4 replies to this topic

[kderubeis]

I too have been suffering the withdrawal symptoms that are commonly listed, and am angered by more than just the drug. I have been going over and over this mess of a system we have going on here. I am extremely disappointed in my personal medical care. I am a Licensed Vocational Nurse, and in school we were told that nursing is largely dependent on common sense plus the education we received. Relying on someone else's common sense is obviously a scary thought to most of us. But if you think about it, that is pretty much how the world rotates. Everyday we rely on someone's common sense about the job they do. I don't like confrontation and am generally an agreeable patient with my doctors. Of course the Cymbalta withdrawals have given me a new found courage to speak my mind. If you know what I mean. I am practicing great restraint under the ever changing moods and irritability I am suffering. But I plan to write a "mission" statement to the psychiatric field and take it as far as it can go! First of all, psychiatric care guidelines need to be changed. There is no "real" management of patients. Management should not end when you walk out the door and begin with the next visit. Yes, we are free to call the doctor and report side effects or problems, but if we are truly depressed and unmotivated, not to mention frustrated, we may not pick up the phone right away or at all. Doctors should be following up with us!! I also would like to know why no one ever takes vital signs, such as blood pressure, temperature, pulse, etc. when you go to a psychiatric visit? Meds that alter these signs that should be immediately reevaluated. But how would they know unless it is being done? Also some blood work should be done as a baseline and routinely reevaluated. This information is even stated on some medication inserts. I have never had anyone do this. I didn't bring it to their attention because I have bloodwork done for other medical issues and keep up on it myself. The doctor treating me is one of the "top" psychiatric doc's in the city. I expected so much more. I was recently surprised to know also that you are not supposed to take NSAIDs or aspirin with Cymbalta, and that any alcohol consumption with the drug can compromise your livers health. I was asked about alcohol consumption. But I was not informed about alcohol consumption and this drug, which is definitely more serious than other SSRI's. I am glad I don't really drink, but the part about the aspirin and NSAIDs is a bit more shocking. My doctor was referred by another "top city" doc I see and even knows the doctors I once worked for. You think I would have gotten more scrutinized attention and care. I have been forced to face so much about the entire health care system recently that it would take another 500 words to explain. But mainly I want to encourage everyone to keep going forward every day, know that we are not alone in our fight for health. To say thank you to all the people posting their stories, because without all of you I would never have known what was wrong with me and that it was the medication. I am now looking at drug withdrawal symptoms before I ever start any new medications, and I don't plan on starting any new psych meds in the near future. It has been a twenty year road for me and I am going to rely on other tools and knowledge I have acquired along the way to get me through my major depressive disorder, mood stabilization, anxiety, fibromyalgia and recent major surgery challenges I face because I don't have a doctor in which to put faith. If some of this doesn't linguistically make since, you all know why. Thanks Cymbalta for the inability to get words and thoughts out of my mouth clearly.

[CathyH]

Kderubeis.......I agree with so many things you said. One thing that popped into my mind as I was reading your post, is that I have been labeled by my doc and husband as being treatment resistant. Now, my husband is an ER nurse, an RN, so he's right in with the medical community. My reply to him is that I have always done what my doc told me to do (that's changing), but I have not always been in total agreement with him. Yes, I have expressed my concerns and opinions with my doc. Not going to apologize to ANYONE about that. But that's where they get the treatment resistant thing. Am I not allowed to have my own opinions about my treatment and how things are going? I don't believe I'm a difficult patient, I don't pick fights with my doc, I don't argue with him. But I do let him know what I'm thinking. So what, am I supposed to go in there like a robot, and just do what he says without any questions? Screw them both. :x

[schmb01]

Greybeard put it best when he said many doctors use medications such as Cymbalta to create automatons. When we take these meds, we are much more easily managed, because we don't think or feel. I'm not going to apologize either for wanting to feel.

