401 replies to this topic

[AnotherMind]

TM - you can mess with my metaphor anytime you like!

 

FH - I think we are all learning to swim in the 'recovery river'! -  sink or swim.

 

You lovely people.

[thismoment]

FH and AM

 

I actually imagined the person to be paddling in a solo craft like a kayak or canoe.

[FiveNotions]

Well, so far my canoe hasn't had a paddle....

[AnotherMind]

I feel more like Im body surfing - I find quiet eddies and just as I surrender to a sense of buoyancy ... I'm drawn back into the rapids, dragged over the bare rocks and spat back out into uncharted waters.

[thismoment]

Oh dear. Are there sharks in this story? I'm not fond of sharks. 

[FiveNotions]

Sure...they would be the docs and pharma co people....

[TryinginFL]

LOL y'all !!

[FiveNotions]

Hey guys....I just noted that I've been promoted to Fishinghat status...."god-like"....does that come with a pay raise?

[TryinginFL]

Congrats, FN!  I noticed that a while back!

[FiveNotions]

Well, I haven't had much else to do with my time these past 6 months and one week....plus,am lot of my posts are non-substantive, like this one, or research and news articles....I'm an unemployed librarian....can't help myself. :-D

[AnotherMind]

Sure...they would be the docs and pharma co people....

Oh yes indeed... basking sharks - we get siphoned up into their gigantic profit making mouths and a few of us escape out through the gills...swirling and a bit broken, eddying in their wake.

 

 

Like me right now - dazed and fragmented.

[AnotherMind]

Hello people, hope you are all doing well.

 

Week 6 now & much has improved - but the thing that is really bothering me is that everything I do leaves an extreme pain legacy in my body -e.g. typed up an article and sculpted now my hand is in a pressure bandage, went for a bicyle ride couldn't walk the next day for frozen muscles, jaw is awful as it's clenched all the time, abdominal pain blah, blah...

Im just 'locking up' really dramatically everyday despite excercising. And weak, dropping things, stumbling, unable to sustain my grasp (dropped the kettle yesterday) - Im also waking up in spasm and random acute soreness.

This problem has always been there for me ( and named as Fibro) - but nothing to this extent. This is diabolical. Anyone else had the freezing and locking of muscles after any kind of exertion while they were withdrawing?

 

Everyday is a long maintainence of trying to contain pain and keep muscles working. Im taking magnesium - minimal difference. I hate being this fatigued and weak. I hope this isnt what it's like without Cymblata - eek.

 

sorry - what a whinge.

 

44 going on 84!

[fishinghat]

With fibro all I can say is prayers and best wishes.

[FiveNotions]

AM, Brodie just posted something similar on another thread here.....an easy way to find it would be to go to her profile page and click "posts" under her avatar on the left side of the page.....I don't have experience with fibro...was told at one point I might have it, but it was actually just physical exhaustion and stress from working at my old law firm....ditch the firm, and bingo, no "fibro." ;-)

I have had a friend who had it....she suffered terribly, and yet worked as a home care companion...doing much physical lifting, etc.,mans without taking any prescription meds. I am convinced she is a saint!

[ittybittysmitty]

Week 6 now & much has improved - but the thing that is really bothering me is that everything I do leaves an extreme pain legacy in my body -e.g. typed up an article and sculpted now my hand is in a pressure bandage, went for a bicyle ride couldn't walk the next day for frozen muscles, jaw is awful as it's clenched all the time, abdominal pain blah, blah...
Im just 'locking up' really dramatically everyday despite excercising. And weak, dropping things, stumbling, unable to sustain my grasp (dropped the kettle yesterday) - Im also waking up in spasm and random acute soreness.
This problem has always been there for me ( and named as Fibro) - but nothing to this extent. This is diabolical. Anyone else had the freezing and locking of muscles after any kind of exertion while they were withdrawing?

AM, I have fibro...although am not experiencing your symptoms...i would encourage you to talk to your doc about a muscle relaxant if your muscles are so tight...just a thought. what do you mean by 'frozen' muscles? Do you mean sore or tight?

