21 replies to this topic

[carmenc1975]

Well it has been a full two weeks or more since I last took Cymbalta. I feel great! The detached zombie is gone and I feel awake and ready to go! I went through the buzzing brain , the dizziness, blurred vision, feeling high or drunk, numbness in face and limbs, the last symptom I had was extreme bitchiness! I didnt know I could be a bitch until now. I was always laid back.... That too has faded now. The only thing I do still notice is the aches and pains are back and they will probably stay since that medication also helps body/joint aches. I have learned to like advil. Also the joint and muscle stiffness gets me in the morning get me so I stretch everything good before I get out of bed. I feel like someone who has been half asleep for a couple of years and has woke up alert for a change. I have been a bit hyper but I clean to help that. All and all what I have now is better than being on the medicine. For a while I was not sure about going through the withdrawl since I read that some of you all have had withdrawl symptoms after a couple weeks. I dont think weining yourself off this is going to do you much good because the longer you have the slightest bit of the medication the longer you can expect withdrawls. I weined over a 5 day period and then no more no matter how hard it was. I was on 60mg a day. I skipped a day. Then I went to 30mg one day and skipped a day. The next day I opened a 30mg capsule and took half. Then nothing.....it got bad but it is definately worth sticking it out .

[Lisa Nic]

I sure hope so.... I have been off it for a few weeks now and STILL have the same withdrawal symptoms I did early on.... :cry:

[Susan]

Lisa Nic~ It has been 31 days for me, and I am still having a very difficult time. It is a bloody nightmare, what the past weeks have been like for me. How long were you on Cymbalta? How much were you taking? I am just curious because during all my readings it doesn't seem to matter much or how long, believe it or not. I have a hard time swallowing that. I think every person is different. For me, I was on 120mgs, for close to nine months. Some have been on it several years, and report horrible withdrawals lasting three or four weeks. I keep looking for some kind of magic number to reassure myself, but it doesn't look good to me either. Good Luck and keep posting.

[Sarah J]

26 days of no Cymbalta. Took for 3.5 years for depression. 30mg for first 9 months, up to 60mg then back down to 30. I found so many scary stories from others that I was afraid to try to stop. When I took my last dose, I kept telling myself that I was not going to let the detox win (hard for a depressed person to do). Your experience is yours and I hope it dissipates soon. It was difficult for me to find information of people who have taken this for over a year until I found this site. I hope that you are able to find a balance in your life without Cymbalta soon. Best wishes.

[carmenc1975]

Sorry it took so long to come back but Im like completely having no more problems with the withdrawl.......I took 60mgs for 2 years stopped about 1 month now. I feel great!!! I feel like a energizer bunny and my house hasnt been this clean in two years....Oh....The only thing I do still notice which doesnt upset me just people around me is I have a short temper again but that goes hand and hand with having some ignorant family members......I have said to hell with people who want me to be medicated because it makes me a nicer person...I dont think it is healthy to hold everything in ALL the freakin time!!! Im feeling great letting loose, saying what I truely feel instead of being a zombie and letting people walk all over me and not giving a shit ...... Cymbalta turned me into a doormat and I dont think I liked it. So to everyone who wants to use and abuse me (my husband will vouch for me on this one....its not just me) such as some of my family members they can kiss my ass because the bitch in me is back! (A Rick Flair sound of WOOOO on the end) :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

[Heather Church]

I'm really worried now that I have only taken 60mg, I still feel the effects even though it has been 17 days since I stopped taking cymbalta. I feel dizzy, sleepy, angry, sick to my stomach and flat out terrible. Nothing has changed. When are we all going to go after Eli-Lilly? Are we going to wait until someone else has died. There must be a solution to this. I can't go on forever feeling this way. I need to have a life, I have 5 children for goodness sake. I can't even talk online sometimes because I feel so bad. I have never been such an angry person. When can I move on? I think Eli-Lilly has some explaining to do for all of us. If posting websites, signing petitions and joining support groups isn't enough, than what is? I know I am tired of what this drug has done to me, not just what I am feeling now but the effects I felt when I was injesting this poison. I took this crap for over a year. I am paying the price for what I thought would "stabalize" me. This is wrong. Most days I feel I can't even type or talk about what is going on, but now I will try harder than ever. How long must we suffer? This is all bull-shit. I'm tired, angry and sad and I want to fight. But what do I do? Does anybody know what the steps are? I can't begin to think of what I need to do on my own. Please post any information. It took all the energy I had left just to type this. I hope we can all stand together.

Hermit until further notice,

Heather Church

[coco12]

It has been 28 days since I have been off Cymbalta and starting to do much better. Hang in there because it was over 3 weeks before I even started to feel any releif. Just try to keep it in your head that you ARE going to be better soon. Get that nasty medecine out of your system. Try to take omega 3 and vitimin B12. Hope this helps some.

