10 replies to this topic

[nursedeborah]

Baclacker,
Well you told part of my story, but it sounds we have
been through the same nightmare.


It takes some of us a very long time to get over all of
this, and it s the worst thing that has ever happened to
me in my life.

I would gladly just take back having just all the pain
I have lived with vs this.

Jus hang close,
Debbie

[nursedeborah]

Btw, I love your donts Debbie!! :-) Thank u.

Casster, I am slow, what about my don't? Oh because I don't type so hot?.lol
Sure can tell your new here. I am so far remvoed from having to spell check
or be perfect!

Debbie

[nursedeborah]

Hi!!! I found this forum...thought it might be helpful....I am transitioning from cymbalta (on it for almost 3 years) to zoloft (which i was on 3 or 4 years ago)...this is my third day....I feel so disoriented; especially outside and irritable. Normal?? I am under the care of a psychiatrist.

Casster,
Trust me shrinks, and doc's have no idea how to take anyone off
Cybbalta, and what he's doing to do is what is causing you feel
ing, actually they are withdrawl symptoms!

http://prozac.com/cymbalta.htm

Please try our way, and if it all doesn't go away we will gladly
refund your misery.

Much Love,

Debbie

[Junior]

Casster,
Trust me shrinks, and doc's have no idea how to take anyone off
Cybbalta, and what he's doing to do is what is causing you feel
ing, actually they are withdrawl symptoms!

http://prozac.com/cymbalta.htm

Please try our way, and if it all doesn't go away we will gladly
refund your misery.

Much Love,

Debbie

Talking of spelling.... Cybbalta? Is this a new horror drug? A derative of Cymbalta? Oh no.... we have to tell people!!!


Sorry Deb. Couldn't resist

Junior

[nursedeborah]

I have been reading all of these posts and I have to say they are all right.
I went off Cymbalta after having been on it for 9 months. I did have a great reduction in back pain, but the trade off was no interest in sex and a general feeling of no energy and no interest in anything.

My back doc said OK go off. I had been reading about the process on line so I did not go off. I went to 50% for 6 days then went off. It has been an interesting ride for the last 4 days. Day one Brain zaps, day two brain zaps and feeling uncomfortable, day 3 brain zaps, feeling uncomfortable, muscle ache everywhere, vomiting and nightmares, day 4 all listed plus claustrophobia. I am hoping it starts slowing down, it is really a problem.

Jim, that is way toooo fast to come off this drug!!! The worst is yet
around the corner.
When my dose was cut by 50% it was on the 6 th day that I finally had to
call the doc. He said it was not the medication, but to go back to the
original dose, I did, and was fine by the next day.

The best know method, and not just from this site I am finding is to only
reduce by 10% eveery 2 weeks, also make sure that your ready that your
withdrawls are not unbearable. Some can't even come down that much, and
only come down 5%.

Your brain is addicted to this drug. When it is taken away very fast it
causes alll the symptoms your having, if you give it the drug it stop's.
That's why the slow wean is the only way to get off this, and also know
to help with the withdrawls is Prozac 20 mg daily, and wean off that
after your done with the Cymbalta. Prozac is not as hard to get off of as
Cymbalta, and usually not a problem with most.

If you want the bead count let me know, and I will leave it for you.

Good luck, there is a way out, and a way back to the real world! and YOU!

Debbie

[nursedeborah]

Debbie,

I was on Wellbutrin for 2 years(quit that), then went to cilixa. which I felt was making me feel out of it. My doctor put me on cymbalta which has been for only about 3 weeks and I have decided to just quit. Is stomach cramps, back ache and light headed all symptons? and how long do you think the with drawals will last?

Cindy,
How long ago did you stop the Wellbutrin? because you eill have withdrawls with
that one too. Alll these antidepressants to so much rewiring of our brains, and
damage.

I know you were only on the Cymbalta 3 weeks, but one can still have awful withdrawls.
When did yyou stop that one? Symptoms can last 6 mo. to 2 years or longer, it just
depends on the person, but this one does seem to do that.


You might just have to go back on the dose you were on, and start the slow wean of
removing 10 beads every 2 weeks, or 20 beads every 2 weeks. If this is too much you
can always add beads, or if your still not having any symptoms of withdrawl you can
take a few more out. Just never go past 20 every 2 weeks.

If you need any help with anything else, I am here.

Debbie

[nursedeborah]

Hello, read about this website to see how others were feeling and if I was the only one.. Apparently not.. I was only on Cymbalta for three months to treat mild depression, which i thought was situational. However, depression and mental illness runs in my family and I guess i was in denial that I may be depressed and may have to be on medicatios the rest of my life like my mother so I wanted to go off of it. So I weaned myself off, instead of 60 mg dailey, I went to every second day then every third day and then every fourth day until it was gone, aprx 3 weeks of weaning off. I have been completely off of Cymbalta for aprx 3 weeks now and i'm still having nightmares, dizziness, very "skirmy", don't feel settled, extremely irritable and at times crying.. I am a mess, having a hard time not losing my temper at the world right now. I am way worse off than I was before I started the medication.. I just wanna feel like me again, I have lost myself because of this drug

Kay,Welcome, and you went off this way to FAST!
We learn a very slow wean here, it keeps all that
from happpening.

I would just go back to at least 30 mg, and you should
feel relief pretty quick, and then reduce by 1o beads
every 2 weeks until your off. Adding Prozac 20 mg also
helps some with the withdrawls.

If you need the bead count let me know, or anyother help.

Here to help, and support.

