Very Angry and Hoping for The Best
#1
Posted 10 May 2008 - 04:02 PM
Today is my first day ( again ) trying to wean myself off of cymbalta. As i mentioned I have been on 60 mg for a few months now. Today I only took 30mg.
I guess I will take 30mg for two weeks then try to go to 0, none, nada, zilch. We shall see. My current doctor said she wanted me to INCREASE to 90 again and at this point I decided to do it on my own.
I have a question for all of you. I have read and experienced the withdrawals symptoms. Yes they are hell.
My question is this: WHAT SIDE EFFECTS DID YOU ALL FEEL WHILE TAKING CYMBALTA ?
I felt (feel) these side effects:
1) Fatigue ( EXTREME)
2) More Fatigue.
3) Never feel like I have slept good. No restful sleep.
4) A Hangover type feeling all day.
5) Depressed.
6) Hopeless
7) I have to take naps off and on every day to battle the restless nights.
Please , if you have time or feel like it, list YOUR "SIDE-EFFECTS" while you were on the medication.
I am just curious about this.
WIsh me luck as I know what is ahead for me getting off of this horrible, disgusting medication.
I want my OWN BRAIN BACK and the side effects to go away.
Have a good day and thanks
#2
Posted 10 May 2008 - 04:26 PM
Hang in there, there will be more posts in regards to this and if I were you, I would take their advice.
#3
Posted 10 May 2008 - 04:38 PM
• Could not sleep - maybe 5 hours a night (now I am off - sleep is such a gift)My question is this: WHAT SIDE EFFECTS DID YOU ALL FEEL WHILE TAKING CYMBALTA ?
• Arms numb in the morning, every morning (this side effect has a fancy name I can't remember but this is now gone now that I am off)
• Could never cry when it was appropriate to (family death, general stuff you should cry over)
• Did not care about much of anything.
• missed or late dose resulted in blurry vision, confusion, feeling like I had the flu
• the last year on Cymbalta I would fly into really intense rages for no reason (gone now)
• made my agoraphobia worse (still working on this one, but it is much better)
3.5 years for situational depression. My old doc tried to jump me to 90 3 different times. 90 felt like it would blow my head off so I would always refuse. I went from 30 mg to nothing cold turkey per my old doctors instructions - any questions, plenty of people to ask here. Got a new doctor and weaned off of Celexa over five weeks. Now off of all antidepressants.
Just because you read other people's stories, those things may or may not happen. Like most people can't sleep when they stop, but I wanted to sleep all of the time (which was good, because I only slept 4-5 hours a night for about 3.5 years as shown above). But you are now educated about it, so you will not be shocked if you have any of them. And you had mentioned being on many other antidepressants before, were there any that you did not experience side effects when coming off? Do not rule out working with your doctor on this, if yours will not listen to you, as in realize that your side effects while on the drug are real, then you will unfortunately have to start again with somebody new.
Please be careful because depression is not something to mess with, especially if you have suicidal thoughts. Earth needs to have you here! Love your screen name!
#4
Posted 10 May 2008 - 06:08 PM
Do not go from 30 to 0. I would suggest 60 down to 40 (dump some capsules out) and then down to 30, then dump some out still. I would also highly recommend taking way more than 2 weeks of each reduction. I did 2 weeks and I feel like total doo-doo. Brain fog.
I have not had any trouble with sleep. Ask your dr for Ambien!!!!!!!!!!! Sleep is No. 1 important. It will help with everything else, so make it a priority. Ambien, ambien, ambien.
#7
Posted 13 May 2008 - 02:43 PM
Every Night I have wicked real vivid dreams ( when i DO sleep ). It feels like I am in deep REM sleep but yet I know everything going on around me. Like knowing I am dreaming but can't come out and then I wake up at the peak of the dream, or something like that.
* VIVID dreams that are rather uncomfortable to say the least
* Feel like total crap all over
* Fatigue to the max
* Diarrhea
* Stomach upset in general
* Dizziness
* Can't make decisions about small or big things ( Never been like this before this med )
This has gotten worse since the reduction from 60-30.
* Feel hungry but my stomach can't handle the food.
* Insomnia
Speaking of the insomnia... When i DO sleep it is the vivid dreaming then I wake. I have been sleeping only about 1 hour at a time maybe getting a total of 4 hours sleep a night. Not in a row of course.
Someone should really do something about this CRAP. The docs think it is the miracle of all drugs or something.
It is totally ridiculous and irresponsible for the drug companies and the doctors to give this out like candy. I withdrew from pain meds and it was about the same symptoms so far.
I will update here as I move along through this.
My brain is very very foggy so bear with the posts.
Good Luck all.
