7 replies to this topic

[kathyl]

I am on my 9th day of cold turkey. I finally feel much better due to my health dr and my psych dr getting together to help me with the horrible withdrawals.

Here is what I take:
in the morning, I drink Apple Cider, fresh from the produce dept, or I get it right from a farm. This helps detoxify my body.
25mg of meclizine (you can buy over the counter for about $6.00. This helps with the dizzyness. Makes me a little tired in the morning, but I perk up in the afternoon.
12.5mg promethazine ( you need an RX for this, i paid $9.00) This helps with the nausea.
20mg Citalpram (to replace the Cymbalta) I paid $4.00 you need an RX for this.

At night I take : Vitamin E-400 (over the counter) and Fish Oil 1000mg (over the counter)this tells the brain to get rid of the cymbalta.
25mg of meclizine and 12.5mg of Promethazine.

For 2 days since on this mixture of meds and vitimans, I have NOT had one BRAIN ZAP, no nausea or headaches, no confusion, no dizzyness.
I have a few bouts of hot flashes (which I can live with).

I was willing to try anything after being sooooo sick.
Try this and let me know how you feel.

Heres to health, Kathy


Day three without symptoms. So far, the above regiment is working for me. Only hot flashes are left. I am keeping food down and smiling more. My personality is coming back. No Zaps at all!
A miracle is happening to me.

Kathy

[Elaine]

Just wondering what it is like to get off the citalopram (celexa) after you are finished with cymbalta. I have heard it is easier. Wonder how much easier.

[kathyl]

Just wondering what it is like to get off the citalopram (celexa) after you are finished with cymbalta. I have heard it is easier. Wonder how much easier.

I talked to my doctor and she said this med has been on the market for a long time and the withdrawals are not bad.
It only costs me $4.00 per month at Walmart pharmacy.

I have only had the hot sweats and very little nausea. No Zaps for a few days now. I am feeling so much better with this regiment.
Kathy

[kellybean84]

Ok so how are you doing now? I need to get this toxic stuff out of my system and get back to me!!

I talked to my doctor and she said this med has been on the market for a long time and the withdrawals are not bad.
It only costs me $4.00 per month at Walmart pharmacy.

I have only had the hot sweats and very little nausea. No Zaps for a few days now. I am feeling so much better with this regiment.
Kathy

[kathyl]

Ok so how are you doing now? I need to get this toxic stuff out of my system and get back to me!!

I am on day 37 from day one of getting my mind and body off of Cymbalta.
I have now stopped taking the meclizine and the promethazine due to I longer have nausea
or dizzyness.
The brain zaps are gone. I am not short tempered anymore. I don't shake anymore.

I still have diarreah, a few slight headaches, the heat flashes and some itching. These are bearable. I feel healthier and continue more every day.

I am back to being me and can smile again. I know that if I stopped taking the vitamins, the zaps would probably come back.

So far, so good.
Never give up believing! Kathy

[carolpno]

Hi, I have just started the 'cold turkey' road to coming off cymbalta and will try the Vitamin E and apple juice suggestions on your post. Can you tell me if you had feelings of 'hazy' head, as this seems to come out of the blue for me - and this is only day 2! Quite concerned about 'night sweats' as I feel as though I have symptoms of a fever and then break out into a sweat. It is really good to read other peoples comments as I did not know this could be so hard - and dangerous! I was never aware of the side effects of Cymbalta, as my doctor told me that the side effects were only going to be slight in most cases. I did not realize how difficult it would be to actually decide to come off the drug, and the types of withdrawls involved in this.
I'll keep you posted as to my progress - this is day 2 for me. I finally got fed up with the non-existent sex drive, dry mouth, flattened feelings and after 3 years of a 60mg dose and starting to feel depressed on this drug, decided to have a break and see what my true state really is! Prior to this I was on ever increasing levels of Zoloft, and found I seemed to get used to the dosage and then would need to increase it - hence the change to Cymbalta. Glad to see I am not alone.

[BlackLagooner]

Back for an update.

I'm feeling LIGHTYEARS better already! From 120mgs (for 2+ years) to cold turkey, it was looking really bleak there. I've seemed to be over the worst of it, that is if I'm religious to the regimen that seems to work for me.

What I've been doing is making sure to get a lot of "bed rest" (when I'm able... two kids, sole bread-winner for family of 4, et al), even if it isn't sleep (because of the side effects/withdrawl symptoms).

An "extra strength" (in my case Costco's One A Day variation) Fish Oil cap, twice a day. One when I wake up with breakfast, one in the evening with dinner.

During all my waking hours, alternating between ibuprofen ("advil") and acetaminophen ("tylenol") every 4 hours. This REALLY helps dull a lot of the shocks and pain (at least makes it manageable/tolerable).

Making sure to keep my blood sugar up with ACTUAL sugar. I'm a big "artificial sweetener" user (diet coke, etc) so it's easy for me to overlook. Every couple of hours I'll pour a glass of orange or apple juice, or a nice cup of tea or coffee and use REAL (raw if available) sugar. Also, some nice simple carbs, too (bagels, pita, corn chips, a slice of toast). I know, sugar and carbs are HUGE no-nos for many of us trying to not pack on the pounds, but I've got to focus on feeling better first, and worry about the rest later. Carbs and real sugars are comfort foods, at least for me.

I also have turned my "life speed" down about 50%. I found that during the first few days, I was stumbling, falling, bumping, stubbing feet/toes; because my head felt (and still does) like a balloon tied to my body. A lot of spatial disconnect, making me totally clumsy and prone to falling and other minor injuries that can only elevate my irritability and feeling of helplessness and body betrayal. Slowing down and never allowing even simple things like walking from room to room, to go on typical cruise control.

The only symptom I haven't really been able to do anything about is the tinnitus (ear ringing). Listening to classical music or stand-up comedy while working or driving, however, has helped me tune it out for all but those really quiet moments where you get too wrapped up in your own thoughts.

The rest is maintaining focus on things that allow me to be positive (as much as possible).

We, YOU, can do it. Tapering was not an option for me, because I refused to put that shit in my body any longer, even in gradually reduced doses. It's not EASY for me, by any means, but knowing that every day I manage is another day further removed from having Cymbalta in my system helps a lot.

[carolpno]

Thanks for posting your comments, maybe things can improve. On my 3rd day and am emotional and fuzzy-headed. The night sweats are just horrendous, and I thought menopause was going to be a challenge! Thanks for the info.