So I am trying to wean off of Cymbalta. I originally quit cold-turkey, which was HORRIBLE!! I had really bad Nystagmus in my right eye and I literally felt insane. I went back on the Cymbalta, but decided to only take 30mg/day. I then went to every other day, every second day, and now I am down to every 4th day. I feel extremely exhausted and irritable. By the 3rd and 4th day, I am usually very weepy and anxious. I fill my head with uncontrollable thoughts of family memebers dieing, or non-controllable world events. I am a new mother, and was being treated for Postpartum depression.
Is this all normal thoughts. Should I get back on my daily doses and taper off, or should I stick to my guns and deal with the problems? I am just so mentally clouded and I want to be there mentally for my son. He is almost a year old and I feel like I haven't been here for a whole year. I'm almost at my wits end...
Help Me Feel Normal
Started by tryingtobeagoodmama, Jul 25 2010 08:25 PM
8 replies to this topic
#2
candi07
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Posted 25 July 2010 - 11:04 PM
So I am trying to wean off of Cymbalta. I originally quit cold-turkey, which was HORRIBLE!! I had really bad Nystagmus in my right eye and I literally felt insane. I went back on the Cymbalta, but decided to only take 30mg/day. I then went to every other day, every second day, and now I am down to every 4th day. I feel extremely exhausted and irritable. By the 3rd and 4th day, I am usually very weepy and anxious. I fill my head with uncontrollable thoughts of family memebers dieing, or non-controllable world events. I am a new mother, and was being treated for Postpartum depression.
Is this all normal thoughts. Should I get back on my daily doses and taper off, or should I stick to my guns and deal with the problems? I am just so mentally clouded and I want to be there mentally for my son. He is almost a year old and I feel like I haven't been here for a whole year. I'm almost at my wits end...
Hi there, I am also new to this site:-) It's a great site read the forums it gives you alot of support and different strategies to wean yourself off this drug.
I myself have been on the 30mg for about two years now and was put on them after having my second child who is now two years old. My doctor thinks I was very depressed because I had my son and then 2 months later I was prego with my daughter so therefore my body could not recover from the first pregnancy! I don't know who to believe anymore..lol I am starting today to wean off, what i am doing is opening the capsules and taking out 5 grains or beads whatever you want to call them for a period of 5 days then taking out 10 beads the next 5 days and so on!
I plan to do this until I have no beads left in the capsule. I have done 6 zip lock bags for 30 days being 5 capsules in each and labeled them example days 1-5 (-5 beads) days 6-10 (-10 beads) etc.
I to myself tried to come off Cymbalta last year about 2 months prior to my wedding well that didn't work very well I was also having bad thoughts of my family like dieing etc... The worst thing was I almost called off my wedding. Not good at all I figured I was still very deppressed and had a chemical imbalance so my doctors have told me in the past. So I went right back on the cymbalta 30mg. Then I have now found this site and am deffinetly coming off of cymbalta now:-)
I have found alot of people counting all their beads in each capsule I can't be bothered with that I have a 2 and a three year old here at home and just don't have the time. So when your hubby or boyfriend is home get him to take your son for abit or even do it while he is napping or going to bed at night and just start the process how ever you prefer. I take a paper towel and wet it also fold it up abit then take a capsule open it and with a knife (I use a small steak knife) dab it on the paper towel to get it abit wet so the beads will stick to it and count them as you take them out then put them on the paper towel. It is very time consuming and you just need to be patient you will get better as you go! Or you can do it another way. It's for the best you will become dependant on them if you don't get off!
My mother has been on anti deppresants for half her life and now she has post dramatic stress from these type of drugs.
I wish you all the best and hope your weaning process is okay with no major withdrawals.
Candice
#3
tryingtobeagoodmama
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Posted 25 July 2010 - 11:32 PM
Thank you so much Candice. It's nice to know you are not alone on here. I have a very good support system, but I feel like they don't understand because they have never been on Cymbalta, or have ever dealt with PPD. I need to know how people who have taken Cymbalta deal with the withdrawals.
#4
cookie
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Posted 26 July 2010 - 12:17 AM
Hello:
In cymbalta´s insert found in the package it says not to stop cold turkey.
You say that you decided to go back to cymbalta and to take only 30mg. At which dose were you when you quit???
