Last summer my doctor put me on Cymbalta for the sypmtoms of depression from PTSD and pain from my neck and skull injury. It didn't do anything to help my pain but without my even realizing it, it really changed me. At that time, I was working out, eating very healthy and I watched how much I ate because of worrying about menopausal weight gain. A month after being on the Cymbalta I had put on at least 10 lbs. So I started eating even less and working out more. Still I continued to gain weight. Then I hurt my shoulder and was unable to exercise. The doctor increase my Cymbalta from 30 to 60. I kept blaming menopause and quitting smoking for the weight gain. I kept gaining and gaining.
Then my family started saying things to me as they noticed changes in my personality and behavior.
I wasn't really happy or depressed...I was just numb. I couldn't think clearly. I struggled to even get a couple hours of sleep at night. I stopped crying about anything. I stopped wanting to leave my house. I lost interest in things I used to enjoy, such as sex and exercizing. All of this and I really didn't notice until it was pointed out to me and even then I didn't really do anything about it.
When I started on Cymbalta I weighed 118 lbs and now at last check I weighed 150. I hardly eat anything. My husband watched me eat fresh veggies and fruit and yet I kept on gaining. I went on-line to read about what I could do with this "menopausal" weight gain and came across a woman that talked about gaining weight from taking Cymbalta and she talked about this numb feeling. So I dug deeper and oh my god I seen myself in everyone that talked about how they felt on Cymbalta. I showed it to my husband and asked him, is this how he see's me? And he said this described me exactly. What a wake up call. It's like I've been asleep to my life for these past months.
So I started to wean myself off 2 weeks ago which was a good thing because work comp cut me off and were not going to pay for it without a fight. I don't have that kind of money. I took my last pill on last Wednesday night. Holy crap have I been sick. Feels like I have the flu. Wasn't able to go to work last friday and here it is Monday and I am still too sick to go to work. Besides feeling physically sick, I feel these brain zaps or buzzing...my face tingles, my skins feels like it is crawling. I am light headed and dizzy. I can hardly sleep and when I do I have horrid nightmares. I am having hot flashes like I've never had before and then I'm so cold I can't warm up. I feel literally crazy. I feel highly adjetated and irritated over nothing. Noise drives me crazy which is not good because I have a 3 & 4 year olds in my house. I don't want to get dressed or leave my house. I don't want to talk to anyone because I feel like I don't make sense when I talk..yet I feel extremely lonely. It's hard for me to read for any length of time because it hurts my eyes and can't concentrate that long. The worst thing in all of this is that I think about wanting to die and I haven't felt like that since I was assaulted(that's how I got my neck and skull injury.
Are these things normal for me to be experiencing? How long will I feel like this?
Please don't tell me to go to the doctor because I don't have insurance but I most likely wouldn't go anyways. I just don't trust doctors. When I called and talked to my doctors nurse about all of my concerns she discourged me from stopping and even thought that just maybe I needed a higher dose instead. And that maybe I should come back in and see if I just needed a higher dose or another drug to go along with this one. Are flipping kidding me? I wasn't even depressed when I was put on this. I was just struggling with getting discouraged over living with pain the rest of my life.
Please if anyone has some suggestions to help me get through this, I would so appreciate it. I just want my old self back. I just want to feel normal again. Yes, the weight gain has been horrible but this is even worse.
Thank you in advance to any help or idea's you can give me. Lori
Lori,
You can't do this cold turkey! You think you feel awful now just wait!
It does get worse. I know you don't have insurance, but at least ask
you doc to give you samples to help you wean off this crap.
I lived alone when I was put on this crap, and everything you said I
had, and more. It was so awful, and it will take time for you to
recover from this drug, what it's done to you brain, and I believe to
our bodies too. The last one is just my opinion as I just was diagnosed
with sleep apnea last Thursday, both kinds, obstruction, and also my
brain is not sending a signal for me to take a breath in my sleep.
You can also get this drug for free from Eli Lilly, heck they want to
give it out! There is also a drug program on the Montel Williams Show,
but it does the same, it just has you contact each drug company to get
the drug for free.
If there is anything else I can help you with let me know. You will
get help, and make it through this.. It's just withdrawls right now,
and your brain is addicted to this stuff, and wants a fix.
Debbie