12 replies to this topic

[smeagol]

Today is the 46th day I've been totally off Cymbalta.

How am I feeling? Hell!

There is no sign the physical symptoms will fade away. I am suffering from the following 4 major symptoms everyday:

1) Tremor and muscle pain
2) Headache
3) Cramping stomach and bloating belly
4) Premature Heart Beats (which is horrible, I mean the feeling)

I am so struggling whether or not I should call a failure of this long journey. What if the doctors are right (they told me this is not withdrawal as the symptoms lasted for so long and no sign it is getting better) that I am ANXIOUS and I need the drug? But another voice (actually not just one, almost all my family members are encouraging me to give it a longer time and hold on) is tell me hold on. But, nobody understand the pain I am experiencing! Well I agree on Cymbalta I was not feeling well but at least I was coping. But now? I am housebound, jobless, depressed, hopeless...

I saw too many posts that people said great the brain zaps are finally gone, no more nauseas, etc.! Maybe I am not the lucky one.

I feel I am at the edge about to give up.

[truckprincess]

I am so sorry to hear you are still struggling after making it so far! I can't get past subtracting 49 beads from 60mg before I start to become very ill with headaches, nausea, brain zaps, upset stomach, jitters, dizziness etc (on week 5 of weaning). I don't believe the doctors are right, your symptoms must still be some withdrawal effects. Have you tried taking any supplements at all? Please don't feel hopeless look how far you have come!

[smeagol]

I am so sorry to hear you are still struggling after making it so far! I can't get past subtracting 49 beads from 60mg before I start to become very ill with headaches, nausea, brain zaps, upset stomach, jitters, dizziness etc (on week 5 of weaning). I don't believe the doctors are right, your symptoms must still be some withdrawal effects. Have you tried taking any supplements at all? Please don't feel hopeless look how far you have come!

Thank you truckprincess!

I wish the doctors are wrong because only in this way I can be at the edge of being positive and keep the faith. Otherwise I can't hold on!

I am taking GNC Fish Oil (with Q10) and mega Vitamin.

Everyday I am tortured by shaking, cramping stomach and headache. BTW, you said you have jitter, is the jitter the same as the tremor/shaking I am experiencing now?

The 4+ months weaning process is not that horrible to me. However, I never imagined the "post Cymbalta" life is so anxious and miserable.

[smeagol]

Maybe, this is the so called "protracted withdrawal", which will normally last 6 to 18 months. I guess I probably stuck in it.

This morning I was working online for some documentation. I can't tolerate too much brain work and get concentrated is difficult for me. Then suddenly I got so shaky, acute pain in the chest muscle, agitated, pain in the stomach, bloating in the belly. I was so scared and had to take a 0.5mg Clonazepam.

I am so hopeless now.

7 weeks, 7 weeks after I came off the Cymbalta. I don't know how long this pain will last.

[smeagol]

Maybe, this is the so called "protracted withdrawal", which will normally last 6 to 18 months. I guess I probably stuck in it.

This morning I was working online for some documentation. I can't tolerate too much brain work and get concentrated is difficult for me. Then suddenly I got so shaky, acute pain in the chest muscle, agitated, pain in the stomach, bloating in the belly. I was so scared and had to take a 0.5mg Clonazepam.

I am so hopeless now.

7 weeks, 7 weeks after I came off the Cymbalta. I don't know how long this pain will last.

However, think it "positively", the only good sign is that I am not that irritated as 7 weeks ago, maybe I am too tired to be pissed off? Who knows? I remember during the final dash of my weaning process and the first couple of weeks after I totally stopped Cymbalta, I was so irritated, I almost challenge my wife everyday. I got easily pissed off for no reason. Now? I am just too tired to argue, to challenge.

[truckprincess]

