3 replies to this topic

[schmb01]

Wow, your story is heartbreaking. First, do NOT do the every other day process of trying to come off of this. Cymbalta has a very short half life, and what you were doing was throwing yourself in and out of withdrawal. Second, drinking while on Cymbalta is a big no no. Cymbalta is known to cause liver damage in people with weakened livers, and especially in people who drink.

I hope you have also read some of the posts about what people have done to wean off of this. You should do it very slowly, and there is a tapering schedule here that outlines a plan that worked for some folks. Many of us are taking supplements, such as a good Omega 3, which acts as a natural "prozac" so to speak, and it worked very well for many of us. Others ended up using a one dose regimen of Prozac or a plan of using Celexa to help them wean.

What you are feeling are very classic discontinuation symptoms, and they are not pleasant as you well know. Muscle aches and pains are very common, many describe them as feeling like they have the flu. Rage, and other extreme emotions are also very common, and you almost have to learn to chant to yourself, "it is the drug, it isn't me".

This is a very powerful drug, and very difficult to come off of, but many of us have come through it. There were times when we all felt like we wouldn't make it, or that we were permanently impaired by this drug. Those feelings are common too. It is a slow process, but each day you do feel a little better, until one day you will look back and be shocked at how horrible you once felt.

Please,read through some of the weaning posts and see what worked for other people. You may be one that does better with some medical intervention. You also don't want to discount that you may need to be on some type of antidepressant, just not this one. That is a decision you will have to make after being assessed by a competent doctor. Just know that we have all be where you are, and know just how hard this is. We also understand the intense feelings and thoughts that you are having, and will be here to support you as you work through this.

Ask any questions that you have, there are a number of people here to answer and try to help.

[Sarah J]

Hey there jp27 - taking Cymbalta every other day doesn't work and puts you into withdrawals every other day. Weaning down slowly, or else switching to an SSRI would be most beneficial to you (the bait and switch with an SSRI was how I got out of the Cymbalta mess). Cymbalta stopped working for me about 9 months after I took it.

Do you get any sleep on Cymbalta? I took it for 3.5 years and slept about 4-5 hours a night, which obviously does nothing to help with one's mental health. You mentioned being exhausted, and I wasn't sure if it was the whole process or that you just are not able to sleep.

I wish you all the luck in the world, just don't stop cold turkey. If you took Zoloft and were able to come off of it with no problems, you might have to see a doctor and try to switch back to that to help you get through this. I know it sounds absurd to take one drug to get over another, but it works well for some people.

124 days cymbalta free
38 days antidepressant free

[Sarah J]

i've been struggling with whether to keep taking it and just deal with the sleepiness, or try to wean myself off the cymbalta. i actually started an internet search just out of curiosity to see if what i experienced last summer could in fact be withdrawal to the cymbalta, and i guess it was. like everyone else, i thought it was me going crazy. now, after reading all of this, i definitely want to stop taking it for good. i can't wait to get the poison out of my system. but i won't do it cold turkey this time.

sorry, when I first read your post, I thought the exhaustion was related to not taking Cymbalta. I seem to be in the minority of finally being able to sleep when I came off. Just another indicator of how different everybody in relation to brain chemistry.

If Cymbalta is helping you as it should then I would understand continuning with it. If you are staying on to avoid withdrawal, then you need to be working with a doctor to make sure that your diagnosis is appropriate and that you are taking the correct medication (if in fact you need any at all) to work for you.

Did you trust the doctor who prescribed you the cymbalta? Is there any way that you can develop a payment plan or reduced fee with them to help you get through this? I know you said you are without health insurance at the moment, which has to make this even more difficult.

If you decide to come off of this on your own, please go slowly and stay at reduced doses for a couple of weeks feeling good, then drop further. Of course, you want it to be over quickly, but it isn't a race, it is your mental health and well being. Be safe and careful with yourself.

[mkhackler]

Lets see here. How many days now in misery with this pain? Hmmmm. 34 days. COLD TURKEY. Wish I had found this web sight before tossing my pills in the toilet. Starting feeling the rage everyone talks about, but that didn't start until about 10 days ago. I think my rage is due to my frustrations of dealing with an inept medical community, hurting and not having a normal life. I'm now on a prescription pain killer (which most of you know I did not want to take) every 4-5 hours. It's helping me cope much better, but do not want to rely on them while I am going through this withdrawal. Had an appointment with pain managment specialist this Monday, but they called Friday afternoon and said "we're very sorry but the doctor has to many patients and can't take anymore on right now". And they didn't know this a week before when I had made the appointment? Come on people.........

So, now have contacted another specialist or should say his registered nurse who was wonderful. She spent maybe a half an hour going over all of my symptoms with me very carefully. She is amazed how flippant my GP's have toward this whole thing. Anyway, she said one of the doctors from the pain clinic will contact me personally on Monday or Tuesday by noon. Lord, I need some help with this. Will let everyone know what this specialist says after 1st. appointment.

Anyway, point being to the new person of who's name I have forgotten by now, do not, absolutely do not go cold turkey off of this stuff. As the others have said taper off it...slowly. And please please please, (and this IS NOT a lecture) get help for the alcohol. You know that is a huge depressent all in it's own.

Love and kisses to all!