67 replies to this topic

[Gran23]

Thankful to find this site!  I've been withdrawing since 05/12/2014 when I told my doctor I was ready to come off the med.  Little did I know it was going to be so difficult.  The first few days I had a severe headache, nausea, shakiness, irritability and heart palpitations.  I've not had the brain zaps mentioned by most of the people posting on here.  After 2 weeks I still have occasional headaches and shakiness, but my biggest  lingering problem is the heart palpitations.  I don't know if this is something I need to have check by my PD or will it eventually go away?  Has anyone else had this problem?

 

Never in a million years would I have thought it would be so hard to get off of Cymbalta.  The day I went to the doctor I was told I didn't have to stop taking it if I didn't want, that it was a safe medication that I could take the est of my life if I wanted.  I'm not having nearly a much problem coming off as some but still has been hard.  I have now decided to wean myself off of all medications and only take supplements that are safe  and non-toxic.  Thanks to everyone on this site.  It has been a great help

[fishinghat]

Welcome to the site GM23.  Unluckily heartpounding can come with the cymbalta withdrawal but given that a number of serious conditions can also cause heart palpitations I would be amiss if I didn't tell you to have it checked out. This will help alleviate some of your worries about your heart as well.

 

I am glad you are starting to do better. Keep us posted and don't hesitate to come here if you need help, need to vent or just need a pep talk. We are here.

[Gran23]

Thankfully the heart palpitations seem to be getting better everyday.  I've been able to remove 5 beads a day without too much discomfort, but today I'm having the feeling I'm going to cry at any moment.  Up until today, I've been more irritated than sad.  I just want to cry today.  I've had my exercise this morning, been eating well and don't have anything stressful going on.  I hope this is just another side of withdrawal and not a return of the symptoms that put me on antidepressants in the first place.  I WILL NOT GO BACK ON MEDICATION UNLESS I BECOME SUICIDAL.  I don't believe I'm depressed, I think this is the Cymbalta.  Has this happened to others?  I thought I was nearly thru the withdrawal because all the other symptoms have eased up.

 

Gran23

[FiveNotions]

It's the cymbalta withdrawal, Gran! It's almost like the poison wants to convince us to start taking it again....just hang tight, and this will pass....anxiety may also make an appearance...and that can be managed as well....crying is typical.....I got hysterical at the drop of a pin...and rage full....then, the emotions moderate, and I found d that I was feeling normal emotions again....while on the poison I felt nothing...numb....now I feel human again...I still cry easily, but now it's appropriate to the circumstances...and it's wonderful to feel human again!

Just remember that withdrawal is actually a couple of stages....first it's getting the actual poison out of our bodies and brains...then the symptoms become what we experience as our bodies and brains struggle to return to functioning without the stuff...we have to learn to moderate our own serotonin levels....the CNS has to re regulate itself...and it's "rusty" at first :-)

[Gran23]

It's the cymbalta withdrawal, Gran! It's almost like the poison wants to convince us to start taking it again....just hang tight, and this will pass....anxiety may also make an appearance...and that can be managed as well....crying is typical.....I got hysterical at the drop of a pin...and rage full....then, the emotions moderate, and I found d that I was feeling normal emotions again....while on the poison I felt nothing...numb....now I feel human again...I still cry easily, but now it's appropriate to the circumstances...and it's wonderful to feel human again!

Just remember that withdrawal is actually a couple of stages....first it's getting the actual poison out of our bodies and brains...then the symptoms become what we experience as our bodies and brains struggle to return to functioning without the stuff...we have to learn to moderate our own serotonin levels....the CNS has to re regulate itself...and it's "rusty" at first :-)

Thank you!  It's awful thinking it's almost over then having a morning like today.   Glad to know it's only temperary.

 

Gran23

[thismoment]

Gran23

It's counterproductive to assign a timeline to your withdrawal because every withdrawal is different. It can vary from weeks to months to years. It's done when it's done.

You began on the 12 of May, and typically that would put you just at the beginning of the process. Hopefully your struggle will be a short one, but just take it as it comes.

Assess it after 6 months.

[Kat1523]

One day at a time! You are not alone!

[thismoment]

Kat1523

 

Did you quit cold turkey? How many mg for how long? How are you doing now?

[Kat1523]

Hi Thismoment!

