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[Sandra]

I'd first like to say to anyone using any anti-depressant, if you really need it, stay on it. Whether it be for a few months, years or a lifetime, medicine is better than loss of life & living. I don't judge anyone who takes it. When the time comes to wean off(if that's best for you), expect very unpleasant symptoms. I also want to warn anyone of going Cold Turkey. I did try and it was a stupid mistake. By the 2nd day, I thought I was losing my mind. It's very dangerous and life threatening. Several people in the medical profession explained to me it can cause seizures which could lead to death! Only withdraw under a doctor's supervision!
I am new here, but my withdrawal is not. Thank you for this forum to see I'm not alone, crazy, or dying with these horrible feelings. I've been on Cymbalta for several years & before that Effexor and a few others meds. However, in the past during the meds change, I always replaced one drug with another after a gradual weaning process. I'm so disgusted with what Cymbalta has done to my body and mind! I am not replacing meds this time. Just ridding my body of this junk. This is the worst drug I've ever been on. I've been on 120 mg for close to a year now. Prior to this high dose as my doc had to increase it slowly from 30mg, then 60mg, then 90mg to 120mg! After taking these meds for months, they quit helping me so a vicious cycle began of stronger and stronger doses. I am sooooo ready to be drug free. Since being on Cymbalta, I have been constipated( a few years of this IS NOT HEALTHY), trouble staying asleep, body aches, confusion, trouble concentrating. To make it worse, all the time I've been on it, I was still feeling depressed, like my life is out of control. So I finally decided if I'm feeling so bad being on it, why continue using it. Time to stop the cycle. By the way, when beginning Cymbalta, there are a load of side effects also, such as nausea, dizziness, insomnia which did stop after a week or so. SO here I am today, day number 3 of withdrawal. This process has been close to 3 months now, under a doctors care, which I highly recommend. My doc took me from 120 mg, down to 90mg, down to 60 mg, then 30 mg, then every other day till remaining pills were gone. I've done the every other day for about 10 days. I came to the conclusion that this last phase will drag on for a couple more weeks, and it doesn't really make a difference if I take my last pill now or in 3 weeks. It's going to feel as bad either way. My withdrawal symptoms are, brain zaps, severe dizziness when sitting, upon standing & turning my head to look different directions(like an ocean is in my head with an amplifier), skin tingles(like an insect is on me crawling), impaired vision, irritability, crying spells, nausea,and odd feeling (pressure) in my face around my sinuses, clumsy, lack of concentration, nightly vivid dreams/nightmares, achy flu like symptoms. This is quite a lot to get through. It's been an awful ride. Don't know how long this will last. I started using Benedryl last night to see if it helps. I read a lot of testimonies on line that this helped many people. What do I have to lose! So far, not sure if it helps. Our doctors and drug companies NEED TO INFORM US of these withdraws when we stop using this med. Good luck to all of you. I am trusting and believe God will see me through every day, one day at a time. I will overcome this with His help. I can't wait to live life again without these mind altering drugs.