47 replies to this topic

[thismoment]

If there is anyone out there who's been off Cymbalta for 6 months or more, please respond.

 

1. How long on Cymbalta, and how many months since your last Cymbalta dosage?

 

2. What was your last dosage, and what method did you use to withdraw (cold turkey, bead counting, piggyback on another drug)?

 

3. At what month did you feel you were out of the woods, and would definitely make it through the withdrawal?

 

4. At what month did you feel you were better than 90% restored.

 

5. Please rate how you view your current status (do you feel you are back to "normal"?).

[Lundeliz]

I hope you get some responses to this.  It will be very interesting and helpful.  Thank you for posting.

[sodone61]

uh oh.. nothing.

[Wagtail]

If there is anyone out there who's been off Cymbalta for 6 months or more, please respond.
 
1. How many months since your last Cymbalta dosage?
 
2. What method did you use to withdraw (cold turkey, bead counting, piggyback on another drug) etc?
 
3. At what month did you feel you were out of the woods, and would definitely make it through the withdrawal?
 
4. At what month did you feel you were better than 90% restored.
 


5. Please rate how you view your current status (do you feel you are back to "normal"?).

I would like an answer to this also !..

[FiveNotions]

1. I've been off the poison since the first week of December 2013, so Its been almost 4 months....

2. I quit cold turkey, having taken 60 mg a day for 7-8 years....

3. I think I first felt sure I'd make it sometime earlier this month....

4. I haven't hit the 90% restored feeling yet....I'm sort of alternating between 80% and 2%.....

For example, I had a complete melt-down last night, replete with weeping and rage... Over something my best friend said that I misinterpreted.....definitely a 2% (or less) on that one....but today I felt excellent!...went to Mass, visited the nursing home, did some grocery shopping.... A solid 80%....

[FiveNotions]

Lundeliz, Sodone and Wagtail..... Chime in with your responses, too.... Everyone into the pool! ;-D

[fishinghat]

1. Off since Feb 2012,  was off for 4 months before I gave up and went back on ssri.

 

2) Was on ssri for 12 years, cymbalta for 5 of that.

 

3) After 13 months still don't feel like I will make it (but if I go down it will be fighting).

 

4) Running about 70% and slooowwly getting worse as I build tolerance to it.

[FiveNotions]

Wow, FH....that's the Zoloft, right? I didn't realize that tolerance happens so fast ..... Beyond bummer....

Heh, I just did some reading up on this, and learned there's even a fancy name for tolerance/poop-out...... Tachyphylaxis ..... Now that's a word to remember for major scrabble points......

Edited by FiveNotions, 23 March 2014 - 09:17 PM.

[thismoment]

1. On for 2 years, off for 1 year and 8 months (20 months).

 

2. Withdrew from 30 mg by bead-counting over 42 days.

 

3. Felt I was out of the woods and could make it after about 4 months.

 

4. Felt better than 90% after a year.

 

5. Currently at 95%+ function with a few residual withdrawal artifacts: tinnitus, chronic headache, low dopamine. I am back to "normal", but I have a palpable 'different' feeling of myself compared to before I started this adventure, but that was 4 years ago and certainly the passage of time alone has an effect. I am satisfied with what I have.

[equuswoman]

I have been off this nasty poison since Wed March 18th. I look forward to being able to post  here  in this thread at 5 months

[Clara]

On C. for more years than I remember! Off since mid Nov. 2013 2 Cold turkey  3. Good days and bad days 4.Trying to look forward and be positive!!!!

[fishinghat]

Wow, FH....that's the Zoloft, right? I didn't realize that tolerance happens so fast ..... Beyond bummer....

Heh, I just did some reading up on this, and learned there's even a fancy name for tolerance/poop-out...... Tachyphylaxis ..... Now that's a word to remember for major scrabble points......

 

Actually I would imagine I am building tolerance to my lorazepam.  It never does work long-term for me and the manufactuerers say it is a short term benzo (4 months or so). Tachyphylaxis huh? Sounds like a girls name. You could just call her 'tachy' for short.  lol

[Lundeliz]

!. Started Cym in 2006

 

2. First quit ct in 2009,  reinstated, then did bead counting, and finally

    stopped at 17 beads on Dec 4, 2013.

 

3. Don't feel out of the woods yet, but dealing with other meds that

     that I have become hypersensitive to during wd.  Currently tapering off

     beta blocker, which I think is causing agitation, nausea, insomnia.

[xman]

Lundeliz, you mentioned taper of beta blocker, are you doing ok w/that? A slow heart rate and/or blood pressure can surely make you feel like heck and then some!

[Lundeliz]

My beta blocker taper is going ok. I'm taking it slow.  My bp and hr are ok on the med,

 

but I'm having some nasty side effects from it.  At least I think they are side effects to

 

the med.  It will be a few more weeks until I'm completely off.

[xman]

Personally I feel nauseated when my BP is low, as do most ppl. (symptomatic hypotension). Yucky indeed. And with it comes the cascade of other physical and emotional effects... I wish you and your heart rate the best--nice and steady!

[fishinghat]

Beta blocker regulates high blood pressure downward. During withdrawal (actually refered to as rebound effect) the pulse and bp spike.

[xman]

TY for clarifying FH, and too, the beta "blocker" limits the HR, keeps it down even when we may need it up for activity.

 

Sometimes we don't know when it is TOO low and thus can have those yucky symptoms of nausea, CP, anxiety. I see folks that have been BB when they actually no longer were in need of the beta blocker= the opposite effect  .

