6 replies to this topic

[lessthanfivepercent]

I just stopped taking Cymbalta about a week and a half ago. It wasn't something that I wanted to do (at ALL, especially after having experienced the withdrawal symptoms before), but I couldn't get an appointment with a psychiatrist for a new prescription until February 15th. I had three pills left, and my boyfriend told me to ween myself off a bit by taking half a pill every other day. That wouldn't do for me, though. I tried stopping Cymbalta before, and it was complete hell for me, both physically and emotionally. It was Wednesday when I had to decide if I wanted to take stop taking them right away or try to keep going with them a bit for a while. Because I wanted to try to get off it while he was still going to school, rather than on a weekend when he would have to experience second-hand all of my horrible withdrawal symptoms, I decided to just stop them right then and try not to tell him about it, thereby eliminating as much as possible any talk of how I was "different" or more "moody" and perhaps help myself stay stable for a BIT longer. I may have lasted Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday without too many insane emotions troubling me, though the discomfort in my body was rather annoying, but I was completely irritable by Saturday. I already knew that would happen when I stopped taking the medication. I knew it. I tried before, and the same thing happened. I had not been on my medication for about three days, and I got in to a huge fight with my sister and actually threatened her (how silly, right?). She asked me if I was on some new medication. I laughed inside. No one knew that I stopped taking the Cymbalta, but there it was. It was completely obvious to her that something was severely different.

That's just the emotional aspect of it. That goes away before long, FORTUNATELY, unless the bodily symptoms kick up and bring my mood down rapidly, but the "buzzing" that other people have mentioned is enough to drive me crazy. I feel it all the time. Well, not so much if I don't stand up or walk around or, hell, MOVE. Fortunately for me, I don't work or go to school, so I don't have to feel the symptoms all that much. But I feel like crying every time my boyfriend asks me to go to the store with him, and I just KNOW that I'm going to feel the buzzing and all of the other symptoms. In addition to the buzzing in my head, there's also a light-headed/dizzy feeling, which may just be the same thing. It's hard to tell, really. It's so hard for me to classify and explain these symptoms to my boyfriend. The easiest thing to say is, quite simply, "Something weird is going on in my body, and I don't know what it is." I really don't. I like this buzzing explanation, but if others aren't experiencing it or never have experienced, how will they have the slightest clue what we're talking about? I feel so lost sometimes. We'll be in the store, and there will be the buzzing, some "jolt" or something that I feel shoot through my body, and I feel so out of it for a split second. That's another thing...these are all very quick, split-second feelings, making it all the more troublesome--making it all the more difficult to "cope" with these side effects. I never know when it is going to happen, and I am not lying when I say that it really does make me SICK. It makes me want to cry. I don't go out much and don't really like to, but I would like to not feel like I need to run home and lie in bed every time I DO attempt to leave the home, simply because I'm always dizzy/light-headed/feelings shocks or jolts of some sort.

It's ridiculous. It really is. I read here where someone else said that this medication is addictive. Oh, I would say that it most certainly is! I've never felt this with any other medication. But another thing is, I've never felt like any other medications helped me. I truly felt like this one helped. A LOT. And I want to get back on it as soon as possible. But it really is very frightening to me that this is what I'll have to go through if I'm ever without it again. I knew right after starting it that I didn't want to ever stop taking it, simply because of the dramatic difference I felt. And right after the first time I tried to stop taking it (after seeing Garden State, oh, silly me), I realized that I didn't want to ever be without it just because of withdrawal symptoms.

It's horrible. It is truly, truly horrible, and I am sorry to anyone who has to experience these symptoms and to anyone who has friends or family members who watch and don't understand. I've noticed in the past that I hate when I am feeling something disturbingly uncomfortable or painful and realize that my friends and family members simply don't understand what I'm going through. But with some things, you can sort of explain it. If you have cramps, or some pain in your teeth, or a terrible headache, people have some sort of an idea of what's going on or at least know WHERE the focus of the pain/discomfort is. It's helpful to be able to give them at least that. But I don't even know how to explain this, and it's so embarrassing to always say, "Oh, I'm sorry. I can't go to the store with you, because I'm terrified by the idea of having to feel this weird, buzzing, jolting, shocking, strange, HORRIBLE feeling going through my body whenever I'm standing up or walking around."

I also can't count how many times I wonder if I'm going to faint or pass out. I've never come close, as far as I can tell, and I probably won't, but all of the feelings in my head and the rest of my body make me feel so weak and wonder if I really am just going to fall and pass out.

