7 replies to this topic

[Carla]

Hello all,

I cannot tell you how I felt upon finding this forum. With all the symptoms I have been experiencing, I started to believe I was crazy or that I had a dire disease. I am a retired elementary teacher and even worked for a pharmaceutical company on the side. My main regret is not doing research on this drug when my back surgeon suggested it.

I have taken Zoloft for about 20 years. It is not my "happy" pill but my "normal" pill. In 2005 I had four vertebrae fused together and that took nearly a year before I could return to teaching. I still remain on two Hydrocodone a day. I am 56 and have disc degenerative disease where your discs dry up....they do not know the cause. In 2007, my back surgeon in Dallas told me he had bad news. All of the vertebrae in my lower back now are bone to bone...which means my discs are gone. My back pain is unbelievable. Since it is the last four discs in my lower back...they cannot fuse as they put metal rods and screws in and I would not be able to bend. Long story short...I retired from teaching after 30 years at age 54. The doctors tried me on Lyrica to help with the nerve pain. All it did was cause me to swell all over. Then my surgeon and internist suggested Cymbalta. They both said it is the miracle drug for many. I trusted them blindly and went on it May 10th.

The ONLY immediate symptom I had was the first day I feel asleep in my chair waking up to not recognizing where I was...which should have been a red flag to me right there. I am on 60 mg. Since taking it, I have had the "brain zaps" people talk about on this board. It did NOT help my back pain and only caused me to gain 15 pounds since May mostly in the stomach area. I am a petite woman, so this much weight made my back worse. I tried to diet and exercise, but I can not lose one pound. I went to my doctors and asked to get off this drug. It wasn't helping my intense nerve pain.

My internist is now taking me off of it with taking 30 mg a day for a week which I finished yesterday. Then she is having me skip a day with the 30 mg for a week and be done with it. She told me I might experience some pain withdrawal and stomach symptoms. At the same time, she put me back on my old 100 mg Zoloft. At first, I started itching all over my body. Then the pain in every part of my body started and hasn't let up for a minute. I cannot think straight and have to take Immodium for my bowels. My stomach and colon hurt so much that I have been in tears. They feel like they are drawn up in a tight ball. I told my hubby man I think this is worse than labor with my two children. Fortunately, he is an understanding man, but he is very old fashioned. He thinks I will be fine in a day or so.

The Zoloft is helping as I am not depressed....just hurting and not sleeping. I am thankful I am retired now. I do not know what I would have done if I had to teach right now. We all need to somehow get the word out how AWFUL this drug is for the consumer. If I had known what I am going through right now would happen, I never would have put one pill in my mouth. I called my internist yesterday for help, but she is out of town. She will be back today and they said she will call me.

Cymbalta was not the miracle drug for me. It is a living nightmare.

Thank you for reading this long epistle. It helps to write it down for some reason. Thank you for all of your personal posts. They make me believe I can succeed.

Hugs from Texas,
Texasnana

[Lisa C]

Hi All,

I have just joined having read the many posts about stopping w Cymbalta. Funny how the Cymbalta commercial with the soothing clarinet (sorry I'm a prof musician and I notice these things!), doesn't forwarn us about the hell of quitting this drug...................
I am on day 16 and the brain zaps are still with me although they are not as strong as the first week.
My first week was HELL on earth. I found myself so hyper that I drove while racing another person who had a car like mine, going 100 miles an hour! WHAT? I also had a crying spell over something that wasn't even important. I didn't even cry when my mom died in 2006 after a long bout with Altheimers................
When do these pains in the joints go away, and when do I get to lose any weight? I too gained about 30 lbs on this drug and have been to the gym regularly for all the time I've been on it and even got a trainer. He must think I am binge eating or something. I feel fatter every time I go, so frustrating.
I just hope this all gets better, 'cause I feel that I may have to go back on this hellish drug so I can get out of bed with out being in such pain, and feel so angry, etc.
Sorry for ranting.....................Lisa in the OC.

