43 replies to this topic

[klindsey6]

All this time I thought the "BRAIN BUZZING/ZAPPING" that people were refering to was another way of saying "EAR BUZZING". I am 90% sure now that I am wrong.

Please give me your description of exactly WHAT YOU FEEL when you have "BRAIN BUZZING/ZAPPING".

Here's hoping we all catch a break from this sooner or later... hopefully sooner than later.. but later's better than never!

Kelly

[Junior]

Hi Lynnae

I wish doctors would stop telling people to do the 'every other day' thing! That is NOT the way to come off these drugs. Not just Cymbalta but all the modern day anti-depressants. Because they are designed to be taken every day, if people miss a day they actually go through (minor) withdrawal, then (sometimes) probs with reintroduction when taking it again. Bizarre.

You are right about doctors not knowing about withdrawal symptoms too. I have heard that so many times, not just here but at another forum I go to. I'm afraid the problem starts with the drug companies....

So.. just to clarify, you were taking 60mg one day and 30mg the alternate days?

Welcome to the forum btw
Junior

[MaureenV]

A couple days ago my doctor began to take me off Cymbalta 60mg and start taking a new drug for my anxiety and depression. He gave me a week of the 30mg Cymbalta to take every day and another week's worth to take every other day. I've finished the weeks-worth of taking the 30 mg every day and have had horrible "feelings" now that I have gone a day without the pill. I anticipate taking my next dose just so these symptoms subside.

Some of the things I have been feeling:

- Horrible back pain (like a painful, achy feeling)
- Teeth grinding and pain, "Restful toungue syndrome" (if that makes any sense)
- "Zinging" sensations that start in my head and "zoom" to other parts of my body (esp. arms and hands)
- Numbness
- Feeling unwell overall

I really hope that these stop. These symptoms are similar to those I felt after missing a dose of the Cymbalta 60mg. But now that I am on a different medication and will finish taking the Cymbalta in a week or so, I am worried that these withdrawal symptoms will persist for longer than I can handle. Does anyone know how to treat these symptoms, or how long might these feelings last?

It's a bit hard to know what to say without knowing what you're now on. Certainly your drop from 60mg to zero Cymbalta is way to fast for anyone who's likely to suffer significant withdrawal symptoms.

Despite what your doctor will tell you, it's crazy to take the drug every other day. It's rare to find someone posting here who hasn't had as many problems with that method as going cold turkey. The drug has a short half- life, so you're effectively untreated every second day.

If, IF that's the only Cymbalta you're ever going to be able to get your hands on, you would be much better off taking 15mg every day, than 30mg every second day. You can buy clear gelatine capsules and split the contents of the 30mg easily enough.


Maureen.

[svaughn]

All this time I thought the "BRAIN BUZZING/ZAPPING" that people were refering to was another way of saying "EAR BUZZING". I am 90% sure now that I am wrong.

Please give me your description of exactly WHAT YOU FEEL when you have "BRAIN BUZZING/ZAPPING".

Here's hoping we all catch a break from this sooner or later... hopefully sooner than later.. but later's better than never!

Kelly

I am weaning off of cymb. and am now done but i still have all the terrible feeling. Now i felt very hopefull as this dr. did is slowly and in 20mg. I was on 60, went 40 for 2 weeks, then 20 for 2 weeks. and then 20 every other day until i had no more. Even when taking the med. if i missed a day or did not take by lunch my head would start..almost like a shake.
now with coming off its like a quick ringing in the ears. I can almost say if i look in the mirror and i have one its like my vision shakes. They last for few seconds and come every 2-3 min. ALSO when having these i cant drive...its makes worse when i have to look to change lanes. The dr. has RX klonopin .5 to ease some of these effects. I am so scared tho..as to how long will it all last and once all out of system how will i feel then.

[svaughn]

Hi Lynnae

I wish doctors would stop telling people to do the 'every other day' thing! That is NOT the way to come off these drugs. Not just Cymbalta but all the modern day anti-depressants. Because they are designed to be taken every day, if people miss a day they actually go through (minor) withdrawal, then (sometimes) probs with reintroduction when taking it again. Bizarre.

You are right about doctors not knowing about withdrawal symptoms too. I have heard that so many times, not just here but at another forum I go to. I'm afraid the problem starts with the drug companies....

So.. just to clarify, you were taking 60mg one day and 30mg the alternate days?

Welcome to the forum btw
Junior

Hey. I must say this site is a lifesaver..just found it. Each time I think I have found a good dr. they do something dumb. Yes mine told me to do every other day until i had no more. I am having all the symptoms. Now i called on call dr. and she suggested to not go back and take a 20..as i had come this far and she RX klonopin to ease my terrible symptoms. Now the my actual psychiatrist said well if it gets bad just take 20 here and there!! I said AND prolong it..he said it wouldnt. I am holding strong to not take one. even if i do it will take a couple of days for it to reach my system, but he said take one and in a few hrs it will help..WRONG, i have been thru this before. When i tried to come off before when i was pregant and couldnt stand it and went back..it took like 4 days for all my feelings to diminish. Just to share..I took 60mg for about 2.5 years. I tried coming off once. THis time the new dr. weaned me to 40mg for 2weeks and then 20mg for 2weeks. and then with what i had left said take every other day. I was happy at first as in he didnt go from 60 to 30 like most drs do and was hopeful. All was pretty much fine until skipping everyother day and then being done. the bottom then fell out. God i pray it will end. You would think i had been on cocaine and was coming off. And if you havent dealt with it you dont get it and most of these drs do not. Happy to see there is support and understanding out there.Best of luck. Now i see dr again tomm. and he "says" that by next week it should all be gone. i am skeptical. I mean how long does it really take?? and then i am scared that once it has left system it has just warped me and i am depressed still.

