11 replies to this topic

[adrienneluv]

OK. I took the time to register because I was doing nothing but reading the forums. Reading everyone's stories is SO helpful. Please post your stories because I feel like no one told me about the living hell my life would become after I decided to withdraw from Cymbalta. I had major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, & panic disorder. Also undiagnosed Bipolar II (but that's another story). My psychiatrist put me on Wellbutrin (which helped me lose 67lbs and I have since gotten off of with zero problems) & Cymbalta. It changed my life. I admit this. I had a job, an apartment, some friends...everything was OK. Granted I'm skipping over major things in my life that occured during the interim but basically my ability to cope is what Cymbalta radically changed for me. I felt like even though life was at times unfair I could get through anything. Not a feeling of grandiosity but I felt like coming from a background of crippling depression I felt like I could get through any problem life threw my way. Flash forward to the present day. I have problems that weren't a result of withdrawing from Cymbalta (i.e. marital difficulties, unemployment, etc). Basically I moved to a new state, got married, got a job, got fired from said job due to my Bipolar II disorder and have been unemployed. I figured I have all this time on my hands let's get off Cymbalta, the worst of the medications I was on. I have been wanting to do this forever but I couldn't because I needed to keep things going in my life. OK. Now I have the time to do this.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. The exhaustion. To the point where I couldn't leave my apartment. When I wasn't exhausted, I woke up like I was hungover. Everyday. I felt my eyes change. Like sunlight was hitting them in the afternoon and the bright light was too intense. This was constant. Oh and I felt the pain. Literally. Since Cymbalta is also used for diabetic neuropathy (which was an added bonus but I did not have) it was like never feeling any pain. Literally and figuratively. But when you come off it. Whoa. You feel pain in places you never felt it before. A lot of you felt rage after you withdrawed, I felt deep, intense sadness. Mind boggling sadness. All day. Everyday. Like I've never felt before. It's like there's something in Cymbalta that Eli-Lilly NEVER wants you to withdraw from. It is so bad I want to go back to taking my full Cymbalta dosage. But I won't. Because I'm hanging in there.

I was put on 120 mg. I halved my dosage. This was a week ago. I run for my halved dosage every morning and breath a sigh of releif that I get to take at least that because I feel immediately better. That is for now. I am scared what going cold turkey will bring. I was told that I should give this 3 months and then quit cold turkey. So that's what I'm doing. This is based on internet research. I just know I don't want this in my system anymore. I look forward to any and all comments. Thank-you.

[crazycatgirl82]

Cymbalta helped me for a while, I don't think i cried once that entire year or so! The only reason I took myself off of it was because I lost my health insurance and couldn't afford it. I didn't wean off or anything like that because I had no time to prepare. It was like ripping off a huge super stuck band aid.
Thats so great that you are weaning slow, I hear it makes a BIG difference. I have depression too and going off Cymbalta, my depression is back. But after seeing what a hold that poison had on me I'll never go back to it!

You can get through this!!

[kzap]

Hi Adrienne

Welcome to the forum. please read as many posts as you possible can as you are cutting down your cymbalta. you might want to cut down to 30mg for awhile when your done with your 60mg dosage. I was on 90mg/day for 4 years. I was cut down to 60mg for 2 weeks, then 30mg for 2 weeks then 30mg every other day for 10 days then I was supposed to srop it. I have Fibromyalgia and when all of these side effect ofw/d started hitting me I thought that I had the flu and my firo had kecked up big time. The brain zaps , extreme nausea , dizziness and nightmares led me to this site. I couln't believe it' I was trullu stunned. Any way, I started opening my 30mg caps and started taking the beads , about 1/2 of them /day for about a week. I finally emailed my Dr about what was happening and he started me on Prozac 20mg. I continued the little balls and cut them down to a cap lasting 3 days. Of course, all of these side effects contiued to intensify.Today is day 4 for me w/o cymbalta. I'm still a mess but I'm making it a day at a time through the Grace of God.

I am so thankful to this site because I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I suggest you contiue to read as many of these blogs as possible, and decide what to do. Learn abou the supplements and consider taking some of them. There is a wealth of information here. Keep reading and sharing.

May GOD bless you and keep you safe .