[maddie]

Hi All,

I have just joined having read the many posts about stopping w Cymbalta. Funny how the Cymbalta commercial with the soothing clarinet (sorry I'm a prof musician and I notice these things!), doesn't forwarn us about the hell of quitting this drug...................
I am on day 16 and the brain zaps are still with me although they are not as strong as the first week.
My first week was HELL on earth. I found myself so hyper that I drove while racing another person who had a car like mine, going 100 miles an hour! WHAT? I also had a crying spell over something that wasn't even important. I didn't even cry when my mom died in 2006 after a long bout with Altheimers................
When do these pains in the joints go away, and when do I get to lose any weight? I too gained about 30 lbs on this drug and have been to the gym regularly for all the time I've been on it and even got a trainer. He must think I am binge eating or something. I feel fatter every time I go, so frustrating.
I just hope this all gets better, 'cause I feel that I may have to go back on this hellish drug so I can get out of bed with out being in such pain, and feel so angry, etc.
Sorry for ranting.....................Lisa in the OC.

My very unprofessional opinion....do not go back on the "hellish drug" and do not be sorry for ranting here. This is the place to rant away. And if you don't mind another tiny bit of unprofessional advice..do not drive while you are feeling this way. After the dizziness subsided I got in my car, drove a block and came home. I could not concentrate and was really afraid of hurting someone. As I have said in other threads, my psychiatrist was not made aware, by the Eli Lilly rep of the withdrawal hell with Cymbalta. When I called her and saw her after this began, she was horrified. She believed me instantly and while I was there she called Eli Lilly demanding all of the data that they had on this problem. They were reluctant, and faxed her bits and pieces...but she wouldn't let go. She kept at them until she was faxed everything they had and she sent the info on to other colleagues who also weren't given this info. She says that she will now only prescribe Cymbalta cautiously if at all. She insisted they tell her how long this hell will last...and they said it definitely goes away, but they can't say how long. It is different in every patient. So, it will go away, it will get better...if you go back on it, you will only have to start all over again. Speak to your doc, scream to everyone who will listen, don't apologize to anyone. Reach out and don't apologize...you are the one suffering, not anyone else. So...I forget whether I'm on day 10 or day 11, and I actually slept all night last night...so things do get better.One thing at a time. .... Good luck.

[carolpno]

Hi Everyone, It is so heartening to read your comments about the side effects of Cymbalta. In Australia we do not get alot of drug advertisements, and it sounds just as well from your comments about the one with the wine. After being on Zoloft for years, and every couple, having the dosage increased as I became accustomed to the drug. The final decision was made 3 years ago to switch me to cymbalta. Surprise, surprise, after a while the dosage of that drug needed to be increased to 60mg, which I have been taking for 3 years now. I decided that encough was enough when I realized I may have to increase dosage to 90mg! After reading the many posts in this forum, I decided to go cold turkey and have been having continual head buzzing and some dis-association, I have to consciously keep my mind 'in the moment'. The night sweats are something else - feverishly hot one minute and cold the next - and the sweating is unbelievable. I have made it to day 3 and am determined to 'hang in there' as from reading other posts, whether you gradually wean yourself off this drug or go cold turkey - it is a difficult thing to do. Hoping to get through this all in one piece. It really is a living hell! Thanks for the info which has encouraged me to keep going.

[dallen]

Hello all,
I'm new here (as you can see), and I have chronic depression (my entire life), along with fibromyalgia and IBS. I have been on Wellbutrin for years, but am finding that even on the highest dosage it's not always enough so my doctor recommended Cymbalta. She seems really sold on it. I've been taking 30 mg. once a day for almost a month, in addition to the Wellbutrin. My restless legs have not bothered me in years except for minor occurrences because I'm very careful to avoid known causes (like Benadryl). My RLS has now gotten so bad it's sometimes hard to sit at my desk at work, and I pace the floor half the night. I'm afraid to take anything to help me sleep because everywhere I look the Wellbutrin/Cymbalta mix is a bad combination that becomes worse when adding a sleep med. I have had my IBS under control for more than six months until I started on the Cymbalta and now it's gotten progressively worse in the past couple weeks. My doctor says these are not normal side effects from Cymbalta but I've found many forums that agree they are. She told me she's referring me to a psychiatrist and to go to one 30 mg Cymbalta every other day until I see the psychiatrist. I want off them completely. The more I read the more I know I don't want to continue with this.