[MaureenV]

Hey. I must say this site is a lifesaver..just found it. Each time I think I have found a good dr. they do something dumb. Yes mine told me to do every other day until i had no more. I am having all the symptoms. Now i called on call dr. and she suggested to not go back and take a 20..as i had come this far and she RX klonopin to ease my terrible symptoms. Now the my actual psychiatrist said well if it gets bad just take 20 here and there!! I said AND prolong it..he said it wouldnt. I am holding strong to not take one. even if i do it will take a couple of days for it to reach my system, but he said take one and in a few hrs it will help..WRONG, i have been thru this before. When i tried to come off before when i was pregant and couldnt stand it and went back..it took like 4 days for all my feelings to diminish. Just to share..I took 60mg for about 2.5 years. I tried coming off once. THis time the new dr. weaned me to 40mg for 2weeks and then 20mg for 2weeks. and then with what i had left said take every other day. I was happy at first as in he didnt go from 60 to 30 like most drs do and was hopeful. All was pretty much fine until skipping everyother day and then being done. the bottom then fell out. God i pray it will end. You would think i had been on cocaine and was coming off. And if you havent dealt with it you dont get it and most of these drs do not. Happy to see there is support and understanding out there.Best of luck. Now i see dr again tomm. and he "says" that by next week it should all be gone. i am skeptical. I mean how long does it really take?? and then i am scared that once it has left system it has just warped me and i am depressed still.

It's unusual to hear of someone for whom it takes several days for the drug to ease withdrawal effects. Most of us find the relief comes fairly quickly.

SOME doctors don't understand about the every second day thing because that's what they've been told by the drug companies. Unfortunately it's going to take each doctor having a couple of people go through this misery before they twig that it's the drug company which is wrong, not us. Many doctors have had people come of Cymbalta without too much difficulty, from the reports we get here from time to time - so unfortunately it's up to us to educate them.

A good one will listen to us, if they know us well. Mine will not be prescribing Cymbalta to anyone in a hurry, that's for sure. So rest assured that what you tell them, combined sometimes with what others following you tell them, does have an impact in the long term. Unfortunately for us, sometimes we're the first time they've had this in front of them.

I agree that the doctors have difficulty understanding what we're talking about, but so do most people - the majority of us have had great difficulty explaining to those around us what we're going through. Which is why this site is so great - HALLELUJAH - we DO know what it feel like.

I didn't ask my doctor what to do, just told her and she was happy to learn from me. From this site I understood that taking it every second day did not work with these sorts of drugs, and that taking 30mg every second day like I was doing, was like going cold turkey every second day. I changed to taking 15mg every day, had crushing depression for a week, upped it to 20mg and felt better fairly quickly. I then tapered down from 20mg to zero over more than two months, using clear gelatine capsules to divide the contents of the stock I had.

Whatever you decide to do, there's always support here, even if you just want to vent.


regards, Maureen.

[MaureenV]

I have been on Cymbalta for over 5 years now. I originally got on Cymbalta because I was having such hard withdrawal symptoms from discontinuing Effexor. Joke on me, same problem. Anyway, when I don't take the Cymbalta for more than a day, I start feeling kind of a pre-flu feeling. Just randomly crappy. However, when it goes on for longer than that without cymbalta I get the most horrible sensations in my head. Sometimes I refer to it as feeling like someone is taking a cheese grater to my brain. Other times it's like my brain itself is having a seizure.....I know sounds strange, right? I always thought I was just crazy having these sensations until I did some checking via the internet. It really sucks taking a medicine where the only thing I do get from it is not going through the withdrawal. Between the Effexor and the Cymbalta I have put on a ton of weight. It hasn't really made much difference for my depression/anxiety. The doctors keep telling me that they will taper me off the Cymbalta slowly, but even then everything I've read, people have still had problems. Unless someone was so depressed that they were near suicidal, I would never recommend Cymbalta or Effexor. I don't ever want someone else to know this painful hell of withdrawal. Good luck to all of you coming off Cymbalta.

Hi Shana,


yep, Cymbalta withdrawal brain zaps. A lot of us also find that tinnitus is really bad in conjunction with the zaps, in fact after a while I thought it was actually more like a '
zap of tinnitus into my brain.

You can come off Cymbalta and reduce the withdrawal effects by doing so very slowly, which involves opening the capsules and dividing the contents as necessary.

I won't be around for a few weeks (first holiday in many years - hooray), but someone else will be able to tell you how it's done.

regards, Maureen.

[nursedeborah]

Hi Everyone,
I can only tell you that all of this has been a total nightmare!
From the time I was put on this stuff, and all during the weaning
process.

It gets better, yes, but still I am scred, and I also don't know
how much of what's wrong will ever go away.

As far as the Brain ZAp's, mine were really different than the ones
I had on Paxil, those were electrical shocks!!!! These are a clangging
like noise is what I have called then, and I still get them. They do go
away when I lay down.

