7 replies to this topic

[68bird]

I will be brief because I am at work "trying" to work. I have been on Cymbalta 30mg for over 3 years. I have tried to quit FIVE times over the last 2 years. Each time my Dr. gave me another method to get of this drug. I was amazed that when i told him what I was feeling he was clueless! Worst yet after the 3rd or 4th time i would have thought he would have had enought time to do some research and realise i am NOT just imagining the withdrawl symptoms.
After 2 years of this i was begining to wonder if i was the only one.
Thank God for this web site!!!!!!!!!!!
I am not alone.
Brain Buz! That is it. I have tried to explain to my wife what i have been feeling but could not put it into words.

Anyway... here is where i am at now....
I will not give up this time! I stopped taking my 30mg on Thursday, 4 days ago, and i will NEVER take it again.
Currently i feel like crap. severe brain buz, very moody, don't care about my spelling mistakes , just trying to function enought at work so as to not get taken into my bosses office. Feel like i am on a differnet planet.
After reading the posts it looks like i am in for a rough couple of weeks in the best case and a rough couple of months in the worst.
Better get going... i will keep you posted as to my progress.

[Lori]

Please try and stay as opimisitc as you are now, knowing you are in for a rough ride....but all of us here can tell you, it is doable. We are doing it every day, and there are a few here who will help you as you make you way through this. They have really and truly been where we are and I have been where you are. Keep telling yourself its the medication and not you. Ummm, did you say you went off Cymbalta cold turkey? I can not remember when I start posting what I just read. If you have gone cold turkey there are some methods on here that will make it much easier, but I can understand cold turkey, too. But make sure you check out all the posts for information about weaning off. Good luck, 68bird and know that I am praying for you.

[68bird]

Thanks so much for the encouragement!
I went cold turkey this time because the previous 4 times i tried different methods and i failed.
I will NOT fail this time. It will be rough but i will get through it.
The day i can write in this board from the other side is my goal.

[annie]

I decided to come off cymbalta 8 days ago and thought there may be some discomfort but not the horrendous experience i have been going through. Is this normal I wondered so decided to check out the net and was so overwhelmed to find this site. Can anyone tell me is withdrawal from cymbalta similar to any other anti depressant they have tried to come off or is it just cymbalta? I have the brain shocks, nausea and rage mostly - it's the rage i cannot handle but don't know if the cymbalta has been masking it and now it can vent itself, i just know i have never been so intensely angry before that i remember, (memories have been very hazy for the past few years thanks to much medication!!!) I am now off all medication and hoping to regain my life. I have an appointment with my psychiatric doc tomorrow and feel guilty because I didn't tell him I wanted to come off or i was coming off cymbalta, however he is a great guy so i reckon he'll support me.

[68bird]

I thougth i would do a day by day thing. I am an engineer by trade so these will be brief... (no writing skill)

Off Cymbalta 30mg cold turkey

Day 1 -- No real issues. About 22 hours in i started to feel some light headedness
Day 2 -- The brain zaps started. Very emotional. Cry during your average sappy commerical.
Day 3 -- Brain zaps VERY bad. This happened to be Sunday. I was very close to calling in sick for monday.
Day 4 -- Yesterday... was in a COMPLETE fog with constiant brain zaps. Really should have called in sick
Day 5 -- Today... I would say i feel maybe 5% better then yesterday. It is probably just because i was a little be more prepaid for what was coming.
Day 6 -- ????????

[Sarah J]

I decided to come off cymbalta 8 days ago and thought there may be some discomfort but not the horrendous experience i have been going through. Is this normal I wondered so decided to check out the net and was so overwhelmed to find this site. Can anyone tell me is withdrawal from cymbalta similar to any other anti depressant they have tried to come off or is it just cymbalta? I have the brain shocks, nausea and rage mostly - it's the rage i cannot handle but don't know if the cymbalta has been masking it and now it can vent itself, i just know i have never been so intensely angry before that i remember, (memories have been very hazy for the past few years thanks to much medication!!!) I am now off all medication and hoping to regain my life. I have an appointment with my psychiatric doc tomorrow and feel guilty because I didn't tell him I wanted to come off or i was coming off cymbalta, however he is a great guy so i reckon he'll support me.

I have only been on two antidepressants Cymbalta, then Celexa to get over the mind blender that Cymbalta withdrawal put me in. Some people get through this just fine, and don't have to take anything else. I was on Cymbalta 3.5 years, situational depression. My old doctor told me to stop cold turkey from 30 mg, I don't recommend it but I can't say weaning would have been easier for me, but I am through it now. Others here have taken Effexor, with worse withdrawal results than Cymbalta, stay away from Effexor, it is in the same class SNRI as Cymbalta.

Celexa withdrawal was a piece of cake, very slight discomfort, I can't find the right words to say how much easier it was than Cymbalta, but then again, I went on it and weaned down fast, but when I stopped the Celexa, I didn't lose time from work, or life, or anything. If I had not been put through the wringer with the Cymbalta withdrawal, I might have been brave enough to go for help sooner than I did. So, that's my only regret, that I waited so long to get more help.

Hope your doc supports you, that is really important, if he tells you what you are feeling doesn't exist, run!

[Sarah J]

I thougth i would do a day by day thing. I am an engineer by trade so these will be brief... (no writing skill)

My best advice to you is that if you see improvement, keep on moving forward. Stay busy, exercise and eat well.

I am curious as to the different methods over the years your doctor has offered you to help you get through this. Obviously, they didn't work for you personally, which had to be frustrating for you.
I wish you all the luck in the world.

121 days no cymbalta, 35 days antidepressant free - you can get there, it does happen.

[Lori]

Annie and 68bird, Sarah J and Greybeard have given you great advice and encouragement...I only want to add that I am praying for you guys. Anger was my biggest mountain!! I really dont think the Cymbalta had anything supressed, just like the brain zaps, headaches and crying.....anger is simply a side effect. Not that it is a simple side effect and should not be taken lightly....warn family members, coworkers, pets and anyone around you when its time to take cover, but if you are anything like me, I didnt even get a warning, myself. I still feel so guilty for the anger. Even though is has been 9 days without an anger episode, my boyfriend made the comment that he did not know what I was going to do next....and that literally broke my heart. All of the side effects make us feel bad, but the anger is so uncontrollable, and the rage is unreal. Nothing like that should ever come out of my body again!!!!

I wish you both alot of luck and you have my best wishes. Please keep coming here with updates or just to vent. We are here with you, however, I am not going to be here as much as I have been. I will check this daily, you have my word....but lately, I have been hiding out here in my house, during the week, and busy on the weekends. I will sit and read these posts and reread them as if I am looking for something I may have missed, but today is TUESDAY, and I went to return some movies, stopped to see my daughter and granddaughter, I made a couple of other errands, I stopped to buy my boyfriend a white rose, rose with babys breath...white rose representing his deceased mother, he loves babys breath, and I had it wrapped in a deep purple wrap. His moms favorite flower was a deep purple lilac tree/bush. Since he had a rough Mother's Day, I decided to pick that up for him. THEN I went to the PIG and did not get confused!! I greeted people rather than hiding from them, I stopped and talked to an old friend for 1 full hour!!! I told you I had the gift of gab....but I found what I needed, did not get mixed up and leave in tears. You would have thought there was a big smiley face plastered on my face! I was just excited about that and wanted to share.

Have a wonderful evening and hang in there, there is life after Cymbalta withdrawals.
PS Take Sarah J's advice. Effexor did the same thing to me as Cymbalta did, but worse!!!

Lori