Yes I believe the jitters are the same as what you describe as shakes/tremors. My first symptom weaning was the upset stomach which I noticed by increasing my fiber supplement intake helped a ton. I wonder if you tried the L-tyrosine? Maybe that would help with the remainder of your symptoms or at least help decrease them. It is safer to take than the 5-HTP. For the muscle pain try magnesium. I take it nightly to help ease my RSD pain because it causes muscle cramps, aches, spasms so the magnesium helps ( I also take potassium in the morning). Did you have trouble with the brain zaps at all? I know people have mentioned the fish oil but I take that daily any how and so I am not sure if that's why it didn't help me or not. I gave up on the weaning process and am trying all over again. I was just getting way too sick. I notice the fatigue is troublesome as well. Strange how when I first began to taper my energy increased and I felt great. But the more I tapered the more sick and tired I felt. I believe the L-tyrosine also helps with fatigue. I tried to take it as I was weaning but was unable to. I also used to take my cymbalta at night so I just switched today back to taking it in the morning hoping as I taper it will make it easier. I can certainly empathize with you. I am so frustrated and pissed off over this drug. I wonder if your doctor would be willing to give you ativan or xanax to help ease some of the anxiety? I also wonder if printing off some of the posts here to show him exactly what people are going through and that you are not alone would open his eyes. I am not too happy with my doctor right now as he didn't once warn me of any withdrawal symptoms and his way of having me wean off was a joke and I knew that wouldn't work even though he told me he had success of people weaning off that way. Yeah maybe if they had only been on it for a couple of weeks. I sure hope you start to feel better soon. Let me know if you try what I suggested if it helps in any way.

[truckprincess]

I was just reading about GLUTATHIONE and I wonder if that might be something better to try rather than the L-tyrosine? I also wonder about a gentle detox such as milk thistle for a week or so then taking some probiotics and fiber would help at all?

[smeagol]

I was just reading about GLUTATHIONE and I wonder if that might be something better to try rather than the L-tyrosine? I also wonder about a gentle detox such as milk thistle for a week or so then taking some probiotics and fiber would help at all?

Hi truckprincess,

I actually bought a bottle of L-tyrosine (1000mg per day) from GNC ast week . I took it for about 4 days, but then I got bad headache all the day. So I stopped for about 4 days and the headache gone. I was soo struggling before I bought it because based on my research the L-Tyrosine will worsen the high BP and migraine. I don't have high BP. But my concern was the migraine. I didn't have the migraine at all before I was put onto the anti depression shit 5 years ago. However, after they put me onto Effexor 5 years ago, I started to have this fxxking chronic migraine. This is why I wanted to come off Effexor last year. However, I failed because of the rebounded anxiety. The doc told me: see? you proved by yourself that you have anxiety! so that you need to take the medication! I trusted him and he put me back onto Effexor (to even higher dose) but it just didn't kick in for 6 weeks. So the doc switched me to Cymbalta!!!

Last night I took L-tyrosine again because I want to see if I can benefit from it to cope with the daytime anxiety. My logic is: I don't have migraine, it was the drug, or the anxiety gave me the headache, if L-Tyrosine can ease the anxiety to whatever level, it can ease my headache a little bit. Sorry this the only reason supporting me, given this slow brain damaged by the fxxking drugs!

Let me try another 3-4 days. And I will update you guys. I never dare to take the 5-HTP because based on my research it may worsen the anxiety. I am enough, let the body heal it by itself, I dare not to introduce more chemical.

BTW, what's "Glutathione"? What's the benefit? Where to buy?

[smeagol]

Hi truckprincess,

I actually bought a bottle of L-tyrosine (1000mg per day) from GNC ast week . I took it for about 4 days, but then I got bad headache all the day. So I stopped for about 4 days and the headache gone. I was soo struggling before I bought it because based on my research the L-Tyrosine will worsen the high BP and migraine. I don't have high BP. But my concern was the migraine. I didn't have the migraine at all before I was put onto the anti depression shit 5 years ago. However, after they put me onto Effexor 5 years ago, I started to have this fxxking chronic migraine. This is why I wanted to come off Effexor last year. However, I failed because of the rebounded anxiety. The doc told me: see? you proved by yourself that you have anxiety! so that you need to take the medication! I trusted him and he put me back onto Effexor (to even higher dose) but it just didn't kick in for 6 weeks. So the doc switched me to Cymbalta!!!

Last night I took L-tyrosine again because I want to see if I can benefit from it to cope with the daytime anxiety. My logic is: I don't have migraine, it was the drug, or the anxiety gave me the headache, if L-Tyrosine can ease the anxiety to whatever level, it can ease my headache a little bit. Sorry this the only reason supporting me, given this slow brain damaged by the fxxking drugs!

Let me try another 3-4 days. And I will update you guys. I never dare to take the 5-HTP because based on my research it may worsen the anxiety. I am enough, let the body heal it by itself, I dare not to introduce more chemical.

BTW, what's "Glutathione"? What's the benefit? Where to buy?

Hi I just searched it. Forget about it. I personally don't think you will benefit from this L-Glutathione, for withdrawal I mean.

