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Is This Cymbalta Withdrawal?


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#31 gail

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Posted 12 April 2014 - 02:39 PM

Well Fivenotions, as you say, even if it's placebo, it cant hurt as crapalta did.

 

Funny, saw my witch doctor this week, explained what I was fealing, and gave me capsules with gaba 100mg combined with inositol 500mg and passiflora to calm the brain, she says.

 

Will start tomorrow, I researched it, and inositol is good for anxiety. Maybe at much larger doses, but, for the moment, that will be enough for me.


#32 gail

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Posted 12 April 2014 - 04:41 PM

Fivenotions, what is the best time of the day for you to take gaba?

 

The botlle says once a day around supper time, But since I have the trazodone at 8pm, I was thinking before lunch.

 

Any thoughts?


#33 FiveNotions

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Posted 12 April 2014 - 05:39 PM

Gail....this site is still messed up...I saw your recent post noted on the home page, but can't see it here in the actual discussion thread....so, I went to your profile to read it and came back here to post a response....

Trazadone works on the GABA receptors....

Are you sure your doc wants you to take both GABA and trazadone? Didn't you post elsewhere here that you're tapering off it? I can't find that post...the darn site is truly funky these days. :-(

If so, you'll need to check with him/ her as to how much GABA to take and when to take it.....

Were it me, I wouldn't take both of them ...regardless of what time of day and dose.... GABA is powerful stuff...at least as far as I'm concerned.... I don't know about inositol...but GABA/inositol/ trazadone sounds like a strong combo...

I don't dare give you advice on this one....please check with the doc.... And let us know what you find out....every bit of info helps all of us!

#34 gail

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Posted 13 April 2014 - 06:36 AM

Oh , this site is worst off than I am.

 

The witch doctor is a naturopath for me. I mentionned the trazodone 25mg, a very low dose. Will be weaning off it soon.

 

I guess, and you are right, we have to do our own research and not on about anything we put in our mouth.

 

Gaba 100mg. I will go and research it on dr google.

 

Thanks Fn, let you know.


#35 Xanazul

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 01:07 AM

Six weeks. So far, so bad. Dreadful in fact.
Waking up between 4 and 6 every morning: intense sweeting, heart pounding, chest discomfort (no heart attack) that feels like extreme anxiety (not panic or anxiety crisis though) body aches all over (special mention to my right arm), awful nause (lasts well after I drink my morning orange juice), what else? A dozen more symptoms that add up to make me feel SO MISERABLE.
Thinking if it would not be worth while to go back to 30 mg until I get a little better and start over the weanig counting beads as slow as it takes.
On the other hand, I wonder if this is not already the worst it will be and I will begin to improve from now on. Also, I have endured 6 weeks and there is no guarantee that I would not feel bad weaning off the other way.
I guess everyone here has gone through this very same process of ambivalence and hesitancy.
Hope you will all have the best day you can

#36 fishinghat

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 08:18 AM

Hang in there. It is tough but it does get better.

 

God Bless


#37 FiveNotions

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 08:27 AM

Xanazul, hang in there! 6 weeks off, and you're having pretty much the symptoms I had....they sound like cymbalta for sure...the aches and pains, sweats and nausea/vertigo were just awful for me....and, at about the end of six weeks things started to turn for the better for me....

Have you tried ginger for the nausea? Ginger tea, store bought or made by getting fresh ginger root and putting small slices in hot water....or candied ginger...ginger ale...I even put ginger powder from my spice rack in the palm of my hand and licked it....it stopped the nauseau almost completely....

You can get through this!

#38 gail

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 10:43 AM

Well Xanazul, if I remember correctly, nausea hit big time aroung the fifth week, or the sixth,and I mean big time.

 

Am in week numero ocho. Still have it a bit, but it is tolerable.

 

And this morning got up at 4.15am, with the fealing of unease. But, but, but, sunday I woke up with a big smile on my face, and that lasted all day, best day I had since the beginning.

 

Trying to hang on to those rare but beautiful moments. Progress is not linear . Symptoms one day, and other ones the next.

 

 

 

Hang on, better days to come.


#39 thismoment

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 10:52 AM

Xanazul

My best guess is you are over the hump, and the fact that you got it together to make these posts illustrates that.

You still have to descend the other side of the withdrawal mountain you just climbed, but now you have gravity and time on you're side. And you have us!

If it was me, I would not go back and re-start after 6 weeks off. Hang in there. Stay healthy and if you are able, get out and walk walk walk.

