4 replies to this topic

[Janelle]

I am looking for some others in Canada on the same drug and having issues.

[fingerscrossed]

Hi Janelle,

I'm in Canada too. I was taking 60mg Cymbalta for a few years for anxiety/depression but began having trouble with it. I started horrible teeth clenching and grinding for the first time in my life, was gaining weight, had memory loss/fuzzy memory, etc., so I decided to get off it (consulted with my doctor first). I started by going down to 30mg for a couple of weeks, and then on Saturday (January 7th) stopped all together. I'm having a lot of the same withdrawal symptoms as other people on here. I get the brain zapping, terrible dizziness, nausea, and crazy crazy dreams. I just hope this will all be over soon. I'm wondering if I had weaned from 30mg by taking some of the beads out of the capsule or something would have made it better but it's too late now. I'm just trying to ride it out. I dealt with bad withdrawal a number of years ago with Effexor. It took about a week to feel better if I remember correctly. I was hoping it would be the same story with Cymbalta, but after reading so many stories on here of weeks long withdrawals I'm not so sure.

What's your experience been like?

[Heather]

I'm from Canada too! Just went from 60 to 30mg and am not feeling the best but I'm getting by. Have been considering The Road Back program but not sure if anyone else has had much experience with it or how costly it is to get here.. i'm terrified of making the move from 30 to lower.. seems that's when all hell breaks loose

[faye3]

Hi. I'm not from Canada, but wanted to reply. I live in Virginia/USA. I was recently prescribed Cymbalta and was initially put on 30 mg. All was fine for the first 7 days. On day 8, I was told to increase from 30 mg to 60 mg and no longer use the other anti-depression drug that I had been using. During this time, I was attending an important training course for my job. Unfortunately, I got so ill on day 8 (which was the last day of my training) that I could not complete the course. I thought I either had food poisoning or a very bad bout of the flu. If the flu, this would be the worse I've ever experienced. My entire body hurt and I couldn't stop vomiting and D (hate to put it that way), but I can't spell that word anyhow. ha. I spent 2 days in bed, soak and wet from sweating, and aching all over (such pain). I actually thought it would be more comfortable falling asleep and never waking up, but I also couldn't sleep. I haven't felt this kind of pain in a long time. I had a very painful flu back in 1994, and this is the only thing that I can compare it to. I was barely able to get out of bed, fix anything to eat/drink. All I could do was moan and wish for the illness to pass. I kept thinking, what did I eat during the training course (they had snacks available for the attendees daily) and I over indulged. Anyhow, it occurred to me that it may be a side effect of Cymbalta, so I starting reading online posts. Everything I'm experiencing sounds very similar to dozens of other posts I've read. What's worse, is that some even mention that in order to get off the drug (after being on it for only a few weeks), they had to wean themselves for far longer than anticipated. Some are still experiencing these side effects, even off of the drug. All I can say is...WTF!! Don't mean to put it so bluntly, but this is enough for me. I'm glad it works for some of you. But the pain was unbearable for me (after only a week!!). I'm stopping now and wish that I never started. I also heard (maybe I'm wrong - I can't recall where I picked up this information) that for some users of Cymbalta, it is fatal. I don't want to be that person that experiences this side effect!! Even if it is a rare side effect. I've been on anti-depression meds for over 15 years now. Maybe there is no real answer out there, other than taking better care of ourselves, (diet, exercise, prayer, etc.). This experience has convinced me that I need to look at another avenue (versus anti-depressants altogether), though this is the first time that I've ever gone through anything like this. I wish you all the best - I consider myself (at the time of this posting) and anti-Cymbalta user. I hope my post helps others make a decision that is right for them, or at least convinces them to research the drug further before continuing to use it. Sincerely, Faye

[sickasadog]

I am looking for some others in Canada on the same drug and having issues.

Hi Janelle: From Ontario and experienced terrible side effects both while on Cymbalta and for some time after stopping cold turkey. This drug should NOT be allowed to remain on the market yet rheumatologists and other doctors alike (must be) paid big $ from the Eli Lily to not only continue perscribing it but also promoting it. On the suggestion and advice of my pharmacist, I reported my incident to Health Canada's "Adverse Reaction to a Drug" division yet nothing has been done about preventing it from being perscribed. Unfortunately, politics seem to rule supreme and instead of the various health/drug administrative departments in both Canada and the U.S. dragging their heels about introducing a truly beneficial new drug, we have to deal with this type of hesitancy and disregard from these mammoth pharma companies and politicians about eliminating the sale of a particular drug.

I was "sick as a dog" while on it (30 days) and after coming off of it (my own choice). I experienced brain zaps, night terrors, soaking 'sweats', nausea, confusions, blurred vision and a myriad of other things. Some have said they likened coming off the drug to that of a heroin addict quitting and, although I've never taken heroin, from the description, I'd have to agree.

This is one nasty, nasty drug and my fibromyalgia rages on BUT never ever ever will I swallow another one of those horrible Cymbalta pills again.

Not happy.