6 replies to this topic

[Emma]

I have read this forum for a while now. I was prescribed 30g for around a month and then upped to 60g. The first night I took this I felt a rush or heat to my head, but I perservered. The first three weeks I had night sweats and an inability to maintain my temperature. My anxiety continued throughout the five months I have been taking it, although the worrying is now about the pain I am in. The initial incident which sparked the anxiety grows less in my mind and I feel I worry about it less.

However, the pain and burning I have been feeling has increased and increased. I feel this in my spine and neck and back in general. Around two weeks ago I started to get electric shock sensations from nowhere. I have read every book, article and forum to try to get help. My doctor has never heard of any reaction at all before and says it must be my anxiety and worrying. They advised reducing the dose to 30g for two weeks then stopping. I have suicidal thoughts frequently throughout the day, even though I have lots to live for. But I cannot stand the pain and agony of what feels like chemical burning. The doctos says it is tension. No doctor will listen to me..

I have taken fish oil, magnesium and a B vitamin complex but have not noticed a difference (only taken them for the last few days) I have no sickness or nausea, but keep getting flu like symptoms and a feeling of being brain damaged. I cannot go on much longer like this. I have lost all hope and feel no one understands.

The internet can be an enemy as well as a friend and my reading makes me think I have akathisia, I don't know if I do have it, if it is permanent or if it is the medicine and I should just try to get off it. I don't know if is anxiety totally as my doctor thinks in which case I feel doomed. Given my reaction to this medicine I am scared to death of using Diazapam which my doctor wants as I can't bear any more ill effects. My family think I research this to death, but they can't know how it feels to feel like you are burning and have electric shocks in your body.

I am sorry for the long post. I do not know what to do or where to turn. I cannot see an end to this torment. I would do anything to get well for my children, but don't know what to do. Is there anyone out there who has had symptoms like me, but has got better, how did they do it? Please please I beg someone to help me.....

[pamela]

I have read this forum for a while now. I was prescribed 30g for around a month and then upped to 60g. The first night I took this I felt a rush or heat to my head, but I perservered. The first three weeks I had night sweats and an inability to maintain my temperature. My anxiety continued throughout the five months I have been taking it, although the worrying is now about the pain I am in. The initial incident which sparked the anxiety grows less in my mind and I feel I worry about it less.

However, the pain and burning I have been feeling has increased and increased. I feel this in my spine and neck and back in general. Around two weeks ago I started to get electric shock sensations from nowhere. I have read every book, article and forum to try to get help. My doctor has never heard of any reaction at all before and says it must be my anxiety and worrying. They advised reducing the dose to 30g for two weeks then stopping. I have suicidal thoughts frequently throughout the day, even though I have lots to live for. But I cannot stand the pain and agony of what feels like chemical burning. The doctos says it is tension. No doctor will listen to me..

I have taken fish oil, magnesium and a B vitamin complex but have not noticed a difference (only taken them for the last few days) I have no sickness or nausea, but keep getting flu like symptoms and a feeling of being brain damaged. I cannot go on much longer like this. I have lost all hope and feel no one understands.

The internet can be an enemy as well as a friend and my reading makes me think I have akathisia, I don't know if I do have it, if it is permanent or if it is the medicine and I should just try to get off it. I don't know if is anxiety totally as my doctor thinks in which case I feel doomed. Given my reaction to this medicine I am scared to death of using Diazapam which my doctor wants as I can't bear any more ill effects. My family think I research this to death, but they can't know how it feels to feel like you are burning and have electric shocks in your body.

I am sorry for the long post. I do not know what to do or where to turn. I cannot see an end to this torment. I would do anything to get well for my children, but don't know what to do. Is there anyone out there who has had symptoms like me, but has got better, how did they do it? Please please I beg someone to help me.....

Emma,
DON'T LOSE HOPE! If you lose hope than that nasty drug has won.
There is support here. Even if it's just people who don't think it's in your head and can sympathize.

Did your symptoms get really bad once you dropped in dosage to 30mg or were you feeling this badly while still on the 60mg?
Is Diazapam a benzo?

Pam

[Emma]

Emma,
DON'T LOSE HOPE! If you lose hope than that nasty drug has won.
There is support here. Even if it's just people who don't think it's in your head and can sympathize.