[truckprincess]

Hi, thank you for sharing on those two supplements. I told my husband tonight I can't do this. I can't handle the withdrawals. I will try one more way and if that doesn't work I am at a loss. I had given myself a few days of my regular 60mg dose and then tried to take it in the morning yesterday. Didn't feel so well last night and then this morning tried the 30mg. When I alternated the 60/30 before I had no problems. Well needless to say I ended up taking another 30 tonight like I normally would have. So switching to morning won't work and clearly I can't alternate 60/30 now. I am not sure if it's because I have messed with the med so much trying to find a way to taper that now my body is so crazy mixed up or what. So now I am going to try taking out ten beads a week and see how it goes. I don't know what is scarier honestly, being on this evil shit or going off of it? The only thing about bead counting is none of the samples the doctor gave me have the same amount of beads in them. And I only have about two weeks worth of the 60's and maybe 3 weeks of the 30's. Honestly, if it wasn't for my daughters I think I would just go buy a bunch of beer and a few cartons of cigs, lock myself up for a couple of weeks and just cut the cymbalta cold turkey. It seriously pisses me off that if I was doing crack or some crazy drug I could get help but something like this? Hell no. They just keep pushing the cymbalta like candy, I just can't get over some of the excuses these docs are using to put people on this shit. WTH? They must be getting a huge cut or something. And what will the new wonder drug be when cymbalta can be made in generic form next year? And the FDA can EFF off for all I care. The crap they approve and allow in our foods, meds, etc and yet when it comes to vitamins or supplements it can come from any where with no approval. Almost makes me think the stuff not approved is safer. Then I was reading all the drug interaction possibilities with cymbalta and others. Here I am on vicodin, restoril and valium plus I take antihistamine. All things that can cause interactions. I trusted my doctors for what???? Sorry for my rant, guess I am angry right now I can't get off this stuff. I never had migraines at all in my life until I was put on antidepressants but I did notice the few days I tried the L-tyrosine I had horrid headaches and dizziness but I wasn't sure if was that or the withdrawal. I do hope it works for you and you begin to feel better.

[smeagol]

early this morning I woke up with pain in the stomach and it was constant. I had to to the ER and they did me blood work and ECG. Everything was fine. The doctor gave me 30 days of a drug named "Tecta". I dare not to take it because of the potential side effects.

I am so exhausted. 50 days. I just can't cope. I can't win this. I took a 0.25mg Clonazepam but can't fall into sleep, just headache. I think it may be a smart choice to change to another SSRI.

[smeagol]

I have 2 choices now:

1) give up and start take another antidepression to treat my anxiety, it could be Cepulex or whatever.

2) hold on, fight with it as die hard, but I have to take 2*0.5mg Ativan during the daytime and Clonazepam at bed time.

[truckprincess]

Are they treating you with the tecta as if you have GERD or ulcers? Did they find any evidence of this or just thinking your anxiety is the cause? I really think you should try just picking up a magnesium and fiber supplements and see if they help and continue with the ativan and clonazepam. I take restoril for sleep I don't know if this is something you want to look into or not but it helps a ton. And it doesn't cause those nasty groggy feelings the next day like a lot of other sleeping aids. I hate to keep throwing out more ideas for more drugs and any type of medication there is always risk but I don't worry at all about the restoril and I have no side effects at all from it. It is definitely a lesser evil of meds. I still have some topamax that I had been given from before for my RSD which I am not sure why they thought it would help at all with that but it is used to help prevent migraines/headaches. It is an anti seizure med but wonder for short term use maybe it would help? I have taken it before for about a month and had no problems discontinuing it. I forgot I had it and got to thinking I wonder if it would help with the brain zaps. Maybe that is something you could look into? Or what about a small dose or prozac as others have mentioned? I am going to call my so called doctor about getting a small dose of the prozac to help me as I taper and see if he will or not. I don't want to push any ideas in your head and hate for you to have to give in but if you feel you need something then you need to do what is best for you. I don't feel you sound like you have true depression, more like just upset and depressed that you cant get over the withdrawal symptoms. Anxiety, insomnia and headache are such normal/common withdrawal symptoms I just can't understand why your doctor doesn't see this. I really do think some magnesium and fiber would greatly help your stomach issues though. I don't think it will take it all away but I think it would help reduce some of the symptoms. Maybe it's worth a try? Or at least some ideas you could research and see what you think. I keep researching and hoping there has to be something out there.