I hat this drud, I hate this drug, I hate this drug,
Debbie

[Junior]

Hi Terri

This is a horrible drug to get off. One person here has read something that likens it to Oxycontin. I've also heard that it's harder to get off than heroin

IT's good that you are determined to get off but be kind to your body. It's not how quick you can get the drug out of your system, it's the time it takes for your body to return to its pre-medication state. Many have found that it's better to taper slowly and have quality of life, than go cold turkey and suffer the severe withdrawal effects.

Good luck.
Junior

[Junior]

I am so thankful to have found this site. For some time now I have been struggling with the fact that I take quite a few medications. Worst of all the majority seem to be taking care of a problem caused by another pill. The worst of them has been Cymbalta which I have been on for a little over a year. The main reason I was given Cymbalta was to help with the pain caused by fibromyalgia and diabetes. In addition, it was supposed to help with my anxiety attacks. Previously I was taking Lexapro for the anxiety attacks before switching to Cymbalta which was toted as cure all.

Since taking Cymbalta I have still continued to have pain, however, it was not as severe. Perhaps the reason for this was my inability to really do anything. I was no longer anxieous, frankly I did not care about anything and I no longer wanted to leave the house. To "aide" with my lethargy and my inability to remain focused on anything, I was put on Aderall XR. In addition to this I still was given Tramadol, Etodolac, and Hydrocodone to combat the constant pain I am always in. When I went back home to Germany to visit my sister she was shocked when I pulled out my medicine bag and saw all the medications I was taking. I had gone from taking no pills, other the over the counter pain medication, to taking upward of 10 prescriptions. Her comment hit hard and I have started to evaluate my life and how much it has changed in the last two years. It was an eye opener!

So... I decided to start weaning myself from my medications one at a time starting late November 2009. The first pills to go were the opiates, yes it was annoying and I desperately wanted a fix but I got over that in a little over 2 weeks with no lasting side effects or crazy ups and downs. The Tramadol and Etodolac were also a breeze. Then came CYMBALTA! If it were not for my strong faith in Jesus Christ and a loving husband and understanding (most of the time) kids (all nine of them) I am pretty sure I would not be here still.

I went of Cymbalta the same way I did all the other medications, cold turkey starting almost a week ago when my prescription ran out. I am absolutely miserable, the only thing that has kept me going and on my feet is the need to take care of my family. I am in terrible pain all the time. My entire body hurts, but the worst pain is at the base of my skull and my neck (I'm guessing because I'm tense and freaking out). If it was only pain I could deal with it as I had most of my life. This taking pills and mucking my body chemistry up is not worth the price to being pain free).

The worst is the brain zaps, head thumping, unable to focus, vertigo and emotional up and down side effects I have been having, not to mention the night sweats and chest pains (yup went to the ER and I was told my heart is perfectly healthy). From reading all these post, these are all side effects of withdrawing from Cymbalta. So far I have been able to cope, although I must say that if I had a bottle of Cymbalta in the house I WOULD take a pill now and give up the fight. These feelings are so horrible and nobody can truly empathize with the symptoms unless they have had them.

I want hope. I want to believe that in time, hopefully sooner than later, these symptoms will ease up and disappear. I understand now that the withdrawals will be severe and they will be with me for much longer than when I went off of the opiates. But how long? Is there a way to get some relief without taking another pill? Right now I do not want to eat, I do not want to work out or do anything! I want the pain to end, the brain zaps to be a fading memory to be able to function again. Is there hope? Is there an end to all of this?

I will keep on trying and taking each moment as it comes steadfast in my determination to beat this thing.

Hi Erika

Forgive me, but I really hate hearing stories about how doctors treat side effects of pills by adding more pills. You have to wonder about their ethics, you know, "do no harm" ....

In terms of the withdrawal symptoms you are experiencing - you really don't have to do it this way. From all that I've read and heard both here and at another forum (Paxil Progress), the consensus seems to be that it is far more effective to do a slow taper than go cold turkey. For one, there is quality of life while doing the taper, and two, the prognosis is better once medication is ceased. I would therefore encourage you to look at getting ahold of some free samples, getting back on Cymbalta, and considering the slow taper method. People often open the capsules and remove beads but I'll leave it for someone else to explain how many beads = what dose since I didn't come off Cymbalta that way.

Good luck
Junior

[BrainDrain]

Peace

How do I describe something i "feel" inside my head? That's like trying to describe the taste of grape jelly, without using the words grape or jelly to refer to.

Ok...I will try, as it seems to be the most prevalent symptom of withdrawal.

To describe something, defining what it is not is helpful too:

1) Tinnitus is ringing in the EARS. I have that only a little bit, but it is external to the brain. I can sense the ring in my ears.

2) Muscle cramp or zaps can affect a portion or my body entirely. It starts in my brain and rapidly releases into my body. The closer it is to my head, the harder it is to separate brain from body. I had jaw surgery in 1982 and my neck would zap me hard as the nerves were re-aligning. That was the closest thing I ever felt to a seizure like dys-control.

3) The buzz is nothing like caffeine or manic brain activity.


Ok ...now lets get down to brass tacks...how do I experience this brain buzz? I am a night shift worker and find the more tired I am, the more prevelant the baseline buzz is. I like to quantify my experiences, so using a numeric scale 0 being bliss or NO buzz and 10 being agony. Sometimes the buzz fades in and out...that is a softer buzz and easily kept in the 2-4 range. The harsher buzz is like the flash of a strobe light...BAM BAM BAM BAM and there it is...goes from a 2 to 8 in a millisecond. It disorients the hell out of me, can lose my balance, stimulates nausea and find concentration difficult. Some of the buzz experience is likened to air pressure changes inside my head.

