6 replies to this topic

[illiki23]

Greetings.
*after deleting and rewriting the initial statement several times (including this statement itself)*
I first wish to introduce myself. My name is Andrew, I am a computer science major (proud of it), and I am pretty messed up.
All in all, most of the details are irrelevant.. The intent of this communication is to share experiences, and learn from other's experiences, about the nature of what I/we are going through.
I tried out Cymbalta, and have been on it for around 6 months at 60 mg.
Currently I am at 30 mg, trying out a lesser dosage after trying to go cold turkey and getting to freaked out about my own experience as well as what others had claimed to come. Going to
try out the prozac approach and keep myself happy. I know everything will be ok, but the point of the post is to try and understand what exactly is happening.

First of all, after missing doses and cutting down I felt a slight buzz in the brain when rolling my eyes one way or another, but just today I really felt and recognized the nature of that buzz.
The eyes look one way and it is slightly white, a little 'buzz' (best way to describe) hits the brain/mind (not sure just which one yet) - a little like going asphyxiated for a tad slight second.
The interesting thing for me though is that this sensation, which many have shared on these boards, is not new to me at all.
The very first time I had this sensation appear was when I was 15, over a decade ago, and tried out harmaline (by itself), which is a strong MAO-I inhibitor. The mental 'electric-buzz' effects
where at that time as strong as they where now.

Also I have felt a similar, but slightly different effect at times on its own. It is usually felt following a night of drinking alcohol and not having any the day after, similar effects. It never happened
when I was young, just on and off recently.

Can anybody here explain physiologically what this effect is?
Any good academic resources/pointers?


Thank you, much love for anyone going through the same disorder as me,
Andrew

[illiki23]

Also to note a *wooshing sound* of a strange pitch. I am sure somewhere this is mentions of these effects academically, or at least there should. So hard to find information. (Used to google trying to find out about strange growling/buzzing/high pitched whining noises in my head but it is almost impossible with so many countless irrelevant links which come up)

[schmb01]

Andrew, welcome. I wish I could give your the neuryphysiology of how this all works, but unfortunately, I can't.

I know it all has to do with the neurotransmitters in the brain. Wow, not much help, right?

The whooshing noises people are talking about interest me for other reasons. I have a neurological condition called intracranial hypertension, which in a nutshell means that I have too much cerebro spinal fluid filling in the arachnoid spaces in my head. It is unknown if the body produces too much CSF, or doesn't eliminate it correctly, but, there I am. Anyway, one of the key presenting symptoms of this conditions is a whoosing sound. It is likely tinnitus, but to an extreme, as in addition to the whooshing noise, there is a pulsing sound as well. While on Cymbalta, and for about 1 month after coming off of it, these sensations were dramatically increased, to the point that these noises were LOUD, and I thought they were noises outside of my house. I finally figured out that since the dog wasn't freaking out, that they were in my head. It seems that Cymbalta withdrawal increases nerve sensitivity dramatically, which is why so many of us here are having horrific aches and pains since stopping it.

I think that it also explains the increased anxiety that many experience.

Sorry I couldn't be more help, but your question made me think of those things.

I hope you can work through this with as little discomfort as possible, and know that you have found a safe place to come for support.

[Jinx_kittykat]

Hi Andrew (I have a positive bias to that name 8-) ). My name is Emerald. I dont know that i can be of much help but i vaguely remember reading in the leaflette that came with my sample meds (3 yrs ago) that a possible side effect was an electrical sensation. It was described by a technical term that i cant remember for the life of me. I think it may actually be associated with elevated blood pressure, but thats just an uneducated guess. A place you might look to answer your question is http://www.psychdrug...om/cymbalta.htm . Sorry, the link might not take. Computers arent my forte, im a bartender/paralegal. Anyhow, a listed withdrawal is, quote:
8. Cymbalta withdrawal - Bundle Branch Block Right – These are specialized cells in the upper right heart chamber and are the heart’s pacemaker. They send electrical signals to the heart that keeps it beating or contracting regularly. Normally the signal goes to the lower heart chambers at the same time through the bundle of His (hiss) on both the left and right sides of the heart, so the lower chambers contract at the same time. When the bundle is damaged on the right side, the signal does not fire at the same time as the left, which changes the pace of blood flow. This can lead to a person fainting.

This is the closest ive come to an answer. Let me know. Good luck. By the way, im thinking of starting a class-action suit against Eli lilly. Mostly to get this crap off the market. If i get enough response from people who have actually had medical documentation of life threatening side effects youll see something about it posted on the site. Again, good luck.

[Lori]

Hi Andrew,
Before I knew there were other people in this world who suffered from brain zaps, I called them 'body tremors' because I am one of the lucky ones who has them throughout my body, so when I tried to explain what I was feeling to my family, I called them body tremors, I have sense learned they are called Brain Zaps. I found this website helped my family understand what I was talking about. Good luck and hang in there. There is alot of support here!!

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Brain_zaps

[samantha]

So Sunday and Monday I dumped out most of the pellets in a 60 and took that, which helped a little. Yesterday I called in sick to work and didn't take anything (except some Midol -- that's a different issue...) and today I haven't taken anything. I am "working from home" today but as you can see, the working part isn't going so well. I'm trying to just stop because I want off this stuff. So far my biggest problem (except for Sunday, which was a really bad day with tons of problems) is my blood pressure. Our doctor told my boyfriend to start checking his blood pressure daily, she thinks he has high blood pressure, so he bought a home blood pressure cuff. I took my blood pressure twice yesterday and it was crazy high, once laying down it was 150/96 and the last time I was at the doctor it was something over 105, she thought I had "white coat syndrome" where I am afraid of doctors because my blood pressure is always in the heart attack zone at the doctor's office but I'm beginning to think that some of my symptoms are cause my blood pressure is out of control. I tried to explain to my boyfriend that I felt like my heart was outside my body or that my blood was rushing around me instead of inside me, he didn't get it. After I took my blood pressure when I was feeling that way and the monitor told me I was at stage 2 hypertension, I'm thinking that is the blood rushing feeling. I took it again this morning and it was only 123/95 so I think that is better and I feel relatively normal right this minute.

Is anyone else having crazy high blood pressure trying to come off this stuff? I think we will have a better shot with that class action lawsuit if I have a heart attack (I'm only 32). I'm really scared.

[Jinx_kittykat]

Yeah, no kidding. Dont go having a heart attack! Well, im headed into the office right now. We'll see what i can get done. I'll contact the product case attorney & see just how to get this started. Something that hadnt crossed my mind until this morning is that documentation not only of physical effects are needed, anyone unable to work or documented as disabled because of mental fatigue would also be greatly helpful to a case. Really, I hate to call anything of detrament to anyones health "good" or "helpful". You get me, right?