10 replies to this topic

[heather1234]

Hello everyone-

I just want to say I just found this site and it is great! I wish I would have done some research about Cymbalta a year ago when I went on. I went on Cymbalta for anxiety issues after my husband had an unexplained illness which really just took me to the bottom. We still do not know what was wrong with him and I have been taking 60mg of this drug since then and last month I went down to 30 mgs and noticed some mild side effects but my body quickly adjusted. I have also been going to a counselor the past year which has been great working on my issues that I have. I actually was telling people that I found Cymbalta as a great med and would recommend it to anyone. It really did help get me stable but maybe something else would have to.

I do know that I am on day 6 of being of 30mgs and I feel like I want to scream. I am crying over everything. I called the doc and was fine but as soon as I started talking I started crying. I also made an appointment with my councleor tonight because I feel so horrible. I have not been able to sleep and I am getting some body twitches and shivers. I noticed the changes the past few days but had to keep myself together because I was out of town.

My biggest concern is that all the progress I made this past year with my anxiety might be out the door!?! I just feel so bad and am crying now as I type. I am an emotional person but this is craziness! I was going to ask the doc to put me back on Cymbalta and take me down even further but now I am figuring that since I am already six days in maybe I should just forget it and try to handle this. I am going to ask about benadryl or tylenol PM for bed because I need sleep. I am also not hungry at all and the thought of eating makes me sick but I am forcing a little bit down myself so that I do not get low blood sugar and make anxiety shoot up even more.

Please tell me that this will only be for a bit and I have not wrecked a year of therapy for this stupid horrible withdrawl!

Thanks- Heather

My prayers are with all of you out there :cry:

[schmb01]

Yes, your anxiety is "normal" for withdrawal, as Greybeard said. It feels like crap, and you feel like you are going to go over the edge, but it is part of getting your body back in working order.

I would recommend cutting way back on caffeine, avoid Benedryl, (it worked for some, but it made me feel much, much worse) try taking an Omega 3 supplement, or eating foods high in it, (check out Greybeard's post in the nutritional section) and use any relaxation techniques that you have learned. Avoid violent programs or movies, listen to soft music and try Sleepytime tea with Valerian at bedtime to help you relax.

It will pass, although you may not feel like it will. I'm at 124 days off, and while I have a few residual issues with sleeping, I can say that I made it! I really didn't think I would on a few occasions, but take each day, or hour or minute at a time. Also, like GB said, there are a few of us that are still hanging around to help others that join, so think of this as your safe place. You can make it, just remind yourself of all of the things that make you strong, and hold on to those things.

Babby

[heather1234]

Thanks for the advice!

I went to my doc last night and I think I am going to change to a different doc. Basically when I told him the symptoms I was having and said that they felt the worst yesterday he thought that was strange because since that was day 6 my symptoms should be better because in his words "cymbalta goes directley out of your system and everyday after you end you should feel better gradually." I understand that thought but at the same time I don't. He also went and said that some of my feelings may be to my underlying "disease" that are just coming back. He sure knows how to make someone feel better huh?

So I went to my counselor and talked about stuff and she said that I have come a long way and to just keep my confidence up. She also thought saying my underlying disease made it sound pretty harsh. Yes, while we all have issues we can try to overcome them and not make it sound so bad.

My husband has a great doc who get this calls him to tell him his blood test results when he gets his normal blood work done and even draws his blood in the office instead of passing it off to a nurse. I think I will probably go to him if I need anything else.

Thank you both for your kind words and insight. I came into work about ready to give into this madness and your support has helped me feel a bit better. I guess all I have to say is I am on day 7 and am going to hold strong.

Thanks and well wishes to everyone.

Heather

[heather1234]

Hello-

So today is day 8 off Cymbalta and I went to bed without benadyl last night but it took a good long time. I woke up this morning and felt like how am I going to feel today and is it going to be better? Which that of course made me want to cry and I did and my husband is so great he just always asks me who I am doing and keeps telling me I am doing great! I swear he is the best husband ever!

Does anyone else feel more upset in the morning and at night then the rest of the day? I still have bouts through the day but morning and night seem to be the hardest. Today my head still feels kinda clogged and I am really trying to focus but it is hard. I am also forcing myself to go and do normal stuff. I do not want the old anxiety to get messed up with this anxiety so I am using all my techniques I have learned. I know I can make it through this but it is hard as you all know.

Question about loosing weight? I am overweight now and always have been. I gained probably 20 pounds while on cymbalta and now have no appetite but am forcining myself to eat because I do not want low blood sugar. Well my question was when should I be worried about how much weight I am loosing getting off this drug. I need to loose weight of course but too much too fast is not good either. Does this subside soon? The appetite lose that is? I know I should not have looked at the scale but it looks as though I have lost 5-6 pounds since Monday and it is Wed. I know that is not good but I really am trying to eat and am but because of appetite lose I am having issues. So if any of you could recommend 1 or 2 foods that would be great for me right now let me know. I need to make sure I am getting my vitamins. I know I need to eat food rich in Omega 3's but which is the best if your appetite is so small?