Things that I do to help myself thru this crazy buzz:

A) Sit down. Standing usually makes it worse. Sitting down helps reduce the disorientation.

Lay on my back. When I am laying down, if I am on my side, the buzz can be worse. I think the buzz influences the jerky aspect of my dreams recently too. Sleeping on my back seems to help me stay 'orientated' during my dream time.

C) Surrender to my higher Power. Ok this is 12 step think, but it works. I am powerless over the zaps...Divine Mother holds me close and the zaps subside.

D) Mantra Prayer...perhaps it is simply the distraction, the zaps diffuse well via this technique. I use the serenity prayer and the rosary.

E) Rescue Remedy a Bach Flower Essence designed for emotional trauma healing (a couple drops under the tongue or in a glass of water).

F) Over the Counter Anti-Nausea pills help transiently and mildly, but I am trying to not add more chemicals to the mix.

This is all I have for now. Will add more as my understanding of the experience grows.

Shanti Shanti Shanti

[dankymama]

I am so thankful to have found this site. For some time now I have been struggling with the fact that I take quite a few medications. Worst of all the majority seem to be taking care of a problem caused by another pill. The worst of them has been Cymbalta which I have been on for a little over a year. The main reason I was given Cymbalta was to help with the pain caused by fibromyalgia and diabetes. In addition, it was supposed to help with my anxiety attacks. Previously I was taking Lexapro for the anxiety attacks before switching to Cymbalta which was toted as cure all.

Since taking Cymbalta I have still continued to have pain, however, it was not as severe. Perhaps the reason for this was my inability to really do anything. I was no longer anxieous, frankly I did not care about anything and I no longer wanted to leave the house. To "aide" with my lethargy and my inability to remain focused on anything, I was put on Aderall XR. In addition to this I still was given Tramadol, Etodolac, and Hydrocodone to combat the constant pain I am always in. When I went back home to Germany to visit my sister she was shocked when I pulled out my medicine bag and saw all the medications I was taking. I had gone from taking no pills, other the over the counter pain medication, to taking upward of 10 prescriptions. Her comment hit hard and I have started to evaluate my life and how much it has changed in the last two years. It was an eye opener!

So... I decided to start weaning myself from my medications one at a time starting late November 2009. The first pills to go were the opiates, yes it was annoying and I desperately wanted a fix but I got over that in a little over 2 weeks with no lasting side effects or crazy ups and downs. The Tramadol and Etodolac were also a breeze. Then came CYMBALTA! If it were not for my strong faith in Jesus Christ and a loving husband and understanding (most of the time) kids (all nine of them) I am pretty sure I would not be here still.

I went of Cymbalta the same way I did all the other medications, cold turkey starting almost a week ago when my prescription ran out. I am absolutely miserable, the only thing that has kept me going and on my feet is the need to take care of my family. I am in terrible pain all the time. My entire body hurts, but the worst pain is at the base of my skull and my neck (I'm guessing because I'm tense and freaking out). If it was only pain I could deal with it as I had most of my life. This taking pills and mucking my body chemistry up is not worth the price to being pain free).

The worst is the brain zaps, head thumping, unable to focus, vertigo and emotional up and down side effects I have been having, not to mention the night sweats and chest pains (yup went to the ER and I was told my heart is perfectly healthy). From reading all these post, these are all side effects of withdrawing from Cymbalta. So far I have been able to cope, although I must say that if I had a bottle of Cymbalta in the house I WOULD take a pill now and give up the fight. These feelings are so horrible and nobody can truly empathize with the symptoms unless they have had them.

I want hope. I want to believe that in time, hopefully sooner than later, these symptoms will ease up and disappear. I understand now that the withdrawals will be severe and they will be with me for much longer than when I went off of the opiates. But how long? Is there a way to get some relief without taking another pill? Right now I do not want to eat, I do not want to work out or do anything! I want the pain to end, the brain zaps to be a fading memory to be able to function again. Is there hope? Is there an end to all of this?

I will keep on trying and taking each moment as it comes steadfast in my determination to beat this thing.

I was given Cymbalta about 4 years ago when I was having neuropathy in my hands. As I continued to have symptoms over a few months, they finally diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. I am in the process of trying to go off Cymbalta for the 2nd time. This time after a hospital stay, Swearing up and down that I was addicted to Cymbalta that I didn't know if I could live until the next pill as I started tapering Dec 18th. I have been off for 9 days now and have been miserable and unable to function just basic tasks and battle every minute whether to just take the darn pill or not. I see my Psychiatrist tomorrow and Internist on Monday. I will definatly be talking to them about going back on 20mg and then tapering by opening and cutting back on the beads as recommended on this site. Having stayed on the Cymbalta for the Fibro, I now struggle on what to do next,as Iknow I need something to handle that issue too. After reading this site for the last 2 hours, I do see hope. I do see that it may be with or without your doctors approval. I will continue searching for info on what to do after Cymbalta for Fibromyalgia. We will get through this. I will not allow a little capsule to overtake me!

