58 replies to this topic

[GreenMachine]

YEAH GreenMachine! I think someone else posted recently that they felt better after 19 days as well.
Thanks for the list of supplements. I picked up a good multi yesterday. Still having the intense itching in weird places and my lower back has flared up, but I have a TENS unit that has been on all day with good relief and I am icing a lot. Could not sleep at all last night...tonight I am back to taking Benadryl with the melatonin.
Lady2882, how big is your farm? I have a small farm--5+ acres, cats, dogs, horses and starting a large garden again.

You're welcome.  That's interesting you mentioned itching as a WD symptom since I did go through a few days where I wanted to rake my skin but I figured it was unrelated and just dry skin.  I was using benadryl in the beginning of WD as well for sleep on top of the trazodone...I think it may have helped the brain zaps a little also.  How did you sleep last night with that combo?

 

Now that I'm at the 12 hour half life of this crap, I actually feel human and awake for the first time today. This stuff really can't be good for the body. I had to wear a ball cap all day as the light hurt my head. oh well I know there is light at the end of the tunnel cause GreenMachine and fishinghat keep us informed on how they are and giving good advice and encouragement.

Thanks so much you two.

You're welcome...it gets better!

 

Another day feeling good...the future's so bright, I gotta wear shades 

[johanna7272]

Good Morning. I slept well last night but did not go to bed until 1am. Have to get up at 6:30am so tired but did sleep. I was online looking at supplements and have ordered Jarrow B-right Complex, Magnesium Citrate, 160 Mg, Jarrow Formulas Theanine 200mg and Alpha Lipoic Acid Tr 600mg L-Carnitine, 500mg. I did a ton of reading on all of them...wavered on the Mag Citrate or a new Mag formula that is supposed to cross the blood brain barrier but decided to try the less expensive first. Didn't realize, but I have been taking Theanine in my melatonin. Ran out of Benadryl so took two of the Melatonin last night (at 1am), and went to sleep quickly. I was groggy this morning, still tired, probably could go to sleep now but I have too much stuff to do.
Gotta find a job...lost mine last September when I got sick and they do not want to hire me back. I became "unreliable". S'ok. I was. But I think a big part of it was the meds as well as being sick. So, getting healthier every day!
Lady, you can ramble on all you want about your farm! Gosh, 4500 acres! I even imagine that! We have worked very hard on our small piece to have good pasture for the horses. Over the winter, we cut their area to about a 1/4th of an acre and let the rest, rest. Have to get more hay today. We will let them out to bigger areas, probably at the end of April. Want to have good grass growth first. The great thing about having the horses is the black gold they provide for the garden;). We have a compost pile that should cover all the raised beds this year. We had 8 beds last year, this year, my husband is building more and right now, they are scattered over the front yard. Eventually I want a greenhouse, but have too much other stuff to do right now. We put raised plastic over the beds in the beginning to warm up the ground.
Well, hope everyone is feeling good. I am tired and my back hurts, but I will push through:). I did make a chart last night and prepared a weeks worth of pills. I actually taped them to the date after I did the counting and put them back. Progress.

[GreenMachine]

Good call on those supplements...I'd like to hear how the L-Carnitine treats you too during this because I haven't used it in years.  Keep it up; it looks like you have a solid plan!

 

I've recently been wondering what it would be like to live/work on a farm...I'm getting tired of the city life hustle 

[lady2882Nancy]

I'm still trying to find a good source of L-Carnitine as my father had polio before mom got pregnant with me and there is studies in Australia that show that children of polio survivors can have low levels of this. There is a blood test for this but my doctor won't do it because it is too expensive and he doesn't think they have studied it enough. He says that I can go ahead and try it if I want.

 

GreenMachine can you recommend a good brand?

 

That's the problem with living out in the middle of nowhere, have to find a good supplement company online as 3 hours to the nearest city and health food/supplement store.

[GreenMachine]

I recommend this:

http://www.nutraplan...-250-grams.html

When I used to bodybuild/strongman, I swore by that Nutraplanet for fast and reliable shipping, and I trust Primaforce as a brand.  It's been a couple years, but I believe both are still legit.

[fishinghat]

Timetostop - Are you taking the L-carnitine for your withdrawal? I have never heard of that. If I remember right cells use it in metabolism of fatty acids and I would think that extra 'energy" might not be a good thing during withdrawal. I understand why lady2882 and GreenMachine might use them for bodybuilding (which is hard for me to do during withdrawal, lol) but for withdrawal?

[GreenMachine]

22 days off Cymbalta...another day doing really well and no more mood swings at night.  Feeling 1000 times better than I was just 5 days ago...I hope this is it, and I'm 100% after this weekend...

[johanna7272]

I am going to try the L-carnitine because I am so tired all the time. If it adds to the symptoms, I will wait until I am of Cymbalta.

