116 replies to this topic

[FiveNotions]

Man Renee, you sure are good with the math ... I read, and reread your "bead list," and can't "grok" it ... I'm leaving all that to FH, TM and others here who aren't math challenged like I am...

 

I apologize for seeming/sounding like I was coming down hard on you ... the fact that you haven't been stable for so long is a large part of my concern ... and my reason for urging you to go as slowly as possible .... if you are unstable now, and have been for a long time, the thought of you doing anything that could make you even more unstable just freaks me out ...

 

Are you / we even sure that getting off Cymbalta is the best thing for you to be doing right now?

 

This is part of why I'm going to try to find you some options for other docs and a med management in-patient place where you can get some focused help sorting the meds and conditions out ...

 

When you were first put on meds those many years ago, do you remember what the meds were, and for what conditions? Was this by your own choice, or were you young enuf that your parents were involved? (I apologize if you've told us this before, I didn't find it in your earlier posts that I've reread.)

[thismoment]

"When I calculated that I would need to go back up to 80 beads to get back up to 15mg, I just got instantly depressed. I'm not going to do that. An arbitrary 50 beads it is. All set up for the next 6 days. If I still have hellacious side effects with that, then so be it."

 

I agree with FN. The timeline is now boss, and anything that doesn't happen when you think it should happen will be a disappointment, a setback. I am sad to say that this mind state will generate a lot of heartache for you. You are engaging discontinuation in a war where only acceptance will work. You cannot control the timeline, you can only alter the amount of suffering. I urge you to choose peace, no stress, and little anxiety.

[DoneWithCrap]

I have adjusted my thinking TM. I no longer view it as a set back and instead view it as getting back on track where I would have been if I hadn't decreased so fast. Looking at the big picture, I can see that I have not been tapering for very long compared to what a safe, slow taper involves.
I have read how others have tapered but due to differences in their methods and my inability to concentrate, I implemented an approach that was too aggressive for me. There is a lot of conflicting methods used if I read things correctly.
Some drop a bead then increase the amount dropped each day. This is the opposite of dropping a percentage of your previous dose. A percentage drop makes more sense to me. I feel this way because many people have little or no problems going from 60 to 40, but everyone had a rough time going from 40 to 20 and the most difficult time getting off those last dreaded beads.

Live and learn. Everybody reacts differently to meds.

I feel I am at a good starting place (new starting place) and will try to determine each day if what I'm feeling is withdrawaling too fast or caused by a medical condition or both. I am not an organized person at all but I will start a journal (which I will keep away from my kids) to keep track of which meds and their doses and how my body and mind feels each day.

I know how to interpret data. I did it for 10 years as an electronics technician. My problem these past 10 years has been in collecting the data.

I will do my best

[FiveNotions]

Awesome post, Renee!

[DoneWithCrap]

Thank you FN ((hugs))

[fishinghat]

You know I could get mad at computers real easy but on the other hand I could get mad at the operator of my computer real easy too. I had posted some info on the MS Contin several days ago on the wrong thread. Today I tried to copy it to the end of this thread. Instead the site posted it to its original date on this thread (on page 2). I have tried a couple of times to past it on the end of this thread and it keeps going back to page 2. it does include the FDA black box warning.

 

Sorry about that.

[TryinginFL]

FH...

 

I saw it!  Don't feel bad...I am so technically challenged it is a wonder I can do anything on here!

[FiveNotions]

FH, is this what you were trying to re-post here?

---------------------------------
Posted by fishinghat on 13 September 2014 - 06:16 PM in What are you feeling?

The current FDA black box warning is below.

WARNING: ADDICTION, ABUSE, and MISUSE; LIFE-THREATENING RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION, ACCIDENTAL INGESTION; and NEONATAL OPIOID WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME
See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning.
•MS CONTIN exposes users to risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death. Assess each patient’s risk before prescribing, and monitor regularly for development of these behaviors and conditions. (5.1)
•Serious, life-threatening or fatal respiratory depression may occur. Monitor closely, especially upon initiation or following a dose increase. Instruct patients to swallow MS CONTIN tablets whole to avoid exposure to a potentially fatal dose of morphine. (5.2)
•Accidental ingestion of MS CONTIN, especially in children, can result in fatal overdose of morphine. (5.2)
•Prolonged use of MS CONTIN during pregnancy can result in neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, which may be life-threatening if not recognized and treated. If opioid use is required for a prolonged period in a pregnant woman, advise the patient of the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and ensure that appropriate treatment will be available. (5.3)

http://dailymed.nlm....75-37B2E9FF65F6

Link to complete FDA info. I really suggest you read this.
------------------------------

[fishinghat]

I don't want to hear about it.  LOL 

 

Uggghh, definitely operator error on my part.

 

 

         

[FiveNotions]

FH, I don't think so ... I had a heck of a time ... finally, I gave up on trying to copy/paste from the actual thread. I went to your profile, check your recent posts, found it there ... and copied that text ... worked fine when I did that.

Today is not a "patience day" for me ... got no patience spoons left, musta' forgot to wash them and put 'em back in the drawer ... first thing that hit me this morning when I arrived on the forum was a huge add for Eli Lilly ... then I went to read a thread, and got hit with a huge ad for crapalta ...

Anxiety level went through the roof ... spent a couple hours tracking down and killing the adware that had somehow gotten into my system, screwed with my registry and me. (I hate dealing with issues down at the registry level, it's like asking a car mechanic to do brain surgery. The results are not always what was intended. )

And, that it my totally off-topic, thread subverting rant for the day

[TryinginFL]

FN...

