feeling some dizziness and a little light headed, especially if I stand up or move my head too quickly. I expected these symptoms so I’m going to take them in stride. Other than that, I’m feeling pretty good.
On the positive side, yesterday was a very good day for me. I went outside and walked my dog around the block (which I haven’t done in a while due to my agoraphobia) and my dreams were not as bad last night. My energy level was much higher than it has been in a while, which is a good thing. I know there are a lot of hurdles ahead but I'm going to face them one at a time and try to keep reminding myself that better times lie ahead. I hope everyone that reads this has a great day and if anyone has any questions or just needs a sounding board don’t hesitate to write. I’ve been dealing with anxiety and agoraphobia for a long time and I know sometimes you feel different and alone. You don’t have feel that way… we are here for each other!
Perry
#9
Posted 21 August 2008 - 01:09 PM
Today my mind is racing from one thought to another thinking of all the things I’d like to get accomplished today. I might not be feeling well enough to get them all done but at least my mind is active and I’m not feeling tired, out of touch or zombiefied by being too medicated. I’ll let you know tomorrow how the rest of the day goes. Till then, hope you have a great day !!!
Perry
#10
Posted 21 August 2008 - 08:37 PM
I remember that my mind returned to "full speed" before the rest of my body. Then, sometime during the second week of withdrawals (with Prozac helping) I had a couple days of "mania" when I felt full of energy with my mind racing. I got a lot accomplished on one day, but then I "crashed" again. Then eventually, I "evened out." I'm now about 7 weeks off Cymbalta and 3 weeks off Prozac. Just this week, I finally feel a "normal" energy level.
Good Luck!!
#11
Posted 22 August 2008 - 10:52 AM
Perry
#12
Posted 22 August 2008 - 12:32 PM
Day 4 of my journey already! Time sure does fly by! Today has started out just like yesterday… feeling kinda dizzy and light headed. Got a pretty goodnight’s sleep… had weird dreams but no nightmares that made me sit up in bed and gasp for air like I was having every night on 60mg of Cymbalta. I have had these same symptoms before when I was weaning off of other anti-depressants so these feelings are not a surprise… just can’t wait till they pass. I did experience an episode yesterday afternoon where I became very hot and shaky and began to sweat profusely. It was kind of warm in the house and I was late eating my lunch so I’m not sure if this was a withdrawal symptom or not. I do know that it wasn’t a panic attack… which is a good thing! I hiked up the ceiling fan, made me some lunch and sat down till it passed, which took about 15 to 20 minutes.
Today my mind is racing from one thought to another thinking of all the things I’d like to get accomplished today. I might not be feeling well enough to get them all done but at least my mind is active and I’m not feeling tired, out of touch or zombiefied by being too medicated. I’ll let you know tomorrow how the rest of the day goes. Till then, hope you have a great day !!!
Perry
Day 5: Might be having a little less dizzy, lightheaded feeling today…it’s kinda hard to tell. I don’t know if dizzy is a good word to describe the symptom. It’s maybe more like a fuzzy foggy feeling when I move my head to fast. I do know this… once I went outside yesterday evening and started being active the feeling went away. I really didn’t feel it again until late this morning. Maybe that’s a sign of progress…I’m not sure. Besides that, I’m feeling about the same. Until tomorrow….hope you have a great day!
Perry
#13
Posted 23 August 2008 - 03:16 PM
Perry
#14
Posted 24 August 2008 - 12:35 PM
Just hang in there Perry, it may seem to just stay the same for days, then a good day will come along, or half a day in the beginning, and make it worth it.
Keep the faith, you will get past this drug.
Thanks for posting, be well
Greybeard
Day 7 Greybeard it's amazing that you posted that on Saturday and sure enough I wake up today feeling better! I won't say the dizzy, brain zappy feeling is gone but it is definitely much less so far today! I am feeling some depression today but I allways feel a little bit of that on Sunday's....long story. I'm gonna try to carry on positive self talk today to help get rid of the blue feelings... might be hard cause it's a cloudy, rainy day here... but hey... I'm not complaining as long as my heads feeling better! Thanks for your words of support. I wish you and everyone a very happy weekend !
Perry
#15
Posted 24 August 2008 - 02:40 PM
#16
Posted 25 August 2008 - 05:24 PM
Perry
#18
Posted 26 August 2008 - 03:15 PM
Perry
#19
Posted 27 August 2008 - 12:50 PM
Dear Houdi,Perry:
I weaned off of Cymbalta and gained 10 lbs + due to increased appetite. I tolerated it and tried to get through the withdrawal, and now that I am at day 67 no Cymbalta, I am slowly losing the weight. Maybe 1 lb a week. I couldn't do it before this.
I weaned from 60 mg once a day to 30 mg twice a day....same dosage, just one 30 mg in am then pm. Then I went to 20 mg twice a day, so that was 20 mg am and another 20 mg pm. Then I went to 30 mg once a day and finally 20 mg once a day. The weaning wasn't too bad for me. But once I came off totally, ouch. I felt terrible and found this forum on day 3. I can't imagine not weaning.
Really give yourself the time to adjust to the new dosage while you wean off. As you have heard, some members have found help with supplements, over the counter benadryl and dramamine, or prescription Prozac/Celexa/etc. You should talk with your MD to see if this is an option for you.
Rest as much as you can an be careful of too much stimuli. TV, computer, even reading, movies, and company.
I hope things become easier for you.
