6 replies to this topic

[GypsyGail]

So I have been off of Cymbalta for about a month now from quitting cold turkey  *yay* and I must tell you that it does get better.I have been taking st johns wort, a B-100 complex, and eating lots of flax seed. I have been jogging at least four times a week which really really helped with the withdrawal symptoms. So my advice to those withdrawing is to get up and work out even if you feel like crap! Lots of water, lots of sweating and it will eventually clear your system! I feel more alert and not so tired all of the time and  more sex drive. I have even lost a few pounds. I still have the brainzaps and occasional irritability. However, I am worried about my bouts of depression I have had all of my life, so my Doctor prescribed me WellButrin SR 150mg which i will bump up to 300mg after 7 days. My question is, has anyone else taken this? What should I expect? My Doctor said I will probably need to be on medication forever due to my occasion suicidal thoughts and being so depressed I wont leave my bed. So what are you guys' thoughts on being on medication forever? And does Wellbutrin have the same withdrawal effects as Cymbalta?

[fishinghat]

There are those who must have medication to have a acceptable quality of life. I sure am not qualified to say you are one of those but I would say that probably down deep you know the answer to that question. As far as wellbutrin is concerned all I can tell you is that from what I have read the withdrawal from it is less than cymbalta.

[GypsyGail]

Thanks for your help!

[NarcolepticRN]

_{Just my experience, as I read on here about being in this 'withdrawal process', that although there are many similarities with the symptoms, some have found it to be a smooth process if you ... take it S L O W !! , find the right medication to help you thru it, stay active and from those 'on the other side' will all say .... It is worth it !!  I am a full time working RN, who can push thru whatever is sent my way... but after being diagnosed with Narcolepsy 3 years ago.... WHEW.... biggest challenge in life, so far !!  Already being on Cymbalta for about 7 years for life's little struggles, they decided to keep me on this ( and only medicine ) along with the 'Narcolepsy' meds that come along with their own set of Awful Side Effects !  So with that said ..... I have to say WELLBUTRIN is THE BEST thing in the world right now !!  My Neurologist / Sleep Dr. sent me to a Psychiatrist last month who specializes in Narcolepsy and wouldn't you know it, but her first thing was ... MUST get off the Cymbalta !!!  So.... 60mg went to 30mg everyday for a month and then tapering off from that.... but.... just by adding the Wellbutrin, that is known to have a 'wake-promoting' side-effect for Narcoleptics... OMG..... My husband, along with my co-workers are starting to see a lot of  "ME" returning........... Thank Goodness !!!  So, kudos to Wellbutrin and good luck !}

[buzzbuzz]

Hello GypsyGail,

 

I weaned off cymbalta (it took 3 months, but I made it!!!!), and I took wellbutrin for a couple of years before cymbalta. Quite frankly, I wish that I had just stayed with the wellbutrin/prozac combo that I was taking back then. It worked just fine and it was fas less expensive than cymbalta (even with health insurance). I remember having some minor discomfort and a few brain zaps after quitting wellbutrin (cold turkey), but the w/d's weren't even in the same league as the prolonged discomfort I experienced coming off cymbalta (counting out those stupid little pillules, and coming off as slowly as possible). Now I am 100% drug free. It makes me realize that taking cymbalta for depression really wasn't worth it. It cost more, and the w/d's are murder, plus now that I am off it I realize that it did NOTHING to ease my pain! Even though it's nice to be drug free, it can be very hard at times...especially if things get stressful at work, or with my family. If I ever go back on anything, it will probably be wellbutrin. It helps with my depression and ADD. I feel more energetic, happier, less hungry, and my mind seems to work faster when on wellbutrin. I learned a big lesson: when my psych starts touting a new drug, I just need to close my ears. I hope this helps....

[GypsyGail]

Thank you all for your help and congratulations for successfully kicking Cymbalta. And I know there is no better feeling than that day when you feel like yourself again!  
Best Of Luck

[albergo11]

I've been on and off of most of the antidepressants out there on the market, and the only medication that seemed to me to be even close to as devestating as cymbalta were those withdrawls associated with clonozepam.  That took around 3 months before I felt normal again.  Wellbutrin did not really leave any impression on me, so I'm guessing it took a week at most.  I would definitely recommend not being on medication, the human brain changes over time, and due to this plasticity, the effects of medications can change dramatically from one year to the next.  Therefore, something that worked for you in the past, may cause prolonged withdrawls if you go on it when you're brain chemistry has changed.

 

After being on all of these medications, I can honestly say that exercise, meditation, and a healthy lifestyle are the only acceptable cures.  All of the rest of the treatments just mask the problem with new problems, some of them worse than the anxiety and the depression.  The worst part being that you can't really choose, and since this world of psyciatric medications is only 30 years old at most, the of the science behind their effects are mostly unknown.

 

What ever your choice may be, I wish you the best of luck.