Now that you have some background, here's the point of my query. Does anyone know (or have an opinion) whether it's safe to just go 'cold turkey' if I've only been taking 30 mg daily for a month?

Thanks for any suggestions anyone can offer! This is a great forum with wonderful support and information!

[Oenghus]

Hello all,
I'm new here (as you can see), and I have chronic depression (my entire life), along with fibromyalgia and IBS. I have been on Wellbutrin for years, but am finding that even on the highest dosage it's not always enough so my doctor recommended Cymbalta. She seems really sold on it. I've been taking 30 mg. once a day for almost a month, in addition to the Wellbutrin. My restless legs have not bothered me in years except for minor occurrences because I'm very careful to avoid known causes (like Benadryl). My RLS has now gotten so bad it's sometimes hard to sit at my desk at work, and I pace the floor half the night. I'm afraid to take anything to help me sleep because everywhere I look the Wellbutrin/Cymbalta mix is a bad combination that becomes worse when adding a sleep med. I have had my IBS under control for more than six months until I started on the Cymbalta and now it's gotten progressively worse in the past couple weeks. My doctor says these are not normal side effects from Cymbalta but I've found many forums that agree they are. She told me she's referring me to a psychiatrist and to go to one 30 mg Cymbalta every other day until I see the psychiatrist. I want off them completely. The more I read the more I know I don't want to continue with this.

Now that you have some background, here's the point of my query. Does anyone know (or have an opinion) whether it's safe to just go 'cold turkey' if I've only been taking 30 mg daily for a month?

Thanks for any suggestions anyone can offer! This is a great forum with wonderful support and information!

I was on 30mg for nearly 12 months and I'm on day 11 after going cold turkey. Yesterday was the first day I can really say that the effects of withdrawal had started to decrease and today is a bit better. I stopped as I'd had enough of the side effects with taking cymbalta and I felt that I'd lost control. I'm taking a good multi-vitamin with Omega-3 and 6 with a couple of extras to help with my joints. I can say now that cold turkey is working for me but if you'd asked me 4 days ago, I'm not sure I would have said the same thing. If you can, tell a close friend or relative so that they can help monitor your reaction to stopping. I was close to exploding as I got so angry with how much these drugs had affected me and my GP and specialist kept saying how unusual my symptoms were. This really helped me and I spent a lot of time just talking about how I felt with them, no holds barred. I took a couple of days off work when things were really bad and just stayed in bed as I couldn't do much else. Whatever you decide, I wish you all the best.

[carolpno]

Hi,
I am just starting week 2 of cold turkey and have spent most of the last two days in tears. Really have been tempted to start the tablets again as I look like a puffy-eyed wreck. Will try to get through the next week a day at a time, but not looking forward to seeing doctor next week as I have to go into hospital and need a letter from him for the hospital to list what medication I am on. Haven't yet told him about the 'cold turkey' so will be in for a huge lecture!! I don't feel up to any kind of cross examination at the moment. I will try to keep going and remind myself that this is all because I am coming off the tablets and do not want to revisit these feelings, fuzzy head, neck pain and general unwellness again!

[Marge RN]

I too, am new here. My husband has been on Cymbalta for 2 years.The neurologist put him on it for neuropathy in his feet after a year of chemo, followed by a stem cell transplant for myeloma. It was bad enough during chemo, but since the cymbalta, his sex drive is non existant, and he has "0" response to any sexual activity. He is tired all the time, nauseated, and feels as though he has "a lot of anger inside". We have decided he is going to wean off. That is how I found this site, looking for advice on weaning. He got this diagnosis 2 months after we were married. He has been in remission for 3 years (and nearly nearly 3 years out from stem cell transplant) and we have a life to live.