11 replies to this topic

[Gail F]

Hi everyone, this site has really been helpful to me. I have been off Cymbalta for 7days, my meds ran out and I had been wanting to go off of it, so here was my chance. Though I had some coming in the mail, since reading through all of this I have had alot of side affects not realizing they r connected to this horrible drug. I have been on Cymbalta for 10 yrs, gradually going to 60mg the last 5yrs. The brain freezes when people talk to me has really gotten bad and the not knowing what to do next is driving me crazy. I never new the brain freeze was connected to this drug. It always would worry me and the people I work with why I got this. Lately it has gotten alot worse. Another good reason to go off this drug. Now I have hot/cold,dizzy,severe tiredness,not hungry and some brain zaps, it is getting better,but will that change again. I do not have any pain, in the first few days I had brain zaps all the time, but had them the last month on cymbalta( go figure that one out)now just once in awhile. Have leg cramps and the bug bites every now and then. Mostly now just dizzy, hope all the other does not come back.
Called my Dr and am getting a 30mg of cymbalta today, so I can go back to work, I can't afford to put my lfe on hold for how long???? ''' Then by reading alot of your letters, I hopefully will beable to go off completely, with few side affects.

[Gail F]

Well since I first posted this morning, I still haven't gone and picked up my meds at CVS, don't know if I can drive yet. What is getting me so crazy now is the sweats, can't handle the severe heat my body gives out. Also I am alittle nusiated, need food so I do not get a migraine, but hate the thought of food right now. Forgot to post I did have a migraine the last couple of days, but I get migraines all the time. When I get them I take Imetrix, that take them away. Maybe when I am off this demon my migraines will not be so frequent....

[Gail F]

Sick to my stomach tonite and have a headache with hot flashs, it is going to be a long nite....

[cookie]

Dear Friend:
To check if I understood? You have taken cymbalta for 10 years??? and went to 60mg the last 5 years??
If this is right and you have lived all these years with all these side effects how could you live with them????
I´ve read on this site two approachs for weaning, one is the cold turkey or fast, and the other is reducing the dosage little by little. I prefer the second one. What if you try to reduce from 60mg to 55mg or 50mg???
or you rather go straight to 30mg and tolerate the symptoms??
If you decide to go to an intermediate dosage, there are many posts on this site on how to count beads and adjust them to the dosage you want
Hope this helped
Cookie

[Ms_M]

Gail

I have been the same way about food. Some of my favorite foods have been completely avoided for 2 weeks (since I started the tapering) because I can't even think about them.

It was interesting to read about the symptoms you had while still on Cymbalta. Looking back, I see that was the case for me, too.

Keep hangin' in!

Michelle

[Gail F]

Dear Friend:
To check if I understood? You have taken cymbalta for 10 years??? and went to 60mg the last 5 years??
If this is right and you have lived all these years with all these side effects how could you live with them????
I´ve read on this site two approachs for weaning, one is the cold turkey or fast, and the other is reducing the dosage little by little. I prefer the second one. What if you try to reduce from 60mg to 55mg or 50mg???
or you rather go straight to 30mg and tolerate the symptoms??
If you decide to go to an intermediate dosage, there are many posts on this site on how to count beads and adjust them to the dosage you want
Hope this helped
Cookie

[Gail F]

I didn't have all the symptoms in the beginning. My Dr. started me on C when I had a hysterecomy in 2000, starting early menopause. Also in talking I had some issues with depression she was worried about. So this started my long desent in Cymbalta land. As the yrs went by, thing came up with my marriage or other family things so she would increase the dose. I never knew I was really experiencing the side effects becauce they came on so gradule with me, I just thought I was a little different sometimes in how I talked. I did bring it up to my dr. once and she just shook her head, so I didn't think anything about it. Wish I had seen this website 10yrs ago. Talking with my friends now at work, I think maybe the drug was rejecting me, becauce I was having symptoms for some time now, just not as bad as when I went cold turkey. Today I opened a 60mg cap and halved it and will continue to wittle it down myself, without my dr.. I don't intend to even tell my MD what I am doing, she will not agree. I decided not to take what she called in, for me, the 30 mg. I will just work with what I have, the 60 and guess too when they are finally 0....

[Gail F]

You know I thought my life changed when I hit 41, ten yrs ago. My body felt diffent, my mind couldn't think anymore and I had so many different things happening to me, I couldn't keep track of them. Now I know after reading all of this, what changed me was the poison Cymbalta! I have gone down hill since. It wasn't age because that doesn't catch up with you over nite, I was always very out goings and alive, funny how my mind is coming back already, just wish my body felt better. I will never take another depression pill again...

[Gail F]

You know I thought my life changed when I hit 41, ten yrs ago. My body felt diffent, my mind couldn't think anymore and I had so many different things happening to me, I couldn't keep track of them. Now I know after reading all of this, what changed me was the poison Cymbalta! I have gone down hill since. It wasn't age because that doesn't catch up with you over nite, I was always very out goings and alive, funny how my mind is coming back already, just wish my body felt better. I will never take another depression pill again...

[Gail F]

Starting to feel alot better now, am taking 30mg. for just a week, then I will take less. I am just trying to do the ratio myself with the 60mg cap., whatever looks good, is what I will take till it is 0. All side effects are still there but alot less, I can totally cope now am going back to work on Sat.. I am a waitress so I hope no one gets me upset, it will be a long day. I lost a week with no pay and I really don't know where the week went,just know it was hell. I look forward to my mind coming clear again..Did it affect anyones eyesite? Mine has steadly gotten worse and I see movement when there is none, just wondering....

[cookie]

Dear Gail:
I am glad that you are feeling a lot better now and your down to 30mg. You mentioned that you are 40 years old and your body is not the same as before, I am 36 and I feel the same. Hope your mind comes clear again!....I started reducing from 60mg to 52mg, then 45mg. So far I haven´t had problems with my eyesite. But I´ve read other people mentioning what you described about movement when there is none.
Keep up the fight!
hugs
Cookie

[Ms_M]

My eyesite almost seems to be better. I had been wearing glasses since last August. My eye doc said my other med (Lamictal) was causing some blurriness. I have corneal erosions and they can cause blurriness as well. Anyway, since I have been going through w/d, I have needed my glasses less. I don't really have 20/20 vision, but it is as good as it was with my glasses. With this stuff - I think anything is possible anymore.