9 replies to this topic

[dneaks9624]

I told my doctor about the terrible withdrawals I was having from cymbalta, and he said that he has never heard of any withdrawals from his patients. Well now his has..........and I am changing doctors. And I bet if he visted this website, he would see what I was talking about! And he should know, because he is the one who prescribed the cymbalta to me.
Apparently he needs to do his homework.

It is hard to put on a scale of the withdrawl symptoms of cymbalta because they were all pretty much major. But I will do my best.
Scale of one to ten. Ten being the worst.
Nausea 10+
Vomitting 10+
Dizziness 8+
Heads zaps 10+ aka paresthesias - electric shock sensations <<<< (are you kidding me)
Fatigue/ poor sleep 10+
Brain fog 10+
Short term memory problems 10+
Hot and cold chills similar to the flu 10
Joint pain 8
Frustration/anger 9
Ear muffled sounds 8
Comprehension ability gone 10+
Crying spells 10+
(weaning process took weeks)
I was put on cymbalta for depression and anxiety started the drug in May of 07 - Dec 08.
I started weening myself off of this drug and here is my nightmare, I weened from 60mg to 30mg to 15mg to 7mg, opening the capules for the 15 and 7mg ween. (7mg just to take the edge off).
12/1 Last pill AFTER the weening process
12/3 had to take cymbalta again b/c of all the withdrawl effects listed above 7mg
12/4-5 took cymbalta 7mg
12/6 no cymbalta
12/7 took cymbalta 7mg
12/8-11 no cymbalta had all withdrawal effects listed above
12/12 took cymbalta 7mg
12/13-25 no cymbalta had all withdrawal effects listed above
12/25 @ night took cymbalta 7mg
12/26-29 no cymbalta had all withdrawal effects listed above
kept having withdrawl effects everyday, but they lessened as time went by.
around January 16th 09 my brain was finally becoming clearer, and I was beginning
to comprehend things, and function much better. But I still have days of withdrawl, especially
the brain not being clear days, and I know that is b/c of being on the cymbalta.
And here it is February 8th 09, and I am still trying to comprehend everything that has just happened to me. It is alot to take in. I take everyday one step at a time, and it has been a very slow process. What Eli Lilly (the drug company) is failing to do, is to understand that cymbalta's withdrawl effects or should I say ( discontinuation effects ) are higly under rated. This is serious, and people are sick and want answers.
I Hope this gives you a better understanding of what I am trying to say.

[christie]

I told my doctor about the terrible withdrawals I was having from cymbalta, and he said that he has never heard of any withdrawals from his patients. Well now his has..........and I am changing doctors. And I bet if he visted this website, he would see what I was talking about! And he should know, because he is the one who prescribed the cymbalta to me.
Apparently he needs to do his homework.

It is hard to put on a scale of the withdrawl symptoms of cymbalta because they were all pretty much major. But I will do my best.
Scale of one to ten. Ten being the worst.
Nausea 10+
Vomitting 10+
Dizziness 8+
Heads zaps 10+ aka paresthesias - electric shock sensations <<<< (are you kidding me)
Fatigue/ poor sleep 10+
Brain fog 10+
Short term memory problems 10+
Hot and cold chills similar to the flu 10
Joint pain 8
Frustration/anger 9
Ear muffled sounds 8
Comprehension ability gone 10+
Crying spells 10+
(weaning process took weeks)
I was put on cymbalta for depression and anxiety started the drug in May of 07 - Dec 08.
I started weening myself off of this drug and here is my nightmare, I weened from 60mg to 30mg to 15mg to 7mg, opening the capules for the 15 and 7mg ween. (7mg just to take the edge off).
12/1 Last pill AFTER the weening process
12/3 had to take cymbalta again b/c of all the withdrawl effects listed above 7mg
12/4-5 took cymbalta 7mg
12/6 no cymbalta
12/7 took cymbalta 7mg
12/8-11 no cymbalta had all withdrawal effects listed above
12/12 took cymbalta 7mg
12/13-25 no cymbalta had all withdrawal effects listed above
12/25 @ night took cymbalta 7mg
12/26-29 no cymbalta had all withdrawal effects listed above
kept having withdrawl effects everyday, but they lessened as time went by.
around January 16th 09 my brain was finally becoming clearer, and I was beginning
to comprehend things, and function much better. But I still have days of withdrawl, especially
the brain not being clear days, and I know that is b/c of being on the cymbalta.
And here it is February 8th 09, and I am still trying to comprehend everything that has just happened to me. It is alot to take in. I take everyday one step at a time, and it has been a very slow process. What Eli Lilly (the drug company) is failing to do, is to understand that cymbalta's withdrawl effects or should I say ( discontinuation effects ) are higly under rated. This is serious, and people are sick and want answers.
I Hope this gives you a better understanding of what I am trying to say.

