7 replies to this topic

[habaneroo]

My wife have been taking cymbalta 3years against depression. She have trying to go down in dosage by herself from 60mg to 30mg,got real sick.And the dr. told her to go up to 90mg instead. She went more and more tired,and couldnt work. Then they raise the dose to 90mg for a while. She got really tired.

But then it switched,she went manic. Totally,spended all of our savings on pets and stuff,was going to start a company,getting a own apartment,and wanting to divorce etc. we didnt knew then that she has got "bipolar disorder".i thought she just was happy,to happy maybe. i couldnt reach her about any of that stuff.
so i was relived to getting a divorce.

she felt so "good",that she decreased the dosage to 60mg,and after two weeks,BOOM,she was sick and suicidal. me and her friends was running after her one night,and the police was searching her with helicopters and stopped the trains in our town(thank god).

We found her 6hours later,she was waiting for a train to end her life,and we have 3kids at home,so weird,and i was chocked that she was so sick that time.

She was driven to a pshycatric hospital,they gave her lots of stuff to calm down. In there she cut her arms so they had to sew.And two days later she ran away and got stopped by police again beside the railroad.

after some weeks at the hospital she was able to speak to,and she got diagnosed "bipolar 1" (thakns to the high dose of cymbalta i think).

So that explained her being manic and the "spending all our money" thing. And why she suddenly was sure she wanted a divorce.

She was so sorry about all the stuff she had told me,and the things she had done.And we decided to go from there,see if we could manage to get over it.

We went to education about bipolar disorder together,and learned alot.

She was prescribed lithium,and also she found out after a long research that she have ADHD.

So she is on concerta too.

she has been at the hospital for more than 3months now,and she is more stable and not so stressed that she been for a long time.

when she was going to come home,she told doctors that she wanted go get off cymbalta,once and for all.

They didnt supported her,so she went decreasing the dosage herself,she was trying a week on 60mg instead of 90mg.

feelt agitation,and just down. But she was sure that she was going down to 30 after two weeks,and then to 0mg after two weeks.

I found this forum round that time,i red everything about cymbalta withdrawal,and got scared as hell.

but my wife would not listen to my advice to tapper slowly.

so i talked to her doctor,and handed him som outprints from this great forum. i told him to learn about cymbalta withdrawal,and that is not a piece of cake.

I also contacted another doctor who knows more about cymbalta withdrawal,and they talked to each other.

They then had a "solution",and it goes like this:

just stop taking the cymbalta 60mg
and the same morning take 20mg prozac instead,and continue taking that every morning.
they still have my wife on:

lithium
concerta(another drug,but i see how much it helps my wife with her stress,concentraion etc.)

i was glad that they trying to help her get of cymbalta,and i was prepared to take care of her while she have her withdrawals,wich i hope will be easier with prozac,and maybe even concerta helps(both have something to do with noradrenaline i think).

This is day 2 without cymbalta,and she functions pretty well daytime,but very much anxiety,agitation.
in the night probably because concerta goes out of the system,she just get some really,really hard anxiety.
i see it as trying to get of heroin or something like that. so i called in sick to work,and told everybody around her to just let everything wait,that she will be back soon,and being better than ever before.

i also should say that she got some medication from the hospital to take when the anxiety is to heavy.
theralen
lergigan
stesolid
atarax


i hope she get well soon,and im wondering if day 4 will be the worst,as it seems to be for many of you.

And i now that even though she has a hard time,its much harder for many of you who dont have prozac and other stuff to ease the withdrawal.

if anybodys interesting,i will aboslutely tell you how this thing goes.

i cant say how glad i am to find this website,and you are all so kind and supporting.

and shes going to stop the prozac in a month or 2,any comments on that? safe? fluoxetine seems safe to just stop or wean off fast.

[MaureenV]

Habaneroo, welcome to the board, and congratulations on being so supportive of your partner, you deserve a medal.


I can't comment too much on what's being planned as there are several drugs in there that I'm not familiar with.


However I will say that she would probably find it easier to taper down the doses slowly, rather than the the way it's being done, because it really IS a case of going through withdrawal. Her brain had become 'addicted' to Cymbalta and will react in all sorts of ways when it is withdrawn.

But you do seem to understand that the next several weeks are not going to be easy. Just try to understand (as you are already doing so well) that your 'real' wife is still in there somewhere, but is behaving in a different way because her brain is not tolerating the withdrawal of Cymbalta.

Good luck, and so glad you found us,

Maureen.

[habaneroo]

thanks for your answer. This is now day 4 that she is totally without cymbalta.

yesterday she was a pain in the ass to be around,like PMS but 10 times worse. I really,really had to bite my toungue to not go into an argument about all the small things that she whined about. But today she is almost ok,some anxiety,but it seems like the worst is over. Or is it coming? i dont know.

She still takes her prozac 20mg,concerta,and lithium and some B vitamines,omega 3 every morning.and seroquel (Quetiapin)
100mg(she going to stop that soon) maybe some of theese ease the withdrawals.

And she has this to take when the anxiety gets to mean:

theralen(Alimemazin)
lergigan(Prometazin)
stesolid(Diazepam)
atarax(Hydroxizin)

i get so upset so read that some of you have to change madication because of economic reason,thats sad.

In Sweden where we live,you pay 180$ max. per year, if you get to that cost,then all medication is free for a year. from that date.

Not aspirin,but everything you have to get a prescribtion for.