Debbie

[Junior]

I wnet in 60 MG day Cymbalta because the prozac I was on stopped working, and my Primary Care Doc said that this would help with my Fibromyalgia. It did help with the pain, but from the beginning I noticed extreme dizziness and a feeling of being detached and underwater. I'd already tried Zoloft and Effexor, and had to stop them due to the side effects. I remember having a bad headache and emotional lability for a few days, but the withdrawal symptoms were mild and transient.

A few months ago, I decided I wanted off Cymbalta... somethink deep inside me was saying "This stuff is NOT good for you." I cut back to 1/2 dose (30 mg day) for almost 1 month, but the symptoms were unbearable so I went back on it.

Recently I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, and my Rheumatologist put me on prednisone as a trial. Most of my symptoms disappeared. I decided that while I was temporarily on Prednisone, I would try to get off the Cymbalta and transition to Wellbutrin.

I went to 1/2 dose (30 mg) for 2 weeks, then began 1/2 the Wellbutrin (100 mg) for another week,. Then I stopped the Cymbalta and added the second dose of Wellbutrin.

WIthin a day or two, I began to have all the symptoms that people have complained about, except for the brain zaps. Extreme headache, feeling of being detached, emotional lability, nausea and vomiting, hot flashes, extreme vertigo, flu like symptoms.
I run a 100 degree temperature in the afternoon, and my temp is below normal in the am. and early afternoon. This is the worst I have ever felt in my life.

What scares me is that it seems the symptoms persist for a long time. I've been unable to work, and used all my sick time, so I have to use my vacation time. I don't trust myself to drive, and have a hard time keeping anything down. I haven't thrown up in probably 7 years, and I am now.

Now that I'm on the full dose of Wellbutrin (and also Trazadone 100 mg. at night) I am afraid to go back up on the Cymbalta.

I saw 3 differnt docs (including a psychiatrist) and they all told me to stop cold turkey for 2 weeks and then start on the Wellbutrin.
even though I told them what happened the last time I went to 1/2 dose of the Cymbalta.


This has been the absolute worst physical and mental torture I've gone through ever. And I am an ovarian cancer survivor.

I think the reason that doctors ignore our reports is because a) they are dealing with a psychiatric population, so it must be part of our disease. they rely on drug reps and drug information from the drug companies, which barely acknowledges the withdrawal symptoms.

I'm at my wits end.

Hi CC7912

Sorry to hear you've been having such a rough time of it. Unfortunately your experience is not unusual. I cold turkeyed off 60mg after only 19 days ..and had a hell of a time. Some people are just sensitive to anti-depressants but I'm not one of them. Cymbalta is just a horrible drug to come off. Some people here have said it's worse than Paxil!

The problem is that anti-ds chemically change the way our brains function and it takes time to reverse that. Drs seem to think it's about how long it takes to get the drug out of our bodies, but that is not the case at all. I've known of some people to have major wdls months after ceasing their pills. I'm not saying this is going to happen to to you. I'm just saying that because these people all recommend doing a slow taper. Everyone is different but the consensus is to decrease by increments of 10% and to wait 3-6 weeks before reducing the dose further.

It might be worth going back on the 30mg, waiting until you stabilise, then trying the taper. What do you think?

Kind regards
Junior

[johnc]

Wow. I'm so glad I found this site. I've been suffering the last three days in bed thinking I had some kind of flu. As it turns out it's more than likely my withdrawal from Cymbalta. I ran out of Cymbalta last week and decided I'd go cold turkey. Bad idea. Though I can't confirm it yet, everything I've read here describes my exact symptoms!! Seriously, I was beginning to wonder if I had some kind of brain infection and even made an appointment to see a doctor tomorrow morning.

It's been a vicious circle for me the last 7 days. I ran out of Cymbalta last Monday. Filled my scrip on Tuesday but thought I'd try and go without and see how I felt. I was okay until Friday evening when I felt rundown. I felt like I was coming down with the flu. I didn't suspect these to be symptoms of Cymbalta withdrawal. At worst I figured maybe a migraine.

On the upside. I was actually able to feel some emotions that I hadn't in a long time. (Remember sadness?) I had some amazingly creative ideas and strange but interesting dreams. On the downside, Saturday was awful. I had ringing in both ears (usually I have it in just my left ear from years playing drums!). I threw up from the nausea, and felt light-headed. I slept-a lot and thought I had stomach flu. I ate very little, tried Dramamine for the nausea. Worst of all, I stopped taking my other prescriptions for acid reflux, my eyedrops for Glaucoma and cholesterol medicine. Not only did I feel I could not keep these down I thought that adding them into mix might make me feel worse. Once again - bad idea.

Monday (today) rolled around and after nearly a week feeling ill I have decided to go back on Cymbalta and discuss this matter further with my doctor.

I'm really hoping to feel better in the next few hours. Even though I've gone back on Cymbalta for now, I've learned rather painfully that you should always work with your doctor when taking it.

All the best-
Cheers:)
JC

[Junior]

My wife is taking Cymbalta and seems to have the same problems eventhough she is still on it ! Is that possible?

Yes. It's known on these boards as "poop out" or tolerance. Her body is asking for more. She will need to wean off - but very slowly - as her brain needs to adjust to being without it.

Regards
Junior

[Shay Kay]

My symptoms

1_ Light headed, mildly dizzy
2_ Problems focusing/concentrating/articulating (slurring speech)
3_ Ringing in the ears
4_ Very mild hallucenations
5_ Body aches
6_ Increased appetite for carbs
7_ Cold chills (like my body can't produce any heat for a period of time)
8_ Hot flashes
9_ moodiness
10_Flu-like symptoms
11_No motivation
12_Feelings of hopelessness

I hope this helps someone else