I did not quit cold turkey, but with that said and having read some posts, I don't think my doctor should have had me do what she did. I was on Cymbalta for over 10 years at 60 mgs a day for anxiety and depression that was also presenting with social phobia. I decided to quit because I have developed solar utacaria and I am trying to eliminate all possible causes. My doctor dropped me to 30 mgs for a month and then 20 mgs for two weeks and again 20 mgs for two weeks every other day. I am taking it day by day. My hot flashes are unbearable, I feel like I need to have a hand fan at all times to keep from looking like a tomato. It's even worse when people bring attention to it as I do suffer a bit from social phobia. Nights are hard cause I have experienced the brain zaps the past two nights and wake with a migraine. I also have become scared at night and sleep with the light on, how silly, a grown woman, with a husband and two huge dogs? I am on day six or seven, excercise has helped when I feel agitated...I tend to feel manic and paranoid...like I think I'm ranting now, so forgive me if I sound like a raving lunatic! One day at a time....

[thismoment]

Kat1523

 

You're not going crazy- this is withdrawal.

 

However, the doctor's advice to take 20 mg every second day is TORTURE, and that's bad medical advice!

 

Are you still alternating the 20 mg every other day? That puts you in and out of withdrawal every single day! Duloxetine has a half-life of just 12 hours so it drops to about 1 mg in your system after 48 hrs. That will bring on the symptoms like gangbusters!  

 

I think you should get stable at 20 or 30 mg (maybe a week or ten days), and then consider a slow, tapered withdrawal over 12 weeks with NO STEPS (every second day is a step; dropping from 30 to 20 is a step). 

 

Withdrawing is difficult enough without being given bad advice from the doctor. Even Eil Lilly (the people that cook this stuff) advises a slow taper with no steps.

 

What do you need right now? How can I help?

[FiveNotions]

Kat, I'm with TM on this....stop with the alternating day thing....it's a BS approach to withdrawal.....take the same dose every day...get stabilized, then bead count....don't make it harder on yourself than it has to be....

[TryinginFL]

Again, I have reached my quota of "likes" for the day, but I agree with both TM and FN!  Go, girl!!

[Kat1523]

I appreciate all the advice, but the alternating days for two weeks is over. I think I am on day 6 or 7, of no dose! It's been rough, but I can do this. I have been waking to a few aches and pains, but I am actually involved in life. I cleaned my house this weekend! I haven't wanted to do that in years! I am not sleeping all day, I hope this isn't a manic episode, because I feel good! I even cooked a meal! I know these should be a part of everyday tasks, but for me, I have been asleep for 10 years!! Brings tears to my eyes that I have wasted so much of my life! This IS my awakening!

[Gran23]

Kat, I too had a few days of feeling pretty good and getting caught up on some work.  Please get some rest even if you don't fall asleep.  I'm finding this to be a slow process of 2 steps forward 3 steps back.  After a few days of feeling pretty good , I've had 2 days of crying and anxiety.  I think I'm through it.  I feel much better this morning.  Others on here said it would be this way and I had decided it wasn't that way for me, until Saturday.  I think I can go back to regular activities today.  Thanks to all who post on here.  You have been my support team through this.

 

Gran23

[thismoment]

See 'Let it all go'.

[Kat1523]

Two steps forward, three steps back...had a wonderful past 3 days and this evening a cloud started rolling in and I feel sad and extremely agitated all at the same time, I guess it was a manic episode, but it felt so good. Rage...shaky, and I freaking can't stop tearing up! This is HELL,

[Gran23]

Kat, It sounds like what I went thru just a few days ago.  I guess it's as all of our friends on here have said, we can expect to go thru this for a few months.   I liked the "Let it all go" post.  If only I could just let it flow over me and let it go, but I am not very good at that.  I tend to want to control it.  I want to feel in control and Cymbalta has taken the control out of my hands.  Kat I hope you feel better soon.  

 

Gran23

[thismoment]

Kat1523

 

You're in the wave action-- three steps forward, one step back. But the net is one step forward, so that's great! Keep the agitation (anxiety) down as it can precipitate the anger.

 

Manic is okay, as the highs and lows move closer together with time in withdrawal, you've got normal.

 

A note on the tearing up. The BIG CRY is in the works, so just let that go when it comes-- take it all the way to the bottom, to exhaustion. While it sounds counterintuitive, there's a big step forward that follows the BIG CRY.

 

You are doing fine, right on track!

[FiveNotions]

I found that the huge highs and the horrible lows gradually evened out.....my poor brain struggling to identify its "new normal".....im 6 months off now, and no more huge waves.....much more even keel...but, I'm still very fragile......and, for me, a major point of healing was when I finally had the Big Cry that TM mentions....it was different from the hysterics of crapalta.....it was genuine grieving....for all I'd lost to this poison, for all the suffering it caused me....and wow did it feel good afterwards.....cleansed....

[thismoment]

FN

 

Excellent!