[schmb01]

I agree with the Omega 3, just be sure it is a good one, not some discount brand; there is a difference. It is helping me not feel so anxious all the time. Limit caffeine, and snack on healthy foods. I know I've already gained 5 lbs, but it is still better than being on this stuff.

[carpastie]

I'm a newly withdrawn Cymbalta user and it's only been 3 days for me. I took it for 8 mos. only, however been on anti-depressants since 2002. Celexa, Wellbutrin XL, Xanax and Cymbalta in 2007. I was advised to take it because of the little to no side effects. I went from 30 mg. to 60 mg to 90 mg per day as of late daily. My current symptoms of withdrawal nausea, foginess and the worst one for me is constant dizziness. I feel like I'm spinning and it's hard to focus on objects. I don't like the way I feel, but with reading all the nightmares..I feel fortunate that my withdrawal is mild. I did have the worst nightmares ever the 1st night I stopped..my taper was gradual..I went from 90 to 60 back to 30 mg..then every other day switching 30 mg. every other day..etc. I'm tired of being medicated..since I had mild-moderate depression and a mother of 2 children, divorced , but in a loving exclusive great relationship! Hang in there..my viewpoint is that I WILL get better too!! We must stop making ELI Lilly so rich but paying high $$ for this med. I truly can't afford it now..because my insurance changed too. I'm going to try the Omega 3 and b12..I take a natural Amino too which is L-Theanine which helps my anxiety...try it. Good luck and pray for me too..I'm hoping the dizzy spells go away..and I pray no more nightmares like I had the 1st night..every hour it would wake me...

[ragdoll210]

Hi all. Day 25 without Cymbalta and I am finally starting to feel like myself again (except for having a horrible cold). No brain zaps today!!!! Yeah. This is the first day I have not had ANY, although they became less and less most days. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel. I cannot believe the withdrawal from this drug was so horrible and lasted for so long. I was on 60mg for 2.5 years and went off cold turkey. It has been hell and back. THINGS WILL EVENTUALLY GET BETTER. I feared I would never be myself again, but am slowing coming back!

[cstrommer]

I too am feeling good. It's been 23 days since I took a cymbalta. I had one dizzy spell this a.m. but overall much better. I weaned down my dosage for 1.5 weeks, then stopped 23 days ago. The emotional ups and downs are better too. I have more pain, but I also like my advil. And I take lyrica. I was on 30 mg and it was rough. I'm sure the higher the dose, the longer it will take you to adjust. My doctor told me (after I had stopped cymbalta) that you should wean over a six week period. She said you start every other day, then half the dose every other day, etc. This should take 6 weeks!!! That's the first time anyone had said that and validated these side effects. Congrats to all. And for those of you who just started down this path, it does get better. Hang in there.

[lucy]

PLEASE LOOK AT MY CATEGORY, HOW TO FIND SUPPORT. UNDER "ANY GRADUATES"
I HOPE YOU "ALL" DO!
YOUR WITHDRAWL SISTER, LUCY

[nloumiller]

My withdrawal is better also. I was on 60 mg for 3 weeks. I started on it for neuropathy from shingles I had immediate relief and for the first time in 4 months I had no pain....I was thrilled. I did have wild dreams and nightmares and then started noticing other weird things so I went on line and was scared to death by all of the negative feedback. Istarted to go cold turkey but decided to consult my doctor. She wanted me to go 30 mg for 1 week...then 1 every other day....then 1 every 2 days for 3 weeks. That was the plan but i decided to take one every other day and then I quit cold turkey after 3 pills....I just wanted it out of my system. I have had the craziest dreams and sometimes wake up screaming. that is better now but the head buzzing is driving me crazy. I feel like I have loose marbles in my head. I had several bad days last week...locked my keys in the car...and just felt wacky. Not every day is bad and really have only had a few horrible days but it has been 3 weeks with no cymbalta.....the same amount of time I was on the drug. I have been doing Oprahs "New Earth" and that has helped think of other things and I believe it has really helped.

I have never had to take anything like this and I cannot believe this drug is on the market. My Dr said that it has saved some of her patients who suffered from depression. She swears by it..I bet she has never taken it!!!! Love my doc but she did say that this drug is not for everyone. No kidding. Good luck to you.

[jane]

thanks for your information. This site has proven so helpful to me, in the last two days. The dizziness is so awful sometimes, we all just need to remember that the body is trying to correct itself once off the poison. Omega 3 (Nordic) has an almost immediate effect in improving the dizziness. I feel like I move around in slow motion, but at least I am able to move again after a week!