Did your symptoms get really bad once you dropped in dosage to 30mg or were you feeling this badly while still on the 60mg?
Is Diazapam a benzo?

Pam

The symptoms were gradually getting worse at 60g. Once I had a few days of brain zaps I decided after seeing the doctor to step it down. I was told to reduce it to 30g for 2 weeks and then stop. After reducing it down the burning and the shock sensations are pretty much constant. I have seen two doctors and both have not heard of these symptoms at all. It is so disheartening to think that a doctor does not believe the medicine can cause the effect. I am told to do 'normal' things. I try but the pain is so bad it is preventing me from doing them now.

I am tired, tired of being a burden to my family and having my children see me this way. I try exercise, I try to read, I try to find other interests to distract my pain, but it just doesn't work. Diazampam is a benzopine. I was given sleeping tablets for ten weeks during the five months. I weaned myself off them as my sleep went down to 2-3 hours a night and I experienced extreme paranoia (I have never had any prior anxiety or symptoms like this before this episode) After I came off them it improved. I worry about taking Diazampam both for future addiction and because I don't seem to have a good response to medication that is mind altering. I just don't know what to do. Thank you for replying

[cookie]

Dear Emma:

I wished, I knew about side and withdrawal symptoms 5 years ago when I started taking the drug. <BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break">

I had the electric shock sensations when I was told to reduce from 90mg to 60mg. The electric sensation will start on the top of my head going down through my spine. I also had suicidal thoughts that I had never experienced in my life.

I am not a doctor, I just talk based on my own experience and from what I´ve read about other people´s experiences on this site. All I can say is that, in my case, weaning slowly helped me to diminish withdrawal symptoms.

It seems to me that dropping from 30mg straight to 0mg, was a huge drop. When makes big drops or too quick one tends to have the symptoms –all the time-. It is better to make smaller drops and wait for symptoms to subside before making any further drops.

Ask your doctor about cymbalta 20mg presentation. I do not think your symptoms are produced by “tension”. I have the feeling there are actual chemical changes. (just my guess). Maybe you could go to a certain dosage of cymbalta and start weaning slowly from there???

I have also had flu like symptoms. Last flu like symptoms lasted more than a month. Now I get flu like symptoms and new allergies in the morning and then they dissapear. I think this flu like symptoms are related to the liver

Do not lose hope. During my journey I have felt a long list of physical and emotional symptoms. I learn that most of them are just part of withdrawal and they will go away. I do not like to add other medicines to treat withdrawal symptoms. If you decide to take Diazepam ask your doctor about side and withdrawal effects.

I know our families think we research too much on the net. But I rather be informed. I actually learned a lot through this site. If I hadn´t read it, I would have thought I was becoming crazy or had permanent damage.

Weaning slowly has help me reduce the symptoms. I have had a long list of symptoms, but they do not seem as severe as the people who go cold turkey. But I do not know in your case, since you said you already had a bad reaction –while- taking the drug.

There is hope

[ainsley25]

Emma, I just wanted to say that I believe that your symptoms are caused by the cymbalta. i get really bad pains in my joints and hips and spine like waves that are almost unbearable. I had to go to the hospital last night to be rehydrarted and sedated because the pain was so much. I want you to know you are not alone. I go some diazapan from the hospital and it seems to be working. the pain is less and the sea sickness feeling has passed for a while. it's not a brilliant solution and certainly not for everyone but it's made me feel like i can at least function. i hope you get some relief soon. Please do not lose hope! good luck!

[Emma]

Thank you for your replies. It is reassuring to know these symptoms have been felt by other people. I wish I could stop researching, because today I am worried that as a result of worrying and the medicine that I am developing diabetes and the associated nerve pain in my hand and spine is permanent. As I am sure many here have worried intensely about their symptoms and have seen their reaction to sugar change, is this temporary usually? Have people lost this pain as withdrawal time continued? Thanks in advance to anyone able to answer.

[RickWC]

Emma, so sorry for what you are going through. I never had many side affects when I started taking Cymbalta but have certainly had plenty when quitting. The brain zaps appear to be more assocaited with withdrawal then side effect so dropping your dose probably just made them worse. As of today I am Cymbalta free 35 days so I promise that there is light at the end of the tunnel for you. But I won't lie and tell you that it is going to be easy.

Good luck to you and feel free to write if you need some support.