6 replies to this topic

[KHH07]

I have been off Cymbalta for 5 days, cold turkey. I was prescribed Prozac, but am afraid to take it after all the problems I'm having with Cymbalta. About a week before I stopped Cymbalta, I started having these all-night, in-color, very detailed dreams, and they have continued. I can site each dream chapter and verse for days afterward, which makes me wonder if I'm really sleeping at all during the night. I'm groggy and tired all day every day (VERY unlike me) and have constant Vertigo. (I've suffered from Vertigo two or three times a year for the past several years, but this is the worst case I've had: it just doesn't improve, when normally I can expect a modicum of improvement each day. I have ringing in one ear, which is constant...sounds like two pieces of metal clanging together. And I'm so discouraged after reading the posts on this site which indicate that these symtoms could last for months, even years! I keep telling myself "this, too, shall pass," but if it is going to last for weeks or months, I will have a tough time dealing with it. Why weren't we told all of this when we were initially prescribed Cymbalta? I have never been depressed, but that could all change if I don't start feeling better, and soon!

[Junior]

Hi KHH07

Welcome to the site.

Yes, this is a horrible drug to get off but, as with all anti-depressants, it should never be discontinued suddenly. The symptoms you are describing are classic withdrawal. You didn't say what dose you've c/t'd from but people here have found that it is best to wean slowly. The reason for that is that the brain is chemically altered and it takes time for it to return to its pre-medication state. I can go into more detail if you want but that is the bottom line.

The way I see it you have two choices:
1. Go back on Cymbalta, perhaps at a lower dose than you were originally on as your body is already getting used to being without it, and wean slowly.
2. Try Prozac. Because Cymbalta alters both serotonin and norepinephrine, and because Prozac only alters serotonin, it can ease the withdrawals quite a lot. Many people have had success with this method. Prozac is also said to be easier to get off so you could wean off it once you have successfully weaned off Cymbalta.

I wish you all the best
Junior

[patsymac]

I have been off Cymbalta for 5 days, cold turkey. I was prescribed Prozac, but am afraid to take it after all the problems I'm having with Cymbalta. About a week before I stopped Cymbalta, I started having these all-night, in-color, very detailed dreams, and they have continued. I can site each dream chapter and verse for days afterward, which makes me wonder if I'm really sleeping at all during the night. I'm groggy and tired all day every day (VERY unlike me) and have constant Vertigo. (I've suffered from Vertigo two or three times a year for the past several years, but this is the worst case I've had: it just doesn't improve, when normally I can expect a modicum of improvement each day. I have ringing in one ear, which is constant...sounds like two pieces of metal clanging together. And I'm so discouraged after reading the posts on this site which indicate that these symtoms could last for months, even years! I keep telling myself "this, too, shall pass," but if it is going to last for weeks or months, I will have a tough time dealing with it. Why weren't we told all of this when we were initially prescribed Cymbalta? I have never been depressed, but that could all change if I don't start feeling better, and soon!

Hi khho7,
I totally feel your pain. I too am doing this cold turkey. I have been off this poison for 4 or 5 days. I was on 60mg for one month. I would skip a day here and there, but am still having a bad time weaning off. Man I really hope this does not take months to wean off. I will not be fun to be around. Keep your posting up and we can all compare our awful days.
Patsy

[nursedeborah]

I have been off Cymbalta for 5 days, cold turkey. I was prescribed Prozac, but am afraid to take it after all the problems I'm having with Cymbalta. About a week before I stopped Cymbalta, I started having these all-night, in-color, very detailed dreams, and they have continued. I can site each dream chapter and verse for days afterward, which makes me wonder if I'm really sleeping at all during the night. I'm groggy and tired all day every day (VERY unlike me) and have constant Vertigo. (I've suffered from Vertigo two or three times a year for the past several years, but this is the worst case I've had: it just doesn't improve, when normally I can expect a modicum of improvement each day. I have ringing in one ear, which is constant...sounds like two pieces of metal clanging together. And I'm so discouraged after reading the posts on this site which indicate that these symtoms could last for months, even years! I keep telling myself "this, too, shall pass," but if it is going to last for weeks or months, I will have a tough time dealing with it. Why weren't we told all of this when we were initially prescribed Cymbalta? I have never been depressed, but that could all change if I don't start feeling better, and soon!

KHH07,
All I can say is NO NO NO !!!!
Also just as a suggestion be ever so kind, and take the Prozac, you can get off of it
after your done with all of this, it's nothing to get offf of it compared to this noxious
crap.

I am sure someone will tell you all the stuff about the chemicals in the brain, but I just
willl tell you that you will be like you are for a very long time, and it's only been 5 days!
Your right it can last 6 mo. to 2 years , and for some even longer.

We are all different, and some have taken the Prozac right away, and been just fine!
Not as a rule, but it's sure woth a try, some only had to take a few doses, a couple took
one pill!

Your brain is addicted to this drug, and that's why it's causing all these withdrawl symptoms.
Here is the site so you can look at all of them http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm

My only hope is that you will think twice about what your doing, also for the reason one is
not to stop this med cold turkey, or any of the antidepressants.

The method that has been taught to us here does work, if you decide you want to learn it
just let us know, and we will give you all the help you need.

Take care, keep letting us know hos you are.

