14 replies to this topic

[gatormason]

Some of your posts have been helpful.

I'm a 29 yr old male and I've been on 60mg cymbalta almost a year. I took it everyday, but I often drank a lot. I was told by a couple doctors that drinking, particularly in excess, makes cymbalta ineffective. I decided to wean myself off without telling them. All I really need is a xanax or two a week and I think forcing me to stay on cymbalta just to get xanax is unreasonable, not to mention I can't afford to throw away $50 on a medication that doesn't seem to do anything.

I tried doing the "every other day", "every 3rd day" weaning for less than 2 weeks before I said "screw it" and just quit taking them. It's now been 8 or 9 days I think since I've taken a pill. I've had vertigo every minute since. My eyes/brain feel like marbles rolling around in my head every time I turn or look at something. I have sinus problems for which I'm having a Septoplasty next month, so I thought maybe the vertigo was from sinus issues effecting the ears, but no zyrtec D or any such medicine is helping. I also have apnea and often don't sleep well anyway....so between these two issues, I had no idea of I was having any cymbalta withdrawal effects or my increased tiredness (in the morning primarily, hard to get up for work) and vertigo/dizziness were symptoms of something else.

Considering the longevity of the symptoms and after finding this board, it would seem to be withdrawal symptoms. I also have a lot of rage at times. I get very angry, very quickly. I don't get physically abusive or anything, but inside I want to explode. I've had some problems with this in the past, I Just hope this is a withdrawal effect and not something the cymbalta was surpressing (actually helping?). In any case, I'm glad I found this board! Good day

[nursedeborah]

gatormason,
Welcome to the group, and to the worst way to get off of Cymbalta!!!! COLD TURKEY!!
You think it's bad now just wait! Even the stupid company who made this noxiuos crap
said "Do not stop abruptly" Well there are so many meds that one can't just stop without
doinf a titrate, wean offf them.

I too was on the 60 mg from 3/07 until I had my first real experience with the withdrawls
and had had my doc decrease it it half. By the 6 day I was having nightmares, strangest
sleep patttern, itching, abdominal pain, oh there were lots more. So I called my doc, he
said it had nothing to do with the Cymbalta, but to go back to the full dose. So I did, and in
no time I was back to my Cymbalta Self, which wasn't pretty, but a life I knew onlt too well
by now.

That's when I googled withdrawls cymbalta, and found this wonderful place, and all my
answers. All that time I was on the drug it was what was cauing me to feel, and act the
way I had been for so long. I had do desires, feelings, motivation, lost interest in life,
people ,places, and things. I could concentrate, could n't get organized, all I did way lay
in my bed. I was never hungry either, yet gained 35 lbs.

That God for this place is right as it taught me how to get off this drug at my own pace,
that there was no race, that I could go at a pace that made me able to function, and to
almost have no withdrawl symptoms at all. It was all up to me, all I had to do was follow
what those that had already gotten of it, or had been decreasing, and having good
results.

So if you don't want to feel like you are, as there is no time frame to all of this, it could
be 6 months - 2 years like your feeling. You just might want to read several post on
all the different ways others have gotten offf this drug.

How ever you do decide to do it is up to you, and you will be supported during all of that!!
That's what we do here, support oneanother, there is no judgement!!! We are all different
the only things where we are the same is that we were all given this noxious drug, and we
are all here trying to get off of it.

Debbie

[gatormason]

Thank you, Debbie. I'll certainly search the site more carefully and see how others have taken themselves off. After a couple of weeks weaning and then just quitting cold turkey, I don't feel so bad. Sure, it's 10 days of vertigo, but I don't let it effect me too much. I still put in my hours at work, Walk a few miles with my dog and also get in at least 30 minutes of cardio at the gym every day. My sleep patters have been screwy for years, so no indicator there, lol. Trazadone is my friend! Perhaps my sporadic use and heavy drinking during my year on cymbalta has made it a little easier on me? Or perhaps I'm just extremely fortunate to not have any of these other withdrawal symptoms.