Anyway. I'm with you all. The withdrawal symptoms are terrible and frightening, and I think it's enough to make people want to avoid this medication as much as possible. I know some of you would hate the idea that I'm actually going back on it, but it truly is the only medication that has EVER helped me. I've tried Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Effexor, Abilify, Lexapro, Risperdal, Zyprexa, and probably some others that I can't remember. None of them have ever helped me at all. If anything, they made me feel crappy. But I noticed positive effects just a few days after starting the Cymbalta, and I fortunately never really felt any bad side effects WHILE taking the drug. The only thing I really remember was CONSTANT yawning. That went on for about a month or a month and a half after starting the medication. It was truly annoying, of course, but it wasn't too much for me to handle. But the fact that there are such horrible withdrawal symptoms when I stop taking the medication is still a worrying fact. All the same, I know I'm going to keep taking it. And I just hope I never have to feel this again. But people definitely should be cautious before deciding if this medicine is right for them. Honestly, I do feel addicted. Physically, I feel like body is telling me that it NEEDS the drug. And I guess that would tell me not to take it at all, but the way it helps stabilize my emotions, keeps me from being overly dramatic/emotional, and also helps with some of my anxiety, it's worth it to me. I just honestly I hope I never have to feel this again. I, personally, am fond of the medication simply because of how it affects me, but it is true that people NEED to be educated about the horrible, unbearable withdrawal symptoms from this drug before EVER taking it. If they want to give it a try, that's their choice to do so, and if they want to continue taking it, as I'm going to, it's also their choice. But beforehand, they need to be aware of these symptoms. And perhaps there needs to be a great deal more research done on this drug to find out WHY it has our bodies feeling so addicted.

[wandap]

I hate to ask this but...are you ever thinking about getting married or having a baby? If so, GET OFF NOW AND STAY OFF! Just think about trying to get off of this newly married or God forbid getting preg. on it. I've been off of it for 1 week and if I EVER get thru this you couldn't hold me down and stuff one in my mouth ever again. Anything that hurts this bad when you don't have it should be illegal! I don't know how to describe the brain zaps other than just that, zaps of...something shooting through your head and body. Electrical? I don't know but I DO know that once this crap is out of my system it will NEVER be back in it again!

[lessthanfivepercent]

I've actually changed my mind about continuing to take it. The withdrawal symptoms really were horrible, and I can't explain how relieved I felt when I woke up the other day and had very few symptoms all day. Little by little, I notice the symptoms going away. I also feel pretty stable, mentally and emotionally. And even if I am somewhat better off with the Cymbalta, I would rather not have to rely on something so horridly addictive, just to stabilize myself. I think I'll be alright.

As far as having a baby goes, though, I don't believe my body is capable. d: It hasn't given me a baby yet, despite the lack of protection.

So you're still feeling the withdrawal symptoms, then? Hopefully they'll go away soon. I've read various comments where people mention different amounts of time that it took for their withdrawal symptoms to go away. And by the way my symptoms felt the day that I wrote this post, I really thought they would last for a month or more...or at least until I could get on the medication again. But I felt better a couple days letter. (: I do hope yours go away soon. What dosage were you on?

[wandap]

I was on 60mg twice a day. How long did it take you to start feeling better? I hope I didn't offend you earlier. I just don't want ANYBODY taking this stuff. I have noticed the irregular heartbeat thread. I had an EKG after Cymbalta and it was horrible enough that i had to do a nucl. stress test to keep the cardio. from flipping out. That test was fine but I wonder if this was why mine was off and if it was, will it go back to normal now.

[lessthanfivepercent]

Oh, my goodness! I didn't realize there were such high dosages being prescribed! Did you ween yourself off, at least? (Of course, I've read that weening yourself off doesn't really help all that much with this particular medication.)

It was about two weeks, I would say, before I felt like I could say I was getting "better." I mean, there are still the zaps and dizziness occasionally, but it isn't as bothersome as it was before. I almost don't even notice the zaps. And where as I used to get them all day, if I would stand up and walk around or move around, I can now walk around fine without getting them once in a number of hours. So it's definitely some very good progress. And I'm glad these symptoms are almost completely gone.

I'm obviously not a doctor, but I would say that if the drug did have something to do with the irregular heartbeats, it should eventually get back to normal. I participated in some drug researching at one point (stupid, I know), and one of the drugs I was on definitely messed with my heartbeat. It got to the point that my heartbeat was actually painful, so I asked the nurses to do an EKG even though they generally only did it during the morning, and my heart rate was WAY up. It was only like that when I was taking that medication, though. So I'm sure once your body gets used to again not being on the medication, you should probably be pretty fine.

And no, you don't offend me at all. No worries. (:

[Bob Pomeroy]

I'm a day off straight cold turkey, but I notice that the symptoms people are reporting as the things which have me siting here with the heeby-jeebees instead. From all I hear, I guess it isn't essential for me to immediately go try to find my doc.
Hope to be in touch.

[lessthanfivepercent]

It isn't, no. You will most likely be alright. The withdrawal symptoms can be complete hell, of course, but they're just withdrawal symptoms, and once your body gets used to being without such an addictive drug, things will gradually get back to normal. Good luck with that! Be a trooper, and it'll all pass within a week or two. (: