The zaps are the worst, especially when they hit right when you are ready to fall asleep. That has been happening to me the last few nights. Oddly, they hit when I move my eyes, not my whole head. In general, they just suck!
when do the brain zapps stop???
Started by schmb01, Mar 05 2008 07:09 PM
4 replies to this topic
#2
hopeful
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Posted 08 March 2008 - 05:25 AM
yes I hate these!! It sucks to be trying to fall asleep and my brain is still doing weird things!!!! Zapps are horrid. 
I feel like crap. tapered slowly in last 6 weeks, 60, 40 20 10, every other day now off completly for 4 days and brain zapps continue. UGH!!
I feel like crap. tapered slowly in last 6 weeks, 60, 40 20 10, every other day now off completly for 4 days and brain zapps continue. UGH!!
#3
Tryagainjrod
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Posted 10 March 2008 - 05:42 PM
I have been taking Cymbalta for 2years now. I started last Friday trying to take myself off of the medicine. I'm having the brain zapps/shivers also. I'm emotional have had a temper flare from time to time also. This is the 4th day without Cymbalta (cold Turkey) can anyone give me a ideal of how long I will have the Brain zapps/shivers?
#4
Sarah J
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Worker Bee
Posted 11 March 2008 - 07:45 AM
It is different for everybody. I wish I could tell you that in XX days, you would feel better.
What dose were you taking when you stopped?
I hope that you are one of those people whose brain will start to "fire" by itself. The Cymbalta should be gone from your body now due to a short half life of the drug.
I took it for 3.5 years. I stopped at 30 mg, like my doctor said. You can look at my posts and see my story. 45 days cold turkey. The first 40 days, I shook, every day. My old doctor gave me lorazepam and it was useless. I have no idea if I was at a point where I was getting ready to "turn a corner", but needed to get back to being functional. At day 45, I saw my new doctor, who gave me a low dosage of Celexa and Klonopin. I have been doing better since.
I know that you stopped cold turkey because you don't want to take anything. This I do understand. But if you are suffering from this, get some help. And don't let your doctor tell you to take more Cymbalta, you will have the same withdrawal.
Prozac, Wellbutrin and Celexa are the only anti-depressants that people I know in "real life" have taken, been able to wean and have pretty much no problems.
I did 20 mg of Celexa for one week, now I have done 10 mg for a week. It really balanced me out. I took the Klonopin for the first week as prescribed. Then would start taking half and quarter pills if I was starting to "freak".
On Sunday, I only took 1/4 Klonopin and yesterday, none at all.
My new doctor says that you should start having relief if you are successful in your weaning (cold turkey) in about a week. You should not feel like you are losing your mind. If you are, then you may need some support (sorry, for me this was in the form of more medicine).
Before Cymbalta, I had never had an experience with an anti-depressant. I was really scared to take another one, especially since I made it so long cold turkey. But let me tell you, I wish now that I would have gone to a new doctor about two weeks into the withdrawal, I could have saved myself a month of confusion.
I hope this helps you. When I started reading other's experiences, I decided that mine would be different, and in many ways it was, but this stuff is a bear to come off of for some people. I hope you are one that has an easy time.
Let us know how you are doing.
What dose were you taking when you stopped?
I hope that you are one of those people whose brain will start to "fire" by itself. The Cymbalta should be gone from your body now due to a short half life of the drug.
I took it for 3.5 years. I stopped at 30 mg, like my doctor said. You can look at my posts and see my story. 45 days cold turkey. The first 40 days, I shook, every day. My old doctor gave me lorazepam and it was useless. I have no idea if I was at a point where I was getting ready to "turn a corner", but needed to get back to being functional. At day 45, I saw my new doctor, who gave me a low dosage of Celexa and Klonopin. I have been doing better since.
I know that you stopped cold turkey because you don't want to take anything. This I do understand. But if you are suffering from this, get some help. And don't let your doctor tell you to take more Cymbalta, you will have the same withdrawal.
Prozac, Wellbutrin and Celexa are the only anti-depressants that people I know in "real life" have taken, been able to wean and have pretty much no problems.
I did 20 mg of Celexa for one week, now I have done 10 mg for a week. It really balanced me out. I took the Klonopin for the first week as prescribed. Then would start taking half and quarter pills if I was starting to "freak".
On Sunday, I only took 1/4 Klonopin and yesterday, none at all.
My new doctor says that you should start having relief if you are successful in your weaning (cold turkey) in about a week. You should not feel like you are losing your mind. If you are, then you may need some support (sorry, for me this was in the form of more medicine).
Before Cymbalta, I had never had an experience with an anti-depressant. I was really scared to take another one, especially since I made it so long cold turkey. But let me tell you, I wish now that I would have gone to a new doctor about two weeks into the withdrawal, I could have saved myself a month of confusion.
I hope this helps you. When I started reading other's experiences, I decided that mine would be different, and in many ways it was, but this stuff is a bear to come off of for some people. I hope you are one that has an easy time.
Let us know how you are doing.
#5
schmb01
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Worker Bee
Posted 12 March 2008 - 02:14 AM
I have been taking Cymbalta for 2years now. I started last Friday trying to take myself off of the medicine. I'm having the brain zapps/shivers also. I'm emotional have had a temper flare from time to time also. This is the 4th day without Cymbalta (cold Turkey) can anyone give me a ideal of how long I will have the Brain zapps/shivers?
I am going into day 10 at zero, and I weaned myself too fast to begin with; 90 to zero in a week. On day 7 I had to take a 30 mg, but tapered from there for a week at 1/2 of the 30, then zero. I'm taking an Omega 3 supplement and drinking whey protein drinks. I can tell you that I've had some horrid days and nights, but for the last 4 days, I have noticed that each day has gotten better, even if only a little bit, but enough that I noticed it. The zaps are mostly at night when I'm trying to fall asleep, but it is a start.
You didn't mention how much you were taking, and how you are tapering, which can make a HUGE difference in how quickly you will start to feel better. I'm sure you have read some of the other posts here about what has worked and what DOES NOT work. I think the biggest "don't" is to do it too fast, or to alternate a day on and then a day off. That just keeps throwing you into withdrawal. Also, are you working with your doctor? They can better assess if you need to be on another antidepressant to help you through this.
If you suffered from moderate to severe depression, my opinion, for what it is worth, is that it is very important to work with your prescriber. They can help you make this more tolerable, and by being aware of what you are doing, and where you are, be ready to help you when or if you need it.
Good Luck, and know that you can come here to vent and get information. This site has saved me on many a long zapping night!!
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