5 replies to this topic

[Sarah J]

45 days cold turkey last week and I had to seek out alternate help. I feel like I lost. I wanted to be strong and be a success story. The good news is that the new doctor did not want me to take Cymbalta further.

I had never been on another anti-depressant, ever. There were enough days of clarity to make me believe that Cymbalta was damaging me (plus the complacence of the past year).

Have I failed? Well, I can't believe how confused I still feel. I am concerned for those going from 30 mg to nothing and also for those who are trying the every other day method.

Please, everyone, make sure your doctor is aware of some of the potential. Know that we all wish to be drug free, but Cymbalta withdrawal is something that should not be suffered through. Please, make sure that your doctor is supportive and can help you detox safely. Cold turkey may work for some, but don't go through days, weeks or over a month of being "lost in the applesauce".

I feel so terrible that this "beat" me. But I am no longer taking it, but had to switch to another anti-depressant to level me out. I wish I would have taken this route after the first couple of weeks.

Be strong and well.

[schmb01]

Sarah, please don't feel like it "beat" you. It is a powerful drug, and you are taking the right steps to come off of it. You have offered some very good advice to others here, and that is very meaningful, so that makes you a winner.

Do be careful with the other antis that you are taking, because they have their own list of withdrawal issues too. Just take care of you, and know that it will take as long as it takes. I thought I was "strong" and could quit cold turkey from 90mg to zero in a week. Wrong. I too felt weak, and like I had been beaten by it, but your very own words have helped me tremendously. Asking for help doesn't make us weak, it makes us smart.

Hang in there, I'm thinking of you, and thanks again for your supportive words.

Babby

[Sarah J]

Thank you so much. Everyone on this forum has been very helpful. The new shrink even said she is cautious about prescribing Cymbalta at all because of the adverse withdrawal effects.

I really don't want for anybody else out there to just try to stop Cymbalta without help. I actually did what my doctor said to do and until I found this site, felt like I really was the only one.

I am also frightened for others that they are going to be told to step down like I did and experience the pain.

Needless to say, I will never take Cymbalta again. The Celexa I have been put on is a low dose, just to balance me out from the shock to my system from the Cymbalta withdrawal. And my new shrink knows that it is my goal to be off anti-depressants if possible and is willing to work with me. Celexa is an older drug, and I did not find the horror stories of cessation about it like I have Cymbalta.

Thank you, today is a hard day, I vacillate from being mad at myself for stopping to begin with, going so long without a second opinion and being glad that Cymbalta will never again enter my body.

Peace and thanks, you can get to 45 days off the stuff, but if you are feeling poorly people, do not wait so long. It means that you need some other support. And trust me, I am all about the natural remedies. I go to pilates classes 2x week, I try to eat healthy. And I do think the Omega 3 helped.

Thanks for listening to me vent. I don't mean to be on a soapbox about getting help, but I think that if you go through hell for more than 3 weeks and aren't getting releif, don't torture yourself trying to be a rock.

[Sarah J]

Bethany,

I replied to another one of your posts, they put me on Celexa 20 mg. It is not as toxic or hard to get off of as Cymbalta. Please get to a doctor now. Do not pass go, do not go through the torture.

I consider myself to be a strong person, I went 45 days of this and found that if I would have looked elsewhere (other than my old psychiatrist) for help, I would have had some relief much sooner.

Take care of yourself, you will get through, just don't try to do this without medical support.

[blessedmom3]

hey, I am new to the online chatting but I recently have decided to quit taking the cymbalta that i have been on for 3 yrs. I am 39 and after my hysterectomy 3yrs ago the dr. put me on cymbalta for anger and I have now started last week weaning myself off I started with 40mg a day and so i took myself to 20 started feeling really bad horrible debilitating headaches and so sleepy i could not even fuction throuhout the day. I decided that I would look into the drug on the internet to see if maybe the weenig process was doing this to me and I saw so many people on the website struggling in the very same way I was one person said why ween when all you will have to do is put yourself through the withdrawl symptoms that much longer so I quit cold turkey that was Monday and I am losing myself. I have 2 children 6 and 7 I substitute at the school and usually love it, I can't hardly get myself out of bed anymore all I want to do is sleep and i am so nauseated all the time shaking inside, cry occasionally I am really feeling hopeless to get off this stuff. I had no idea all of this would happen I am scared as I sit here and write i cry not knowing where to look for help. I really don't want to take more drugs to get through this I don't want to have to get off something else could someone please give me some advice as to where to look for help.

[Sarah J]

There is a post by Mendozen who is currently detailing his story of how he/she (sorry for gender, but I don't know) is dealing with weaning with some success.

There are also some people in the weaning section that weaned with Prozac. Things that don't seem to work for people: dropping down quickly, every other day method. Every other day puts you into withdrawal, every other day.

Do not feel hopeless, feel hopeful that you are trying ot make a move to return to yourself.

All of us post here because we want to be Cymbalta free but as far as I know, none of us are trained psychiatrists or physicians.

Please see your doctor on an emergency basis. Inform your doctor that while the prescribing info says you can just go off of Cymbalta, for some this is not true. I understand completely not wanting to take any more medicine.

I went cold turkey for 45 days. I did not stop shaking until day 40. There were enough brief moments of clarity that made me belive coming off cymbalta was the right thing to do. Please do not try to tough this out on your own and do not let your doctor tell you that you should feel fine in a couple of days.

Hopefully, you will find a way to balance yourself out quickly, whether it is tirating down VERY SLOWLY, switching to another anti-depressant that is not as volatile as Cymbalta, but please, suffering is not the way to go.

Be safe. Go to your doctor for advice, and let them know the problems that others out here are having. Most prescribing doctors are not well educated with discontinuation of Cymbalta. With the number of new posters here daily, I am going to guess they will be soon.