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Cymbalta Withdrawal


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Posted 15 July 2010 - 12:36 AM

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Posted 15 July 2010 - 12:36 AM

My breathlessness is finally gone (I'm so glad). I would have trouble trying to get up and down my stairs....I would get lightheaded and think for sure I was going to pass out. I thought at first it was because of my current issue of the extra weight this drug has caused me to gain....then realized I wasn't breathless when I was ON it....so yes, it is a withdrawal symptom. Thankfully, I believe today makes 3 weeks exactly since I have been off it, and the brain zaps seem to be gone, as is the desire to alternately scream or cry or throw things. I seem to be sort of....mellow- which is weird since I am under so much stressful frustration not knowing what might be going on with this job and if I do/don't have it. Right now, all I care about is that I am starting to feel better....the weight, the job....those things will fix themselves in time. B)
Pika



Dear Pika:
So glad to hear you are 3 weeks off med and brain zaps are gone. Please do not worry too much about work. The most important thing right now is your health!. Once you are 100% healthy and happy, the job will be fixed.
I have also experienced the breathlessness, really annoying. I am focusing so much on breathing in my yoga class.
It is so curious the desire you described "to alternately scream or cry or throw things". That is something I had when my major depression hit, 5 years ago. It´s good that you don´t have that mixed desire anymore.
keep us posted
hugs
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Posted 18 July 2010 - 07:47 PM

Hey Nicole:
I have EXACTLY the same question:
"Have you all changed to a different type of anti depressant or just figured out a different way to deal with problems?"
I am at 20mg right now. But I am so worried on what to do when I get down to zero. I have been told that due to my neurochemistry I would need antidepressants all my life. If I get off this med I wouldn´t want to go on another antidepressant. Actually cymbalta was good for my Depression, but after a while it lost effectiveness. I think all antidepressants have pros and cons. I know that I need to have a little support from some medicine, but I would like this med to be a natural alternative like homeopathy, acupuncture.

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Posted 18 July 2010 - 07:50 PM

I too have quit Cymbalta cold turkey. I have insurance but for some reason it has never paid more than a few dollars a month towards this script, so I have also been paying close to $135 month. My husband and I have our own business and cash flow has been very bad, the first thing to go was the high dollar expenses. I have felt fairily okay without it. Yes I have had moments of wanting to sit down and bawl or just scream at everyone but I also have been under a tremendous amount of stress.
I understand the weight gain, I have been struggling with my weight for the majority of my adult life (I am now 44). I have had pretty much no sex drive for the last few years. I was put on the Cymbalta about 7 or 8 years ago after being on Meridia for weight loss for over a year. I found thar the Meridia had stopped working for weight loss but instead seemed to control my mood swings instead. That is when the doctor started trying many different anti depressants.
I would probably have to say that going cold turkey hasn't been as bad as I have been led to believe that it should be, okay it hasn't been quite a week yet but still not too bad.

What has everyone else done once they have managed to get themselves weaned off this horrible drug? Have you all changed to a different type of anti depressant or just figured out a different way to deal with problems?

I appreciate any and all advise.



Hey Nicole:
I have EXACTLY the same question about what people do when they wean off cymbalta:
"Have you all changed to a different type of anti depressant or just figured out a different way to deal with problems?"

I am at 20mg right now. But I am so worried on what to do when I get down to zero. I have been told that due to my neurochemistry and Major Depression I would need antidepressants all my life. If I get off cymbalta I wouldn´t want to go on another antidepressant. I think all antidepressants have pros and cons. Actually cymbalta was good for my Depression, but after a while it lost effectiveness. If I were to stay at an antidepressant I would stay on cymbalta, the fact is that I want to be antidepressant free

I know that I need to have a little support from some medicine, but I would like this med to be a natural alternative like homeopathy, acupuncture or something else???