If the Doctor wont listen or says theyve never heard of it find a new doctor. My doctor knew the drug got me sick after I was curled up in the fetal position on the exam table because I was so sick from the drug AND getting off it

[Houdi]

Dear Christie:

How are you doing now? Feeling any better and leveling out? Thanks for posting the information, here and in the supplement area, regarding your experience on Cymbalta and withdrawing from Cymbalta. It is so helpful to individuals who are researching discontinuing Cymbalta.

I know this site and the members here were so helpful to me when I discontinued using Cymbalta. I thought I was alone, and who knew there was a whole community of people who understood and could actually help me get through the process. I don't know if I would have made it off the Cymbalta and I sure would have ended up at a health care facility, because the Cymbalta drug insert didn't mention the kind of symptoms I was experiencing. I was really scared.

Best of wishes,
Houdi

[christie]

Im a little better. I have good days and bad. Im on the Xanax still when Im off the wall. I have my days when Im fine then I have days when I feel like Linda Blair in the exorcist. The Doctor just put me on something for my stomach and back on antibiotics AGAIN. Me and the pharmacist are on a first name basis. Im still scared of symptoms that could come back at any moment. I still get dizzy and nauseated from time to time and I feel my blood pressure drop too. Im taking it one day at a time. I do know one thing my doctor doesnt know what to do with me and I can understand why. After she saw saw me after the first ER trip and they had cleared me for everything else that couldve been wrong she knew it was the Cymbalta. Shoot the 1st ER doc walked in with the results of everything saying Cymbalta Cymbalta Cymbalta. The 3rd ER doc even was aware of issues with it

[Houdi]

Christie:

It's frustrating huh? Hang in there and the Cymbalta withdrawals will leave....promise! It does take time though. Seems like it should just leave your system and everything will be great. But, for some of us, that just isn't the case. Our bodies take time to adjust to life with out the stuff. Very scary to me.

Best of wishes,
Houdi

[christie]

Christie:

It's frustrating huh? Hang in there and the Cymbalta withdrawals will leave....promise! It does take time though. Seems like it should just leave your system and everything will be great. But, for some of us, that just isn't the case. Our bodies take time to adjust to life with out the stuff. Very scary to me.

Best of wishes,
Houdi

Frustrating doesnt even cover it! Ive been off it since early february and Im getting better. Im evidently one of the ones that the symptoms dont stop when they leave your system. Im having the pains and issues with my legs, dizziness and I still can feel my blood pressure drop from time to time. Everything else has faded away from but resurfaces from time to time

[Houdi]

Christie:

The pain, aching and swelling in my hands and feet were one of the last Cymbalta related "issues" to leave me. For me, it lingered for maybe six months, but as time went on it got less painful and swollen...just was ALWAYS there. I really felt it in the morning. I used Arnica gel for my joints. Or you can try an aspercreme type topical. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not so much.

Another symptom that lasted a long time was the inability to control my body temperature. What is THAT about? Hot, cold...never regular. The temp swings were so uncomfortable. And, I stopped Cymbalta in the summer and live in the south. Humidity and body sweats; nice..... :) I was a real catch.

You seem to be doing well with the one day at a time. My downfall was looking too far ahead when I had a really good day or a really bad spell. I let myself get too far ahead of where I was in my withdrawal and assumed I would feel really great or really bad for a long time. Then I'd be disappointed (if I thought I'd feel really great) or depressed (if I was feeling really poor). What a pendulum ride!

One issue that has never resolved itself, my Eustachian tubes collapsed while I was on Cymbalta. ENT has no idea why but thought maybe it might get better once I was through the withdrawal. I still struggle with this issue. He said I could get tubes and maybe that would help, no guarantee. It's been a year and I really don't think I want tubes put in my ears.