#9
Posted 13 May 2008 - 02:54 PM
Side effects? Everything involved with Cymbalta is one big side effect. I ended up with lymphocytic colitis that sent me to three specialists and thousands of dollars in tests and procedures and drugs, before I found out (on my own, mind you), that it's considered a 'serious' side effect of Cymbalta. I've been 'off' the stuff for a bit over two weeks now and have not had a problem with the above-mentioned malady since. What a coincidence, hey?
#11
Posted 13 May 2008 - 03:04 PM
Nope.....not cold turkey. I was only on the stuff for about 6 months (60mg/day), and once I found out what was causing the previously-mentioned problem, talked by my neurologist and he suggested I do 30mg/day for at least 2-3 weeks and then stop completely after that. He also told me that if stopping completely wasn't working well, that I could do the 30mg every other day for a while. I ended up doing the 30 for 3 weeks, and then every-other for another week, and then just quit. First week was awwwwwful. Second week slightly better. This week better yet.
My opinion of Cymbalta is .... Miracle drug??? My A@@
#12
Posted 13 May 2008 - 03:42 PM
Each day, what you feel is what you feel. No need to worry about that here on this forum.Day 4 - 60 to 30 wean
I will update here as I move along through this.
My brain is very very foggy so bear with the posts.
Good Luck all.
My best to you in your journey. Obviously, we all want to get through this quickly, but give your brain chemistry time to adjust. From the research I have done, the people who come out best are the ones who stay at each dropped dose for a couple of weeks feeling good (emotionally and physically), then drop down some more.
What are your plans to drop after you stabilize on the 30 mg? They do make 20mg capsules.
#13
Posted 13 May 2008 - 04:36 PM
After stabilizing on the 30mg I plan on pouring a little out of the 30mg capsules each day for a couple of weeks
OR going to zero from 30. I have not decided yet. I have seen posts where quite a few people had success pouring out the capsules
little by little.
#14
Posted 13 May 2008 - 07:02 PM
I think you will find weaning slowly to be more comfortable, and if you haven't already, read some of the posts about nutrional supplements and foods to help. Omega 3 has helped me immensely.
Day 71 here, and I beat it too!!!
#15 Guest__*
Posted 19 May 2008 - 11:51 AM
1 waking up after 12 hours feeling like I didnt sleep at all
2. exhausted, need naps every day
3. apathy. not really severe downs but no real severe ups either
My doctor had me taking 90 mg at night because he said the drug makes you tired and if I took it at night I might not be so tired through out the day. not so.
Jamie Hansen
#16
Posted 19 May 2008 - 05:48 PM
Do the taper, it is easier on your brain and body I believe.
Jeff
PS check in here often and vent if you need to, it is a safe place
#17
Posted 20 May 2008 - 05:00 PM
Being on day four or five of NO CYMBALTA I have not had the energy to do much of anything so I haven't checked out the forum for a while.
Yesterday I saw/found an ANTI-DRUG psychologist and told him where I am on the cymbalta withdrawals.
He is very up to date on psych drugs in general. You will have a hard time finding a "psychiatrist" that is anti-drug at all because...
A) He referred me to a Nutritionist.
It was very enlightening to talk to a PHD in psychology that really cares ( at least he seems to )
C) I went to him because my regular psychiatrist wanted me to INCREASE the dose after talking to me for a total of five minutes and not listening to me about what this drug is and has done to me .
D) My cure and approach is for me and me alone ( do what is best for you )
E) I trust not any psychiatrists anymore.
So, in my current fog I will say that the brain zaps and vivid acid trip dreams are the worse at this point.
If I have to I will start back on a small amount by pouring out capsules of the 30's. We shall see.
Good luck to all. We all need it.
PS: Thanks for the tip I found here for the Omega-3 and B-12. They seem to ease the zaps a "little"
Google this and make up your own minds -> DSM: psychiatry an industry of death
Also google -> John Breeding ( Or search for hiis videos on youtube. )
Peace to all.
#18
Posted 20 May 2008 - 06:01 PM
Remember you are not alone and it is the drug, not you that has caused this in your body!