[CathyH]

One of the biggest things that happened to me (especially after going down on my dose of Seroquel), was that I started to feel again. At first, I mistook it for mania (the feeling again, and the extra energy). It took me a minute to figure out that this is how things are supposed to be normally, not that my mental illness was taking over again. Ohhhhh......yeah, I'm supposed to feel in this life. And yeah, I'm supposed to have some energy, too. Amazing.

I think I'm going to feel even better after this Cymbalta shit is over, and God, I can't wait to be on the other side.

[kderubeis]

Thank you all for your replies. You know the very thing we are trying to achieve for ourselves is to feel we are managing our everyday mental challenges. To not feel like zombies or automatons. I too like preserving the caring, compassionate person who has lots of feelings. I don't want to cover up that person with mindless meds. I was born with mood disorder and depression. Up until my January 08 complete Hysterectomy, my meds Lamictal 300mg, Prozac 20mg, and Klonopin 0.5mg were doing a good job. I had finally found a good combination and had only been on this combo for about 7mos. and it took me my whole life to find it!! A lot of medication tries till then. After the surgery they started me on hormone replacement therapy, I had to have both ovaries removed. If you do not have hormones going into in your system you can have major bone problems later. Being 37, didn't leave me much choice for the therapy. I have been blessed not to have any menopausal symptoms, but the hrt changed the way all my meds were performing, including my blood pressure med, my acid reflux med and my pysch meds. My doctor who performed my surgery and whom I have known since I was 16, said that the hrt shouldn't have anything to do with it and that my hormone blood levels were fine. Big surprise, huh?? My psych doc, was more supportive and did listen, he changed my Prozac to Cymbalta. I started with 7 days of 30mg of Cymbalta and then went to 60mg. After about 8 days of the 60mg I couldn't handle the hot/cold sweating sensations and had to stop taking it. It was not until a week later that I woke up with the symptoms from hell. To me it is really scary that such a short dose could do this. And why so long till they began?? The doctor did what a lot of other docs do and tried to wean me off slowly. Two weeks of 30mgs. He did say he had heard of some problems with withdrawals. I was surprised he said that. But grateful too. I didn't really think it would work but I was desperate as most of us are in this situation. No one from the office followed up, I knew they wouldn't but they really should make it a practice. I didn't call back to let him know that it just prolonged the inevitable all over again because of course there is nothing more to be done right now. But when I am better I hope he will give me time to explain my feelings about all of this. He had advised me to see an Endocrinologist about the hormone replacement therapy and the problems with my other meds. I haven't yet. My life is full of doctors and I am very discouraged right now, not to mention unable to think or drive. I plan to take some time try to get through these withdrawals first, and then proceed. It has taken me over a hour to write and re-write this.

Incidentally, I started kinda of re-experiencing some symptoms. For about three days now, I am having very mild zaps again, my concentration difficulty regressed, and my heart rate is high, feeling palpitations. Has anyone experienced anything like that, symptoms going away then kinda starting again?

And Greybeard if you by chance see this, you seem full of information and are very supportive to so many!! Thanks!!
I have to friends who absolutely agree with the automaton theory!! My best friend is a four year RN who works at MD Anderson and who has personal and family experience with mood disorder and depression. She does everything to avoid going down the medication road. She tries to practices diet and exercise, we both love Yoga too!! Of course what happened to all of us is her worst fear!! She says she doesn't do all the things she should do all the time and her job really doesn't help, but we all have to choose our own roads.

I recommend Yoga and meditation for stress reduction as well as a great workout, for those of you who have never tried it, Yoga is not for sissies! Just in case any of you had heard it wasn't really a workout!!

Also I read a lot of posts about the Omega-3, 5dht (sorry can't remember exact title right now), and B-complex nutritional therapies. It makes a lot of sense that these would help, and I am going to try it. We try to eat a lot of fresh wild salmon, because it is good for mental well being as well as heart!! Just expensive, but the more natural the better!!

My Prayers and Positive Thoughts Be with You ALL!!