2 replies to this topic

[dreamcakes]

I am scared to death! I have taken Cymbalta for about 3 months for pain and depression due to chronic pain.
I started noticing that when I drive I was "zoning out"??? I can't really find a word that fits what was happening to my eyes. I have a cake shop so my days are not extremely structured but I started noticing that I couldn't focus on my cakes well enough to get the details right but thought it was possibly my age? I am 44 and had 3 spine surgeries which has left me in constant pain with pain also from nerve damage. I Take Lyrica for the nerve pain which causes severe depression. I couldn't stand the constant crying and that I was spending my days in bed with the cover pulled over my head. To be able to get out of bed and work I need pain medicine....to combat the side effects of the pain medicine my doctor wanted me to go on an anti depressant....I did, Celexa....it was causing my chest to hurt so I stopped taking it....that simple....I just stopped. The crying was back and I am scared to keep taking so much pain meds. My doctor added Cymbalta. This is where my life went out of control. I'm sorry I'm jumping around and rambling....my brain is foggy. I have never had a drink of alcohol in my life so the thought of taking narcotics every day for the rest of my life is insane. I started Cymbalta and noticed a difference the very first day. Almost immediately I also noticed that I was feeling what I can only describe as an electrical shock in my left hand. It would happen thru out the day every day. I'm not sure exactly at what point I noticed my eyes going crazy. They just jump from side to side really fast for a second or 2 and then it's over. I make deliveries with my cakes which are long drives at times. I just thought I was sleepy because I'm putting in long hours trying to get my shop up and going. The day I realized something was wrong I wasn't falling asleep I was on a 3 hour cake delivery drive. I had to stop a couple of times and walk around which actually did nothing for it and I ended up with a huge bruise on my arm where I kept pinching myself to try to keep my eyes focused enough to see the road. I was scared I was going to have to stop and call someone to come get me?!? This was the day I knew I could not take this medicine. I talked to my doctor who advised me to go from the 60mg. I was taking (she had told me to take 60 2 times a day but I never took more than one because I was scared to do more) to 30mg per day for a week. I took the 30 for a week and just stopped like she suggested. The first day I felt just plain old yuck...but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't handle it. The second day....I'm sure I must have been at deaths door...at times I screamed out for someone..anyone...to just kill me. I was burning up and freezing....dry heaving....having stomach and intestinal cramps....my face felt like it was on fire....every time my husband touched me it felt like he was shocking me....I could not suck enough air in to feel like I could breathe....it felt like the ocean was inside my head and waves were crashing continiously...I was crying uncontroably....as I mentioned I kept crying out for help....to die. My husband begged me to let him take me to the hospital but with the bad experience I had had with my spine surgeries I knew if I went....they WOULD kill me. We finally did a topical phennergan and took a methadone that the doctor had given me for pain but I was not able to take because they made me too groggy but I had not thrown them away THANK GOD!!!! I knew it was given to help people with the bad things that happened when they tried to get off of drugs. I think it saved my life that night. It has now been 8 days since I have had a Cymbalta...my head still feels like the ocean is crashing against my skull so much so I can't function. My face is still on fire...my temp is 1 degree lower than normal for me even though I feel like I have fever...I'm shaking...I'm crying....I'm in a bad mood...the nausea is awful, I'm still doing the topical phennergan to get thru the days because I HAVE to work. How long is this going to last???? When I can't take it any more I break a methadone in half and take that....I am SICK of having to take one med to fix what another is causing. I feel like I'm losing this battle. My doctor said she doesn't think this is withdrawal from Cymbalta. I feel like screaming at her!!! I have told her 100 times I am afraid of medicines...I do not want to take them....my Dad died from liver failure. She is not listening. I don't know what to do....this is killing me...I really am scared it has caused these things that are never going to get better. Please please please someone tell me that you know what I'm talking about and it got better? I am so thankful to find this page...I am at the end of my rope but found this and now I know I am not alone. Thank you for this forum....thank you for giving me hope.

[Beachbum]

That is withdrawl from Cymbalta I just went through it and you have to go very slow 60,30 2 weeks, 30mg one day and 20mg the next 2 weeks, 20mg a day for 2weeks, 20 every other day 2 weeks. Hope it helps

[irnwmn05]

I feel the very same way with my Dr. I told her I hate to take meds, but the fatigue and foggy brain from the Fibro she diagnosed me with was becoming life altering so I agreed to try Cymbalta. I also am self employed and if I don't work I don't earn an income. I have been very careful with my health and fitness all my adult life and the thought of this poison causing long term damage scares me!!!! I too would like to hear from others that have been "Cymbalta Free" long term and hear what their overall health is and if they have found out if there has been any long term health damage done by using this drug.