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Long Lasting Ssri Effects


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#31 fishinghat

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Posted 10 November 2013 - 05:59 PM

You will get your life back Claire. You have chosen a tough way to get off the crapalta. You must remember it is the drug withdrawal making you feel this way. That includes the feeling that it will last forever and ife will never change. Actually those are common withdrawal effects. This may be a setback but it won't last forever. These moods will swing in and out BUT get better in general. Try to hold on!! Please!!!

 

If it does become too much remember there is always the option of going back on a diferent ssri BUT that would take 2 to 3 weeks to kick in and by that time you will probably feel better anyway. One thing you might talk to your pdoc about is a prescription to hydroxyzine. It controls seratonin BUT is not an ssri. It is also non-addictive with NO withdrawal. It is not strong so usually they prescribe around 50 mg 4xday. It should help take the edge off the withdrawal anyway.It should take effect within 30 minutes of taking it.

 

God bless and hang in there.


#32 DinCA

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Posted 11 November 2013 - 03:26 PM

Claire....sweetheart, it gets better.  You will get your life back.  For some it is just harder...and for a hand full of those, it lasts a bit longer.  Cold turkey can be harder ....But not everyone has the extremely hard time coming off this stuff.  And not everyone will suffer those extra long lasting effects.  Often it seems ppl have an increase of symptoms around that time (4 or 5 weeks) and then they start to go away. 

Dont think of asking the doctor for something else to help with the w/d symptoms as "giving in".  It was a very smart thing to do, and will be easier to come off of later, when you feel better.   And waiting a little longer to start a family, til you are certain this stuff is out of your system is a really good idea ...for you AND for the baby. 

Crapalta likes to whisper in your ear and make you feel worse about things and yourself.......You really are making good choices in taking care of yourself.  And THAT is the most important thing to remember in all of this...you have to take care of yourself.  do whatever it takes to make YOU feel better..and just take it one week at a time.


#33 DinCA

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Posted 11 November 2013 - 04:54 PM

Fishinghat....how are you?  I looked for something recent from LadyNancy...but dont see anything.....I hope all is well with both of you.


#34 fishinghat

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Posted 11 November 2013 - 06:21 PM

Thanks for asking DinCA. I am barely hanging in there. I go see my pdoc next Wed and I fiquire on posting an update after that.

 

Yea, I haven't heard anything from Nancy lately either. I hope she is allright.


#35 equuswoman

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    In the future want 2B off Cymbalta! The physicians are no help. Looking for understanding, support & encouragement as I know this is a difficult process. Want 2 be of help 2 others who will find this site looking for same things as I.

Posted 19 November 2013 - 12:19 AM

Fishinghat How did your doctor appointment go?
Thinking about you. TheEquusWoman

#36 fishinghat

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Posted 19 November 2013 - 09:07 AM

Thanks for asking Equuswomen but it isn't til tomorrow. I am currently on 100 mg of Zoloft and still have a lot of anxiety., strong agitation, hypersensitive, heartpounding and throwing some pvcs. I would imagine he will kick me on up to 150 on Zoloft (a sort of average dose). Once I stabilize I can go back to coming off the Ativan. I will post more details tomorrow.

 

Hang in there and God Bless.


#37 equuswoman

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    In the future want 2B off Cymbalta! The physicians are no help. Looking for understanding, support & encouragement as I know this is a difficult process. Want 2 be of help 2 others who will find this site looking for same things as I.

Posted 19 November 2013 - 12:57 PM

Thanks for asking Equuswomen but it isn't til tomorrow. I am currently on 100 mg of Zoloft and still have a lot of anxiety., strong agitation, hypersensitive, heartpounding and throwing some pvcs. I would imagine he will kick me on up to 150 on Zoloft (a sort of average dose). Once I stabilize I can go back to coming off the Ativan. I will post more details tomorrow.

 

Hang in there and God Bless.

 

Tomorrow a prayer for you. Hope you have a positive visit. U stay strong and let us know how it goes for "you"...Thanks again for all that you've done for me. Peace & Love! TheEquusWoman :hug:


#38 fishinghat

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Posted 19 November 2013 - 01:51 PM

I have no idea what I did Equuswoman!! I thought I checked the box "like this" on your best wishes BUT it showed up as 'not like'. I think I changed it but with my computer skills who knows?   Anyway...Thanks, your prayer are welcome and comforting.