Or are you saying the worse symptoms come a few weeks after stopping?

In any case, I'll keep reading!

Edit - Should a mod move this to the weaning off cymbalta forum?

[nursedeborah]

gatomason,
did I get that right?
Well you sould like your doing ok, so just keep up what your doing.
No leave this post here unless you start to have problems, them you
vould start a new topic if it has to do with thr withdrawls in the other
are Weaning off Cymbalta, and then there start a new topic which has
to do with what's going on with you. That way it will not get over looked.

I am thrilled to hear you doing so great right now. So just keep doing
what your doing. If I could exercise I know I would be dooing a few hours
at my gym, all the the stairmaster!!! I eally used to love that one the most,
and would do it for 45-55 min each am. I finally even bought one!!

Keep comign when if you need anything, always here,
Debbie

[gatormason]

The elliptical is my best friend. 35-45 minutes on that thing and I'm good to go. Don't know how anyone can workout in the morning though! I have to do it after work, morning I just have no energy!

I thought I was doing better with the vertigo, but if I slack off the zyrtec d, the vertigo comes back the next day. Been feeling a little down the last couple days as well, but overall still doing pretty good. Been over 2 weeks now since I quit, so hopefully these symptoms won't stick around too much longer!

[MaureenV]

Hi gatormason,


Funny how we're all different with exercise. I can do a bike ride of 30k early in the morning, but could no sooner get in the saddle in the evening now than fly to the moon.

You've mentioned vertigo. I've had significant problems with vertigo in the past, now resolved, and like most people didn't know until I had it that the word doesn't just mean giddyness. Generally, if you have vertigo, it's BPPV (positional vertigo) and instead of feeling like YOU"RE off balance, it feels like you're quite stable and the rest of the world has gone wobbly.

The other thing that happens with BPPV is that when it hits, you're eyes actually spin quite a few times. One of the ways it's checked is for an ENT specialist to suddenly tilt you, then if the vertigo hits, count the number of times your eyes spin. Yes, it's as much fun as it sounds!!

It often also happens very, very suddenly, like it will suddenly feel like the floor's sloping, or a wall you're leaning on has given way. The reason I point this out is because you can actually be cured of BPPV.

Let me know if you think this is what you have, because you can get help.

cheers, Maureen.

[gatormason]

Maureen,

Giddyness? Certainly not a word that ever would have come to my mind, lol. The BPPV may sound more like what I'm experiencing. It's not so bad right now, but it's hard to tell what's going on right now. My anxiety/panic attacks have been really bad the last week. Of course, I think that's because I'm having a septoplasty tomorrow morning. I generally have a nervous personality, especially about things like this, so I've just been a wreck leading up to this. Of course, the issues with my sinuses and infections could be the cause of my "vertigo" feeling. It'll be interesting to see how I feel when I'm off all the meds in a week or so and everything is done with. Until then, I'm sure my friend, Vicodin, will keep me sane, lol.

[nursedeborah]

Maureen,

Giddyness? Certainly not a word that ever would have come to my mind, lol. The BPPV may sound more like what I'm experiencing. It's not so bad right now, but it's hard to tell what's going on right now. My anxiety/panic attacks have been really bad the last week. Of course, I think that's because I'm having a septoplasty tomorrow morning. I generally have a nervous personality, especially about things like this, so I've just been a wreck leading up to this. Of course, the issues with my sinuses and infections could be the cause of my "vertigo" feeling. It'll be interesting to see how I feel when I'm off all the meds in a week or so and everything is done with. Until then, I'm sure my friend, Vicodin, will keep me sane, lol.

gatormason,
Hi wow it's been ages since you have been here, and was wondering if all
was ok with you.
Your still in massive withdrawls from stopping this drug the way you did,
but also I agree with you about some of the anxiety being due to your
surgery. Everyone gets that before a surgery!