 

I was hit w/ads too - what's up today? Unfortunately, I have no "smarts" to get rid of this, but it seems to have corrected itself!  At least for now...

[Carleeta]

Oh my...me too....I have ads all th I s forum....driving me batty. ...arghhhhh!!!

[TryinginFL]

Well, 4 hours later and the ads are back...

[brzghoff]

 

i think that the ads you see, and when they appear varies from user to user. some ads are based on your location - websites you visit can tell where you are from based on your internet service providers "address". the cookies stored in your browser reveal what type of web sites you've been to and then ads that appear are relative to your browsing habits.  ads also target the audience who visits a site. i saw one the other day for a device that treats depression. i had to laugh. heck if you use gmail, ads appear based on the content of your email. like if i received an email from someone talking about a musical instrument, i'll see ads to the side for a local music store. there's no such thing as a free lunch - we may not pay a subscription fee, but we still pay.

 

FN: the fact that you saw an ad for cymbalta is very strange, like some old inventory appeared erroneously. i doubt eli lilly would advertise cymbalta anymore since it went generic. the ads on tv all seemed to stop abruptly around christmas time. just as you indicated with the registry problem ( i haven't had that) this site has many quirky issues. 

[FiveNotions]

What happened to me with the ads is that some malware made it into my computer, and buried itself deep in the registry. It was adware/malware ... the kind that allows ads to post on the websites a person looks at, and the types of ads are based on their internet browsing / searching history.

I found and downloaded a free anti-malware program that I used to clean out the registry and the rest of the C drive. I still had to do a lot of picking and poking in there myself ... and today was not one of my "feeling patient" days ... it annoyed the heck out of me ...

TFL, the fact that you've got the ads now too makes me wonder if this website, cymbaltawithdrawal.com has been infected at the site level. I'll send a PM to Ken/admin to tell him about both of us and ask him to scan the site.

If you want the link to the anti-malware program I downloaded, just let me know. Also, there are ways to opt-out of "interest based advertising" ... I'll post those links, too. I should do all this in a new thread .. just not sure where...

[TryinginFL]

FN - thanks!

 

I have seen ads for Cymbalta today, too...

 

I have clicked on the "opt out" on the ads, but there must be something else I need to do -  it doesn't help!

[brzghoff]

can't speak for your registry problems, but even legit web sites leave cookies on your browser - leaving a crumb trail that shows where you've been. that technology allows for strategic targeting of a message to a particular audience. 

[FiveNotions]

Yes, but I monitor the cookies, and have my system set up so that most of them "don't stick" ... I hate advertising, and have managed to keep almost all ads off of all the web pages I pull up ... I allow cookies for sites like this forum, and other quality sites that I use frequently, but for general browsing/reading no ... I've blocked "interest-based advertising" to the fullest extent I can figure out ...

 

I posted over in TM's new thread about the ads on this site ... included links to some resources to stop the ads and get rid of the adware / malware that allows them into the system... if you want more info, just let me know ...

[DoneWithCrap]

So I woke up so dizzy this morning that I almost fell down. Good thing I was standing close to a wall which prevented me from hitting the floor. My kids asked jokingly if I was drunk.

I wonder if this is from going back  up from 31 beads to 81 beads. I had a headache and was so tired that I went back to sleep once they left for the bus and wound up missing my GYN appointment (I hate going there anyway). 

I need to take my morning meds and will take the 80 beads as planned for lack of a better plan.

 

Feeling messed up 

[FiveNotions]

Hi Renee!

 

How many days have you been on the increase to 80 beads?

 

Has anything else changed in your med routine? Did you miss doses of anything, were you late or early in taking anything?

 

How's you food and water intake?

 

Sheesh, there I go again, sounding like my mother!

 

PS How's Benzo the Wonder Dog? We haven't been getting our regular "Benzo Reports" and I miss them!

[DoneWithCrap]

I just started back on 81 yesterday. Nothing else changed.

Benzo is great! He is growing fast and getting stronger. I need to get him into kindergarten lol

[fishinghat]

Renee

 

You are going to have to be patient here. It will take your body a while to readjust to the increase med. If you don't mind me making a suggestion....start a journal of exactly how you feel during the day. As time progresses you will be able to see clearly how things are changing and it will help you make informed decisions on future changes.

[FiveNotions]

hahahaha ... pretty soon he'll be asking for the keys to the car, and $100 to take the cute little girl pooch down the street out on a date

 

How are you feeling right now, Renee? Have you gotten your morning meds into you? Has the dizziness passed?

 

I'm checking on that as a side effect of being on the Cymbalta...it sure is a symptom of getting off of it!

[FiveNotions]

Yep, one of the items on the Cymbalta "instructions" that come with the Rx is that you may experience dizziness or lightheadedness when first start or increasing the dose. It says "to reduce the risk of dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising" ... getting out of bed, getting up from a chair, etc...

You may also feel sleepy ... in which case, just let yourself sleep ... invite Benzo for a nice long nap

[DoneWithCrap]

I'm very tired. Like I said, I missed my gynacology appointment. Slept right through it.
I took 50 beads this morning (yes I know I'm playing Dr but due to my reaction to 80, I think 50 is closer to what I need to be stable without building the stuff up again)

I wish Benzo could drive lol. He could get me to my doctor appointments on time

[FiveNotions]

okay, your call Renee ... but you've just cold turkeyed yourself again ... now, just go take a nap ... you really need to sleep! 

[shoshee10]

I was already on gabapentin for restless leg syndrome and complications from Intersticial Cystitis when I quit Cymbalta....Less then useless