73 replies to this topic

[Sissy54]

So far I have lost a week of my life quitting Cymbalta. Tomorrow will be one week. In the past I stopped both Celexa and Lexapro with only a fuzzy feeling in my head. This is a nightmare. The only symptoms I have are the dizziness and the nausau (spelling?) I can barely function. I have never felt this sick, it's like a stomach flu that never ends. I drive for a living, and I probably shouldn't even be doing that. I guess I'll call my doctor tomorrow, but I won't go back on any dosage of this shit. Before I stopped, I was down to taking one capsule (30mg) for about 2 weeks. What else could I have done?

[Jones]

I am doing bead counting, that I learned from here. Anyone else having mouth sores and evil nightmares ? Just know you are NOT alone in this hideous withdrawal

[Tinydancer047]

Try bead counting. Open the capsules and remove some of the beads, increasing the amount a little at a time. I stopped cold turkey after 6 years of 120 mg a day, and don't recommend doing that. It was the hardest thing that I've ever done! It changed every aspect of my life. I couldn't drive because I would have tremendous road rage, and would think about smashing into others or just running off the road to get to my destination. I was extremely ill for a couple of weeks, my physical being was definitely out of sync. It took four weeks of living in hell before I started to feel almost normal.
I wish you all the luck possible, and hope that you have a smooth transition off of CRAPBALTA!!!

Remember that all of us here can relate, and have likely gone through exactly the same as you.

[lady2882Nancy]

Sissy - If you have already been off for a week and if you can hang on then you are ahead of the game. If you have to go back on then only take a part dose and start tapering from there. This stuff is the worse med I have ever had to stop taking.

Get the supplements l listed with your other post in *Doctor asks me "Why do you want to stop taking cymbalta"*.

Hang in there Sissy - we are here for you and understand how you are feeling.

I agree with you - I will never take another SSRI again

Take care of you

[niel]

so so so glad I found you guys long story short I was put on this crap after  2 major back surgeries until I reached 120 mg and noticed I had stood in my front window for 1 hour thinking I had been there for just a second I am now down to 30mg every 2- 3 days and I am going to try cold turkey oh I have been on it for 5 yrs  brain zaps ,GROUCHY,diheria,mouth sores but I am stronger than a liitle blue and white pil however a formitable fo sorry for bad spelling run on sentences my patience are shot I hope it all returns after withdrawel is over

[lady2882Nancy]

Neil welcome, welcome, welcome

How horrible for you, I so understand how you feel right now.

Don't worry about spelling or any of that, we all have had difficulties with that, probably because we have all been on Crapalta (cymbalta).

I won't kid you, it's going to be rough for about 2 weeks going cold turkey. If you can do it great, but it is easy to taper to a lower dose before you take the plung off.

 

Please get yourself some omega3 and take 1000 - 3000 mg a day, get a high potency vitamin or at least a complete B-complex vitamin. The omega 3 helps with the brain zaps and you need the vitamins for the brain. There is also L-theanine (suntheanine) which helps lots and you can get it at a Health Supplement store. It helps with the headache and mood swings.

You might need something for nausea and Benadryl or another antihistamine for the itchies which most people get.

 

We all know what you are going through. I myself am only 27 days off Crapalta.

 

Let us know how you are doing and if you have questions we will be happy to answer them.

 

Take care of you

[niel]

nancy

I am going to gnc right now did you mean a high potency multi vitamin or just b comp

niel

[jlowe01]

Hi,

My name is Jennifer. I am also new here. I have been on (crapalta) 60mg daily for about 4 years. I started it also for musculoskeletal pain from Osteoarthritis. I am an RN with a bachelors degree and had it not been for that I surely would have  attempted and porbablu suceeded in Suicide from this drug. Like everyone else on here, I am  so lad that I found this site. I tried to go off Cymbalta a few months ago and my doctor recommended I take the pills every other day for a week, every third day then stop. Needless to say I only made it three days of doing the everyother day crap and I thought I was going to die. Dizziness nausea and so on. After reading the posts here. all of them in great detail.. I relized that this drug has been the culprit for ALL of my ODD symptoms that no-one could seem to explain. Night sweats in a pool of water. Weight gain 20 lbs in a year since I went on the 60mg. I am 5'4" and I weighed 120 before taking it. I exersize and eat right but I can not get the weight off. I also started having severe reflux, bloating and my feet hands and legs swell. Not to mention the constant"fog" and cant remember words. Needless to say. I started on April 1 ,2013 counting beads as I found that seemed to be the best way to get off this crap and avoid the awful side effects. I cannot miss work and I have to have my bearings about me at work. I am dow 114 beads yesterday and will increase by 7 each night until gone. I have had some side effects. I wonder if anyone had any more problems after they completely got off using the bead count? I am scared because if I miss even one pill its HELL! help anyone

[niel]

hi jen

I also have the soaking wet night swetts ,bloating ,reflux ,extreme fog and loss for the right words I am on day 2 of cold turkey from 30 mg not too bad yet just kind of having brain zaps.

so glad I found this website I was feeling all alone its very hard to explain to others who are not experiencing what we are going through on this crap

niel

[lady2882Nancy]

One or the other Neil. The multi vitamin is better but if you don't want to take the multi then at least get the B complex.

[niel]

hi nancy

just got back from gnc went with fish oil 1000mg with 300 omega 3 / super b complex/ l theanine 200

niel

[lady2882Nancy]

That should really help. Start taking them right away. I have to warn you that it could get really rough even from 30mg, but we are here and will support you no matter what.

[jlowe01]

Nancy,
I believe if I'm not mistaken you quit Cymbalta cold turkey? Is that correct?