[fishinghat]

IBS

 

What to do? Cymbalta out of your system and its evil effects., Now Fibro is back. Wish I could help.

 

Prayers and best wishes.

[tria]

AM - I have similar muscle symptoms.  I never related mine to the Cymbalta?  I had the symptoms while on the Cymbalta though they have gotten a little worse since I've started weaning, coincidence or not, who knows??  My doctor called it myotonia.  I first noticed it when my left hand did not want to stay open.  When I relax my hands now, they automatically close almost into a fist. My left arm also does not straighten all the way unless I force it, and then the upper arm muscle shakes and hurts. Sometimes it's even uncomfortable to lay flat on  my back - my muscles like me to be curled on my side instead.  The severity varies, some days are bad then it will improve for a while.  My muscles also shake quite a bit and get weak at times.  This is all definitely worse when my muscles are tired, and it often doesn't take much to make them tired!  Just typing at the computer for a while will do it a lot of the time. Or showering and washing my hair is very taxing, as a lot my muscle problems are in my upper arms and my  neck.  I take Baclofen for these symptoms and it does help.  I can only tolerate a very low dose (a higher does makes me too tired) but it's worked well without any other side effects.  Yes to the random acute pain as well.  Yesterday, my neck felt fine and today it is soooo sore, wondering if a trip to the chiropractor will make things better or worse?  I do have an underlying neuromuscular condition (mitochondrial myopathy) but my doctors don't know if these muscles symptoms are related to it or not?

 

I don't know if I've helped much  - hope my post makes sense.  Bad day today, fuzzy headed and mood is terrible. Thinking now, these muscle problems seem to come along with the fuzzy-headedness and generally feeling worse.  Also get a feeling like electric current running thru my muscles, best way I can describe it.  I'm very tired and just want to lay down but I can't get comfortable and my muscles won't relax no matter what I do.  Wonder if you've experienced anything similar?

[Amybc7]

Thankfully I've had no history relating to my muscles, etc.  I took (am taking....in slow, reducing amounts) Cymbalta for depression.

 

I will say that that I am 100% with you on your last paragraph!  It's day by day - sometimes hour by hour.  I have a great morning and around lunch time I was in bed and miserable.  The electric feeling - perfect description.  I called it my body humming.  It's not really an energy - but just this feeling that leaves me restless and anxious.  I've tried stretching and some kitchen sink yoga - which sometimes helps - but generally I just need to wait for it to subside.

 

After a period of time on the computer (which isn't anything new for me - I spend 6+ hours at a desk at work) my shoulders ache and my neck cracks.  This has never happened.  Putting my hair in a pony tail is a serious of pops and cracks.  All very new!

 

I'm 38.  This has all popped up since about the 3rd week of decreasing my dose.  I blame the Cymbalta.

[fishinghat]

'I'm 38.  This has all popped up since about the 3rd week of decreasing my dose.  I blame the Cymbalta.'

 

You are probably right Amy.

[ittybittysmitty]

AM and Tria,

I'm sorry you are both dealing with this...perhaps going to see a neurologist would help explain your symptoms?

Fishinghat, what are your thoughts?

[thismoment]

Ulysses, tie yourself to the metaphorical mast for 6 months until you sail past the siren song of the discontinuation symptoms.

[tria]

Amy -- "my body humming" - that is a great way to describe it, and yes I feel restless and anxious also.  It's almost like my body is on "high alert" as well - the phone ringing will make me jump, hitting a pothole while riding in the car will send a flash of pain up my back and make me instantly irritable.  I never tied these symptoms to the Cymbalta before, and I almost hate to say it, but maybe it would be good if they are from the Cymbalta... then they might go away whenever I can get off this drug!!  I'm 43 btw.