Women tend to have depression because hormonal changes due to pregnancy.
You ask if the uncontrollable thoughts of family members dieing or world events are "normal" thoughts???
Who determines what is normal and what is not??? I just now most people do not have these thoughts, does that make them normal and make us abnormal????.... I don´t know.....
Since you want to be there for your son, I would suggest you go back to your initial dose and start weaning from there. I´ve read on this site that the every other day approach doesn´t work. That it is better to take a certain dose of cymbalta everyday. On this site you will find many threats/posts explaining how to diminish dose slowly.
hugs
Cookie
In cymbalta´s insert found in the package it says not to stop cold turkey.
You say that you decided to go back to cymbalta and to take only 30mg. At which dose were you when you quit???
Women tend to have depression because hormonal changes due to pregnancy.
You ask if the uncontrollable thoughts of family members dieing or world events are "normal" thoughts???
Who determines what is normal and what is not??? I just now most people do not have these thoughts, does that make them normal and make us abnormal????.... I don´t know.....
Since you want to be there for your son, I would suggest you go back to your initial dose and start weaning from there. I´ve read on this site that the every other day approach doesn´t work. That it is better to take a certain dose of cymbalta everyday. On this site you will find many threats/posts explaining how to diminish dose slowly.
hugs
Cookie
#5
tryingtobeagoodmama
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Posted 27 July 2010 - 09:37 PM
Let me explain my story from the beginning...
I had my son via emergency c-section on August 14th, 2009. I was in labor for 21 hours. After the c-section, he was immediately taken from me because he was having a difficult time breathing on his own. He was kept on oxygen for a whole day. I had high expectation of this wonderful delivery. Seeing my son for the first time, I thought it would be an instant bond. Maybe because I didn't have him with me right away, I didn't feel that bond. I was heavily medicated on Vicodin because I am allergic to Percocet. By the time I went home, I was having horrible nightmares. When I did get home, after 4 days, I couldn't eat, drink, or sleep for a good 3 days. I was also having a difficult time nursing. I didn't produce enough milk, which led to me having to supplament.
I was having issues with growing older. I was thinking about losing my mother. My mother is 64 years old and works full time. I would constantly feel anxious thinking about losing her. Not knowing how I would deal when the time came. I felt numb towards my son. Had it not been for nursing, I probably wouldn't want to do anything for him.
After 6 weeks, I got the birthcontrol Mirena. I've always had emotional and weight issues on different birth control. I expressed these concerns to my OBGYN and my family doctor, both said that it was unlikely because very little hormones go into the blood stream.
My MIL works for my family doctor. I think she told him about my depression issues, so when I went in for a routine exam he recommended getting on an anti-depressant. I hesitated initially because I did not want to be medicated. After consulting with my boyfriend, he agreed that I should take them to feel better. I was initially prescribed 30mg/day. I still didn't feel well and was feeling some side effects, so my doc moved me up to 60mg/day. I still felt depressed and anxious, so my doc bumped it up to 60mg twice daily.
In January, 2010 I had a bad episode of wanting to commit suicide. I kissed my son good bye and drove to work. I cried to whole way there and when I got to work I was literally hysterical. My best friend called my boyfriend to pick me up from work. I had to be taken to the emergency room and was later pink-slipped. Upon trying to find a psychiatric facility to take me, it was found that my potassium was 2.7! The normal is 3.5. Because of this, no psychiatric facility would take me. With the potassium I recieved in the hospital, I instantly felt better. The psychiatrist I saw the next day then lowered my dose to 60mg in the am, and 30mg at night. For my follow up appointment, I told my doc that I wanted to start to wean from the meds. I eventually got down to 30mg daily.
I still felt a little anxious and depressed, so I had the birth control removed. I feel better, but now that I am withdrawling, I feel bad again. I am still not sure if the birth control, or the med enhanced my negative feelings.
Oh, prior to getting pregnant, I weighed 175. I gained 2 pounds during my whole pregnancy. I weighed 145 at my first doc appointment after having my son. It is July and I now weigh 180!!!!!!!!! That also adds to my depression.
I am just sick of this constant feeling of dread. Why do I have to think about my mother dying all the time?