Blessings
Jeff
#20
Posted 28 May 2008 - 03:34 AM
Other things were (as you mentioned) feeling like you just woke up from a night of heavy drinking, fatigue, muscle aches, nausea, intense headaches, quick temper, feeling irritable and violent, feeling hopeless, and not wanting to do anything but lay down. I even stopped paying attention to myself and my hair looked like I had just been struck by lightning. Sleep was the only thing that was on my mind. It was ugly, one of the worst things I've been through in my life. I will never... EVER take an anti anything again. I am not willing to go through what I did. My doctor handed it to me like candy, I still haven't seen him yet but I'm definitely going to reject any other meds he offers. I am glad to say that I am done with withdrawals! My memory is still foggy, I forget the littlest things which I hope to God will go away since I have a learning disorder I don't want any more memory loss! I've been eating like crazy, singing again, and just feeling great in the morning. I thought I had a lack of energy before Cymbalta.. now I know it's not as bad as I thought. The last withdrawal was major headaches, which I'd take over nausea any day. I feel like I hurt my body and brain by taking this medication, and that's one thing I still have to come to terms with. All that matters is you beat this and move on from it a better person. Fortunately, I had only been taking it for about 4 weeks, after I started feeling I couldn't benefit anymore I threw them all away. I know what I did was dangerous but who knows how much danger I would be in if I still had taken Cymbalta. One of my goals now is to talk to people who are going through this feeling they can't go on and just helping them realize there is hope. I still need help with anxiety and panic attacks, but all I know is, no more pills like Cymbalta! I even have to change the channel whenever the commercial is on =p
This site really needs to be advertised a lot more, reading personal stories and helpful tips could possibly save a life. This stuff is serious and unfortunately not a lot of people know or want to talk about how hard you really fall after stopping medication. Best of luck to all of you who are still feeling like crap, I can positively say the pain will subside and life will go on =)
-sailor
#21
Posted 28 May 2008 - 04:30 PM
Day 8 no cymbalta here. I can't even remember howo long I have been on this med exactly. between 4 and 5 years.
I "trusted" in my doctor as a big mistake that was concerning this particular med indeed. My head is still foggy I am starting to sleep a little better at night. The brain zaps and GI issues seem to be the worse. Well, the headaches are bad too. I personally, did not do the slow taper. I tapered rather quickly. The brain zaps are less intense and less frequent already for me, but not gone that is for sure. I am just so angry with psych docs in general and the pseudo-science they use.
Get this, I went to a psychiatrist for the first time years ago for "marital / personal" issues and within talking to the doc for ten minutes he said I had a "chemical imbalance" and put me on lithium. Through the years they put me through the mill of the different meds all of which mad me physically SICK. I would tell them I was sick , they would say "well it takes longer for your body and brain to get USED TO IT". After taking whichever med they had me trying to get one that "works for me" they would say take it longer or switch me to a different one. In my ignorance, I listened to them through the years. All the meds made me sick.
#22
Posted 28 May 2008 - 06:05 PM
In my 20s and early 30s I did talk therapy, tons of it, specifically to keep from resorting to drugs to "make me feel better". As humans, we are not supposed to "feel good" all of the time. Life is about the highs, lows and middle grounds. The experience of these peaks and valleys is what life is about. The talk therapy is not always "easy" work to do, but it is effective.
You mentioned in a previous post about seeing a Nutritionist. Have you gone yet and did you like the experience?
One thing that I tried during the worst of the withdrawal is acupuncture. It really made a difference in my overall outlook on everything, not in a magic bullet kind of way, but my sense of being aware and wanting to take better care of myself seem to be heightened by the experience. The cost investment was initially high, I went once a week for 6 weeks, now I go for maintenance, every 6 weeks. So, the acupuncture cost initially was about the cost of a 3.5 month supply of Cymbalta. I think it was worth it. Unfortunately, I did have to put it on plastic, because when I first came off of Cymbalta, I was pretty much useless in my job for about 6 weeks, very little income from that time. If acupuncture is going to work for you, you will know after the first treatment.
51 days antidepressant free today, while I am not experiencing the "tripping through the daisies" kind of happy, I feel emotionally stable and functional. I care about myself and the world around me and deal with life and the everyday situations in ways that I am proud of. That is all we can really ask of ourselves. It sure beats the "I don't give a crap" feeling of being numbed out on Cymbalta.
CyMAD and everyone else- hope that you are having as gentle of an experience as you can with this. It can be done and you will make it through.
#23
Posted 28 May 2008 - 08:58 PM
SarahJ: I am taking Omega-3 and b-12. Also, no i have not made it to the nutritionist as of yet but I plan to. I did have my first acupuncture treatment about a week ago. That seemed to help a little in an overall sense.
Greybeard: You are exactly right! I always wondered how they could tell me I have a chemical imbalance after just talking to me for 10 minutes about NORMAL life bumps. From the very first I was skeptical of taking the drugs but I was ASSURED by the pdocs and most of my family that I should do what the professional said to do and not question it basically. They have NO IDEA if anyone has a chemical imbalance. I have been doing much reading as of late on the entire psych industry. I remember asking the doc and myself and friends and family "JUST HOW THE HELL DO THEY KNOW IF SOMEONE HAS A CHEMICAL IMBALANCE WHEN THEY DO NO TESTS FOR IT AND JUST GIVE OUT DRUGS?!?!?!?!" I was right the entire time.
