7 replies to this topic

[bopeep212]

Hi everyone- I'm a 45 yr old woman who's been taking Cymbalta 60 mg day for year and 1/2. I've been taking it for depression sypmtoms and body pain that goes with it. Also take Naproxen and Tramadol for arthritis. When I realized that I felt awful whenever I was even a few hours late taking a dose I started to research. Should have done that prior to just taking the stupid stuff. When I recognized so many of my other symptoms I told my doc I wanted off. She had me do 1 week at 30 mg and then 1 week at 30 mg every other day. It's been a week since last pill and still having the dizziness, crunchy sounds in my head, loose stools, ect. Any idea how long it takes to go away. I know everyone is different. I don't think I've had it as bad as some that I read about, but definitely feel like crap still! Any insight about the weight gain? I've gained 18 lbs in year and a half! I've never really had to watch my weight much but it just keeps on packing on quite stubbornly. Would love to hear from others about the timeframes and also what to expect about the weight. Once I get this crap out of my system I'm going to let my doc know how long it really takes and how bad it makes a person feel. They don't have a clue when they prescribe this stuff and the drug co isn't telling the whole truth about the side effects/withdrawls. I've been on other anti-depressants over the years and this is the only one to ever have the residual effects!!

[mokincaid]

Hi Bo, welcome to the forum. I am in my second week. it will be two weeks on friday. sorry to say, not a lot of improvement. i tried the benadryl and it does help with the headaches but nothing seems to touch the zaps. this is a great place to vent as well as get support. has helped me immensely. hang tough, get rest but also get exercise and hopefully this will eventually be nothing more than a bad dream. peace and love MOK

[bopeep212]

Hi and thank you for the quick welcome- when you say "zaps", is that the crunchy feel and sound in my head when I move my body or eyes? Kinda comes in waves almost.

[iliao93]

Hello & welcome!
Don't have any time to chat with you properly so I apologize, I have been doing more research and wanted to get it posted asap. You sure find some interesting stuff when you google "brain zaps" and also cymbalta on youtube. The blonde pharmacist site is full of interesting info.
Be well !

This is from a site I just found while researching "brain zaps" & the link just incase:
http://theblondephar... ... in-shocks/

Brain shivers… brain zaps… brain shocks…
Posted on November 17, 2007 by B
I do not know if many in the medical community are aware of this term that is thrown out there for such offenders as venlafaxine (Effexor), duloxetine (Cymbalta), paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), fluvoxamine (Luvox), citalopram (Celexa), and escitalopram (Lexapro), but it is a very real phenomenon. Unfortunately, though many in the medical community have not had to rely on any of these meds in their own personal lives, I had a 2-3 year stint with venlafaxine from 2002-03. Basically, I presented with the inability to sleep due to anxiety of some personal issues (which we all have from time to time), and did not want a controlled substance. I tried paroxetine first and absolutely despised the drug. I quit cold turkey. Very smart for a pharmacist, right? (You can’t just stop cold turkey and expect to not endure some uncomfortable sensory disturbances.)

I found venlafaxine, at 75 mg extended release, to be a very good drug for its purpose of 9 to 12 months. However, what I didn’t expect was that weaning from the drug would be so uncomfortable. 75 mg in itself is not even a moderate dose, falling more into the lower dose category. I’ve seen higher doses much more than the lower doses.

To explain what I felt, I will do my best to try to break down into words the feelings. Initially, there was a sinking feeling in my brain. If you’ve ever been to the Grand Canyon or a very tall building and looked down, there is a falling feeling that your brain sometimes throws at you though you are not falling at all. That feeling would happen for very short bursts, 2-3 seconds, enough to disrupt my thoughts, my work, and my being. I would just think, “What was that?” If I tapered over the recommended taper schedule (usually a week at a time step down, but keep in mind there’s only one strength lower than the 75 mg XR - the 37.5 mg XR. Then where do I go? Literally it didn’t matter. The big divide between the 75 mg and the 37.5 mg was enough to cause the “shivers” in my brain - a disorientation, falling, weird, and uncomfortable feeling.

“Brain zaps” are said to defy description for whomever has not experienced them, but the most common themes are of a sudden “jolt,” likened to an electric shock, apparently occurring or originating within the brain itself, with associated disorientation for a few seconds. The phenomenon is most often reported as a brief, wave-like electrical pulse that quickly travels across the surface of (or through) the brain. Some people experience these “waves” through the rest of their body, but the sensation dissipates quickly. They are sometimes accompanied by brief tinnitus and vertigo like feelings. Immediately following this shock is a light-headedness that may last for up to ten seconds. The sensation has also be described by many as a flashbulb going off inside the head or brain. Moving one’s eyes from side to side quickly while open has also been known to trigger these zaps and sometimes causing them to come in rapid succession. It is thought to be a form of neuro-epileptiform activity.

As withdrawal time increases, the frequency of the shocks decreases. At their peak, brain zaps have been associated with severe headaches. They may last for a period of several weeks after the last dose and usually resolve completely within a month or two. However, anecdotal reports of “zaps” during a protracted withdrawal are known to last a year or longer.

My remedy was to open the capsule and to count the tiny beads and literally make capsules with less and less tapering over a 6 week period rather than the usual 2 - 3 weeks at this dose. It did eliminate the feeling, but it definitely helped. One could go as far as asking the physician for a 37.5 mg immediate release tablet and maybe breaking it up into pieces and tapering at the very end that way. Any way you dice it, venlafaxine was a pain and taught me right away a bigger lesson in remembering the side effects than any package insert ever could.

Filed under: Drugs

Another interesting article on brain zaps:


http://WWW.Dr-bob.or... ... 53981.HTML

[bopeep212]

thank you everyone for your replies and info! I do have some good news! I have been telling our receptionist at work about what I'm going through. She knows me well and can tell I don't feel well and am "off my game". Well, yesterday her dad was given a prescription for Cymbalta and she told him about what I was going through and so many others I've read about. He took it back to the doc and had them prescribe another med. Don't know what was given instead, but it's bound to be better than this stuff.

[iliao93]

Bopeep that is fantastic, I know that is one of the reasons I'm on this board! It's still a good idea for her to see just what he was given & do some research on it. I think Cymbalta is the worst in this class of drug but there are some that are almost as awful.
Be well

[bopeep212]

Hi DC- I guess "crunchy" is sorta the sound in my head that accompanies the feeling. Damnest feeling I've ever had. Walking around with a stiff neck and looking straight ahead is getting old! Oh well, this will pass and I'm glad this forum is here to vent on. Don't want to bore the family with too much complaining. Hard to describe unless you've felt it. I'm looking for more natural remedies for mild depression and arthritis. Any suggestions out there? Want to limit pain med to Advil or Naproxen. thanks for all the info so far. Good to talk to "elders" in the subject! Bo

[Attorney_Victim]

There are lots of great "natural method" suggestions over on the Nutritional Info thread. Lots of people on here have made it through withdrawal using only natural remedies. Hang in there...it does get better!!