9 replies to this topic

[Ray1977]

I was wondering if anyone could help.
I have been taking Cymbalta for about 4 months (60mg capsules) and I decided to get off them. I was only taking them for my fatigue issue.
Has anyone done this dose and just got off it? Its day 4 and im still at the state where I want to throw up and dizzy/weak. I should have consulted with my doctor before doing this but im this far.
Horrible feeling and Im curious how long it will take for the symptoms to go away and if cold turkey is not the way to go (any danger to this?) I perfer not to wean off and reduce the medication as I just want off this stuff.
Any feed back is great.

Thank you,

[yakgoddess]

Don't quit cold turkey....day by day it really only gets worse. About 2 years ago I found out I was pregnant (unplanned) on the weekend. Both my Mother (a registered nurse) and my husband (a chemist) agreed with me that I should quit right then and shouldn't wait for the Dr. on Monday.

Holy Crap! I have never felt so awful in my whole life. I was on 120mg at that time. I had to go back on it and wean slowly. Sadly, by the time I was back off of it, my little one hadn't survived. I don't blame that on the Cymbalta but I do wonder if I had been able to get off sooner if the results would have been different.

I can tell you that the floor was tilting, I was dizzy and my limbs were tingling. My Dr. (due to circumstances of extreme stress & my fibromyalgia) convinced me to go back on it. So, now I want to get off and here I go again! I will NEVER take this product again. It worked for me; but if you need to stop (I want to get pregnant) it takes forever.

It's like my dad used to say "sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.)

Peace

[Ray1977]

Day 6 update:

I saw the doctor and he told me that its the worst the first week and it gets better. He didnt recommend that I wean off it, he said to keep going. I got a pharmacist to call Cymbalta and they said to wean off it for 2-6 weeks but the last thing Im going to do is trust a Cymbalta helpline. As for how I feel now, I still have the nausia, fatigue, feels like im going to throw up, basically like a flu that hasnt gone away in 6 days. :0
I dont recommend going cold turkey to others but im not sure weaning would have been any different other then feeling like this for 2 months. Cold turkey is probably the best way for me to get over this as the doctor doesnt believe Im a depressent. My only depressant symptom was fatigue so the right call is to get off this poison. Ill give another update next Monday.

[Attorney_Victim]

Ray,
Sounds like you made the right call for you. Although cold turkey is brutal, many people still experience withdrawal from the 20mgs, which is the lowest dose available. You are already a week into the withdrawal, and many people report feeling some relief after the first week. Hopefully, the worst is nearly over for you. I did the "switch" method to Prozac on Day 4, but the nausea and diarrhea still stuck around for at least 1.5-2 weeks.

As Greybeard mentioned, this drug is very powerful...it affects people in so many different ways. Some people go on a low dose for a very brief time and still go through major withdrawal. There doesn't seem to be any way to predict how someone will respond when stopping this drug.

[Ray1977]

Day 9 update:

As of yesterday, I have the same symptoms but the degree of intensity has changed. It was say 8/10 the first 7 days and now its 5/10 which is a huge difference. I will give my last update the end of this week. Thanks for the advice and hope my experience helps someone out.

[Ray1977]

Day 13 update,

Very little side effects. I would rate it 2/10 after 2 weeks. I still have a small discomfort in the stomache and a slight headache but a mile better then the first 5 days. I have no need to post my results from here on so thank you for all your comments.

[LymieInSeattle]

Howdy. I'm a newbie.

I have long-term Lyme disease (and several other diseases it's caused me) and am on Cym for muscle pain. It works but my head is covered with scabs and flakes for the incessant sweating up to 9 times a day. A woman can only wash her hair once or twice a day. I've been on 30mg for a month and a half?

I can't stand this side effect it's disgusting!! I'm going to go cold turkey. I've got my anti-nausea meds, muscle relaxers, Xanax, Klonopin, Ambien, Percocet, Demerol,(you name it, I got it - or can get it) and a great pharmacist and and 3 doctors' cell numbers. I'm disabled so I'm not working. I'll take this holiday to stop and I'll hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I'm not depressed so hopefully I won't get suicidal, I'll just get that tremendous shoulder, neck, jaw and face pain back again. Back to trigger-point injections....

Wish me luck!!! I'll keep you posted (either during or after).

Why on earth are we not warned about this shit?! Am I going to have more permanent neurological problems??

[LymieInSeattle]

Thank you Greybeard. I knew you would answer! You are so helpful to everyone.

What F is a Brain Zap?? I think I'm having them but my definition may be different or completely off.

I "Hit the Wall" when I'm mindin' my own - out on a short walk in the park. Out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. Then BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE TO GO HOME NOW. PERIOD. I'm completely shut down. Driving scares me. When my ex. The MD (I was so lucky when I was with him just for that reason alone!) would just get our food to go, let me hold onto him as we worked our way out of the resaurant and into the car. I couldn't talk. He would take my clothes off and but me in a robe and lay me down. Sometime I can't even watch TV/Films. I haven't been able to read a book since my hellish Lyme treatment. I know HELL. Hell is The Marshall Protocol. I was on that for 5 long, hellish, I don't want to wake up months.