[nursedeborah]

habaneroo,
Wow! That's just so awful all your wife has had to go through, and then to be told she is
bipolar. Was she ever having behavior like this prior to the Cymbalta? Or was it while she
was on it that this all changed? I did see you said that she became manic, and started doing
things like shopping, and other irrational behaviors.

What worries me is that she noe is being told she has another disorder, and with all the side
effects, and withdrawls of Cymbalta that could explain any of her thinking, and behavior!

Doctor's have not idea how to get anyone off this medication, nor do they know about the withdrawl
symptoms. Here is the site so you can look it up yourself, and even take it to the doctor.
http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm

Also there is the FDA report on here too, and you can also take a copy of that to your doctor, and
let them see it.

The coming off Cymbalta takes a very long slow process, and even taking the Prozac does not stop
all the symptoms, it just helps some. It depends on how you decrease the Cymbalta.

Talk about having withdrawls, I would guess she would not yet be having them that bad as of yet,
or hopefull she won't get them! It is just a very rare thing to see happen, that's all.

Good luck, and keep us informed.

Debbie

[habaneroo]

thanks for your answer Debbie, before she started cymbalta she was able to work and it was after our second child that she got depressed.

Before cymbalta she had none of that irrational or manic behaviour.

Today is day 4 for her being off cymbalta,and switched to Prozac. The day started ok,nothing special,but the anxiety,dizziness,nausea came in the afternoon,and wouldnt go away even though she took lots of medication for it(theralen & lergigan). That stuff just makes her tired now,and i drove her to the hospital where she has a room while she is doing the cymbalta withdrawal,or maybe i should say cold turkey. I gave the doctor outprints of http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm and some others about cymbalta withdrawal. Before that he was ok with sending her home and letting her go from 90-60-30-0, with 2 weeks between every decrease,by herself.

But he changed his mind after reading the papers and talked to another doctor,who claims to be a expert on bipolar disorder,and who says he know about cymbalta withdrawal problems.

on her way to the hospital today,she cried,cried and cried and had much anxiety,and she even(and this is scary i think) heard voices in her head,and she understood that it was in her head but that just maked her even more sad and worried,that she is going insane.

I dont know if its the withdrawals or if its because of her taking to much of the theralen.

im just trying to calm her down saying that this probably is the worst day,and that will be over soon.

But the fact is i dont know.

I meet her friend yesterday,she have been on cymbalta for 2 years,and dont know about cymbalta withdrawals,so i asked if she still takes cymbalta.

She had not been taking them for 2 weeks,because she havent got new prescribtion. and she use to take 60mg a day.

she thought it was because of the bird flu vacination,that she felt sick. know she knows what it is,and she is never taking cymbalta again.

thanks to everybody who keeps this forum alive.

[nursedeborah]

hanabroo,
Please tell her she must not go cold turkey!!!! Tell her about this site, so she can learn how to get
off this noxious stuff. She will not be able to do life if she goes off of ti cold turkey. Well there are
a very few who have done it, but I just am amazed.

I already left you a message on how important it is to get some Diazapam into your wife as soon as
possible for the DT's she having. I worked in a recovery hospital, and we give that for those, I do
not know if that is what she is having, or is she is just having what is on the withdrawl list.

Also get a copy of the FDA report that here, and make sure her doc's see that one, as it is new
out, and doc's just tend to really believe that sort of thing more.

I am suprised that her doc's were receptive to it, some are not. We have even brought in posts,
and those they do tend to believe.

You somehow have to get this med back in her, like I said either by sneaking it in a shake, pudding,
or just plain not giving her any choices. It is after all you that is having to deal with all the things
itis causing by her not taking it, and going off it slowly. If she just took a 30 mg dose in a couple
of days of doing this she would feel so much better. Her brain is not going to stop freaking out for
a very long time at the way she is doing it, now can you live with her decision? It needs to be talked
about as a couple, and let her know what is going on with you, and what your finding out here!!

See if she won't take a look at some of out stories, it would also help to distract her.

Keep me posted,
Debbie

[habaneroo]

thank all off you for your support and for all the advises i got from here.

Today is day 7 without 60mg cymbalta and on 20mg prozac.

my wife is feeling better,just some mild anxiety today,no diazepam or other stuff needed.

since the day she switched from 60mg Cymbalta to 20mg orozac this is the first day without any anxiety madicine needed.

She has had a real HELL the last 6days,i dont recommend anybody do do it this way,but i hope that its over for her.

And today she was out driving to the mall,and shopping without any problems.

IF its over with cymbalta hell,then next thing will be to quit taking prozac,and i hope that wont be this hard. And from what i read about it,should be much easier.

But,still just day 7,anything can happen,and she is still very sensitive,no patience,some agitation,she still feels strange in her head.

But the anxiety seems to get better.And she definately not hallucinating anymore.

Thank you all for keeping this forum alive and being so supportive

[nursedeborah]

That's just incredible!!!!
I am so very happy for her, and for you. I can't believee she is driving. I would really
watch her as she has just gone through so much in even the past day, and now it's
all gone. Either the other meds are kicking in or the withdrawls from the Cymbalta
have stopped for awhile, but know they can come back at any time.

I doon't want to put a damper on things, it's just what can happen to some of us.
I just got done having the worst 6 days of my life, and I have been doing this
now since Aug 31, and taking the Prozac.

I really hope that the worst is over with! That you all can get some much needed
rest, and peace that you need after all that you have been through.

Take care, and keep us posted.


Debbie