#39 albergo11

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Posted 02 January 2014 - 12:06 AM

Oh yes, I beleive it.  It's now 7 months post cymbalta 10mg, and my life is dramatically different now than it used to be.  I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY struggled for the first 4 months.  Like, I mean suicidal thoughts daily because the suffering was so intense.  Worst experience of my entire life.  I consider myself to be a very patient person, probably more patient than 80% of the folks I meet, but cymbalta beat me to death, and hung me out on a hook to dry, so to speak.  It took about 4 months for me to finally crack, but I had a total breakdown at that point, because I could no longer take the suffering.  Ironically, after that period of time, the symtpoms slowly started to abate, and since month #4, my life has slowly returned to normal, although at a MUCH slower pace than I'm comfortable with.  During month 5 I had enough windows of normality not to give up hope.  Month 6 was even better.  Month 7 was tremendous, and my life is starting to resemble normality at times. 

 

If you are in month 1, or 2, I strongly suggest finding ANYTHING you can to pass time without taking any sort of SSRI or going back on cymbalta.  Exercise helps but its really difficult to do when you're fatigued and miserable all the time.  Videogames are quite effective at kiling large amounts of time, and I used them successfully when the withdrawal symptoms were so bad that there was literally nothing else I could do.  Videogames are a heck of a lot less damaging than using recreational drugs, but they are habit forming, just like gambling, so its important to stop once you can manage life without the vice.

 

I wish I could say getting off cymbalta was not as hard as getting off of heroin, or crack, or maybe methamphetamines, but unfortunatley the withdrawal symtomps can be very similar, and the post-acute symptoms can last just as long.  The window is generally 6 months - 24 months, before fully healing.  

 

Good luck, and remember that TIME is the only cure for this horrible condition. 


#40 thismoment

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Posted 02 January 2014 - 03:09 AM

Alberto11

Good post! The timeline is indeed much longer than physicians advise, and it's clear that we can be disheartened and frightened back onto Cymbalta or some other antipsychotic because we still don't feel "normal" after four or five months off the drug. We have to stay strong and be patient; improvement is slow slow slow, but it does come.

Three months to withdraw and nine months to heal. While it's all withdrawal, healing is taking place too, and I believe it is critical to acknowledge that aspect of our recovery.

#41 Wagtail

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Posted 04 January 2014 - 01:44 AM

this moment, how are you going ?. :-)

#42 thismoment

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Posted 04 January 2014 - 03:03 AM

Hi Wagtail. I'm in here- sometimes I think I live in here, a virtual pair of hands on a virtual keyboard. I'm good, thank you for asking. And you?

A day or two ago someone was talking about how rough withdrawal can be on loved ones- spouses, lovers, partners, relatives. And I know that's true. And one of the nasty aspects of withdrawal from antipsychotics like Cymbalta is the vacant lot where compassion used to live. It's odd. I could isolate myself from family, coming and going like a spectre from beyond the grave, but I loved to hold the cat- and she seemed to come around a lot- coveting comfort the way cats do, but it meant a great deal to me, even though it's only and always about her. I would look for her to come and usurp the warmth from my lap. Interesting.

But what I meant to say was this: the injury we cause to our confused, compassionate, and devastated loved ones does not all get fixed when we're better. Some of it stays- how could it not? So when you're withdrawing and you're in that selfish suffering mode- almost at your wit's end, use that last tiny bit of wit to cut some slack for that faithful face that's been waking up beside you for the last umpteen years.

Somebody once said to me, that when you're raising children, everything you say and do matters, but what you do matters most. It's not just with children.


#43 Wagtail

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Posted 04 January 2014 - 04:51 AM

Fishinghat , I'm happy that you're OK. You give such empathy & great advice to others but I never hear you asking for help yourself . We can be so selfish when we're scared & suffering & it's very easy to just take & take , especially in our condition . Remember that we are here for you as well & worry for you !.
As usual your advice is very apt, & I will certainly take your advice & remember to cut my wonderful husband a lot of slack . I know in my heart that he is doing his very best & it's hard for him to see his wife suffering without knowing when or if it will end .

I need to try harder !..
Thank you & stay well my friend .
Sending you cyber hugs. :-)

#44 fishinghat

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Posted 04 January 2014 - 08:59 AM

Thank you so much for the kind words Wagtail. I know my forum friends are there for me. And just knowing that helps. Everyone's compassion and comfort gives aide to all of us. God Bless and be well.