[mkhackler]

So happy to hear that most of side effects of your withdrawal are gone. But I don't know how anyone can deal with the joint and muscle pain. You said you are taking only Advil or something? That has had no effect on my pain at all. I have to use the strong stuff. And it's funny, I never had this kind of pain BEFORE being on all this crap, last one being Cymbalta. But now I can't get up in a.m. without taking a hot bath and massaging at the same time while drinking by coffee followed by a chaser of water and pain pills.

Right now I am having my first huge anxiety attack since going off this crap, and snapped at my son big time for no reason. All he did was ask how I was. I'M F------ FINE THANKS! No I'm pissed cause first time in a year I was going to go to other side of state to see my family and now I'm not, so I'm pissed off and extremely sad. :twisted: :oops: . All I wanted was to get out of this damn city for one flipping day, be in the mountains in my brothers big log home chilling out with him and other family. I was excited for them to see the new and improved and happy me. Damn it!

[mkhackler]

I guess that is some of my anxiety. My son doesn't understand. I apologized upside down the other, but he didn't care. As far as my parents, they are both deceased. Dad since 1997 and Mom almost 4 years-just before mothers day. It is funny that you mentioned "this to shall pass". That is what my dad installed in my mind for years, and I still believe it. Maybe not as soon as I want, but it will. No, I was going to see my 3 older brothers and our big sister who we all just found a year ago. Always wanted a big sister, just took 50 years to get her. And she doesn't know the person I use to be at all. Just the drugged up one. I want her to see me now (well minus the pain). My kitties know when I'm sad (they stay close by), know when I am mad (go under the bed), and I hate that I have yelled at them a time or two for no reason. IT IS THE DRUG! OR WAS THE DRUG. But they seem to be the only ones who understand. I can see it in there eyes and feel the unconditional love. Husband was supposed to have loved me unconditionally, but not even he did. The bastard. Ok, won't speak bad of the dead.

Pain bad again today like last night. Am getting ready for my 3rd hot bath of the day, eat some dinner, take a pill and hope I can sleep. Last night my left hip woke me up hurting so bad. That is the side I sleep on. I got up, took a hot bath and tried going back to sleep on right side, but must have turned back over in sleep and woke up with left hip pain again. Never ever ever have I had hip pain. Before cymbalta the only stiff joints I had were left knee and right middle finger. Must be because that was "bird flipping finger".

Took anxiety pill, feeling not quite so sad since my earlier post. By the way for those of you who suffer from anxiety I have take a tiny little pill since my beloved dad passed over 10 years ago and it's great. No side effects at all. It is called Clonazepam. I take one at night and one if I am having serious anxiety issue. Might check it out and talk to docs about it.

Love to all!

[mkhackler]

Me again..............

Just heard on news that Tom Cruise and his family are now living in my wonderful state of Colorado. I hate that man worth a passion. No, not hate, just intensly dislike. :evil:
Him of all people. With his bizzar beliefs on those of us with mental illness. According to him there is no such thing. Such a self centered jerk. And to think I fell in love with him in Top Gun. Couldn't resist a man in uniform. That's probably the only reason I married who I married.

Time for me to move out.......

[mkhackler]

Guess what? It's me again. SURPRISE.......!!!

Check this web sight out and listen to the Geraldo report on Heath Ledger and others:

http://www.labelmesane.com/home.html

Hope it works. The report, all though short, is quite insightful. But things that we are all now learning. At least, because of Heath's death, the dangers of these prescriptions are getting out there to the general public. Maybe we will get more understanding.

[schmb01]

Greybeard, this was a wonderful link! Thanks so much for posting it!

I really like that they talked about not stimulating your nervous system. Early on, I HAD to avoid most TV and movies that were stressful. I watch a lot of cartoons, read Reader's Digest, and for movies, pulled out my daughter's old Disney movies. I completely babied myself when it came to extra stimulus, so it was great to read that it makes sense for others too.

I also like that it talked about nutrition from food sources, and to use caution with supplements. The urge to start popping "natural" supplements is so strong at the beginning. I still think the Omega is helping, but I had a negative reaction to benedryl, in that it made my more hyper, and I felt a lot worse when I took it, but my system has always responded oddly to those types of meds.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks!

Babby

[mkhackler]

How about prescription drug detoxifiers???? Anyone tried them? Anyone researched them? My thinking is going toward that as I'm finding myself becoming to reliant on pain killers now, and am sick and shaky this morning.

[salvador]

hi mi name is salvador i have a question for anybody that can help me i been off cymbalta for about 20 days now but Ive been reading everybodys symtoms and i really havent had a problem with dizziness or brain saps i mean i have had them but thats not whats bothering me whats really bothering me is crazy things that i am thinking that really freak me out that ive never in my life have thought about, does anybody else have this problem or am i going crazy

[salvador]

did anybody go through crazy thoughts thats whats driving me crazy