I am also very curious on what people do when they quit cymbalta? What alternatives do we have in traditional medicine or alternative therapies??

hugs
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Posted 27 July 2010 - 11:13 PM

Cookie,

I don't plan on ever going back on another anti-depressant again (for my fibro pain or actual depression). As crazy as this may sound, I have found 3 things that work really great for depression/anger.

The first is, if I feel like crying my eyes out, even if it makes no sense to me and it seems I have no reason...I DO IT. I have always suppressed this urge before as I am self conscious and don't like it when people see me cry, and if I am going to do it, it would be helpful to have a reason. But now, if I see a stupid commercial, and it makes me feel like just bawling my eyes out, I do. I go right to where my husband is, I tell him that I am very sad, that I have no clue why....I burst into tears, end up ranting about a million different things that frustrate me (which I probably hold in that MAKE me sad) and then when I am done....I kinda chuckle because I know what I just did was ridiculous, but I feel better. And that is what's important.

The second is: exercise. Did you know that anti-depressants mess with the natural chemical levels of your brain (hence how they work)? Well, the longer you are on one, the longer your body is not functioning for itself. When you do stop taking it, your chemical levels plummet because the drug is not there to keep them "amped up". It takes time for your body to figure out how to work again. One thing that helps though is exercise. Exercise releases Endorphins in your system, which give you a sense of peace and euphoria. I have noticed that certain focuses of yoga especially help me (the Sun Salutation, and Lotus Focus on the Wii Fit- just helps you focus your breathing and really relax yourself while focusing your energy.)
I just know I can't feel depressed when I am focusing all my attention on something else, I don't know about anyone else.

The third is: a punching bag. When depression turns inevitably to despair, rage and frustration, it helps to have a large freestanding punching bag. Take out all your aggressions on it. Cuss at it, pretend its your ex, or that job you didn't get, or the pounds you can't lose, and punch and kick it until you feel better. You are doing two things here- getting an outlet for your frustrations that's healthy, and again, generating Endorphins. By the time your done, you feel like a lot of stress and sadness is off of you.

Maybe its just that many of us think we are discussing our sadness/problems/issues and letting them out....but maybe we aren't letting them GO. If you were raised like I was, you pack everything inside like a pack rat and carry it with you, which is why I have been so miserable. With my mother, everything was all about HER...she was busy creating drama and tragedies so that she could forever be "the victim" and get lots of attention, so I know that she didn't have time to listen to anything I had to say. My dad had cancer and post traumatic stress syndrome from Vietnam, so I wasn't going to unload my issues on him....so I kept it all in. And that's where it started going wrong.

Let it out....without hurting yourself or anyone else....and you will feel better B) Just my 2 cents of what I have discovered in the last couple of weeks. Hope this helps you or someone else here.

Pika



Dear Pika:
My dream is to be completely off antidepressants. They usually work for a period of time for me but then its effectiveness is not the same and the side effects are annoying. I am not sure my brain will allow me to be totally off meds. But I´ll keep on trying.

In relation to the 3 things that help you with Depression here are my comments.
-CRYING. Wow, I had never thought about it!....It makes sense! If one cryes as much as we can and get off the chest the things that frustrate us, then we will feel better!. During these 5 years I´ve been on cymbalta I haven´t actually cried once!!! That must be so bad for me! I am suppressing to much emotions within me!.

-EXERCISE: I also do yoga, and I release ALL my anxiety there. Everytime I come out from yoga class I am happy and calm. At the end yoga is an ancient practice that balances energy within the body!.

-PUNCHING BAG. It is so curious that you mention it. 10 years ago I used to go to this psychiatrist who was very opened to meditation as a way to cure. She did different methods on those meditations. One was “Laugh therapy”, one would force the laughter at the beginning but then you wouldn´t stop laughing. It was great. The second was PUNCHING a pillow. She would tell us to think about someone that we hated, that did harm to us and to punch it and scream. It was a great release.