Is that a "Brain Zap"? I think a zap sounds quick n' dirty.

I take a combination of 4 of the following: Ambien, Klonopin, Xanax, 1/2 Soma, a sliver of seroquel, Doxepin, Flexeril, OTC sleep aid, and I may be forgetting one. I take smaller amount of a constantly changing array rather than large amounts of 3 or 4 drugs. I'm also on Methadone (down from 3- 10mg pills 3tx daily to 1 and a half at night and 2 in the am. That is for my horrible Endometriosis. I've already had two surgeries (laparoscopies). One from a Lyme Literate GYN (a.k.a. LLMD) in California where my insurance sucks!!! It was 17,000.00!! Ouch.

Thanks for the comment on not overdosing. I'm definitely concerned. I'm 40 and I just celebrated 14 years of sobriety!! That's along time between cocktails, pills, etc. I do magnificently well considering everything I have to manage. The Methadone freaks everybody out but I've tapered myself down, only see on prescriber for it and only one pharmacy for everything! I'm really quite proud of myself. Hey, I've got to find something.

I gained so much weight in such a small period of time. I didn't thing Cymbalta could have contributed but I read here it has with people! I f'in hate those Eli-lilly livered bastards. My ex the doc (now a LLMD) NEVER met with drug reps. He was so rude to them. They shmooze and take doc goodies, out to fine meals, etc. It's disgusting. But they get paid a TON. It's a good job but you could give me back all my health to do it. Oh hell, that's the only thing I would trade!! Not my sobriety though.

I'm so glad I found this place. Now I need to find out if anyone has these scabby, flaky bumps on my scalp from the incessant sweating. That's what made me want to stop until today when I found you kind people.

Thank you so much GB for responding. ((((((((HUGS to you)))))))))) And greetings to everyone else!!

::m

[LymieInSeattle]

Thanks again!!!

I can't believe no one has weird flakes on their head. That's the only place I "excessively sweat" since being on Cym. And that's only been a month and a half, tops. I would go to the pharmacy and come back and jump in the shower just to wash my hair, again that day. It started when I started the Cymbalta so I know it's not Lyme related. I shouldn't have mentioned scabs. They don't bleed or really get scabs. It's just what it feel like but when I pick at it, of course, it look like a flake of dandruff. I'm sure it's just an unhealthy accumulation of sweat which if full of bacteria so when it dries and you don't get on it immediately, it's going to cause some type of "itis". meaning inflammation. I just can't wash my hair nine to fifteen times a day! Oh well.

It's day one and I'm fine. My shoulders and neck are stiff but I think that because I fell asleep on the couch. Duh. I have a "Wubbi". One of those comforting rice filled fuzzy, hipster looking bags that you put in the microwave. What a lifesaver. For everything. If nothing else it's just plain comforting.

The "anxiety attacks" or "panic attacks" you mentione are definitely NOT what I call "Hitting the Wall". I've had a few anxiety attacks years ago and know exactly what those are. I'm talking about a feeling that feels like someone took my battery pack away and I have NO energy. I could literally lay down right there or in the car and close my eyes and go straight to sleep. No rapid heartbeat in fact it feels like a slower heartbeat. And with that wonderful experience comes complete "Brain Fog" which IS a Lyme symptom for sure. I just can't seem to form a cogent thought, let alone speak. Ugh. Luckily, I don't go out much expect to take my dog to the park, the pharmacy, a doctor's appt. or the store.

I'm sorry you have the anxiety attacks. Those are awful. I had my first one when I lived in Hollywood during the Rodney King riots. April of '02. I thought I was dying! And I was already AT home! lol Rapid breathing, the works. But I've only had a few so I guess in that way I'm lucky. I do get anxious sometimes. Usually if I have to speak publicly or go out where large crowds are...a little .5mg tab of Xanax will do the trick. I only get that feeling where I need the drug about 3 or 4 times a year. But then, I've been in bed for Lyme treatment so I haven't had much opportunity for public speaking from my bedroom. lol

Well, I took a long nap today so I'll see how I manage tonite. So far so good. (fingers crossed). I will be having "words" with my new Lyme doc. My ex NEVER prescribes this shit. He's totally old school.

I just met someone and he's on Cymbalta (60mg) and explained the brain zap phenom. I came off of something once and got jerking legs now and again for a couple of days but I forget what that was. The Marshall Protocol was the worst thing I've ever experienced in my whole life. As long as my withdrawal symptoms aren't that bad, I'll survive.

Good luck to you and the rest of you on the board!!! (((((HUGS not DRUGS)))))

[LymieInSeattle]

Well, I've done it! Day 7 and all is well. No more Cymbalta! I'm glad I followed my intuition and went cold turkey. I experienced more fatigue, vivid dreams and maybe a tad of dizziness but only for 3-4 days.

I wish everone the best of luck and hope your Cymbalta experiences are as soft and gentle as possible. This is a great forum for support. Thanks for all your sharing. It has helped me in knowing I'm not crazy and that crazy drug is!

Be well.