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Post Deux: Cold Turkey vs tapering off


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#1 drphilistine

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    I have been on 30 mg cymbalta for over a year, have not had a good night's sleep since. Time to get off the stuff!

    FYI - try using Captcha to deter spammers. I use the addition problem option as it does not require fetching images off a 3rd party server somewhere (which may or may not be secure and/or always up). I do some web development as part of my work.

Posted 26 November 2009 - 10:53 AM

Last night was my second night with no cymbalta. Slept semi-poorly.

This AM: Had indigestion and was a bit sluggish, but otherwise I felt fine. Then I thought "eeks, can't eat on Thanksgiving?". So I took a cymbalta.

3 hours later: I have the shakes, dizziness, my head feels like it's stuffed with cotton soaked in molasses, my thinking is very fuzzy, and I have a headache. Maybe this is a Brain Zap. But no indigestion.

Conclusion: I was far better off on no cymbalta; ie "cold turkey" (no Thanksgiving pun intended). Cymbalta SUCKS!!!

I am so glad I found this forum. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to understand what I am experiencing. I simply never connected the dots between the cymbalta and my symptoms! Looking back to when I started taking the stuff, it is so clear now how badly this drug has f***ed up my head.

Why taking a dose would cause the brain zap that is usually associated with stopping is confusing. But then my reaction to any drug (OTC sinus meds for example) is, more often than not, the opposite of what most other people report. I don't really care about the why, I just know that I felt better "in withdrawal" than I do on cymbalta.

Will let you all know how this goes over the next few days.

#2 nursedeborah

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    I am reallly trying to get off Cymbalta, and not having, well I am having nightmares even with the decreased does, and clanging in my head.

    I just found this site, and I really need help, I can't do this, I fear I willl never get off this brutal medication.

    Deboreah Wesson

Posted 26 November 2009 - 01:57 PM

Last night was my second night with no cymbalta. Slept semi-poorly.

This AM: Had indigestion and was a bit sluggish, but otherwise I felt fine. Then I thought "eeks, can't eat on Thanksgiving?". So I took a cymbalta.

3 hours later: I have the shakes, dizziness, my head feels like it's stuffed with cotton soaked in molasses, my thinking is very fuzzy, and I have a headache. Maybe this is a Brain Zap. But no indigestion.

Conclusion: I was far better off on no cymbalta; ie "cold turkey" (no Thanksgiving pun intended). Cymbalta SUCKS!!!

I am so glad I found this forum. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to understand what I am experiencing. I simply never connected the dots between the cymbalta and my symptoms! Looking back to when I started taking the stuff, it is so clear now how badly this drug has f***ed up my head.

Why taking a dose would cause the brain zap that is usually associated with stopping is confusing. But then my reaction to any drug (OTC sinus meds for example) is, more often than not, the opposite of what most other people report. I don't really care about the why, I just know that I felt better "in withdrawal" than I do on cymbalta.

drphilistine,
Being off Cymbalta 2 days is not Cold Turkey, and it usually takes until day 6-9 until
you really start to feel the withdrawls. What your having is the same as I had on the
drug, which are side effects, and yes they do fall into the withdrawl symptoms too!

Once I found out about this drug, and what it had done to me, looked at the withdrawls,
I realized for myself that I had many of them while on the drug.

Give it some time, and you will be changing your words about feeling better "in withdrawls"
trust me, as even the slow weaning is hard on some of us.

If you get to where you really can't function, we can help you with the slow wean, at least
you will be able to sleep, and function, also control your own process.

Always here for support.

Debbie


Will let you all know how this goes over the next few days.


#3 drphilistine

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    I have been on 30 mg cymbalta for over a year, have not had a good night's sleep since. Time to get off the stuff!

    FYI - try using Captcha to deter spammers. I use the addition problem option as it does not require fetching images off a 3rd party server somewhere (which may or may not be secure and/or always up). I do some web development as part of my work.

Posted 27 November 2009 - 08:03 AM

Well, it's day 3. No cymbalta last night. I feel fine. I took antacids for the indigestion yesterday (going back on cymbalta had no positive effect whatsoever), worked fine.

Time will tell about the withdrawal symptoms being delayed. Keep in mind that my Bizzarro-land metabolism almost always results in side effects that are the opposite of those that most people experience. I've always been that way, my MD's just shrug and say "some people are like that". So my reaction of feeling good when most people's reaction is feeling bad is typical for me.

No way would I advise most people to cold turkey. My metabolic reactions are atypical; unless yours are too, cold turkey sounds like a very bad idea.

All I know for now is that I feel better not taking the stuff. Will post my progress.

This drug sucks. Getting what, 400 percent more Internet searches for problems than any other SSRI out there? Numbers can be manipulated, but not to THAT degree! I ALWAYS research a drug before filling a prescription, how did I miss this? Guess I didn't dig deep enough; last time I make that mistake.

If there is ever a class action suit, I will throw my hat in the ring!

#4 nursedeborah

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  • why_joining:
    I am reallly trying to get off Cymbalta, and not having, well I am having nightmares even with the decreased does, and clanging in my head.

    I just found this site, and I really need help, I can't do this, I fear I willl never get off this brutal medication.

    Deboreah Wesson

Posted 27 November 2009 - 02:03 PM

drphilistine,
I wish you the best of luuck, and pray you get off without having any problem.
You will be one that does go down in history for this place, but that's a good
thing, so much sad things around here all the time.

Debbie



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