[dankymama]

I was first put on Cymbalta about 4 years ago. I think I started at 20mg, then started having the issues of the brian zaps, or electrical shock feeling that would go through my tongue even. So the doctor increaded my dose and continued to increase it until when I was at 60mg a day and still having the zaps, they sent me to then endocrynologist to check my thyroid. I ended up having Hypothyroid and started on a drug for that. They Cymbalta did stabilize but God forbid I forget a dose, it would be hell. I am now weaning off it for the 2nd time. I am at day 9 of being totally off and on the ride to hell. Going to 2 different doctors tomorrow and Monday. But over the course I have felt to different degrees:

electric shock through face, tongue, and arms

trouble just turning my head.. people ask constantly what's wrong with my neck.... I just don't want to turn because I know what I will feel I guess.

Can't function on any level, as the zaps causes my eyes to close and this happens with every turn while walking or even sometimes just moving my eyes causes it.

Each zap seems to take my breath away, so I constantly feel like I am taking a breath like after you have been crying,it's a breath in stages, if that makes sense.

Sometimes it feels like a car has passed by me... that's what I hear.

Having this feeling mostly when standing and walking causes me to loose concetration on what I am doing.

I look forward to taking some of the tapering advice from this site, regarding opening the capsuls and taking out beads and discussing it with my doctors.

Anything to try to function on a somewhat better level on a daily basis.

I was told now twice that when I first had the zaps/zings, that I should have never been put back on the drug.. for what ever that piece of advice is worth to anyone.

Good luck, we will get through this!

[MaureenV]

thank you thank you everyone!! i was feeling sooooo horrible! i read so many posts and just started crying! i hate that anyone else feels this way, but to know i am not alone makes me feel like i can do it! i have only been on cymbalta for a few months...but its definitly different than the effexor. tired of taking pills for pills...and wanted a clean healthy body. after having a cardiac ablation in november i knew pills were messing up my body. the tinnittis was worse, louder...more intense than ever, the longer i stayed on an antidepressant.
so i moved...and i stopped my meds...ambien and the cymbalta. at first i was fine...better than ever! then the night sweats hit me, the shaking and tremors...now the stomache cramps and nausea, the vertigo...the horrible intensity in my head with 'zaps or surges' mixed in every 20-30 seconds. the vertigo has been the worst...i feel like i am back on chemo with wanting to vomit, my entire body cramping in pain. driving is like a roller coaster. single mom of three...nope, i still have to do it! act normal...pretend things are fine...
work starts in almost a week and i am praying my body makes it through this...that there is an end to the torture. please tell me it gets better over time?!

Hi there,


you say that the vertigo is the worst, but have you been diagnosed in the past with BPPV? Vertigo can be cured, but the vast majority of people coming of Cymbalta have plain old dizzyness (only about 20% of cases of dizzyness are Vertigo - BPPV).

The difference is important, because vertigo can be 'cured'.

regards, Maureen.

[sandiegan]

I started Cymbalta shortly after it was released. Previously I had been so severely depressed that I agreed to ECT. That was a BIG mistake and another topic.
I just want to let other posters know that Cymbalta has given me my life back 100% with NO side effects at all. And I was also taking Prozac at the same time.
My Cymbalta dose has been as high as 90 mg. still with no side effects at all or weight gain.
My Rx coverage changed and I knew that I could not afford $45 every 30 days so I had no choice but to discontinue. I did not know about any withdrawal problems.
I had no withdrawal symptoms except the major return of incapticating depression.
In bed for weeks, no showers, sleep all the time, never changed clothes, you name it.
Called Crisis Line and no one mentioned Cymbalta withdrawal issues or questioned me on how I was tapering!
Had I had a clue I would have called my MD.
I had my car repossessed so I have absolutely no transportation to MD.
Still no transportation since 12/14/09. And I mean NONE.
Any suggestions from folks on what to do?
I need to be back on Cymbalta soon.

[nursedeborah]

re: cymbalta withdrawal. i had no choice but to stop cold turkey as my MD was on vacation and i couldn't get a refill. i was aware that tapering the dose (weaning, so to speak) was the correct way to d/c, but this was not an option. within a day i experienced vertigo, confusion, muscle ache, ataxia and the "click click click" sound with a tap tap tap pulse on my brain. i felt like i was going mad! after experiencing these symptoms for nearly two weeks they suddenly stopped, just woke up one morning and felt somewhat normal again. i was taking this med for migraine prophylaxis. it worked most of the time, but if i missed a dose i experienced the same symptoms described above and sometimes a raging migraine. after two weeks of feeling like total crap, there was no way i would go back on this med with the eventuality of coming off it again.

nurse cat,
Don't know how long you have been off this drug cold turkey but,
it only gets worse, and the only way to stop it is to get back on
it, and do the slow wean.

Withdrawls from this drug can last 6 mo to 2 years, and longer.
No I just wanted it out of me too, but I was so crazy I just
couldn't take it anymore. I wish you luck,
Debbie

[Patrick]

I have been on 90mg of cymbalta a day, for over a year. Just recently was taken off, doctor said I did not need to ween of drug.
It been three days cold turkey, my head is spinning. I feel the "electric zaps" coming from my head go all through my body. I was prescribed Buspar to help with my anxiety, but don't think its helping either. I have taken quit many different anxiety depression meds, but none with this HORRID withdrawel effects. How long will this last? I would not tell anyone to try this drug, its really rough!

[Junior]

nurse cat,
Don't know how long you have been off this drug cold turkey but,
it only gets worse, and the only way to stop it is to get back on
it, and do the slow wean.