[GreenMachine]

TTS, let us know how those supplements work for you...hope they help.

[lady2882Nancy]

That's what I was thinking now I just have to find somewhere in Canada or somewhere that will ship to canada.

[GreenMachine]

You haven't ordered your supplements yet Lady?  Nutraplanet ships to Canada I believe, and if you weren't sure about them, Life Extension ships to Canada also.  LEF is also a good company; they can be a bit more extensive, but good quality.

[lady2882Nancy]

Most want to ship to me using UPS and we don't get courier service out here in the middle of nowhere apparently couriers don't like land locations  or Post Office boxes lol

I have my stuff picked out but have to phone to see if they will ship by post office. Will keep trying til I can find one or hubbie says we may go to the city (blah 6 hour round trip)

[GreenMachine]

Wow...it never crossed my mind that that would be an issue as I've never lived outside the city before.  That's kind of a bummer...

[johanna7272]

Hi everyone. Still counting the beads. Have not yet reached the end of the first 30mg, but things going ok. I have been struggling with my back. I think I flared up my lower back last Monday when I had my therapeutic massage. She put me on a "ming table??" that had balls that rolled up and down the back of my body. A pair of them pushed on the bone of my pelvis and stopped...that is where the pain is now. ARGG!
The Jarrow Formulas Theanine 200mg works very well on sleep...actually too much. I have been sleeping more than usual. Not getting a whole lot done. Gotta figure out if I can reduce the amount in the capsule without too much difficulty. I also did not take melatonin last night and still went right to sleep. I am starting to have distressing, vivid dreams; but somehow, before I wake up, they turn out OK. Weird. Would make great sci-fi books, but cannot remember anything but little bits of them after I fully wake up.
As for the Jarrow B-right Complex, Magnesium Citrate, 160 Mg, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and 600mg L-Carnitine, 500mg, I am really not noticing much of a difference. Unless one of them is depleting my energy. I am going to set up my meds for a month today. See how things go. I am hoping that the supplements make a difference long term in how I feel.

[GreenMachine]

TTS, I'm sorry to hear you're back isn't getting any better, but glad to hear you're doing well otherwise.  

As far as the supplements depleting your energy, the ALA could be making you're blood sugar drop a bit too low causing some mild lethargy but that should pass quickly.  Otherwise, only the theanine would probably make a difference in energy levels but it's really not supposed to cause drowsiness or tiredness, but in the fragile state that Cymbalta withdrawal leaves us, it probably could make the difference in having energy. I suppose the theanine at a 200mg dose could be a bit much for one who hasn't taken it before...that was always just the dose I used for it back when I was a supplement junkie. lol  

[lady2882Nancy]

Well today is day 7 for counting beads and I removed 70 beads of the 280 that are in my 30mg capsules. The headache is not as bad today although my eyes are still very light sensitive I really think it is the drug itself that is giving me the headaches. The weather changed too and it is snowing again (blah).  The low pressure from the weather is a trigger for my migraines so that could be the problem with the eyes.

 

I find that I can get a fair amount done first thing in the morning but once I take the crap and it kicks in I get dopey and can't concentrate. All afternoon all I do is sit around and think of all the things I should be doing and feel bad about not doing them. Then of course I start to feel useless and a burden on my poor hubbie at which point I tell myself that these thoughts are caused by the drug so to stop it.

 

By late evening I get more energy again and try to get a few things done, like tidy up the kitchen and fold any clothes that I washed and dried in the morning.

 

This weekend was very painful and I'm still very sore as on Friday night my dogs knocked me over and I hurt my back and hip, which is where all the trouble is. Hope I didn't do too much damage.

 

I go to the dr's tomorrow so hoping that he has the results of my MRI and pray that it shows what is wrong. Have to tell him that I am coming off the crappy cymbalta and not looking forward to that as he wanted me to stay on for another month. There was no way I could with the depression it was causing.

 

So that is where I am at today.

 

GreenMachine - it's good to hear that you had such a good weekend. Gives me hope that things will get better when I get off this crap.

 

Johanna - I'm right there with you as to the painful back. I'm always being told to go to a chiroprator or massage therapist but am really nervous about anyone doing anything to my back. If I were you I would call them and tell them how much pain you have been in since being there. Maybe they can recommend something. If you go back make sure to tell them to go easy. I'm having lots of heat on my back and hip and that seems to help.

[johanna7272]

Hey Lady,  well, I get the sitting around...I feel like I do that a lot.  But I did get out and work with one of my horses, then took my bolted together hay ring and changed it to have two sets of hinges so I can open the  ring up and roll the hay in.  Much easier to get the roll  of hay into it.  Also, after all the work, I had to pull hay out and put it in hay nets to go in the barn cause it is going to rain.  I then had to cover the hay ring...lots of work.  Felt good!  It was 68 degrees out today.  Still 61 degrees at 10:43

Started trying capsasin gel on my back.  So far, just getting hot.  It says over time it should stop the nerve pain...ha, we will see.  Though I have had patients swear by it.