#40 fishinghat

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 11:32 AM

TM is right on.


#41 xman

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 11:35 AM

Love the placebo effect--don't love the rat studies. Working at a teaching institute those rat studies are distasteful on so many levels. The 21st century, state of the art studies are done (in my humble opinion) using chemical models via computer programs, trial by error in the lab (i.e. penicillin) and, yes, human trials.

 

Those pesky, unethical pharmcos love to formulate new CRAP to push on the unsuspecting, over worked docs.

 

When we intuitively know something isn't right with our bodies we search for the cause. We are usually right...

 

To the forum friend with the horrible night sweats and the cascade of other hard hitting symptomology, could there be another cause? I think you talked about your blood sugar level and A1C but my short-term memory fails me! LOL Sorry. :unsure:


#42 FiveNotions

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 11:52 AM

For me, "The sweats" were a constant while I was on cymbalta.... soaked bed sheets and pajamas at night, and shirts during the day .....my dry cleaning bills for my work clothes were huge! My witch doc at the time poo-pooed the sweats as a cymbalta side effect, and referred me to my GP....he sent me off to see an endocrinologist....did a lot of expensive tests .... found nothing wrong...and sent me back to the witch doc, saying this was all in my head.....

Then, during the first month to 6 weeks of withdrawal the sweating got even worse....hard to describe, yucky and gross.... And now, wow....all gone.... this is one of my favorite results of being off crapalta.... being "dry" ;-)

#43 xman

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 12:09 PM

FiveN, I remember early on you had spoke of the soaking sweats (unrelated to MP). That has kept me from getting too concerned. TY! If I had to quantify I would say the instances of the drenching have gone from 20/ day to 10.  50% less since dc'g crapalta.


#44 FiveNotions

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 12:28 PM

My dry cleaner may have to declare bankruptcy after the loss of all my business!

#45 BelaLugosisDad

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 03:07 PM

Xanazul, stick around. You could really be a help here, but these kind people will help you first. :)

 

Adam (en Malaga)


#46 Xanazul

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Posted 15 April 2014 - 03:18 PM

I thank you all for being so helpful and supportive.
I have talked for several hours these days with my therapist, who is also my colleague at the medical school where we both are teachers.
She has not heard much about Cymbalta withdrawal (probably because although she is a psiquiatrist, she does not uses that much drugs in her daily practice). In fact the only reason she proposed (and i accepted) the use of Cymbalta was that therapy was not being possible in the chaotic state of mood I was two years ago.
We have both agreed that the only way to prove that withdrawal is not relapse, neither a bunch of hypochondriacs invention, is to find a pattern of measurable simptoms.
Now, I've documented two in myself: hypertension crisis measured in a 24 h period with a Holter and increased metanephrine levels in 24 hours urine. I will be carrying a Holter for ECG, that could show the existence of changes during the crisis and also intend to have my blood catecholamine levels monitored for 24 hours.
I know that all these are expensive tests, but if a significant number of withdrawal sufferers could have these done, we might have a chance with FDA and EMA.

#47 xman

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Posted 16 April 2014 - 11:20 AM

I still recommend reporting (anonymously or not) to whatever regulatory agency is available in your country. It is only thru numbers that we will effect a change and perhaps find a method of reversing some of the most debilitating aspects of this condition!

 

If I recall 30-80% report the cascade of symptoms experienced by the DC'G of Cymbalta. That is a huge margin and an unacceptable number to me.  Perhaps the under-reporting of the discontinuation withdrawals r/t Cymbalta ( ppl. < 50 y/o) is due to life factors, level of support, maturity. lack of realizing the importance of said reporting.

 

As I relate to this forum I am sitting in front of a little space heater and sweating! Yikes! I should be outdoors getting Vit. D therapy, taking pictures of the short-lived bluebonnets...


#48 fishinghat

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Posted 16 April 2014 - 02:11 PM

Xman, here in the USA there has been thousands of complaints to the FDA  about Cymbalta. It prompted the FDA to issue this warning.

 

http://www.fda.gov/d...e/UCM172866.pdf


#49 Xanazul

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Posted 16 April 2014 - 05:11 PM

Undortunately, the warning is not updated, nor confirmed or outdated. :c

#50 fishinghat

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Posted 16 April 2014 - 06:33 PM

Typically these types of notifications are issued and after a couple years are archived and forgotten about.