 

 Rebound~~~ that is scary bad as well.

[FiveNotions]

Yep, that's what happened to me....I was on a beta blocker for high bp and another med for tachycardia ..... When I got off the cymbalta I kept taking them....little did I know that it was the cymbalta that was causing the high bp and tachycardia....and, I went into hypotension and bradycardia ..on top of the withdrawal symptoms......so, I did some fast googling, and learned about the cymbalta connection...

I stopped both meds (yes, I should have tapered...made myself sicker that first month, I'm sure)....My doc didn't believe me when I told him about the cymbalta and side effects...he wanted to just switch me to new heart meds.... I listened politely to him, took the prescriptions he wrote, walked out of his office...ripped them up and tossed them in the trash....

Problems solved....normal bp and heart rate....

[Wagtail]

Five notions , you & I are quite similar.

On CRAPALTA 60 mg for 10 yrs
Stopped almost cold turkey November 2013
Using Xanax for emergencies , although haven't had any for nearly 2 weeks now.

I'm very much up & down with my recovery ( could be my age ) I'm 66 yo
I have more good / tolerable days than bad now.
A good day is almost always followed by a relapse .

Still emotional & sometimes fearful .

[xman]

Nodding my head as I read FiveNotions post. Hooray for YOU, FN!! I particularly  love that you took the script and tore it up!!

[Faith22]

Yep, that's what happened to me....I was on a beta blocker for high bp and another med for tachycardia ..... When I got off the cymbalta I kept taking them....little did I know that it was the cymbalta that was causing the high bp and tachycardia....and, I went into hypotension and bradycardia ..on top of the withdrawal symptoms......so, I did some fast googling, and learned about the cymbalta connection...

I stopped both meds (yes, I should have tapered...made myself sicker that first month, I'm sure)....My doc didn't believe me when I told him about the cymbalta and side effects...he wanted to just switch me to new heart meds.... I listened politely to him, took the prescriptions he wrote, walked out of his office...ripped them up and tossed them in the trash....

Problems solved....normal bp and heart rate....

[Faith22]

I have been on cymbalta x 10 years currently 15 weeks since taken . I developed high blood pressure and tachycardia and now on meds . The other day my blood pressure spiked all day call doctor changed meds now afraid bc my blood pressure is slowly getting lower and lower ! Help

[Faith22]

Was doing fine till I lost 5 lbs and have been in a panic attack seems like for ever . Started taking wellbrutin x 2 days ago and wish I didn't bc it's feeding the bigger evil with a lesser one . Scared to abruptly stop but I have only taken two pills so far . But this has been 4 months of hell .

[xman]

Faith22 -were I you, hold tight if the Welbutrin is helping, as it is better than going back to Crapalta. However you are right about the bigger picture... Take the lowest dose and make a plan to dc that as well. If you are unable to go about daily life...well you have to do what helps.

 

Here 4 YOU!

[Faith22]

Ended the wellbrutin after 3 days think it made more aniexty don't want to undo all my hard work . Scared been doing ok but now my aniexty has been on overload . Scared nervous and can't see my cardiologist till the 18 th .my blood pressure is getting lower and lower so started weaning myself off my beta blocker which terribly scares me when it's anything to do with my heart . I know it's not safe and should be under advise of md but my md can't advise me since I haven't been there in a year and I cannot get in with them for another two weeks . Anyone have advise or words of comfort . Feel alone and in panick mode 24/7 .

[FiveNotions]

Hi Faith,

The heck with doing it the way your doc wants ..... My suggestion is that you be pro-active and advocate for yourself, rather than wait around suffering and panicking.....

How about you call your doc and bluntly tell him...his staff... that you are having serious problems, and that you MUST see him immediately?

Or, if that doesn't work, use a variation of a trick I've used successfully on a number of occasions..... How about you just turn up in his office, and loudly announce to the receptionist, in front of everyone in the waiting room, that you're having severe heart problems and you'd rather pass out/have your heart attack there than go to the ER? (That always gets their attention and guarantees an immediate appointment !)

Or, you could just go to the ER .....

I don't mean to sound harsh here..... It's just that I take heart issues really really seriously.... and after my cymbalta experience, including the heart related stuff, I no longer assume that any doc knows what's best for me....

[Faith22]

Happy to announce I have a cardiac appt Thursday after" breaking bad " and laying down my concerns terrible day with intense aniexty most the day making it almost impossible to work . Pray everyday to just get through the day and make it to the next . Not sure how much longer I can take much needed prayers

[Carleeta]

Faith22..Glad you are going to see the dr Thursday. .I wouldn't want you to tamper with your meds without seeing a Dr or going to the ER..Please keep us posted on your visit..

God Bless you..

[Faith22]

So my cardiologist doctor told me everything looked great! As of in the morning completely stop my blood pressure medicine! Yay what a blessing:) take my blood pressure twice a day come back and see him 2 weeks ! My panic ,anxiety & headache are not associated or related to my heart . Just my brain LOL most likely related to the cymbalta and my nerves in general:( boo! Benzo's such a Xanax and Ativan will be the only anti-anxiety medication that will not increase my blood pressure along with the natural things that I am taking . He told me to stay on the benzo as needed but typically don't prescribe so would have to go back to family doctor . Me and my husband filled out in paperwork for a new family doctor now just awaiting response. Until then much prayers appreciated that anxiety will not continue!