[lady2882Nancy]

Hello Jennifer and welcome There have been many nurses here over the years.

When I hear how your doctor said to get off this stuff, it just confirms for me that Eli Lilly did NOT send out the updated prescribing information to doctors.

Crapalta (cymbalta) has too short of a half life - 12 hours - to discontinue that way, especially from 60 mg. That would be brutal.

Try going down to 30mg a day for a week or two first. This will do 2 things for you. You will find out how bad you are going to have discontinuation side effects and this will tell you if you need to do a slow taper or can do a faster one. It is possible to go cold turkey from 30mg but it isn’t pretty.

I would suggest you get the items I told Neil about and start taking them right away. Do lots of reading here while you are down at 30mg and that can help you decide how you want to proceed from there.

 

Crapalta has been shown to elevate blood sugar as diabetics who are on it found that they really had a problem keeping their blood sugar down. No tracking has been done for non-diabetics but from the weight gains people have talked about, I think it must for them too.

 

Again welcome, you are not alone in this fight. We are all doing the same thing here and that is trying to get off Crapalta in as sane a way as possible.

This is a great place to vent on your bad days and if you have any questions, just ask.

Let us know how you are doing when you can.

 

Take care of you

 

Nancy

[lady2882Nancy]

Hello and Welcome jlowe01

 

No I tapered down to about 10mg first, but I may have done it a little too quickly as I still had side effects and at day 27 off I am still dealing with some of them.

 

The ride off this crap can take anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks.

 

Dealing with some of the other issues this crap caused can take years.

 

But I have had lots of help and encouragement here just as you will if you need it.

 

[fishinghat]

jlowe01, Been off cymbalta over two months. About that quuestion if anyone has problems even after coming off this crapalta? Most have symptoms for about 3 to 4 weeks after coming off with the last two weeks better than the first two.  A few people have three to six month of continuing boats of withdrawal. Cymbalta is fat soluble and according to research that accounts for longer period of withdrawals in heavier patients. Your fat and liver store this material and that is why the Vitamins and omega 3 are so important as they help remove this stuff from your system faster.

 

I want to welcome all you newcomers to the site and encourage you with the fight. This stuff can have long-term even permanent effects so the sooner you are off of this crap the better. Let us know if there is anything we can do for you. We are here to help.

[lady2882Nancy]

This is really one of those times that being big busted is not a good thing.

 

I know Too Much Information

[niel]

good morning

 

okay guys day 3 cold turkey from 30 mg crapalta tightness in my head brain zaps an feeling nervous but I do seem to be functioning ok I have a good cup of coffee and am taking my super b comp/omega 3/and l theanine and will update in a while

niel

[niel]

hi guys

1 hour into the day feeling much better after after the course of vitamins and l theanine still kind of twitchy and itchy but do able I have to say that my orange tabby cat muggzie really helps to calm me no matter how grumpy I get he gets up on my shoulder and purs in my ear and I love him to pieces.  I will try to update again soon.

thanks from my heart for the support guys

niel

[chimera]

This is really one of those times that being big busted is not a good thing.

 

I know Too Much Information

lol this is the only time in my life I have actually been thankful for my very meagre bust!

[chimera]

I had to do a faster withdrawal than I wanted due to allergy, so I did 30mg for a week, broke capsule and did 15 for a few days, then off completely. now on day 13 off.

have used the supplements mentioned above. same withdrawal effects as mentioned above too. sharp dizziness on moving eyes to the right (this seems a classic one from what I've seen) and horrific nightmares/sleep paralysis. that has probably been the most distressing part of it.

I can safely say out of all the antidepressants I have been on, this withdrawal has been the worst. but it is doable and it affects people differently 

[lady2882Nancy]

Hey there chimera

Glad to hear that you got off and are doing ok.

Eli Lilly loses another customer.

Those nightmares/sleep paralysis will go away.

Hang in there

 

Neil - hope your day goes ok and hopefully it won't be too horrid for you.

We are here if you need anything.

 

Take care of you

[niel]

hi again

11:00 or so ambition has left me mind is kind of blank . but I was able to pick up my mom and take her to home depot to get her herbs for the garden so I was glad of that 

niel

[niel]

chimera

there is nothing meagre about you you are a beautiful girl . as a man for me anyway a nice personality far exceeds boob size.

niel

[niel]

where is everyone today ????? I could use a little chatting .my thoughts are all over the map happy sad anxious not too cranky though which is good my son and I are working on our boat right now just trying to stay busy there is no school this week

niel

[lady2882Nancy]

chimera - you lucky girl. lol

 

 

Sorry neil I had to take mother-in-law to doctors - another adventure in insanity.

It can be pretty quiet on the site some days. But once you post usually someone comes along.

You sound like you are doing pretty good so far.

 

Take care

[niel]

hi nancy

 you know you are right i had a pretty good day all in all i got alot of things done seems like if i can keep busy it helps

niel

[lady2882Nancy]

Yes keeping busy does help even if it is just going for a walk. Just don't overdo it as I have a few times.

Then it's like every symptom hits you all at once. So if you feel like you need to go sit down and rest for a bit then do it.

 

It almost looks like spring might be here finally so I'm hoping that I will be able to spend some time outside in the next few days. Going to be a very wet spring for us when all this snow finally melts.

 

Take care of you

[niel]

hi guys

day 4 cold turkey 30 mg seems like my mind is starting to work again looking forward to my day which I really have not in yrs

yes nancy I did have to sit down a few times yesterday but the best thing is that I wanted to get back up will update more later

time to get dressed

niel

[lady2882Nancy]

Good stuff neil,

a clear mind is a wonderful thing, I am jealous as it took til day 16 before my mind started to clear.