3 replies to this topic

[phoenixjazzmine]

Hello!

I've been reading this forum for about a month now and gaining a lot of help for my own experience with withdrawing from Cymbalta. It is time for me to write something and hopefully give back as much as I have received.

I had been taking SSRI's for about 14 years when I decided to quit. I started taking them at the urging of my therapist because I was going through some extreme stress at work. I started with Zoloft, then changed to Welbutin, then to Prozac then to Cymbalta. These changes were the result of side effects, and in the case of Prozac, the decrease of effectiveness. When I started Cymbalta in December 2007 I experienced an increase in libido, a great improvement in mood, a desired decrease in weight, and occasional hallucinations at night of breath-takingly beautiful colors and shapes merging into and erupting out of each other.

But as the months progressed, I experienced an uncharacteristically high amount of agitation, anger, and hostile feelings and thoughts. So I decided, "enough with running from medication to medication, avoiding side effects, I'm quitting!" I wanted to see if I really needed to be on the antidepressants, as the situation that put me on them in the first place was long gone. So In May, 2008 I talked to my medical doctor about tapering off of Cymbalta. He said that I should be able to just stop taking it with no withdrawal symptoms. HA! I knew better! In 2001, I had unsuccessfully tried stopping Zoloft cold turkey and went through withdrawal Hell! So I insisted on tapering off of Cymbalta by going from 30 mgs to 20 mgs to 0 mgs. My doctor told me that a dose of 20 mgs of Cymbalta is not available, and I told him that it IS available. So he grudgedly wrote me a prescription for 20 mgs of Cymbalta, and I marched down to the pharmacist and purchased my 20 mg Cymbalta that the doctor said does not exist.

On May 23, 2008 I took my last 20 mgs of Cymbalta. My first week without Cymbala was OK, but not great. I was thankfully on vacation from work - I don't know if I would have been able to work had I not been on vacation. I was weepy, spaced out, dizzy, and easily confused. I had difficulty following conversations and stories. The second week off of Cymbalta I returned to work. That's when a bad depression hit, deeper than I had ever experienced with the exception of my Zoloft withdrawal depression of 2001. I started walking/running in the morning before work, and during breaks in order to increase endorphins in my brain which made me feel better. At work I was constantly having to change negative thinking into positive thinking in order to get through the day. In the evenings I worked out at Curves, or I worked in my vegetable garden which also made me feel better. An interesting note about gardening: a bacteria that lives in soil called mycobacterium vaccae is believed by scientists to stimulate the generation of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. (For more information click on this link to a Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia....acterium_vaccae) Serotonin and norepinephrine are what Cymbalta target! Hmmm. No wonder I wanted to eat, sleep and live in the dirt of my garden during this time!

Gradually my withdrawal symptoms have changed. My depression has decreased over the months, so I have started having periods of relief from it. Recently I've noticed that in the evenings I almost feel "normal", yet in the morning the depression and anxiety are back. I am looking forward to the day when I feel good all day every day. I developed diarrhea and a sensitive stomach, so I eat light but nutritional meals. I lost weight this summer because of my sensitive stomach, but for the time being, weight loss is a good thing. I need to shed some pounds after being on SSRI's for so long and experiencing their weight gain side effects. I now have to avoid violent or sad movies, stories and songs, or else I spiral down into depression and/or anxiety. Anger and hostle thoughts and feelings have returned, so at work let's just say I've learned the hard way from my creep of a boss that I need to watch my temper. So far I have been able to do so, and over the weeks the anger and hostility have been slowly decreasing. I have also developed insomnia for which I take Melontonin. I know some take Benadryl, but I am very leery of chemicals these days. I won't even have an occasional beer until my withdrawal is over.

It's been thirteen weeks since I have stopped taking Cymbalta. Yes, I am still experiencing difficult withdrawal symptoms. But I keep in mind that I am recovering. I feel better now than I did two months ago, and I will feel better in two month than I feel now. Don't get me wrong, I am so very tired of this, but I choose to keep fighting. When I feel lost in a cold despair I get on You Tube and watch a touching video which will make me cry. Crying is a release, and it eases that deep, cold despair for me. I talk to my significant other, whom I am very grateful to have. My significant other has an incredible ability to help me see a positive, realistic, yet not Pollyanna, way of viewing this crazy world we live in. I vent to my significant other about my problems, but I try to have an open attitude toward resolution and recovery. That's because one of my worst fears is that I will drag down and drive away someone who has support and encouragement to offer me during this very difficult time. I do something physical every day in order to take the edge off of depression and anxiety. I also continue to search for and try new things that could ease my withdrawal symptoms, even when I don't feel like it and even when I am sure nothing will work.

Folks, because of Cymbalta, we are fighting for our lives. But in this battle, we have this forum and each other. None of us is alone in this fight. Thank you all for everything you have posted. I have gleaned a lot of encouragement and validation from it. I hope that this posting of mine, and future ones will serve to help others.

[vickster396]

Thank you so much for this website and your post.

This website is amazing. I stopped taking Cymbalta approx 6 weeks ago and I think my doctor did not have me do it correctly. I was on 60 mg at the time. She had me take 30 mg for one week and then one 30 mg every other day for two weeks. I have been off the medicine for 3 weeks now and I have going thru pure torture. It looks like that is normal from what I am reading.

I have been throwing up almost every single night. I have the brain fuzzies or shudder. Sweets set off the vomitting right away. I want to sleep but when I try, the sleep is restless and I wake up all night long. I ache. I am mean to my family and co-workers. I just want to feel good again but I think I am in for a really long haul.

I never had any problems when I started Cymbalta for fibromyalgia and this has caught me completely by surprise.

I had a compulsive spending problem when I was on it. That is another topic for another day. Out of control. I never linked the two together.

I live on Pepto Bismo and Antacids. I am going to try Benadryl to see if that will make me liveable.

Thank you for all of your advice and suggestions.

[Attorney_Victim]

Welcome to Vickster and Phoenix. I'm glad this site has provided you with support and information during your struggle! Please continue to share your experiences so that you can help others who need it! And, we will continue to support you when you need it. You will get through this...we all will!

[teddybear]

I think my doctor did not have me do it correctly. I was on 60 mg at the time. She had me take 30 mg for one week and then one 30 mg every other day for two weeks. .

Hey.......I was on 60mgfor almost a year, then I tapered myself to 30mg for about 3 weeks, then took it every other day for about a week, and much to my sorrow, I was worse....esp with the wavy brain stuff. So.....I started taking it at night for about another week.The buzzes weren't so severe then. Then I cut it back to 15mg.....I opened up some of the 60mg capsules, trashed the inside, then opened the 30mgs and divided them in half, then poured one of the halves into the empty 60mg capsule shell. Now I have 2 15mg capsules. I continued this until I had about 2wks worth. Next week I'll try to get 7.5mg out of the 15mg and take that for about 2 wks and hopefully be able to come off this crazy medicine all together.
Good luck to you!!