Withdrawls from this drug can last 6 mo to 2 years, and longer.
No I just wanted it out of me too, but I was so crazy I just
couldn't take it anymore. I wish you luck,
Debbie

That's actually not right. It does not get worse. It eventually gets better, but it can take a long time. The bottom line is that these drugs alter our brain function and it can take a while for the brain to return to its pre-med state. Tapering slowly allows a better quality of life.

Junior

[Junior]

I have been on 90mg of cymbalta a day, for over a year. Just recently was taken off, doctor said I did not need to ween of drug.
It been three days cold turkey, my head is spinning. I feel the "electric zaps" coming from my head go all through my body. I was prescribed Buspar to help with my anxiety, but don't think its helping either. I have taken quit many different anxiety depression meds, but none with this HORRID withdrawel effects. How long will this last? I would not tell anyone to try this drug, its really rough!

Hi Patrick

Three days isn't long and 90mg is a fairly high dose. Do you have any pills left? I'm asking that because your doctor is wrong. You DO need to wean, preferably slowly. As I said in my post above, it's because these drugs alter the way our brain functions and it takes time for it to adjust back to 'normal'. Rather than do it cold turkey and force ourselves to undergo a raft of withdrawal symptoms, it is better to go slowly and give ourselves quality of life along the way.

Additionally, some people find taking Prozac while withdrawing from C helpful as it alleviates many of the effects.

Regards
Junior

[Junior]

I started Cymbalta shortly after it was released. Previously I had been so severely depressed that I agreed to ECT. That was a BIG mistake and another topic.
I just want to let other posters know that Cymbalta has given me my life back 100% with NO side effects at all. And I was also taking Prozac at the same time.
My Cymbalta dose has been as high as 90 mg. still with no side effects at all or weight gain.
My Rx coverage changed and I knew that I could not afford $45 every 30 days so I had no choice but to discontinue. I did not know about any withdrawal problems.
I had no withdrawal symptoms except the major return of incapticating depression.
In bed for weeks, no showers, sleep all the time, never changed clothes, you name it.
Called Crisis Line and no one mentioned Cymbalta withdrawal issues or questioned me on how I was tapering!
Had I had a clue I would have called my MD.
I had my car repossessed so I have absolutely no transportation to MD.
Still no transportation since 12/14/09. And I mean NONE.
Any suggestions from folks on what to do?
I need to be back on Cymbalta soon.

Hi Sandiegan

It sounds like the depression you experienced after coming off Cymbalta was actually withdrawal. The reason this can happen is that C alters the way the brain works. If the drug is withdrawn too quickly, the brain has not had a chance to adjust and this, in turn, brings on symptoms. Often these symptoms mimic the original problem and drs / people just think they need to be back on the medication. Some people suffer mental illness that they had not had in the first place! All as a result of withdrawal.

I'm not sure whether reinstating C now would work. Some people can reinstate successfully, some can't, but apparently there is a fairly small window of time in which this needs to happen. Sorry I can't give you better news.

How are you now? Are you still taking prozac?

Regards
Junior

[wishymom]

So glad to find this forum and realize that I am not crazy! Brain buzzing/zapping is a great way to describe one of the worst withdrawal symptoms I am currently going through. I had no words to describe it before. I got teary eyed when I found this forum and read the topic.

I took Cymbalta for almost 5 years! If I would miss a dose, or take a dose late in the day, I would experience the buzzing/zapping. I have decided to go off Cymbalta because my depression seemed to be getting worse and I thought I had reached a threshold with the meds and needed to change. I've done that in the past with other meds. I was on 60mg and my doctor at first suggested that I try just taking one pill every other day, I told her no way, because if I miss a dose then I get really bad side effects. So she dropped me down to 30 mg for two weeks and then told me to switch to Wellbutrin. Monday was my first day off of Cymbalta and on Wellbutrin. I couldn't got to work Monday or Tuesday because I just felt horrible and couldn't function. I went to work yesterday and today. I'm still feeling sick. I still have the brain buzzing, hot flashes, waves of nausea and dizziness, AND my depression seems bad and I'm having some anxiety attacks.

Uggh I sure hope this doesn't last long. Is there anything I can do to feel better in the meantime? I don't want to ever go back on Cymbalta again.

[MaureenV]

So glad to find this forum and realize that I am not crazy! Brain buzzing/zapping is a great way to describe one of the worst withdrawal symptoms I am currently going through. I had no words to describe it before. I got teary eyed when I found this forum and read the topic.

I took Cymbalta for almost 5 years! If I would miss a dose, or take a dose late in the day, I would experience the buzzing/zapping. I have decided to go off Cymbalta because my depression seemed to be getting worse and I thought I had reached a threshold with the meds and needed to change. I've done that in the past with other meds. I was on 60mg and my doctor at first suggested that I try just taking one pill every other day, I told her no way, because if I miss a dose then I get really bad side effects. So she dropped me down to 30 mg for two weeks and then told me to switch to Wellbutrin. Monday was my first day off of Cymbalta and on Wellbutrin. I couldn't got to work Monday or Tuesday because I just felt horrible and couldn't function. I went to work yesterday and today. I'm still feeling sick. I still have the brain buzzing, hot flashes, waves of nausea and dizziness, AND my depression seems bad and I'm having some anxiety attacks.

Uggh I sure hope this doesn't last long. Is there anything I can do to feel better in the meantime? I don't want to ever go back on Cymbalta again.