Best of wishes,
Houdi
Thank you for sharing your inspirational story and congrats on your success! I have aq couple of questions if you don't mind. Are you on any meds now? How long did it take you to wean off Cymbalta? As far as avoiding stimuli, I believe I read that somewhere online. Why is that a good idea? Just wondering. I wish you continued success!
Sincerely,
Perry
#20
Posted 27 August 2008 - 01:01 PM
Day 9… I’m trying to keep this daily update from sounding like a broken record but that’s hard to do considering weaning off Cymbalta has more ups and downs than a Coney Island roller coaster. This morning I was feeling fine but this afternoon the fuzzy brain zaps are back again. I’ve also noticed that over the past couple of days my appetite has seemed to increase. Has anyone experienced that before? You must remember all I have done so far is drop from 60mg to 30mg of Cymbalta so I still have a ways to go! I’m trying hard to remain patient but I’m starting to wonder if quitting cold turkey and just getting over this all at once would have been better. I really hope these symptoms pass soon so I can decrease my dosage again. Have a great day everyone! See ya tomorrow.
Perry
I know the feeling. I've been off the Cymbalta for almost a week now and have replaced it with Prozac, and I really really wanna hurry up and quit the Prozac because I'm having these crazy side effects, and I have this feeling that it's more the Prozac because I had a lot of these sensations when I was on Zoloft and they have such a similar mechanism of working. I want to get off the Prozac right now, but I just know it's going to be a bad idea.
Dear Divine,
I really feel for you. I can totally relate to what your going thru. The idea of having to face withdrawal symptoms can be very scary. Maybe if you pick a date in the future to begin weaning off you can start to mentally prepare for it by using positive affirmations and relaxation exercizes. Be sure to pick a time when your schedule will allow you to have bad days "if" they occur...remember....maybe they won't. Hang in there... you'll be fine. I'm rooting for you!
Sincerely,
Perry
#21
Posted 27 August 2008 - 01:08 PM
I have been on Cymbalta now for four months and found it helpful to keep me from my situational depression. I began taking half doses three days ago. Yesterday I felt some sadness and haven't cried in months, but had that emotion for a moment. Today I was a bit gruff with a friend and perhaps even argumentative. I don't like the physical feelings I am experiencing with Cymbalta. My hand joints are sore and feel as if they are swelling slightly. I have probably put on 10 lbs. these past four months. I have a slight headache daily.
Dear Balladman,
Don't know what your starting dosage was... could be that half the amount is just too big a leap for you. Maybe you should consult your doctor. Your decision to get off of something that seems to have been working is a brave and positive step and you should be very proud of yourself! Good luck and check back with us, please.
Sincerely,
Perry
#22
Posted 27 August 2008 - 02:12 PM
Sincerely,
Perry
#23
Posted 28 August 2008 - 06:21 PM
Perry, thank you for your note and the forum. I am into my third full day and will begin tomorrow by cutting my dose in half again as seems the thing to do. I was encouraged by a friend to look into a liver cleansing? I will have to look that one up. Also, I have an appointment to have a deep tissue massage on Friday. I had been getting those every two weeks before my wife and I were taking a break. I've been away from home for one month now and have not been myself in months. I look forward to feeling again. I am a songwriter and although the Cymbalta kept me from raging, it didn't keep me from feeling disappointed or upset. There is no miracle drug for that. It didn't even help me to shut up. I know, there are no such things as "shut up pills". I am going to look into the relaxation and breathing as you discuss in the forum as well as exercise. I have been walking twice daily. My appetite is so high. I am always hungry. I am trying to drink lots of water. I had another headache today. I have probably had only a few headaches in my life. Really. So, the fact that I have had a headache now for three days is certainly part of cutting the dose. I am a little sad this evening. I couldn't sleep at all last night. I almost went into a manic moment calling my wife when she did not answer the phone. I just kept redialing the phone number and couldn't seem to stop for hours. Not completely abnormal for me though. I guess that would be considered more obsessive than manic. I just want to get rid of the Xanax as well. I have been taking much less of that. Three years ago I took Lexapro for about six months and hated it. I recall the moment in intimacy that should feel good actually was uncomfortable. Cymbalta did not have that effect on me. Although it completely took away my drive, which I look at as a good thing, especially in light of my current situation, and how sad is that? Not a good thing to have good feelings considered bad feelings suppressed. Have you heard anything about colon cleansing or fasting?
Dear Balladman,
Your schedule of weaning off seems pretty accelerated to me, but if you and your doctor feel comfortable with it I say go for it! I know I can't wait to finish mine. I can totally relate to the fact that you want to start feeling again.... I've been a medicated zombie for years. I haven't really improved with meds so I figure if I'm going to feel bad at least I'm going to do it naturally. As far as the fasting and cleansing I really dont know much about it except that if you plan to do that check with your doctor first because it can affect any other meds you may be taking. Thank you for taking the time to write... we all appreciate your input. Take care.
Sincerely,
Perry
#24
Posted 28 August 2008 - 06:40 PM
Perry
#27
Posted 29 August 2008 - 12:44 PM
Sincerely,
Perry
#28
Posted 31 August 2008 - 05:48 PM
P.S. Please keep the gulf coast area in your prayers… and believe me… anything you can do to help, no matter how small you might think it is… will be a cherished blessing to someone.
Sincerely,
Perry
#29
Posted 06 September 2008 - 03:20 PM
Perry
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