8 replies to this topic

[madison]

I SHOULD BE IN MY PRIME YEARS BUT THIS CYMBALTA IS TURNING THINGS AROUND ,, I HAVE BEEN CYMBALTA FREE FOR 6 DAYS AND OMG , BRAIN ZAPS ,FLU LIKE FEELING AND MANY MORE ... BUT I HAVE FOUND SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING ... PRAYING FOR THE BEST FOR ALL OF US

[catscan]

My libido dropped so much when I was on cymbalta. It caused problems between me and my boyfriend but when I came off it it was back in about a week!! I have such mixed feeling about this drug because it really helped my anxiety and OCD. (which is creeping back in slowly) However, going onto and coming off the drug is HORRIBLE... For me coming off was way worse that going on....I hope you feel better soon...Only thing I found was sleep helped. Lots and lots of sleep... Good luck with your journey xx

[cookie]

I SHOULD BE IN MY PRIME YEARS BUT THIS CYMBALTA IS TURNING THINGS AROUND ,, I HAVE BEEN CYMBALTA FREE FOR 6 DAYS AND OMG , BRAIN ZAPS ,FLU LIKE FEELING AND MANY MORE ... BUT I HAVE FOUND SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING ... PRAYING FOR THE BEST FOR ALL OF US

Dear Madison:
I do not want to have sex at all either.
I am sick with the flu. It is a very strong one. I think it is the real flu and not flu-like symptoms of withdrawals. However I want to know what are your flu like symptoms???? and how severe are they???

[Red.Headed.Blonde]

My libido dropped so much when I was on cymbalta. It caused problems between me and my boyfriend but when I came off it it was back in about a week!! I have such mixed feeling about this drug because it really helped my anxiety and OCD. (which is creeping back in slowly) However, going onto and coming off the drug is HORRIBLE... For me coming off was way worse that going on....I hope you feel better soon...Only thing I found was sleep helped. Lots and lots of sleep... Good luck with your journey xx

I am having the same issue with sex. And I have just decided to wean myself off or cold turkey, not sure which. I cold turkied from Serzone a few years ago, and I had a few brain zaps that felt like mini electric shocks in my head, but that was it. Have your vitamin D level checked. People who do not get much sunlight have low levels of vitamin D which has been liked to depression. Mine was low, and within a day of starting 2000 IU of vitamin D, my aching all over stopped, and I have to say that I feel even less depressed. I am hoping that the D will help me as I wean off the Cymbalta. I'm going to try the cardio like someone else suggested here to encourage my brain to pick up the pace and do what it used to do. I hope it's not like my thyroid though. I was told once I start thyroid medication that my thyroid gets lazy and just kicks back and lets the medication do it all. My thyroid has shriveled up half it's original size per radiologist reading of my CT scan of thyroid last year. I'm just not sure antidepressants are always the answer. Not for long-term anyway. I just needed it to get me through some family issues that gave me great anxiety and depression. He asked me if I had a partial thyroidectomy. I hope my libido comes back. I haven't really lost the desire. I just have a hard time "getting there" ya know? Frustrating!

[pamela]

I am having the same issue with sex. And I have just decided to wean myself off or cold turkey, not sure which. I cold turkied from Serzone a few years ago, and I had a few brain zaps that felt like mini electric shocks in my head, but that was it. Have your vitamin D level checked. People who do not get much sunlight have low levels of vitamin D which has been liked to depression. Mine was low, and within a day of starting 2000 IU of vitamin D, my aching all over stopped, and I have to say that I feel even less depressed. I am hoping that the D will help me as I wean off the Cymbalta. I'm going to try the cardio like someone else suggested here to encourage my brain to pick up the pace and do what it used to do. I hope it's not like my thyroid though. I was told once I start thyroid medication that my thyroid gets lazy and just kicks back and lets the medication do it all. My thyroid has shriveled up half it's original size per radiologist reading of my CT scan of thyroid last year. I'm just not sure antidepressants are always the answer. Not for long-term anyway. I just needed it to get me through some family issues that gave me great anxiety and depression. He asked me if I had a partial thyroidectomy. I hope my libido comes back. I haven't really lost the desire. I just have a hard time "getting there" ya know? Frustrating!

I SO recommend doing a weaning process. I have tried it both ways and going cold turkey was terrible. I have quit nearly every other antidepressant out there including paxil which is known to be really nasty. Nothing and I mean nothing compares to the nastiness of getting off of this one. We all want to be off this stuff like yesterday but what's a few weeks in the whole scheme of things? Let your brain slowly get used to not feeding it it's drug of choice.......
Either way sucks but I think that weaning is less 'sucky'.

[RickWC]

This is the reason that I decided to quit Cymbalta. My sex drive is just gone when taking it. In my heart and mind, I still have desire but my body just doesn't cooperate. Of course, lack of intimacy can often lead to increased depression as well. At least for me. I was on Serzone a long time ago and it could be Cymbalta's evil brother. I don't recall any withdrawal symptoms when I stopped taking it but the side effects were very unpleasant. Cymbalta withdrawal mimics the side affects of Serzone only 100 times worse.

Thanks for the tip on Vitamin D. I haven't been tested lately but have had low Vitamin D levels in the past. I will try taking some Omega 3 and Vitamin D and see if it eases my symptoms.

Good luck to all of you.

[madison]

My libido dropped so much when I was on cymbalta. It caused problems between me and my boyfriend but when I came off it it was back in about a week!! I have such mixed feeling about this drug because it really helped my anxiety and OCD. (which is creeping back in slowly) However, going onto and coming off the drug is HORRIBLE... For me coming off was way worse that going on....I hope you feel better soon...Only thing I found was sleep helped. Lots and lots of sleep... Good luck with your journey xx

thanks but i have been going on with this for about two years and my hubby is like what happen to u lol .. but it is slowly coming back , but it has been hard , i was on this med , for along time and now i fell angry , mad , hurt and all of this cause i did this to myself in a way . the dr. will tell u that u will feel better but what about when u are about to loss ur life over this ... i'm not taking this every again .. and all i want to do is sleep ... thanks and yes it is a journey but i'm a fighter..xxx

[pamela]

This is the reason that I decided to quit Cymbalta. My sex drive is just gone when taking it. In my heart and mind, I still have desire but my body just doesn't cooperate. Of course, lack of intimacy can often lead to increased depression as well. At least for me. I was on Serzone a long time ago and it could be Cymbalta's evil brother. I don't recall any withdrawal symptoms when I stopped taking it but the side effects were very unpleasant. Cymbalta withdrawal mimics the side affects of Serzone only 100 times worse.

Thanks for the tip on Vitamin D. I haven't been tested lately but have had low Vitamin D levels in the past. I will try taking some Omega 3 and Vitamin D and see if it eases my symptoms.

Good luck to all of you.

Rick,

The Omega 3 has really helped me lately. I didn't start taking it until I started weaning. It's supposed to help with the withdrawals and help with moods.

Good luck back at work today. At least it will keep your mind off the 'balta'.

Pam

[RickWC]

Rick,

The Omega 3 has really helped me lately. I didn't start taking it until I started weaning. It's supposed to help with the withdrawals and help with moods.

Good luck back at work today. At least it will keep your mind off the 'balta'.

Pam

I'm trying the Omega 3 but too early too tell. Today is day 7 with no Cymbalta so I'm going to ride it out and not take any more. I appreciate your support and concern. I'll keep you posted.

Rick