I'll start by saying I don't know how the Wellbutrin fits in to all of this, but the only way to really feel better is to take the Cymbalta again and wean off slowly. It's not the Cymbalta causing the symptoms, it's the LACK OF Cymbalta in your system. I can well understand you not wanting to take it again, but that's the only way to allow your brain to adjust slowly.

regards, Maureen.

[Junior]

Hi there

Firstly, it's not how long it takes for the drug to be out of your system, it's how long it takes for your system to return to its pre-medication way of functioning. Modern a/ds chemically alter the way our brains operate. Therefore, what you are currently feeling is withdrawal.

Secondly, I understand that Drs in the US often have free sample in their drawer and all you need to do is ask and they will be given out. Also, I believe you can get them from Eli Lilly. Again, all you need do is ask.

Finally, it would be good if you can get your hands on some Cymbalta and reinstate as soon as possible. The wdls will stop and you can then wean more slowly, if that is what you want to do.

Let us know how you go
Junior

[MaureenV]

Thank you for replying to my post...it's amazing to actually speak with someone going through a similar situation at the same time. Today is Day 9 and I don't feel good. Woke up ok, and as long as I sit or lay down feel ok, but then went to pick my Kindergartner up at school and to his awards assembly (yes, life goes on...) and my head just can't handle the movement. Too much head movement...I now feel dizzy, nausea, pain, tired, etc... It's just about impossible to take care of my 3 little kids (5, 3 & 2)...house is a disaster...been eating McDonalds every night...actually gave my 2 year old popcorn for breakfast...just trying to survive! I took Benadryl again last night and yes, I think it helps a little...maybe I'll take 2 Benadryl tonight. I'm just HOPING that these symptoms are gone by week 3! I've also tried Tylenol, Advil and Contact...none of those worked! I also started feeling major pain in my left wrist/hand about 1 hour ago...that's probably a sign of the Fibromyalgia again...feels like my hand is going to fall off. It just sucks! How did it go at the Dr.?

Karen, don't get too discouraged by the pain. I know you have fibro and that if Cymbalta was helping it it's going to return, BUT one of the common withdrawal symptoms of Cymbalta is pain in every single 'weak' spot of the body. I've had a few injuries to my body over the years, most of which never given me any trouble. I also had severe pubic bone pain when pregnant, nearly 20 years ago. When I first started withdrawing, every single one of these 'weak' spots gave me bad pain.

You can go a bit by the other symptoms: if you've got other withdrawal symptoms then the pain MAY be PARTLY withdrawal pain.

regards, Maureen.

[MaureenV]

Karen I know how yu feel. This day seven cold turkey for me. I am experiencing all the things you are and more. I ws wondering if I should continue cold turkey or take 30mg and ween that way. My doctor's nurse finally got back to me after my call in 5 days ago. and this was their suggestion. I apologize for my typos. I am so messed up right now. Can't keep much down and so dizzy or should i say zapped all the time. Pain has started for me too in every week spot. Wish someone on here could tell me how long we cold turkeys will have to endure this hell or if I should go back on the life sucking drug that has screwed me up so bad just to "ween" or take forever to endure it longer? What do I do?? This is no life. When Junior says on here that weening gives us a better quality of life while getting off it. It just makes me think he's saying it will give us a better quality of life what life is left. How damaging is this drug? I feel like they (Eli Lilly) should gear up for a law suit. No one should be prescribed this as a pain killer, depression reducer. It is simply a life stealer in my opinion. I wish for you to be better soon Karen. I'm glad you have posted your ongoing outcome!

Missy, those who go cold turkey suffer horrendous symptoms which can be life stoppers. In addition, those who go cold turkey can SOMETIMES suffer a return of symptoms weeks or months later.

Those who've weaned slowly may take longer to be OFF the drug, but the period of time withdrawing is much more civilized (much milder symptoms) and once we're off, the symptoms tend to stay away completely.

Junior (who's a female, by the way) is suggesting just that to you. You ask if someone can tell you how long. No, we can't, we don't have a crystal ball. It's different for everyone, same as the slow taper, some can go faster than others.

It's just a choice available to you.

regards, Maureen.

[MaureenV]

Thank you for the advice! I believe that you are right. I am experiencing so many horrendous symptoms now that truly scare me. I almost past out yesterday in the shower and my heart was hurting. I even began shaking uncontrollably last night after feeling over sensitized. I could not sleep at all. I was so scared. I think taking the 30 mg is the way to go now. I need t find out the est way to ween from those. Do they prescibe smaller doses than 30? and how long should I take them. My Dr.s nurse told me to take them everyday for a week and then every other day until the two week sample they gave me is gone. From many peoples post's it seems it should take longer. What do I do? Thank you for offering suggestions for me to make the choice. It is comforting to find information on this forum so helpful.

Concerned,
Missy

Hi Missy,

Glad to help, having gone through it. Please do NOT do the alternate days; it very rarely works for people, and certainly I haven't seen it work for anyone who's already suffered withdrawal symptoms.

I think you're right to go back on to 30mg. Wait for several days until you feel well, then think about tapering. If you're in the US, the do make a 20mg, but you don't need those to taper, just enough of the 30mg to be able to open the capsules and divide up the contents.

You'll need to buy some clear gelatine capsules.

This is the way those of us who've weaned slowly, reducing the withdrawal effects dramatically, have done.

I agree the withdrawal symptoms are nothing short of frightening - chest pain, breathlessness, anxiety and on and on the list goes. One night I thought I might just shatter into a thousand pieces I felt so strange.

Keep in touch,

regards, Maureen.