Spent the better part of an hour counting beads.  Ended up with 11 days worth.  ARG.  But I did also get all my meds and supplements out for a month.  The only thing missing is the Cymbalta. 

[lady2882Nancy]

Wow you did alot yesterday - wish I had something that would motivate me.

I know you feel somewhat better when you can get going and do something.

I think my problem is that the crap makes me feel so down and I know I would feel better if I even just walked on the treadmill but it saps my drive and makes me feel like whats the point.

I should get busy and start some flowers to sell at the May farmer's markets. Now that's something I love -- my gardens.

I'm sure looking forward to having all this snow gone. Will be very muddy here for awhile and my farmer hubbie will hate it but its not something we're not used to up here.

[GreenMachine]

Update: My only complaint now is transient irritability and mild mood drops.  At this point I'm not sure if it's still mild withdrawal symptoms, or am I just a naturally irritable guy?  I feel like it probably is still a WD symptom because I may be fine, but then all of a sudden my mood plummets and I feel like being an @$$hole.  I can control it decently enough but occasionally I let a nasty remark out to my wife or whomever is close by which I always come back and apologize for after the "mood" passes.  I've woken up with this feeling the past 2 days as well, and it lasts about an hour whenever it happens.  It seems to be happening consistently around 8pm each night also.  My mood also drops into a dysthymic-type sadness in the mid-afternoon for about an hour or two (this is without the irritability though).  Otherwise, I feel really good most of the time including plenty of energy and "drive" to go and do something fun and, finally, the return of a healthy libido! lol

[fishinghat]

Quite an improvement GreenMachine!! I will keep my fingers crossed that the last little bit of mood swings pass soon!

[GreenMachine]

Thanks man.  I'm being hit by one of those mood swings right now actually...arggghhhh....

[lady2882Nancy]

Has it been 6 weeks yet GreenMachine? - my brain can't do math today. The pharmacist agrees that it will take 6 weeks from the last dose to be out of your blood and longer if you carry any extra weight (fat ).

 

You could try some lemon balm or passionflower tea. I find that it really helps to get rid of the irritability. I found a tea in a health food store and now am growing my own lemon balm. I hope to find some passionflower seeds too. That way I don't have to worry about what else is in it.

 

Or for those who don't want to put something into their body. Get some natural oils such as peppermint, lavender, lemon balm. It has to be the real thing though not the imitation stuff. The imitation stuff is cheap but too perfumey (is that a word?).

 

It seems wierd as I grew up in a place that was a 90 min drive to the nearest medical help and so we used alot of natural remedies and now I am trying to find how to make them now to get away from the drugs

[GreenMachine]

Hey Lady, 

No, it hasn't been 6 weeks yet, and yeah, it sounds like it will take longer than 6 weeks for me too.  Tomorrow will be 28 days clear I think. 

I'll try to get by a store tonight and get lemon balm or passionflower or both as my wife deserves better than how I've been acting sometimes.  

[GreenMachine]

Nancy,

After work last night I forgot all about trying to get to a health food store for those teas, but as it turned out I had some organic chamomile w/ lemon balm tea in my cupboard, so I had some and laid on the couch to watch TV, and then...ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz...lol

I'll try it again tonight...

[lady2882Nancy]

oh no I'm out of my lemon balm tea and can't get to the store.

Not that I have been sleeping that well anyway this week, but it does help alot. Seems to reduce the irritability too.

[lady2882Nancy]

Oh man I don't feel so well now. I really think I'm missing my lemon balm tea.

My heart feels like it is going to pound out of my chest, I'm dizzy, jittery and anxious. Good thing I don't do caffeine.

 

Has anyone else found that they craved fruit?

 

The last few days that's all I want to eat. Nice cold juicy fruit, the colder the better, maybe even frozen. Pineapple, kiwi, oranges, grapes (definitely frozen), and maybe some blueberries and strawberries.

On top of all that I'm way too hot. It's freezing out there today and I can't do anything without getting sweaty, yuck

 

Anyway, that's how I feel at this point today.

[GreenMachine]

Nancy, that feeling will pass...don't let it get to you...I know when that happened to me, if I "bought into it", it made it much worse, so I just told myself it'll pass and I'll be fine...

 

But, I didn't crave fruit until I read your post...lol

[fishinghat]

Been craving bananas, strawberrys, and oranges. Even though my stomach problems have settled down a lot over 2 or 3 weeks ago I have to be careful not to get too carried away with the fruit. Patience and perseverance!!

[GreenMachine]

Guess I'm not completely free quite yet...battling a wicked headache, although, it could be unrelated and from staring at the computer screen too long...lol