#45 albergo11

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Posted 07 January 2014 - 06:06 PM

Claire, I understand your frustration entirely, and your post is literally the same as the types that I posted back in the first few months off of cymbalta.  I can assure you that going back on an SSRI will be a hairy adventure, to say the least.  I went back on prozac, it fixed the wooshing side effects you are describing, and brought back some cognitive functioning, but it had its own nervous system side effects that have lasted for over 4 months since stopping.  Therefore, I would proceed with EXTREME caution when taking any additional medication at this point.  My advice is that if you have any adverse effects to new medication, STOP BEFORE THEY BECOME SEMI PERMINANT.  Prozac had weird effects, and they lingered for up to 4 months after I stopped (they are still here, and they are completely tolerable, but 3 months ago I was in a hell of cymbalta + prozac withdrawal, not fun.

 

I can assure you that you will need to put your long term goals and aspirations on hold for at least a few months.  Bide your time, and don't give up hope.  I know this sounds harsh, and it may actually not be true.  You might be one of the lucky ones and have symptoms dissappear by 3 months.  There have been MANY people who recover in less than 3-6 months, I'd say the majority of folks, actually.  The horrendous side effects that really make you suffer shouldn't last for more than 2 months, and will SLOWLY decline in intensity.  Those first 3-4 months were really tough for me, I'd say nothing in my life has been more difficult.  I still have a littany of side effects, but at the current time my life is quite under my own control.  Occasionally I'll have a rough day or two, and do really stupid risky behavior because my brain is not working well (memory issues seems to be a driving factor for risky behavior in my case).  At least now, however, I can actually do things, even if I ocassionally make a misstep.  For the first 5-6 months, I was for the most part, limited to going to work, coming home, and playing videogames/watching movies.  Social encounters were an impossibility for me.

 

Over the last month I've started venturing out into the world, and taking on more responsibilties, and executing these ventures with reasonable success.  Therefore, I have lost most of the hoplessness that I used to experience in the first few months of withdrawal, and I am very grateful that my brain can heal in this fashion, because by the end of month 5 I had almost completely given up hope.

 

My psyciatrist did at least mention that withdrawal effects from cymbalta can last for up to 6 months, and considering that this is the "conventional" report, it's probably an average value.  My ex-psyciatrist is quite well established in Orange County, so he's obligated to know the most up to date information.  Aside from this, there isn't much he was able to do to help me, as I descended into the worst depression and episode of derealization and lack of emotions and cognitive functioning I can recall.

 

I hope this helped you, and I hate to sound negative, but I think a big part of overcoming this experience for me was to realize that I was going to really struggle for a while before things got better.  Once I accepted this fact, I started to ignore the effects as much as possible and pursue harmless avoidence behavior when things got too intolerable (for me, movies, videogames).

 

You're going to be fine, your life is NOT ruined.  It's just a temporary setback, and your brain WILL heal completely.  Things seem worst when you're currently going through the ringer, but once you get out on the other side, you realize how much you've grown and learned.  I am utterly sorry that ANYONE has to go through cymbalta withdrawals.  It's a torture that no body should ever endure, but each month that passes, you are that much closer to being liberated from the evil machine that put you in this situation. 


#46 thismoment

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Posted 07 January 2014 - 07:58 PM

Albergo 11- I really enjoyed reading your post. Thank you.

 

And you're right about the time required by those of us who suffer (suffered) with withdrawal. It's interesting- I think sometimes we understate the recovery time. Kind of like saying to a child, "Don't worry, the needle won't hurt." It hurts.

 

If you are part of that oft-claimed small percentage that will suffer withdrawal, here's what I would say:  You need 3 months to withdraw (the first month off work), and 9 months to heal. At the end of the year, assess what you've got.


#47 Timbo

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    Recently started tapering off of Cymbalta. Having bad effects and wanted to see if there were any ways to do this without having such a negative impact on my functionality.

Posted 07 January 2014 - 08:57 PM

Wow, Albergo11...what an excellent post.   Very helpful perspective - all too familiar, but it is helpful to hear other people going through a similar experience successfully.  Thank you for taking the time to share all of that information.  


#48 Clara

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Posted 08 January 2014 - 07:44 AM

albergo, thank you for that insightful post! I soooo needed it! Hugs and prayers for all my SINbalta friends! clara





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