8 replies to this topic

[Inertia]

Hi,

I started a thread three days ago concerning my experience with a five day temporary withdrawal from Cymbalta and asking for input on whether I should stay on it. Thank you for the response I received. Now I feel the need to start a new discussion. My apologies about that and because part of this may be slightly off topic.

My short withdrawal from Cymbalta was difficult and part of the experience was the dizziness and weird eye sensations, etc, which DID go away when I started taking it again. I had my dose of Cymbalta late on Tuesday and Wednesday and a half dose Thursday. I've been taking Lamictal 200mg/day and Cymbalta 60mg/day and didn't take anything for Friday (today). When I saw the nurse Tuesday, as I stated in my first post, she advised me to take a pregnancy test, and I did that today. The result was an unmistakable positive (even though I will of course retest, follow up, etc.).

When I called the clinic they told me to stop the meds immediately, which is what I already wanted to do and am now resolved to do. I am also a smoker and need to quit that ASAP. (I wouldn't have been on meds or smoking if I was planning or seriously expecting this.) That means I will be in withdrawal from three different things at once. I don't know how I'm going to get through it. They are going to call and schedule me an appointment with the psych on Tuesday.

I tried to ask a question on WebMD, but of course no response yet. It's really difficult to get any answer there. I have so many very important questions and don't even know when I will ever be able to get in with a real doctor. not soon enough, I'm sure. I don't even know how many weeks I am.

I haven't told anyone yet. I still live with my parents and won't be telling them for a while. They are constantly stressing me out and berating me and I can hardly get a moment's privacy or peace. And after finding this out and not having my meds today I've already had an "about to fly off the handle" experience. I do not believe I am at risk for suicide or hurting myself, and have lived through years off my meds before. However, how am I supposed to cope with this and how do you advise I get through the withdrawal of three different substances, one of which is Cymbalta? I am so scared and worry that just this level of stress alone, together with the withdrawal, is going to be seriously detrimental, or worse, to the baby. We just got in a fight over something and I got very very upset and am trying to calm down. There are a whole lot of factors at play and a lot of things going on here and I don't imagine I can stay long in this environment under these circumstances.

I guess I just needed a place to vent this. I will try to find somebody to talk to tomorrow. Any advice or direction... or anything at all is appreciated.

Thanks.

P.S. How much should I worry about any consequences of having taken the Cymbalta this far in? Only a few weeks or so, I think.

[Ms_M]

First, all the best to your with your pregnancy. I pray all goes well for you! I wouldn't venture a guess on what taking it could/would do. Getting seen by a professional, IMO, is the best thing to do. Besides seeing a psych I would want to see an OB-GYN ASAP, too.

I don't know which of the over the counter remedies that folks here recommend could be used during a pregnancy - maybe someone else could chime in. Hopefully your symptoms won't be too bad.

Will be sending prayers and positive thoughts your way!

[MaureenV]

Hi,

I started a thread three days ago concerning my experience with a five day temporary withdrawal from Cymbalta and asking for input on whether I should stay on it. Thank you for the response I received. Now I feel the need to start a new discussion. My apologies about that and because part of this may be slightly off topic.

My short withdrawal from Cymbalta was difficult and part of the experience was the dizziness and weird eye sensations, etc, which DID go away when I started taking it again. I had my dose of Cymbalta late on Tuesday and Wednesday and a half dose Thursday. I've been taking Lamictal 200mg/day and Cymbalta 60mg/day and didn't take anything for Friday (today). When I saw the nurse Tuesday, as I stated in my first post, she advised me to take a pregnancy test, and I did that today. The result was an unmistakable positive (even though I will of course retest, follow up, etc.).

When I called the clinic they told me to stop the meds immediately, which is what I already wanted to do and am now resolved to do. I am also a smoker and need to quit that ASAP. (I wouldn't have been on meds or smoking if I was planning or seriously expecting this.) That means I will be in withdrawal from three different things at once. I don't know how I'm going to get through it. They are going to call and schedule me an appointment with the psych on Tuesday.

I tried to ask a question on WebMD, but of course no response yet. It's really difficult to get any answer there. I have so many very important questions and don't even know when I will ever be able to get in with a real doctor. not soon enough, I'm sure. I don't even know how many weeks I am.

I haven't told anyone yet. I still live with my parents and won't be telling them for a while. They are constantly stressing me out and berating me and I can hardly get a moment's privacy or peace. And after finding this out and not having my meds today I've already had an "about to fly off the handle" experience. I do not believe I am at risk for suicide or hurting myself, and have lived through years off my meds before. However, how am I supposed to cope with this and how do you advise I get through the withdrawal of three different substances, one of which is Cymbalta? I am so scared and worry that just this level of stress alone, together with the withdrawal, is going to be seriously detrimental, or worse, to the baby. We just got in a fight over something and I got very very upset and am trying to calm down. There are a whole lot of factors at play and a lot of things going on here and I don't imagine I can stay long in this environment under these circumstances.