I had my son via emergency c-section on August 14th, 2009. I was in labor for 21 hours. After the c-section, he was immediately taken from me because he was having a difficult time breathing on his own. He was kept on oxygen for a whole day. I had high expectation of this wonderful delivery. Seeing my son for the first time, I thought it would be an instant bond. Maybe because I didn't have him with me right away, I didn't feel that bond. I was heavily medicated on Vicodin because I am allergic to Percocet. By the time I went home, I was having horrible nightmares. When I did get home, after 4 days, I couldn't eat, drink, or sleep for a good 3 days. I was also having a difficult time nursing. I didn't produce enough milk, which led to me having to supplament.
I was having issues with growing older. I was thinking about losing my mother. My mother is 64 years old and works full time. I would constantly feel anxious thinking about losing her. Not knowing how I would deal when the time came. I felt numb towards my son. Had it not been for nursing, I probably wouldn't want to do anything for him.
After 6 weeks, I got the birthcontrol Mirena. I've always had emotional and weight issues on different birth control. I expressed these concerns to my OBGYN and my family doctor, both said that it was unlikely because very little hormones go into the blood stream.
My MIL works for my family doctor. I think she told him about my depression issues, so when I went in for a routine exam he recommended getting on an anti-depressant. I hesitated initially because I did not want to be medicated. After consulting with my boyfriend, he agreed that I should take them to feel better. I was initially prescribed 30mg/day. I still didn't feel well and was feeling some side effects, so my doc moved me up to 60mg/day. I still felt depressed and anxious, so my doc bumped it up to 60mg twice daily.
In January, 2010 I had a bad episode of wanting to commit suicide. I kissed my son good bye and drove to work. I cried to whole way there and when I got to work I was literally hysterical. My best friend called my boyfriend to pick me up from work. I had to be taken to the emergency room and was later pink-slipped. Upon trying to find a psychiatric facility to take me, it was found that my potassium was 2.7! The normal is 3.5. Because of this, no psychiatric facility would take me. With the potassium I recieved in the hospital, I instantly felt better. The psychiatrist I saw the next day then lowered my dose to 60mg in the am, and 30mg at night. For my follow up appointment, I told my doc that I wanted to start to wean from the meds. I eventually got down to 30mg daily.
I still felt a little anxious and depressed, so I had the birth control removed. I feel better, but now that I am withdrawling, I feel bad again. I am still not sure if the birth control, or the med enhanced my negative feelings.
Oh, prior to getting pregnant, I weighed 175. I gained 2 pounds during my whole pregnancy. I weighed 145 at my first doc appointment after having my son. It is July and I now weigh 180!!!!!!!!! That also adds to my depression.
I am just sick of this constant feeling of dread. Why do I have to think about my mother dying all the time?
#6
cookie
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Posted 27 July 2010 - 11:40 PM
Dear Tryingtobeagoodmama:
Thank you for sharing your story.
It´s amazing how sometimes I read stories of other people on this site, and feel that they are writing exactly how I feel. I am also anxious about losing my mother. And very scared of not knowing how I would deal when the time comes. Most of these thoughts and feelings come from our chilhood, the events of our past, the way we were raised. I do not have children, and that is another thing that scares me. If it is hard for me to take care of myself, how can I take care of another person?. If you want to quit antidepressants it would be helpful to do some talk therapy to get to the root of these fears and then be able to overcome them.
One day my psychiatrist told me that there are some depressed people that want to commit suicide, but do not have the energy to do it. And that is the reason why antidepressants sometimes are dangerous, because if you haven´t solved these suicide thoughts, antidepressants give you the energy to commit suicide. A dose of 60mg twice daily is a total of 120mg. Sounds like a high dose. I took 90mg of cymbalta for a period, and it made me manic (something I had never experienced in my life). The first night that I took 90mg I woke up at 3:00 at night wanting to drive to buy a pack of cigarrettes.
I had low potassium once, it is a horrible experience.
I also gained too much weight (52lbs), that also made me real depressed.
I think you went through too many hormonal changes, pregnancy, delivery, birthcontrol pills, antidepressants etc. I think the body is a perfect system, it should go back to its balance.
Hugs
Cookie
Thank you for sharing your story.