At first you said the taking the Zertec didn't make a difference, but now
you can tell if you don't take take it. Also I think it's very important to
look up online vertigo, as I don't think many really know what it is, and
use it out of context. Also it can mean other things too, and things that
need to be seen by a doctor. It could be your blood pressure is up, as we
are all detoxing off this med. and it is, so they say the same as getting
off of any narcotic, only this is harder, and takes longer!!!

Check out the new post for the FDA info. it was really great information,
also very frightening as the numbers are staggering regarding this drug,
and the other two that are said to be so very hard to get off of. Paxil, and
Effexor!

Will be thinking of you tomorrow. Also hope your not popping those Vicodin's
and drinking just to mask all these withdrawls, oh, and the Xanax too. Your
only setting your self up for another major problem, and horrible withdrawl!
Been there, done that.

Debbie

[gatormason]

Hey there, I completely forgot about this place, I've been in a bit of a haze recently. My surgery went well and I'm very glad I did it. However....

My anxiety hasn't been this high in a long time. At first I thought it was anxiety over the surgery, but it came and went. Not all that painful, just uncomfortable. It's been 3 weeks, I can breathe better than I ever have....but I still have daily panic attacks. Before stopping cymbalta, I had 1 a week at the most. Sometimes I'd go 2 or 3 weeks without taking a single xanax. Now it's a daily occurrence. I'm almost tempted to start cymbalta again just to make it stop. I never did experience any negative side effects from cymbalta that I'm aware (well taking it)....I basically stopped because it was $50 a month and I didn't think I needed
...now I'm trying to justify things just to make these damn panic attacks stop.

[Junior]

Hey there, I completely forgot about this place, I've been in a bit of a haze recently. My surgery went well and I'm very glad I did it. However....

My anxiety hasn't been this high in a long time. At first I thought it was anxiety over the surgery, but it came and went. Not all that painful, just uncomfortable. It's been 3 weeks, I can breathe better than I ever have....but I still have daily panic attacks. Before stopping cymbalta, I had 1 a week at the most. Sometimes I'd go 2 or 3 weeks without taking a single xanax. Now it's a daily occurrence. I'm almost tempted to start cymbalta again just to make it stop. I never did experience any negative side effects from cymbalta that I'm aware (well taking it)....I basically stopped because it was $50 a month and I didn't think I needed
...now I'm trying to justify things just to make these damn panic attacks stop.

Hi Gatormason

Glad your surgery went well.

I don't seem to have much time to post these days (working and preparing for Xmas) but I wanted to explain something to you.

Doctors think withdrawal from anti-depressants is only about the length of time it takes to get the drug out of your system but they are wrong. It's about how the drugs change the brain and how long it takes for the brain to get back to its pre-medication way of functioning.

Basically, Cymbalta down-regulates both serotonin and norepinephrine receptors on the sending neuron. This means that these neurotransmitters 'hang around' longer in the synapse, allowing more time for the receiving neuron to pick them up. When you come off the drug, these receptors needs to up-regulate and this can take some time. Effectively what this means is that the brain is processing LESS serotonin and norepinephrine than it did while you were on the drug. You therefore tend to experience symptoms either similar to your pre-medication state or worse. I've read of people who suffered what you might call 'chemically induced depression' when they had never suffered depression in the past!
In addition, if you alter 1 or 2 neurotransmitters, the brain adjusts the levels of others in order to find a new equilibrium. Obviously this needs to be reversed when you come off the drug. But.. if the receptors are taking a while to up-regulate.... well, you get the picture.

Hopefully that helps you to understand why you are still feeling the anxiety and why we recommend a slow taper rather than going off Cymbalta (and other anti-depressants) cold turkey.