The worse part is I had been off all psych meds for years when I was prescribed CYMBALTA because I had just had a failed back surgery, could not perform at work , had to learn to walk again, deal with the pain.. DOH, anyone would be a little depressed. So they started me on cymbalta 4-5 years ago. Every time i tried to stop , well you know, the dreaded withdrawals from hell. I was ASSURED that this drug had NO SIDE EFFECTS NOR WITHDRAWALS by my GP and Pdoc when I started it!!!!!!!!!!!. So i kept taking it. I am on the road to better health now. NEVER EVER will i NOT LISTEN TO MY OWN BODY AND MIND AGAIN! NO MORE PSEUDO SCIENCE.
I AM GOING TO MAKE IT with flying colors.
Peace to all
#24
Posted 28 May 2008 - 09:24 PM
This woman asked me if "I heard voices" and other weird crap and after being with her for 5 minutes (at this point, she still has a chart of somebody who isn't me) and then she told me I was bipolar, because I was really getting upset with her. She then went into the whole "Cymbalta does not have withdrawal" thing, which was another clue to run, not walk right out of there. Then she asks me how old I am, laughs and tells me that she has the wrong chart. No testing, reading another persons chart and basically telling me I am bipolar with no real point of reference, other than I was agitated! Well of course, she accused me of "hearing voices" and being manic because I knew that she was clueless. Wrote a letter and refused to pay for this "visit". So far I have no idea if I actually have to pay for my "treatment" but at least the dispute has been filed. The next doctor I saw did listen to me and helped me get off antidepressants, she listened to me and realized that I was at a point where it was appropriate to do so.
Hope that you can find some humor in this journey you are on. A good sense of humor is imperative in getting through this mess. Now I can look back on that ill fated doctor visit and think it was funny and be grateful that I was of sound enough mind to not take being treated so poorly.
CyMAD - you will make it through this. You sound like you have some good plans in action and a desire to make it happen. Keep it up - you'll get there. Oh yeah, I realized how much acupuncture was helping me after the third treatment, I went once a week. So, I hope that it provides some benefit to you.
#25
Posted 29 May 2008 - 09:02 PM
I am seeing glimpses of CLARITY and feelings! Not all day but the last couple of days I have had some real emotions and my fog is lifting!
the brain zaps are hardly noticeable today and were very few yesterday!
I am not at the end I am sure but I am feeling better ! feeling better I SAID.
I can think clear today. It was as if some heavy fog started to lift yesterday and even more so today.
Like I said, not ALL day but at least half the day today I feel GOOD.
GI is getting SLOWLY better too.
This is doable as you all said and I knew it would be rough but THERE IS A LIGHT people
No more PSYCH DRUGS!
EVER
PEACE
I AM GOING swimming with a few people right now and relax.
There is light...... YES YES YES ....
http://www.stopshrinks.org/
Peace to all....
One day at a time...
Finding your inner peace is a journey. If one can only find bits and pieces of it from time to time it is a blessing.
#27
Posted 30 May 2008 - 12:52 PM
Have a great day, CyMad!!! It feels so great to have the fog lift, if only for a little while, even when you become foggy again, you know it wont last and the clear headed days become more often....hang in there, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Thank you so much for the encouraging words and prayers Lori!
Today the brain zaps are still less, a little foggy. And now a real life test of "Family Issues". People that shouldn't be are getting into me and my girlfriends business.
I will not go into details here ... you all know the drill. I have to try and handle the situation without being just "numbed" to it all now. My anxiety level is sky high right now and it was triggered by real life situation(s) that I need to deal with on a real time basis. So, I will. Even when not on psych drugs in the past I was able to deal with these things. It just seems that the anxiety associated with handling life situations has escalated 10 fold from what it used to be for me BEFORE the brain altering crap.
I will deal with it and NOT hold it in. Most times I try to be the one that just lets things go and holds all the stress and crap inside for the world. I can not do that , especially right now while my brain is being "rewired". Holding it in can be devastating to ones entire being it seems. I am not talking about approaching it with anger but just all sitting down and talking about things.
Just venting here a little.
Peace
#28
Posted 30 May 2008 - 01:12 PM
Good luck!!
Babby
#29
Posted 30 May 2008 - 01:28 PM
#30
Posted 31 May 2008 - 06:37 PM
The vivid dreams/nightmares and tiny brain zaps (at least they are tiny comparatively speaking now)and fatigue have all returned after a couple of days of clarity.
Immodium had to be my friend this morning. Damnit these GI issues. My foggy head is back in full force. No good sleep all night as of yet. Although I am sleeping/dreaming longer than two hours at a time now. Maybe more like 4 hours at a time I would guess. Hard to tell with the nightmares being so wicked.
Today I have been "relaxing" as much as possible. Trying not to over-think it all.
Question: I have read on other anti-depressant withdrawal sites this in particular "you need to SEDATE your system as much as possible through diet and mental exercises and environment while going through the withdrawal". DOES B-12 ACT AS A STIMULATE TO THE BRAIN OR A SEDATIVE? I just do not have the inclination to look it up as of right now.
Thanks all
Peace
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users