5 replies to this topic

[debsterace]

Here is my story:

I started takin Cymbalta 60mg for depression about a year ago. When I first started taking it, it was wonderful helped with my anxiety more than depression I would say. However as time went on I found it not helping. I tried to contact my physician but he had moved practices.

My decision was to wean myself, first I took it every other day for a week, then every third day then every fourth ect. Until it was every seventh then I stopped. I am on day 8 of no cymbalta. Sound great.....NOT!

Ok, I have overcome the brain zings, the equalibriam problem(don't know if i spelt that right) I have even overcome the nervousness and headaches.

However, I have not kept food or water down in over 10 days, I am vomiting, have increased saliva, I have diarrhea, I am exhausted with flu like symptoms, I feel like I have been kicked in the ribs. I feel like there is a tennis ball lodged in my sternum to be honest. I developed a new symptom today greenish black tongue.

Do these symptoms sound like anything else anybody has been thru? I plan on continuing with this cold turkey as I believe it can only get better and I have overcome so many other symptoms already.

I thank you in advance for your reading my problem and would so greatly appreciate any advice.

Debster

[nursedeborah]

Debster,
Welcome
Cold Turkey, alternating equals real trouble!

You can't go off this drug like that. What we all have learned to do here
is a slow taper.

The withdrawls with most will continue, but it does look like you have had
some go away, but still you are having many of them.

Read lots of posts, amd here is the site for withdrawl symptoms http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm

You may want to try the slow wean, if so let us know, very glad to help, and support you.
So sorry your having such a hard time, but you are not alone!

Debbie

[Junior]

Hi Debster

As a former poster used to say, "sorry you have to be here".

Unfortunately what you described can be due to withdrawal - at least as far as the vomiting / diarrhoea. I cold turkeyed from 60mg and from Day 4 through to about Day 12 suffered severe upper abdo pain, difficulty swallowing, etc. I had it investigated just to be sure and it definitely wasn't gall stones or anything sinister. They even made me have a colonoscopy (I am on a screening program due to a sibling having had cancer) which I had been trying to avoid, but results were normal. It resolved itself in time but I was forced to eat very light to start with before gradually returning to a normal diet.

Not too sure about the greenish black tongue though. I've heard of a number of different withdrawal symptoms but not that one. Also, given that you were down to just one tablet every 7 days, I wouldn't have expected such a violent response after 8 days off. I recommend seeing your doctor. You might have contracted something unrelated.

Good luck
Junior

[nursedeborah]

Debster,Have you been on any antibiotics lately? This is one of the causes of "Black Tounge"There are a couple other, but nothing seriuos. Do you smoke, drink? These can also cause the same condition.Se sure to scrape the tounge with one of those new tounge things, use a non-alcoholmouth rinse, and brush your teeth 3 times a day, use the other items too. See what happens.Also mix hrdrogen peroxide 50 % and 50% water and gargle twice daily.

This is not medical advice, I am not prescribing any treatment.
Just something I thought you might want to think about, and try if you
want

Debbie

[jannifer]

Im reading your story and am feeling all these horrible things I can bearly see straight this is the only way I could see how to post anything. I can only be on the computer for so long with my pounding headachs and the zapps well I wen't off this drug after two years of takeing it because I don't have any insurance I asked my doctor about withdraws she said I would be fine I was on 60mg but have got up to 90mg but only 7mo. then back down to 60mg for the last 3mo.
she took me off cold turkey she did give me zoloft,sleeping and anixty meds but do these help heck NO she just said if they get to bad I should go to the hospital WHAT ok I have no insurance and right there I felt like a peice of meat like a dime a dozen right who cares about how people feel when they go off this drug right! Anyway Im really feeling like such crap and Im trying to take care of my 5 year old who has lotts of energy it's been a week do I just try to stay off or do I go to another doctor who may or may not say the same thing
thank you my name is Jenn.

[nursedeborah]

Im reading your story and am feeling all these horrible things I can bearly see straight this is the only way I could see how to post anything. I can only be on the computer for so long with my pounding headachs and the zapps well I wen't off this drug after two years of takeing it because I don't have any insurance I asked my doctor about withdraws she said I would be fine I was on 60mg but have got up to 90mg but only 7mo. then back down to 60mg for the last 3mo.
she took me off cold turkey she did give me zoloft,sleeping and anixty meds but do these help heck NO she just said if they get to bad I should go to the hospital WHAT ok I have no insurance and right there I felt like a peice of meat like a dime a dozen right who cares about how people feel when they go off this drug right! Anyway Im really feeling like such crap and Im trying to take care of my 5 year old who has lotts of energy it's been a week do I just try to stay off or do I go to another doctor who may or may not say the same thing
thank you my name is Jenn.

Jen
What you doc has done to you is have you just go cold turkey, and you must get back on this
med, and slowly wean yourself off.

We will show you how, see if you can just get her to give you samples, and to help you through
this.
Doctor's have no clue about the side effects, withdrawls, or how to get anyone off this, if
you have any og the meds get back on 60, and keep doing so for a dew days, and all of what your feeling
will go away, and then we can start you on a slow tarering process.

You doc sure isn't doing her job, I am a nurse, and it always makes me so sick when I hear things like this.
As far as not having any insurance, you can get emergency medical if you have to so you can get your meds.

Let me know how your doing after you take a dose.

Glad I was here for you,
Debbie