Kind regards
Junior

[gatormason]

Well, that does make sense. Doesn't make it any more tolerable and the irrational side of wants to say screw it, lol. It seems odd that the first month of quiting was basically no problem, minus the vertigo-esque feeling, then I get hit like this afterwards. Oh well, nothing I can do but wait it out I suppose (and rely on xanax for now, which is only a .5mg)


Thanks, Junior

And...GO GATORS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nursedeborah]

Hey there, I completely forgot about this place, I've been in a bit of a haze recently. My surgery went well and I'm very glad I did it. However....My anxiety hasn't been this high in a long time. At first I thought it was anxiety over the surgery, but it came and went. Not all that painful, just uncomfortable. It's been 3 weeks, I can breathe better than I ever have....but I still have daily panic attacks. Before stopping cymbalta, I had 1 a week at the most. Sometimes I'd go 2 or 3 weeks without taking a single xanax. Now it's a daily occurrence. I'm almost tempted to start cymbalta again just to make it stop. I never did experience any negative side effects from cymbalta that I'm aware (well taking it)....I basically stopped because it was $50 a month and I didn't think I needed...now I'm trying to justify things just to make these damn panic attacks stop.

gatorman,
Everyone is different, and it just loooks like the reallly bad withdrawls didn't
hit you until further down the line. I know for me they didn't start for 6 days,
amd also would just keep increasing until I thought I would really go insane, also
the lack of any energy to do anything except lay of my couch all day.


I too would consider going back on some amount of the drug, and just do a slow weaning
process as it willl not improve, and also this just takes so long to do, the withdrawls
I mean. At least you could be in control of how intense they are.

How are you today? What do you think you will do?

Take care,
Debbie

[gatormason]

I'm doing ok today so far. A little anxious earlier, but some of that I believe is some other factors contributing to symptoms similar to anxiety and my brain just panics occasionally. Being congested w/ a cold doesn't help, as the drainage and uncomfortable feeling in my throat due to that triggers my most uncomfortable anxiety symptom, the "closed throat" feeling. The other is I have bad acid reflux. It'll calm down for months and kick back up occasionally, which it's been bad again. Not really heartburn, but the pressure in the chest, as well as the "backup" into the throat. This also creates uncomfortable symptoms that, I believe, my brain confuses for anxiety symptoms and I panic a little. Knowing this, I'm usually able to overcome it by just relaxing and being rational. I've actually only had to take a xanax once in the last 3 or so days. Much better than the previous 3 weeks where it was daily.

I'm sure the rest of the day will be fine, as I'll begin my drinking shortly for the Gator game The only potential problem is the sobering up later tonight, doh.

[Junior]

I cold turkeyed from 60mg and I suffered with severe upper abdo pain and insomnia. C/t is definitely NOT recommended.

Junior

[nursedeborah]

I'm doing ok today so far. A little anxious earlier, but some of that I believe is some other factors contributing to symptoms similar to anxiety and my brain just panics occasionally. Being congested w/ a cold doesn't help, as the drainage and uncomfortable feeling in my throat due to that triggers my most uncomfortable anxiety symptom, the "closed throat" feeling. The other is I have bad acid reflux. It'll calm down for months and kick back up occasionally, which it's been bad again. Not really heartburn, but the pressure in the chest, as well as the "backup" into the throat. This also creates uncomfortable symptoms that, I believe, my brain confuses for anxiety symptoms and I panic a little. Knowing this, I'm usually able to overcome it by just relaxing and being rational. I've actually only had to take a xanax once in the last 3 or so days. Much better than the previous 3 weeks where it was daily.

I'm sure the rest of the day will be fine, as I'll begin my drinking shortly for the Gator game The only potential problem is the sobering up later tonight, doh.

gatorman,
Drinking, and taking Xanax, what a nasty combo. My cousin is in a coma now, and has
been for over 25 years from doing just that.

Also just coming off this drug, and using alcohol is probally not a good idea at all,
as we have had about 4-5 people just lately who hae said that this drug caused them to
staart drinking, well they had such a craving for the booza, and couldn't stop drinking.

We think this drug clears our system in a certain amount of time, me for one am not taking
any chances, and adding fuel to what is already a huge BOMB!!!

Just be careful with drinking!!! Like you said sobering up later is the only potential problem?

Debbie