It´s amazing how sometimes I read stories of other people on this site, and feel that they are writing exactly how I feel. I am also anxious about losing my mother. And very scared of not knowing how I would deal when the time comes. Most of these thoughts and feelings come from our chilhood, the events of our past, the way we were raised. I do not have children, and that is another thing that scares me. If it is hard for me to take care of myself, how can I take care of another person?. If you want to quit antidepressants it would be helpful to do some talk therapy to get to the root of these fears and then be able to overcome them.
One day my psychiatrist told me that there are some depressed people that want to commit suicide, but do not have the energy to do it. And that is the reason why antidepressants sometimes are dangerous, because if you haven´t solved these suicide thoughts, antidepressants give you the energy to commit suicide. A dose of 60mg twice daily is a total of 120mg. Sounds like a high dose. I took 90mg of cymbalta for a period, and it made me manic (something I had never experienced in my life). The first night that I took 90mg I woke up at 3:00 at night wanting to drive to buy a pack of cigarrettes.
I had low potassium once, it is a horrible experience.
I also gained too much weight (52lbs), that also made me real depressed.
I think you went through too many hormonal changes, pregnancy, delivery, birthcontrol pills, antidepressants etc. I think the body is a perfect system, it should go back to its balance.
Hugs
Cookie
#7
Kristen
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Posted 28 July 2010 - 12:00 PM
Dear Tryingtobeagoodmama:
I TOTALLY understand your birthing experience and let down. I went into labor at 24 weeks. I was hospitalized and on heavy drugs trying to stop labor. I was in a labor and delivery room for 6 weeks and when I became toxic on the meds they induced labor. I had my son at 30 weeks and 3 days, they goal was 30 weeks, he was wisked off to NICU and I crashed and had to be ressesitated. From being in bed for 6 weeks, I had no muscles and it was the 3rd day after delivery that I went in to see my son who was hooked up to all kinds of bells and whistles.
Oh, I forgot to mention that we lived 3 hours away from the hospital that had a NICU unit. So my husband culd only come and visit every third day because of drive time and work.
Anyway, I couldn't touch my son in the NICU, we had to scrub down just to go in and visit and then he was hooked up to so many things that we couldn't have him move or the alarm wuld go off and wow, didn't want that to happen by accident.
So, it was about 2 weeks before I could hold him. I was pumping milk so when he was off the tubes he could have some. I was discharged 5 days after giving birth and got to go home (3 hours away) without my baby. Not a good thing. We were graced to have some friends in the same city as the hospital, so they allowed me to stay at their house so I could see my son everyday. Finally, aftr 6 weeks, and weighing a whopping 5 pounds, he was discharged. Now, I don't know if going home without him was more tramatic that going home with him and knowing that if anything happened, the hospital was 3 hours away.
Things worked out ok but it was difficult. We had to be secluded, no visitors, becuase we couldn't have him catch anything. Tht was really hard. He was being fed every 3 hours and that was through the night. I was also having to pump so I got abut no sleep. He was also on a heart monitor that would go off everytine he stretched and so forth. He was also on 8 meds that were all at different times and doses. Oh my gosh. I was severly overwhelmed, unable to have any help and just scared to death that something was going to happen.
I went back on antidepressants because I was depressed - Imagine that! They helped some, but I was still tired, overwhelmed and unable to have help, so did they really help????
We all survived and now I have a totally healthy 11 year old. Thank God !
To be honest with you, I think learning how to cope is more important than taking meds. The meds mask the problem. If you can fix the problem, or learn how to roll with the problem, then you have no need for the meds. There are things in life that just plain suck sometimes, but looking back on my life with antidepressants I think that I could have goten through most of it with some support, real support, and the understanding that this too shall pass. I know that those may sound just like words, but when you are in the middle of a crisis you forget about all the other things that you have made it through and how strong you can truly be.
Anyway, that is my book for now, I hope that it will shed some light in my experience and that you are truly "not alone" in this battle.
Keep us posted on your progress and please post back to me if I can be of any help.
Kristen
I TOTALLY understand your birthing experience and let down. I went into labor at 24 weeks. I was hospitalized and on heavy drugs trying to stop labor. I was in a labor and delivery room for 6 weeks and when I became toxic on the meds they induced labor. I had my son at 30 weeks and 3 days, they goal was 30 weeks, he was wisked off to NICU and I crashed and had to be ressesitated. From being in bed for 6 weeks, I had no muscles and it was the 3rd day after delivery that I went in to see my son who was hooked up to all kinds of bells and whistles.