Talk soon...Houdi

[ginnybean32]

Houdi
I saw that you had trouble regulating your body temp and you dont seem to know why. I'll tell you what my doctor told me about how Cymbalta works on the brain and why when you discontinue the drug everything goes crazy in the body. Your body temp heartbeat and all bodily functions are regulated in the brain. Thats why if the brain dies you die. Cymbalta acts like traffic lights in allowing the neuro transmitters to travel through the brain. The neuro transmitters that make you feel emotional and physical pain are made to stop at the light sort to speak so they dont affect your mood to be depressed or when you have chronic pain it keeps those neuro transmitters from constantly firing by setting up the road blocks. Once your taken off the drug your neuro transmitters that have been sitting at the red light are finally able to fire or travel through the brain and all of a sudden you have a ton of these neuro transmitters that are fighting to get through where Cymbalta used to be to hold them off. So all this activity your brains not used too takes it toll. The brain cant regulate all these "signals" at once so a lot of these neuro transmitters get through and cause the brain to try and regulate itself and now it has to set up and reroute its roads and traffic lights so the "signals" dont get confused. Basically our brain is just confused and needs time to rebuild the correct pathways for the neuro transmitters to follow which includes temp regulation rapid heartbeat brain fogginess etc. Cymbalta really controls the brain while you take it which its supposed to. thats its job so when you stop taking it the brain has to "relearn" to control itself and thats just going to take time. I keep telling myself it will end I know it will I just have to be patient. Do you really think Cymbalta caused your ear problems? It is probably unreleated. I know alot of doctors dont care and dont explain all drug risks with their patients and the doctors that dont should really not have a license.

When talking to a new doctor look around their office. Do you see tissue boxes with drug names on them. Are there tons of drug propaganda that is visible. If there is chances are you are seeing a doctor that will write prescriptions just for the kickbacks. Every pharmacutical company in the US keeps track of how many prescriptions your doctor writes and for what drug it is. They can not give them money but they can provide expensive catering to your doctors office. Vacation giveaways, houses, cars and golf clubs to name a few "perks" doctors get for writing you a script of Cymbalta over Lexapro. I am a nurse and so I know what goes on. I quit my job with one doctor for this very reason. Health Insurance is so being ripped off by this practice but I wont go into that. Anyway my point is when you go to find a new doctor flat out ask them if they allow time in their day for drug reps. Good doctors will only talk to a drug rep for 2 minutes and then just have them leave drug samples with the nurses. Doctors that are wanting kickbacks will set aside 1-2 hours a day to talk to them. Dont go to a doctor office that has everything covered in drug propaganda. Interview your doctor. Seriously and tell them you are interviewing them. If they get pissed off leave and never look back. This person will have control of your health and may determine one day if you live or die. You have every right to question them and their decisions. When you are prescribed a drug ask if there is a similar drug and if its cheaper. Always talk to your pharmacist regardless of what your doctor says. Pharmacist know more about the drug than the doctor does. He was chemistry major chances are your doctor was not.

Just use common sense if it dosnt feel right it probably isnt. If you feel you leave your doctor more flustered than before you went because he wont let you get a word out or rushes you during the exam stop them and tell them they are going too fast and you need more time. So many people are scared to question their doctors or let them know they need more time. Dont be one of them. Ok enough of that..I guess I just see so many people that dont take control of their own lives especially educated people who should know better it flabbergasses me. Im so glad you left your doctor when he said that to you. I bet his office gets free catered lunch every week for all the Cymbalta scripts hes writing. What a scumbag.

By the way my doctors take all the time I need with any questions or answers. There is absolutely no drug propaganda in their offices other than pens and notepads and they never let drug companys cater their lunches. How do I know? I interviewed each doctor before becoming their patient and I asked them flat out if drug companies were influincing what drugs they write. Every patient should interview their doctors and hold them accountable for their actions. Maybe if we did then we would all get the whole story on every drug they try to prescribe and not just what the drug insert says which I think should be illegal. I wish they would get rid of samples cause your pharmacist should always know what your taking. Ok enough of my opinion. Hope I helped.

[dneaks9624]

Christine,
Thank you for the reply, about my cymbalta nightmare, and weaning process. I have been receiving so many emails from people off of whatwinnersdo.com site. It is another withdrawal website which rolled into this one. Have you ever posted on the winners site?? I know a christine from that site as well.
I get so many emails a day asking for advice. I reach out and help people everyday. Their are so many blog's on that site, and so many people are sick trying to get this drug out of their system. I am currently working with people trying to get the dangers of cymbalta withdrawal made more public. People need to know what this drug does. And since it has just been approved for fibro......their are going to be than many more people withdrawaling from it.
It is a terrible thing to have to go through. Especially when you don't see it coming.
People need to report their withdrawals to their doctors. Reguardless if they care or not.
Diane

[chrisann03]

My doc is the EXACT same. She thinks I am making up my withdrawals and I am having one heck of a time getting her to sign my leave of absence papers for work due to the withdrawals. I am going to see her tomorrow and have printed off the FDA report I found on here to show her I am not crazy.