I guess I just needed a place to vent this. I will try to find somebody to talk to tomorrow. Any advice or direction... or anything at all is appreciated.

Thanks.

P.S. How much should I worry about any consequences of having taken the Cymbalta this far in? Only a few weeks or so, I think.

Oh noes. You poor sausage, what a lot to have to deal with on so many fronts.

((((((big hug)))))


This may not help much, but when I was first pregnant (planned) I was on what were called Category D drugs (known to definitely cause irreversible damage to a foetus). I wasn't moved from them (to more old fashioned drugs)until the pregnancy was confirmed (which was done asap though) because the theory was that until the baby well and truly forms an attachment to your blood stream via a working placenta, they're absorbing stuff through your tissues, rather than straight from your bloodstream, which makes a big difference, apparently.


Cymbalta is a category C, so firstly, it is NOT category D. If you google 'Cymbalta' and 'Category C' and 'pregnancy' I think you'll be reassured. From my brief reading this morning it's more important to be off Cymbalta in the third trimester. With drugs and pregnancy they very much fit into different categories: some are a big no-no in the first three months, some are a big no-no in the last three months and in both cases o.k. the rest of the time, so it's not such a clear cut area.

This is my drugs book's description of Category C:
Drugs which, owing to their pharmacological effects, have caused or may be suspected of causing harmful effects on the human foetus or neonate(newborn), WITHOUT causing malformations. These effects may be (and usually are) reversible.


Hope that's reassuring.

kind regards, Maureen.

[cookie]

Dear Inertia:
Yes, I remember your post. Do not apologize on starting a new post. Write as many posts as you want.

I´ll tell you my story to see if it helps you. I have been taken cymbalta 60mg for 5 years for major depression. On that same period I was a very heavy chain smoker (smoked 1 and a half packs of cigarrettes a day). I started reading this site and became very health consciouss. One day I decided to wean off cymbalta and quit smoking. To tell you the truth, the best way to quit smoking is cold turkey, because in my case if I light just one cigarrette I end up smoking the whole pack. Right now I am down to 20mg of cymbalta and zero cigarrettes. Cymbalta withdrawal has been hard some days (you can see my post on my symptoms). In relation to smoking, I do not think about cigarrettes during the week. And actually I am beginning to think that addiction to cigarrettes is psychological not chemical. I do not know about Lamictal.

I will tell you what helped me with withdrawing from these two substances: EXERCISE!!!! (yoga and walking on treadmill). Also very healthy nutrition, vitamins, minerals

I do not think that “the level of stress alone, and withdrawal” will harm the baby, as much as the harm that cigarrettes would have caused.

There is a thing that will add to the list of symptoms and is pregnancy itself. (ex: nausea the first months), and then hormonal changes after having the baby.

It is important that you find someone to talk to in this period. We will be here also, if you want to vent your problems.

Hugs
Cookie

[krisann]

Maureen is correct. IMHO you shouldn't try to withdraw from all 3 things at once. It will be very hard. I smoked thru my first 3 pregnancies, mostly because I was addicted and didn't have the information I do know. When I found out I was pregnant the last time I developed a plan to wean off in 2 months. The most important thing is to figure out what your smoking triggers are. For me: driving, watching tv, talking on the phone, and after meals. So I ate licorice while driving, only smoked in the basement (where there was no tv) didn't talk on the phone for a while, and brushed my teeth after every meal (cigs taste nasty combined with toothpaste) I also switched to menthol, then switched to the cheapest, crappiest cigs I could find. When I got down to two cigs a day I quit cold turkey (about a month and a half) Then, I reminded myself that "the urge to smoke was gonna pass whether I had a cigarette or not, so I might as well not". Some days I would tell myself that every 5 minutes. Eventually, I was telling myself that less often. I am 9 years smoke free. I have not had even one cigarette. Why? Well, because if I have one, I'll want two. And if I have two, I'll have three. And then I will be a smoker again.

Just like in the tortise and the hare: slow and steady wins the race

KrisAnn

[MaureenV]

Maureen is correct. IMHO you shouldn't try to withdraw from all 3 things at once. It will be very hard. I smoked thru my first 3 pregnancies, mostly because I was addicted and didn't have the information I do know. When I found out I was pregnant the last time I developed a plan to wean off in 2 months. The most important thing is to figure out what your smoking triggers are. For me: driving, watching tv, talking on the phone, and after meals. So I ate licorice while driving, only smoked in the basement (where there was no tv) didn't talk on the phone for a while, and brushed my teeth after every meal (cigs taste nasty combined with toothpaste) I also switched to menthol, then switched to the cheapest, crappiest cigs I could find. When I got down to two cigs a day I quit cold turkey (about a month and a half) Then, I reminded myself that "the urge to smoke was gonna pass whether I had a cigarette or not, so I might as well not". Some days I would tell myself that every 5 minutes. Eventually, I was telling myself that less often. I am 9 years smoke free. I have not had even one cigarette. Why? Well, because if I have one, I'll want two. And if I have two, I'll have three. And then I will be a smoker again.