Thanks again to everyone on this board. I hope that once I am feeling better I can be as great support to some new people as you guys are to me!

Thanks-

Heather

[Sarah J]

Well my question was when should I be worried about how much weight I am loosing getting off this drug. I need to loose weight of course but too much too fast is not good either. Does this subside soon? The appetite lose that is? I know I should not have looked at the scale but it looks as though I have lost 5-6 pounds since Monday and it is Wed. I know that is not good but I really am trying to eat and am but because of appetite lose I am having issues. So if any of you could recommend 1 or 2 foods that would be great for me right now let me know. I need to make sure I am getting my vitamins. I know I need to eat food rich in Omega 3's but which is the best if your appetite is so small?

eggs, fish, lean protein (chicken), spinach, greens, vegetables - exercise!!!

nothing processed!

Good luck to you. Once you start to "feel" again, you might find that you get a few days where you can eat everything that isn't nailed down. Might, because we all have very different brain chemistry.

Good luck to you, glad you have great support

[heather1234]

I tried Sleepytime Extra last night but still work up with a mild panic attack or something like it but quickly fell back to sleep. I woke up a few more times as well kind of out of it and feeling a bit stressed.

I guess I keep worrying that what my doc said is true that maybe all the symptoms i think are withdrawal are really me! The sleeping thing is the worst and I had some brain zaps with it. I may be causing some who knows because I wounder every morning how the day is going to go and just want to feel better so badly. :cry:

[schmb01]

Oh, the sleeping and waking with panic attacks was horrid! Even using the Sleepytime, I still had it, but it was much less extreme. Some have described it as sleep paralysis, and I felt that too.

Yes, mornings and evening were the hardest. It is like your brain is fully awake, so it feels like it is misfiring all over the place. For me, the sleep issues are the hardest to overcome. I'm well past 120 days, feeling much better and stable overall, BUT, I still have issues with sleeping. I haven't really had what feels like a nice solid night sleep. Part of it I'm sure is my age, and the lovely menopause thing, but I still have those bizarre instances where just as I'm falling asleep, I hear a loud slamming noise in my head. It scares the hell out of me, but I know it is in my head, because my dog just keeps sleeping. I never had these issues before Effexor or Cymbalta, so it isn't old symptoms "returning" as your doctor said. I think Cymbalta has caused some damage to my brain where sleep is concerned, and I just pray that at some point it will return to normal.

You may want to look into Melatonin too.

[heather1234]

Hello and Happy Monday!

I guess today is day 13 and I am doing ok. Sleep is almost normal. The only real symptoms I still have are some tiny brain zaps from time to time, forgetfulness which is really strange for me because I am one of those never forget people and usually never make lists but have to right now. I also have heart burn or something. I catch myself acting like a lost a breath of air but I think it is heart burn? Anyone else ever feel that?

The other thing I wanted to say is thanks to everyone and for those of you who are brand new this week it may be hard to keep your head up but do it and things will get better.

I am still a work in progress but I just keep moving and praying that this will get better soon.

Have a great week everyone!

Heather

[schmb01]

Don't discount any shortness of breath symptoms as Cymbalta or heartburn. You could have other issues that are surfacing, and it is always good to check them out to be sure they are not heart related.

My thinking is that Cymbalta dulled the pain receptors for so long, that I have to wonder if it actually could have masked more serious health issues in people that took it. I think anyone recently off of this sh*t should have a full physical to be sure that everything else is in working order.

[heather1234]

Thanks!

I went to my doc last Monday but need to switch docs anyway cause I felt like he was discounting stuff. I mean I am in grasp of a lot of my symptoms I will be so happy when this head thing strange heartburn thing is over with.

I will calla new doc and see when I can get in.

Thanks-

Heather

[heather1234]

Saw my doc who I am going to leave as soon as I can get into another doc. Well he says my chest pain AKA the heartburn feeling and breathing stuff is anxiety.

So he said work on my issues with my counselor and it may get better. He said and I know you all will be mad as well that Cymbalta withdrawal is only a week to two max.

I am not nessarelly beliving him and I have more confidence now then I did a week ago so his comments did not hurt me that much. I just wanted to make sure my lungs are ok and heart. For all of you who have ever had bronchitis that is what I feel like I have a bit of but he says no and that I am physically good.

So it did help to hear that but at the same time I know I have some stuff that is not me as well or my old anxiety but is the cymbalta. I do of course think that I may have some issues that still need to be resolved in general with my anxiety but with a strange withdrawal like cymbalta who wouldn't have anxiety issues that are being brought up because of cymbalta causing even more anxiousness in those of us who have had negative withdrawal symptoms.

Well to everyone out there thanks for the support and keep moving ahead.......that is all we can do.

Anyone who has a Meijer by them may want to go to the store right now because they have supplements on sale and I just got the Omega 3 fish oil to start. The sale is great it is buy one get one free of their brand and their brand has been distilled for purity.