I can so relate with your phrase “If you were raised like I was, you pack everything inside like a pack rat and carry it with you, which is why I have been so miserable”. So yes, I´ll try the crying and the punching!!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!

Hugs
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#36 Debbie M.

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Posted 28 July 2010 - 12:29 AM

Cookie,

I don't plan on ever going back on another anti-depressant again (for my fibro pain or actual depression). As crazy as this may sound, I have found 3 things that work really great for depression/anger.

The first is, if I feel like crying my eyes out, even if it makes no sense to me and it seems I have no reason...I DO IT. I have always suppressed this urge before as I am self conscious and don't like it when people see me cry, and if I am going to do it, it would be helpful to have a reason. But now, if I see a stupid commercial, and it makes me feel like just bawling my eyes out, I do. I go right to where my husband is, I tell him that I am very sad, that I have no clue why....I burst into tears, end up ranting about a million different things that frustrate me (which I probably hold in that MAKE me sad) and then when I am done....I kinda chuckle because I know what I just did was ridiculous, but I feel better. And that is what's important.

The second is: exercise. Did you know that anti-depressants mess with the natural chemical levels of your brain (hence how they work)? Well, the longer you are on one, the longer your body is not functioning for itself. When you do stop taking it, your chemical levels plummet because the drug is not there to keep them "amped up". It takes time for your body to figure out how to work again. One thing that helps though is exercise. Exercise releases Endorphins in your system, which give you a sense of peace and euphoria. I have noticed that certain focuses of yoga especially help me (the Sun Salutation, and Lotus Focus on the Wii Fit- just helps you focus your breathing and really relax yourself while focusing your energy.)
I just know I can't feel depressed when I am focusing all my attention on something else, I don't know about anyone else.

The third is: a punching bag. When depression turns inevitably to despair, rage and frustration, it helps to have a large freestanding punching bag. Take out all your aggressions on it. Cuss at it, pretend its your ex, or that job you didn't get, or the pounds you can't lose, and punch and kick it until you feel better. You are doing two things here- getting an outlet for your frustrations that's healthy, and again, generating Endorphins. By the time your done, you feel like a lot of stress and sadness is off of you.

Maybe its just that many of us think we are discussing our sadness/problems/issues and letting them out....but maybe we aren't letting them GO. If you were raised like I was, you pack everything inside like a pack rat and carry it with you, which is why I have been so miserable. With my mother, everything was all about HER...she was busy creating drama and tragedies so that she could forever be "the victim" and get lots of attention, so I know that she didn't have time to listen to anything I had to say. My dad had cancer and post traumatic stress syndrome from Vietnam, so I wasn't going to unload my issues on him....so I kept it all in. And that's where it started going wrong.

Let it out....without hurting yourself or anyone else....and you will feel better B) Just my 2 cents of what I have discovered in the last couple of weeks. Hope this helps you or someone else here.

Pika


Thanks Pika for the advise on exercise and meditaion. I've never done much of it but I am going to start. I need to do it for support of myself as today will be my first day without Cymbalta! Yesterday was my last grain. Now today is the TEST day. I want to see if I will have anymore withdrawal or if I am scott free.
I have been walking now for several weeks but I think I need some sweating involved. I have limited mobility as I have no Anterior Cruciate Ligaments in my knees. So running is out of the question. I'll figure something out.
I can punch though!!!!


Thanks again and good faith!
Debbie M.

#37 Debbie M.

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Posted 29 July 2010 - 08:13 AM

Thanks Pika for the advise on exercise and meditaion. I've never done much of it but I am going to start. I need to do it for support of myself as today will be my first day without Cymbalta! Yesterday was my last grain. Now today is the TEST day. I want to see if I will have anymore withdrawal or if I am scott free.
I have been walking now for several weeks but I think I need some sweating involved. I have limited mobility as I have no Anterior Cruciate Ligaments in my knees. So running is out of the question. I'll figure something out.
I can push though!!!!


Thanks again and good faith!
Debbie M.





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