[adrienneluv]

Crazycatgirl82 & kzap, thx for your replies. I had a "situation" this morning and caved in and took my regular dosage. I feel great but I'm comatose. Like I can't feel anything. Tomorrow I'm going back to cutting my dosage. I think I needed to see how my body reacted on/off cymbalta to see what the affects were and wow it's night and day. I know I don't want to live like this anymore. In a comatose state. I needed to be that way for my job to get through everyday but I'm unemployed now and have time to deal with the side effects so I'm going to bite the bullet starting tomorrow. I will continue to read all the posts and do my internet research! Crazycatgirl82 wow no time to wean I FEEL FOR YOU! Kzap I think you said you had your church praying for everyone on this board. That is so thoughtful and sweet of you. I am so happy I found this forum!

[kzap]

Hi Adrienne

Good luck Starting over tomorrow. At least you have one day of feeling good. Today I'm really having a TERRIBLE day. But I don't want to take IT EVER AGAIN. I just emailed my Dr and he already answered me and suggested I come into the office today and asked if I wanted anything else to help. I told him I'm too sick to leave the house today but suggested maybe some xanax might help. Heck I don't really KNOW ANYTHING TODAY FOR SURE. TOO CONFUSED !(I have no idea how I switched to caps here) Sometimes I bust out laughing then crying and vice versa today. Oh well, I figure I"|'m a little closer to that light at the end of the tunnel.

May GOD Bless you and keep you safe.

[becki]

Sorry to hear about the rough days. Adrienne, are you splitting your capsules to make smaller doses? I have been on 60 and have been lowering my dose every week. I'm only down to 44 mg(?) now ,and still have a couple of rough days every week. This is crazy!! I have a hard time believing just a few mg's make such a big difference, but I guess it does.
Just wanted to let you all know I"m here too, and feel your pain. literally.
Becki

[adrienneluv]

Hi Becki, thank-you so much for your comment! I had no clue about splitting the pill when you're withdrawing until I found this forum. It has literally saved my life. Once I start feeling like I can go lower on my dosage, I'm going to break up the 60 mg pill lick my finger and take as many beads as I feel I need. Isn't it unbelievable that this is what it comes down to? I feel like a freak! Why can't I just be normal, you know?

[adrienneluv]

It's December 2012...a few months ago, my husband and I packed up a U-Haul and drove across 3,000+ miles across the USA and moved to Portland, OR. We found a place to live, we both landed jobs...things were looking up. This weekend I overdosed on Ambien. My husband found me on the floor with a huge cut on my chin inches away from the TV, which I almost crashed into. He made me promise to go to urgent care the following day after work. On my way there, I stood at a bridge and this total calm came over me, one I hadn't had since my prior suicide attempts, like I had accepted my fate and was ok w/what I was about to do. I couldn't hear the cars zooming past me or the train in the background. I just stared into the horizon, and jumped the rail. I stood on the ledge and almost fell in but I stopped myself and stood there for awhile...then I jumped back over the rail and walked to the urgent care. They transported me to the emergency room. Basically they speeded up my first appointment w/my new PCP so I can get a referral from her to see a psychiatrist. That is the best they could do, other than offering an outpatient day treatment program, which isn't even up for consideration as I've just started my new job and can't risk taking a lot of time off during my probationary period. I feel safe now...but I can't believe the way the mental health system is set-up. I have really good insurance and I'm still struggling everyday to make it...I don't know how people who don't even have the resources I have are able to make it. All of the calls and voicemails I've left don't amount to anything. I am so frustrated I can't even begin to describe it...but I'm trying my best to make it through. Will keep you updated. Just need some support...

[Heartfeathers]

:::Reaching through the screen to give you a hug::::: {{{{{hugs}}}}} I understand.

[adrienneluv]

:::Reaching through the screen to give you a hug::::: {{{{{hugs}}}}} I understand.

Thank-you...I always wonder how everyone's doing these days...since I last posted this past May '12...

[adrienneluv]

How has everyone been?

[tomitsu]

I stopped in March 2012 and I am struggling still. I have not been able to leave my house for months. I am joining class action lawsuit against Eli Lilly. I still depressed and have a lot of anxiety. I have never been depressed in my life. Bluesy sure, but this is not me. I cannot even run my business anymore. I'm lost I have no confidence anymore. I'm broken and trying to put myself back together is very hard. Most days I only find comfort in my bed. I'm afraid what this is all doing to me physically.