Debbie

[nursedeborah]

I have been off Cymbalta for 5 days, cold turkey. I was prescribed Prozac, but am afraid to take it after all the problems I'm having with Cymbalta. About a week before I stopped Cymbalta, I started having these all-night, in-color, very detailed dreams, and they have continued. I can site each dream chapter and verse for days afterward, which makes me wonder if I'm really sleeping at all during the night. I'm groggy and tired all day every day (VERY unlike me) and have constant Vertigo. (I've suffered from Vertigo two or three times a year for the past several years, but this is the worst case I've had: it just doesn't improve, when normally I can expect a modicum of improvement each day. I have ringing in one ear, which is constant...sounds like two pieces of metal clanging together. And I'm so discouraged after reading the posts on this site which indicate that these symtoms could last for months, even years! I keep telling myself "this, too, shall pass," but if it is going to last for weeks or months, I will have a tough time dealing with it. Why weren't we told all of this when we were initially prescribed Cymbalta? I have never been depressed, but that could all change if I don't start feeling better, and soon!

Just one question? How long were you on this drug?

Deb

[MaureenV]

I have been off Cymbalta for 5 days, cold turkey. I was prescribed Prozac, but am afraid to take it after all the problems I'm having with Cymbalta. About a week before I stopped Cymbalta, I started having these all-night, in-color, very detailed dreams, and they have continued. I can site each dream chapter and verse for days afterward, which makes me wonder if I'm really sleeping at all during the night. I'm groggy and tired all day every day (VERY unlike me) and have constant Vertigo. (I've suffered from Vertigo two or three times a year for the past several years, but this is the worst case I've had: it just doesn't improve, when normally I can expect a modicum of improvement each day. I have ringing in one ear, which is constant...sounds like two pieces of metal clanging together. And I'm so discouraged after reading the posts on this site which indicate that these symtoms could last for months, even years! I keep telling myself "this, too, shall pass," but if it is going to last for weeks or months, I will have a tough time dealing with it. Why weren't we told all of this when we were initially prescribed Cymbalta? I have never been depressed, but that could all change if I don't start feeling better, and soon!

Regarding the Vertigo, which I also had an ongoing (and occasionally severe problem with) for several years: you can FIX vertigo. There is a thread here from about a week ago specifically about vertigo and I posted the details there. For the ongoing vertigo you really should be seeing an ENT specialist who can rule out any (rare) nasties causing it, and show you the procedure in person.

Apologies if you already know all of this, but vertigo is little bits in your ear floating around and disturbing your balance; the procedure settles them down again. I had vertigo in an ongoing fashion for a few years - bad at the beginning of the day, but would usually settle down as the day wore on.

In between those few minutes of being seriously unbalanced (from several times a day to once a week) I would feel floaty and unsteady. Probably looked to others like any other giddyness, but for me it felt like it was the world which was unstable, not me. Walking on a path would sometimes feel like walking on the deck of a boat in the ocean.

Other times I would go for long periods (months) feeling rock solid then whammo, would find myself on the floor, not able to move. I would then feel very unstable for days/weeks/months.

Coming off Cymbalta I was very giddy at times, but never suffered a recurrence of vertigo. (The reason for my vertigo was low potassium and blood pressure fluctuations, which have been solved.)

I'm wondering if what you've got is the unstable stage of vertigo, on top of which you have the dizzyness that is almost universal with Cymbalta withdrawal. I feel for you if that's the case, because if it's *only* the vertigo, you can fix it, but if it's a mixture, it may not be the best time to try.


The other post was in 'How to find support' and called 'two week delay in Vertigo after stopping Cymbalta'.


In one of my posts on that thread I also put a link to a good site on Vertigo.


Let me know how you go. You don't need to put up with ongoing vertigo!

Maureen.

[nursedeborah]

I have been off Cymbalta for 5 days, cold turkey. I was prescribed Prozac, but am afraid to take it after all the problems I'm having with Cymbalta. About a week before I stopped Cymbalta, I started having these all-night, in-color, very detailed dreams, and they have continued. I can site each dream chapter and verse for days afterward, which makes me wonder if I'm really sleeping at all during the night. I'm groggy and tired all day every day (VERY unlike me) and have constant Vertigo. (I've suffered from Vertigo two or three times a year for the past several years, but this is the worst case I've had: it just doesn't improve, when normally I can expect a modicum of improvement each day. I have ringing in one ear, which is constant...sounds like two pieces of metal clanging together. And I'm so discouraged after reading the posts on this site which indicate that these symtoms could last for months, even years! I keep telling myself "this, too, shall pass," but if it is going to last for weeks or months, I will have a tough time dealing with it. Why weren't we told all of this when we were initially prescribed Cymbalta? I have never been depressed, but that could all change if I don't start feeling better, and soon!

KHH07,
I just wanted to give you a site so you can really educate yourself as to what Vertigo is, and what else it might be a symptom of.
http://www.emedicine.../article_em.htm

I guess it's just from my being a nurse for so long, and it being our job to teach the patient's about what itt is they have. We don't
just explain, but also give you boks to read, video's to watch. Vertigo can also mean other things thatt people are not aware of.

Also it is on the list of the withdrawl symptoms, so here's that site http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm

Good luck, and if it does not go away you really should see an EENT doctor so he can rule anything out there,
and if nothing else refer you to the doc you should see if it is related to anything else.

Take good care, I still get it, but nothing like before. I have been weaning for 3 months now from 60 mg after
3 years, and now am on 20 mg, minus 5 beads. i may have to go up as I am still just having a screwed time!

I am just one who has had a harder time than some of the others.

Debbie