[MaureenV]

Thanks for the encouragement and insight to lowering dosage. I feel better having a plan and knowing what to expect generally. I certainly don't want to take the chance of going through this again so harshly. Didn't find this sight till into it for a bit. I helps to know I'm not alone but so sad that anyone else has had to suffer like this. I have hope at least. I am going to sit down with my Doctor in the near future and share. I think I will ask him for longer taper and do as you suggest with the caps. It's got to be easier than what I have just endured the last 9 days. Thank you for taking the time to respond to so many Maureen. You and Junior have helped so many and it is a good thing this is available all around the globe! Keep it going. I will keep everyone posted regarding my journey. I think hearing the outcomes are just as vital as the beginning stages. I do have to say that this lesson is teaching me a lot about taking charge of my body and not just trusting it to others without first getting all the facts!

Sincerely Grateful,
Missy

Thanks for the kind words, Missy. I do remember how horrible it was, which is why I want to try to let others know there can be easier ways.

It's difficult for doctors to go against what the drug companies tell them to do. They have thousands of drugs to keep up with, and unlike pharmacists, often don't get to see the actual drug very often, which means when they read that it's a 'slow release' drug, may not know that they're actually slow release beads inside a capsule which is NOT slow release. Some people have been warned against opening them based on this mistake.

To be honest, depending on your doctor, you might be better off taking some examples to them (you'll need to buy the empties obviously to do this). If they have a problem with it, you're entitled to ask why. There's no good reason, but some seem to think 'doctor knows best' even when they quite clearly can't know everything.

As I've said so many times on this board: a good doctor will work with you, a bad doctor will tell you what to do. I hope you've got a good one.


keep us posted,


regards, Maureen.

[brain zapped]

I am so relieved to find this website. I have never been through such agonizing hell on any type of medication. I am currently taking Wellbutrin XL 450mg a day for severe depression. My psychiatrist added Cymbalta when Abilify or Celexa did not help me feel better with the Wellbutrin. She gave me 2 weeks worth of the 30mg to start with and then switch to 60mg. I am going for my follow up Monday. I had to stop taking the Cymbalta after only 10 days. Terrible insomnia, constant brain fog, headache and dizziness. I couldn't take the side-effects so I had to quit cold turkey. This was last Friday. What a mistake. The brain zaps started the next day. I felt like I completely back peddled on my depression and was constantly crying. The brain zaps got worse and concentrated on the right side of my head (thought it was a migraine even though I don't have a history). I was crippled on Sunday and Monday to my couch, the pain so bad all I could do was hold the right side of my head and cry. Felt like I was dying. Had to go to the ER Monday night, I couldn't take it anymore. Had a cat scan and blood work, all negative, they passed me off with a tension headache. After reading others posts, I am realizing that it IS the withdrawal from Cymbalta. The pain went to a dull ache, my head feels like a ton of bricks. I am terribly dizzy. These "zaps" are literally going through my entire body. This started Tuesday and has not stopped. It's the same feeling as when your leg falls asleep only my entire body feels it constantly when I'm walking. All I want to do is cry and these constant zaps going through my body are making me terribly scared.

I am in a living HELL. I have only been off for 6 days and I can't stand it. I feel like I am being punished with severely bad karma. I would NOT wish these withdrawals on my worst enemy. I cannot believe this drug is even on the market to take. I am so sorry so many others are sharing my pain but it is comforting to know I am NOT crazy and I'm not alone. How long until this goes away????

I REFUSE to take even another ounce of this horrendous medication and will warn everyone and anyone against taking it. Had I had ANY clue about these withdrawals, I never would have put even one pill in my body. This stuff should be totally banned and taken completely off the market. Eli Lilly should be made to endure every single withdrawal symptom anyone has suffered because of this drug.

[beanpoleon]

I have had brain zaps from stopping other medications and my way of describing them is that my brain feels like iron and I'm walking through a roomful of magnets. Strange random pulls like my brain is shifting. Or I've been walking against a strong wind and it's suddenly calm. While trying to regain my equilibrium there's a delay and during the realignment the ringing in my ears gets very loud for just a millisecond. A weird feeling accompanies this, like when the doctor hits my knee to test my reflexes, except it's in my brain.

[Nauseated as we speak]

I have thought many times about getting off of Cymbalta but I knew what I felt like after being just a couple of hours late taking my dose. I was scared. A friend of mine told me that she went thru it when her doc switched her to something else and it was 2 weeks of sheer hell. I normally get samples from my doctor so I don't have a prescription on file at the pharmacy. I called his office and they were out of samples that day. I asked for them to please call the prescription in for me. I never got a response(and it was Friday afternoon of course). After checking with the phamacy 3 times with no prescription I realized they never called it in. A WEEK later the nurse called me back. So...ive gone cold turkey for 8 days now. Im not at all happy about what is going on. I am extremely nauseated right now. Bowels havent been right in a week. I can feel my pulse all over my body, my head does something really strange every now and then, i am dizzy and very uncoordinated. This sucks to say the very least. Im not sure what needs to be done at this point. My withdrawl symptoms have lessoned a bit but are still very much there. I dont want to stick another one of those pills in my mouth again EVER! I had a hysterectomy in 2008 so occasionally I have hot flashes. I saw somewhere on here that one withdrawal symptom is sweating...particularly at night? I literally took a cold bath tonight. That isnt normal. Suggestions? (besides taking it again) Any idea how long this misery will last???