Oh, I forgot to mention that we lived 3 hours away from the hospital that had a NICU unit. So my husband culd only come and visit every third day because of drive time and work.
Anyway, I couldn't touch my son in the NICU, we had to scrub down just to go in and visit and then he was hooked up to so many things that we couldn't have him move or the alarm wuld go off and wow, didn't want that to happen by accident.
So, it was about 2 weeks before I could hold him. I was pumping milk so when he was off the tubes he could have some. I was discharged 5 days after giving birth and got to go home (3 hours away) without my baby. Not a good thing. We were graced to have some friends in the same city as the hospital, so they allowed me to stay at their house so I could see my son everyday. Finally, aftr 6 weeks, and weighing a whopping 5 pounds, he was discharged. Now, I don't know if going home without him was more tramatic that going home with him and knowing that if anything happened, the hospital was 3 hours away.
Things worked out ok but it was difficult. We had to be secluded, no visitors, becuase we couldn't have him catch anything. Tht was really hard. He was being fed every 3 hours and that was through the night. I was also having to pump so I got abut no sleep. He was also on a heart monitor that would go off everytine he stretched and so forth. He was also on 8 meds that were all at different times and doses. Oh my gosh. I was severly overwhelmed, unable to have any help and just scared to death that something was going to happen.
I went back on antidepressants because I was depressed - Imagine that! They helped some, but I was still tired, overwhelmed and unable to have help, so did they really help????
We all survived and now I have a totally healthy 11 year old. Thank God !
To be honest with you, I think learning how to cope is more important than taking meds. The meds mask the problem. If you can fix the problem, or learn how to roll with the problem, then you have no need for the meds. There are things in life that just plain suck sometimes, but looking back on my life with antidepressants I think that I could have goten through most of it with some support, real support, and the understanding that this too shall pass. I know that those may sound just like words, but when you are in the middle of a crisis you forget about all the other things that you have made it through and how strong you can truly be.
Anyway, that is my book for now, I hope that it will shed some light in my experience and that you are truly "not alone" in this battle.
Keep us posted on your progress and please post back to me if I can be of any help.
Kristen
#8
tryingtobeagoodmama
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Posted 02 August 2010 - 08:17 PM
Cookie, Kristen...
Thank you so much for sharing your stories.
Two nights ago I awoke vomitting and whatnot. I had a fever of 102.5 and was dealing with depressed feelings and anxiety. Today I no longer have the fever, but I am still feeling depressed. I went back up to taking my cymbalta every 3rd day and weaning off of the meds the way everyone on here suggests.
I'm just so overwhelmed with these emotions. I don't even know who I was before I had my son. I try to think of happy thoughts, but I don't have any. I'm just so numb.
I don't know if my potassium is low again.
I think tomorrow I will call my doctor and get a referral to a counselor.
Thank you so much for sharing your stories.
Two nights ago I awoke vomitting and whatnot. I had a fever of 102.5 and was dealing with depressed feelings and anxiety. Today I no longer have the fever, but I am still feeling depressed. I went back up to taking my cymbalta every 3rd day and weaning off of the meds the way everyone on here suggests.
I'm just so overwhelmed with these emotions. I don't even know who I was before I had my son. I try to think of happy thoughts, but I don't have any. I'm just so numb.
I don't know if my potassium is low again.
I think tomorrow I will call my doctor and get a referral to a counselor.
#9
cookie
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Posted 02 August 2010 - 11:57 PM
Cookie, Kristen...
Thank you so much for sharing your stories.
Two nights ago I awoke vomitting and whatnot. I had a fever of 102.5 and was dealing with depressed feelings and anxiety. Today I no longer have the fever, but I am still feeling depressed. I went back up to taking my cymbalta every 3rd day and weaning off of the meds the way everyone on here suggests.
I'm just so overwhelmed with these emotions. I don't even know who I was before I had my son. I try to think of happy thoughts, but I don't have any. I'm just so numb.
I don't know if my potassium is low again.
I think tomorrow I will call my doctor and get a referral to a counselor.
Keep us posted on how you feel!
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