#51 TryinginFL

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Posted 16 April 2014 - 07:16 PM

Good evening, all!  I thought I would be able to post a "positive" tonite, as I had my massage therapy today and met a friend for lunch.  Unfortunately, about an hour or so after lunch, I began "the bloat" as I call it.  Have been off the Crapalta for almost 13 weeks now, but occasionally still have these painful times - I look like I am ready to give birth at any moment and the pain is really bad.  Can't wear regular clothes as that makes it worse.  Am I correct that this is still part of the W/D - fluid retention? I have had this problem for a long time and had been writing it off to my occasional IBS (thanks, Fibromyalgia).  This lasts for around 10-12 hrs and is accompanied by several trips to the bathroom (sorry if that's TMI!).  Sometimes I just don't know what is what any more - Arthritis, Fibro, W/D or ?

 

I seem to remember some talk about bloating a while back and was curious to see if anyone else has experienced this.


#52 TryinginFL

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Posted 16 April 2014 - 08:23 PM

Ok, now I want to vent! As if the bloating weren't enough, I still get Restless Legs and the other nite it was also a bout of "Restless Arms" at the same time! I thought I would lose my mind as I could not lie still for 30 seconds. I took another of my Carbidopa-Levodopa and it took about 30 min. to subside. I am so sick of all this crap!! Pills, pills, pills... damn, I wish I had not listened to my GP as if he were the guru of medications! So I guess that I will be part of that 70% of people over 50 that will take forever to get rid of this crap in my body (or should I say fat cells!) I need to lose at least 20 lbs and hope that I can do that in time for my son's wedding in Hawaii in Aug.

Sorry, folks and thanks for reading all this - and in addition, there is something strange going on here as my post looks really weird and I can't access any of the nasty little faces I want to add!! arrrggggg!!!!!!

Really feeling grouchy and "Oscar the Grouch" describes it perfectly..

Liz

#53 fishinghat

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 08:09 AM

I also have IBS and am afraid to say that my symptoms are similar to yours but not as severe. I do take a light dose of dicyclomine (bentyl) for it each day which helps.

 

As far as the restless leg. People under stress excrete more calcium and magnesium than normal and this is why the RLS rears its ugly head for so many of us with acute stress. Many people resond well to a calcium magnesium supplement. I was one of those lucky ones. I was given gabapentin for it and it did the job but, like so many meds, it has the risk of nasty side effects. I take the supplement (usually they run like 50 mg calcium and 100 mg of magnesium) and only get RLS about 3 times per year and I don't take gabapentin any more (One less med). I take 3 each day. Magnesium also helps with heart pounding, PVCs (feels like skipped beats) and other irregular heart beats.


#54 fishinghat

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 08:27 AM

I forgot to mention, don't buy the cheap magnesium or calcium oxide. They are too hard on the stomach. But the 'amino acid chelated'. It is the easiest to absorb and has no negative effects on the GI tract. Mine only cost $5 for a months supply.


#55 TryinginFL

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 08:50 AM

FH....thanks so much!  I will try the supplement - it would be nice to get off another med :)  I appreciate your sharing and you are a fountain of knowledge!

 

I wish you the best in your continuing meds withdrawal - and congrats on your new "find" of a great Doc!  Lucky you... :D

 

I see mine today...

 

Take care

Liz


#56 FiveNotions

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 08:51 AM

Ditto for me,TFL.... the magnesium really helped with the RLS ....which also hit me in the arms and hands.... In addition to the supplements, I used Epsom salt baths, and hand and foot soaks..... the magnesium in the salts works transdermally..... I haven't used the salts in a while, but the magnesium remains one of my daily supplements....

Here are some other discussions we've had about fluid retention, etc....

https://www.cymbalta...n/?hl=retention

https://www.cymbalta...n/?hl=retention (Xiaojie has had success using herbs, from a practitioner of traditional chinese medicine.)

https://www.cymbalta...ting#entry30123

Edited by FiveNotions, 17 April 2014 - 09:47 AM.

#57 fishinghat

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 11:13 AM

Thanks TFL, I appreciate the complement.

 

FN, You are right on about the epsom salts .


#58 FiveNotions

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 11:41 AM

OT for cymbalta, but after all my Epsom salt baths I noticed that my tub had turned a nasty yellow color on the bottom and lower edges.... could the salts have caused this or am I just a filthy housekeeper?

#59 fishinghat

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 05:35 PM

The salts probably caused a hardwater deposit. Something like CLR or LimeAway should do the trick.


#60 FiveNotions

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Posted 18 April 2014 - 10:35 AM

Thanks, FH! I'll get one of those and use a little elbow grease..



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