 

ittybitty - I've been to lots of neurologists though it is a good suggestion, even if just to rule out other causes. My regular neuro just retired, he was a wonderful dr and I feel lost without him.  I've also seen a neuro-muscular specialist. None of them were able to determine a cause, other than to say it might maybe be caused by my mitochondrial myopathy.  I did have an EMG and nerve study that were abnormal, which led to that diagnosis. Unfortunately, mito is very rare, especially in adults and symptoms can vary widely.  So one of my ongoing struggles is determining what symptoms are "real" symptoms and what might be side effects from meds.  This forum has been a great help in giving me an idea of what the Cymbalta is probably doing to my body!

[fishinghat]

Muscle/joint aches/pains/cramps and snapping can be related to so many problems it is hard to guess what is going on. I know Cymbalta is used (with limited success) to treat arthritis pain and even fibromyalgia. To believe the withdrawal is related to your aches and pains is quite logical. I really don't know what to say other than you might have to wait until the withdrawal is dome and see what you are left with.

[AnotherMind]

My left arm also does not straighten all the way unless I force it, and then the upper arm muscle shakes and hurts. Sometimes it's even uncomfortable to lay flat on  my back - my muscles like me to be curled on my side instead.  The severity varies, some days are bad then it will improve for a while.  My muscles also shake quite a bit and get weak at times.  This is all definitely worse when my muscles are tired, and it often doesn't take much to make them tired!

 

Tria - your symptoms sound very familiar to me - and Ive never had a clear diagnosis. Its just been brushed off as 'fibro' - I've never heard of 'myotonia' - I'll have to look into it.

Amybc7 - that's interesting that you blame it on Cymbalta - I have the humming too.

 

Gosh - i just dont know. I guess I have to keep waiting for some time to pass and see what Im left with. Confused.

[tria]

AM - I should have added before that if you look up myotonia, you will find info on muscular dystrophies but don't panic! I do have mitochondrial myopathy, but before the docs figured that out, I was told the myotonia could just be a disorder unto itself.  It does not necessarily mean you have some horrible disease!!  I like what you said, wait for some time to pass and see what we're left with.... hopefully we'll all end up better off in the long run.

[AnotherMind]

Tria - thanks for that! panic averted!

 

I definately have something going on that is beyond Cymbalta - but Im still reluctant to call it fibro.

 

All I do know at this post-cymbalta point is that inflammation and anxiety are 100% better! Body pain 50% worse.

You cant have it all...

[thismoment]

AM

The muscle aches, and joint clicks and jerks came and went during my withdrawal. I've read of many similar symptoms occuring intermittently during withdrawal. I certainly hope your symptoms do go away, and they probably will. Please give it some time, but if it is affecting your stress level, get it checked out.

Should the doc recommend a SSRI, perhaps you could hold out until after 6 months off Cymbalta and re-assess your status before starting the new drug.

[AnotherMind]

Hi TM - I certainly wont be rushing to take another SSRI - but I will wait a few months to see if it calms down a bit given going off Cymbalta is a major destabilisation.

Im not confident though...the pain has been there in one way or another all my life - just not this acute or constant.

so bad at the moment I cant close my hands properly, lie down for long periods, hold one posture for more than a few seconds or go to the loo easily. Crazy. Valium isnt helping anymore.

[thismoment]

AM

 

It sounds like you need some other pain medication to take up the slack. Break that pain-stress-depression cycle however you can. Don't count anything out- opioids are extremely effective for pain. Pain is as powerful as anxiety in promoting depression; get the pain down! 

[FiveNotions]

AM, Tria and Amy....if Xiaojie were here now, she might suggest Chinese traditional medicine...herbs...or even acupuncture or acupressure...if I recall, she has fibro or some other very painful muscle or joint condition.....have you considered trying these alternatives?

I can speak only to the acupressure...but not for pain, just anxiety....I've learned to do it on myself...and unless the anxiety jacks up bad before I can stop it (as it did two weeks ago, so I'm now on a weak benzo), it has indeed really helped me....

I also took a yoga class for seniors earlier this spring....there were two women in there, one with very bad fibro and another with something that had caused her muscles to spasm...the instructor was working with them ever so gently, and they both extolled the benefits they were feeling....in fact, I could see the difference between when the limped into class, and walked,granted carefully, but walked out of class....

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this!