Just like in the tortise and the hare: slow and steady wins the race

KrisAnn

Some great ideas there for giving up the fags. It took me three attempts. We all have our little tricks to help us, and I certainly needed a few. It's been 23 years for me now.

cheers, maureen.

[Inertia]

Thank you all for your response. Yes, those are some good tips for quitting smoking. I am also inclined to agree that cigarette addiction is largely psychological and totally get that if I have one I am just going to keep on smoking them. Thankfully, even though I think about it sometimes, I haven't had one in almost 10 days and smoking is kind of one of the least of my problems right now.

Somehow I was doing pretty well with all this for a while. Now I am starting to fall apart. The constant nausea has persisted these ten days since stopping Cymbalta and it is just too much and I think it is definitely from that and not from being pregnant. I have the hardest time eating and almost always have to make myself. Or at least I do after the first few bites. I have not thrown up once, but constantly wish I would just to make the feeling go away. It's so miserable and I'm not able to eat enough. I just try to get my stupid vitamin every day. And there is the same dizzy lightheadedness as before. With those two things alone I have missed days of work. And it doesn't show any sign of abating.

My ob and psych appointments aren't until the end of the month. I don't really feel like I want to get back on any meds at all. At least not during the pregnancy. But I'm so miserable at this point that tonight instead of working I just lay there in bed for hours with my alarm going off every five minutes just wishing I could die. I think I have to resign tomorrow, since it's just a very temporary position anyway. But I liked the job and needed the money and I really hate that. I am broke.

Yeah, I'm really starting to feel like hell and need to get help, if such a thing existed.

[krisann]

My first pregnancy I only gained 13 pounds because I was so sick I could barely eat. Thru all my pregnancies I have found the best way to deal with the nausea is to eat when you can, no matter what time it is. Even if its for only one hour a day. Also, eat food you don't mind throwing up. Like ritz crackers, toast, applesauce, tea, seven up, etc..

Also, some people have a very hard time with iron supplements as they can increase nausea. My doctor gave me a multi vitamin with no iron in it and it helped a lot. It also had added B vitamin, I don't remember which one, think it was B 12 which is supposed to help with nausea.

If the nausea doesn't get better, do talk to your Dr. Make sure you stay hydrated.

My nausea has been horrible at times, very similar to morning sickness. I don't know if yours is from cymbalta or pregnancy. Keep us posted and let us know how your doing please

KrisAnn

[Debbie M.]

Hi,

I started a thread three days ago concerning my experience with a five day temporary withdrawal from Cymbalta and asking for input on whether I should stay on it. Thank you for the response I received. Now I feel the need to start a new discussion. My apologies about that and because part of this may be slightly off topic.

My short withdrawal from Cymbalta was difficult and part of the experience was the dizziness and weird eye sensations, etc, which DID go away when I started taking it again. I had my dose of Cymbalta late on Tuesday and Wednesday and a half dose Thursday. I've been taking Lamictal 200mg/day and Cymbalta 60mg/day and didn't take anything for Friday (today). When I saw the nurse Tuesday, as I stated in my first post, she advised me to take a pregnancy test, and I did that today. The result was an unmistakable positive (even though I will of course retest, follow up, etc.).

When I called the clinic they told me to stop the meds immediately, which is what I already wanted to do and am now resolved to do. I am also a smoker and need to quit that ASAP. (I wouldn't have been on meds or smoking if I was planning or seriously expecting this.) That means I will be in withdrawal from three different things at once. I don't know how I'm going to get through it. They are going to call and schedule me an appointment with the psych on Tuesday.

I tried to ask a question on WebMD, but of course no response yet. It's really difficult to get any answer there. I have so many very important questions and don't even know when I will ever be able to get in with a real doctor. not soon enough, I'm sure. I don't even know how many weeks I am.

I haven't told anyone yet. I still live with my parents and won't be telling them for a while. They are constantly stressing me out and berating me and I can hardly get a moment's privacy or peace. And after finding this out and not having my meds today I've already had an "about to fly off the handle" experience. I do not believe I am at risk for suicide or hurting myself, and have lived through years off my meds before. However, how am I supposed to cope with this and how do you advise I get through the withdrawal of three different substances, one of which is Cymbalta? I am so scared and worry that just this level of stress alone, together with the withdrawal, is going to be seriously detrimental, or worse, to the baby. We just got in a fight over something and I got very very upset and am trying to calm down. There are a whole lot of factors at play and a lot of things going on here and I don't imagine I can stay long in this environment under these circumstances.

I guess I just needed a place to vent this. I will try to find somebody to talk to tomorrow. Any advice or direction... or anything at all is appreciated.

Thanks.

P.S. How much should I worry about any consequences of having taken the Cymbalta this far in? Only a few weeks or so, I think.

When I became anemic I was told to take an iron supplement. I was worried about constipation. I was told by someone else that taking magnesium would counteract the constipation effects of the iron. IT DOES. Try it! It works. Congratulations on this new little life.

Deb