 

"I'm still very fragile." I can assure you that the feeling of fragility will firm up, and undergo a steady metamorphosis from fragility to tenderness. It's the most wonderful transformation, and it will happen to you- one thing just becomes the other- like chrysalis to butterfly. 

 

You are always so steady, insightful, forthright, and compassionate! I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that, and say thank you! You are a pillar of this forum!

[Clara]

Amen, fivenotions! You are spot on! I still feel rather fragile at times myself and it soooo pisses me off! Me.... fragile,  arg!We keep o :blink:n keeping on, one day at a time!!! Hugs to all!!!!

[Gran23]

FN

 

I found myself sobbing uncontrollably Sunday evening after 2 days of feeling sad and VERY anxious.  I'm 3 weeks in now and don't know if/when I'll have another episode like that.  I somehow think it will happen again and will understand it a little better.  I won't feel like I'm having a breakdown.  Thanks to all.

 

Gran23 

[TryinginFL]

Gran...I, too, had uncontrollable weeping and never knew when it would happen - I remember sobbing often.  Up until this past weekend I cried in church every week (embarrassing ).  I only told a few people so I'm sure everyone else wondered what the heck was going on with me.  I even put myself on the Prayer List, asking for strength.

 

I feel fragile also, as it doesn't take much to make me cry (tears, not sobbing) - seeing an ad for the SPCA, hearing a sad story, thinking about the loss of my daughter, among many things.  I truly don't know if this will ever go away, but we do the best we can with what we are left with after this hellacious journey (it has now been over 5 months for me).  I consider myself lucky if this is the only thing that remains a problem.  My short term memory is coming back slowly and, interestingly, I am now dreaming about people who were in my life 40-50 years ago!  They are pleasant dreams at least - not those nasty, vivid ones!

 

 Man, what a crazy trip this has been and I'm sure it isn't quite over yet...   I still take the Alprazolam (only 1/2 the prescription now and the hydrocodone for break through pain for arthritis and fibro - keeping that down to only about 3 a week, using Ibuprofen when needed.  I am almost finished with the Trazodone as well.

 

I send you support and the best of luck in your own private journey,

 

 

Liz

 

PS  Don't know if the ACV is helping my cholesterol, but it has gone from 234 to 190! 

[Kat1523]

Bad, bad day! I walked through the store on a mission and I feared for anyone who looked at me wrong cuz I would love to pounce? Is that even a word, who cares, I just made it a word! Work probably thinks I'm on the verge of a breakdown and all I think is bring it on!

[thismoment]

Kat1523

 

Please be careful out there. Especially be careful if you are driving.

[Kat1523]

I will, I guess at the very least I can recognize the reasons behind what I'm feeling, but boy oh boy....give me strength!

[Kat1523]

You know I was just siting here thinking how the number of people on this site probably represents many different walks of life, some may be professionals, some may be minimum wage, some have money, some don't,...different ethnicity, different morals, different beliefs,etc, yet here we all are sharing a common goal to support each other..,wish it was like this all the time in real life!

[TryinginFL]

Yes, Kat, that is our goal here - to support each other, everything else is secondary!  I have met some wonderful cyber friends here and wish that I could meet them in person as they are caring, wonderful people...

Interesting to note also, we don't even know what many of them look like, but they are our true buddies - thanks all, for all the hand holding and great words of support and wisdom!

[Clara]

Ditto, y'all! Thanks again to all my friends here! What a blessing to have friends to love and support us!

[thismoment]

You know I was just siting here thinking how the number of people on this site probably represents many different walks of life, some may be professionals, some may be minimum wage, some have money, some don't,...different ethnicity, different morals, different beliefs,etc, yet here we all are sharing a common goal to support each other..,wish it was like this all the time in real life!

 

Hi Kat1523

 

Thank you for this thoughtful post. It touches on something I've been researching recently-- the concept of a Universal Morality. It's the notion that there are some fundamental moral precepts upon which we can all agree-- a place to start for peace and cooperation on a broader scale.

 

Traditionally (from the early days of the development of our species) it's been a philosophical debate often flung further apart by disparate political goals and religious metaphysics; progress was miniscule. Recently some philosophers and scientists have asked, why not ask a scientific question as a place to start the conversation on a universal morality, like: "Can we agree that actions that promote human well-being and flourishing are good, and those actions that promote human suffering are bad?" 

 

Reactions have been hot and cold. Most philosophers, politicians, and religious leaders don't want to touch it. But I think it's a conversation we need to have in order to survive beyond the nuclear age.  We need to find some fundamental moral precepts upon which we can all agree. 

 

Why would we want a universal morality? Here is an example where moral progress hasn't kept up with scientific development:  21st Century nuclear weaponry in the hands of a group of people whose actions are dictated by 7th Century morality.