16 replies to this topic

[Flossy]

I experienced all of the above and more whilst on this horrid drug, I'd be very interested to hear if anyone else did? I have gone down 60mg on cymbalta and I am only just seeing how I was! I had forgotten that I was not always like that, I became "party girl" and at other times "isolated, cannot stand to socialize girl" there wasn't a lot in between.

[thismoment]

Flossy

 

Regarding the obsessive self-talk- it's always there in all waking hours in everybody's head all over the world. But in withdrawal it seems to speed up, get louder, and become more admonishing- more judgemental. If you are seeing a therapist (or even if you're not), look into Mindfulness and Acceptance therapy and Mindfulness meditation.

 

Take care; I know it's spooky and scary, but you're not crazy. I've been where you are, and you will get through this.

 

Please see "That Voice Inside Your Head" post.

[Flossy]

Hi Thismoment

Thank you for your kind words however, I have been experiencing this as a side effect of cymbalta which is why I'm coming off it. I'm finding it is getting better on lower doses, I am just wondering if it's a common side effect of cymbalta itself as opposed to a withdrawal symptom. I seriously went off the wall starting in around October last year, I was maxing out credit cards, drinking every day, my body image self talk was obsessive and erratic, I was always the drunkest and the clown at any social gathering, and I would then sleep in between, I'm talking 30 hours at a time! I was picking deep holes in my skin, engaging in risky behavior I would never ever normally do, I had severe physical anxiety 24/7! I have never done or experienced any of the extreme symptoms above in my whole 42 years, my family were frantic and didn't know what to do. Although I am withdrawing now, it's pretty horrid but it's the normal expected stuff and all of the above behavior and symptoms of the actual being on cymbalta are dissipating as my dose goes lower! The withdrawal is NOTHING for me (I know this is not the case for a lot of suffering people)compared to what cymbalta has done to me, my family and my life! I used to work in a psych facility as a nurse, in Australia at the time, and may still be the case, you are only allowed to dispense pills if you are psych trained, I was just registered! You think I would know more about this, I have seen accute phases of illnesses such as bipolar disorder/and different types of schizophrenia, I realize now that I had no insight into what was happening to me, I've seen it before in my job, but didn't recognize it in myself! I guess that is the nature of mental illness, you not in a state of mind to make accurate judgement and find it hard to believe or listen when told. Wow, a wee bit deep there, still a little hyper I think! Haha!

[FiveNotions]

Flossy, I had each and every one of those things happen to me.... I won't say I did them, because "I" didn't, it was the poison controlling my brain..... the drinking, the spending, the wild behavior, the sleeping....and, now that you mention it, yes, even that self harm behavior....major freakout realization on that one just now... I, too, went through a period of time when I was picking at my skin.... I think it started with a couple of bug/mosquito bites on my upper arms... I picked them into open sores...but that didn't last long, and wow...your comment just now brought back the memory ...

 

yes, Cymbalta makes us insane, mad.... Dr Peter Breggin calls it "medication spellbinding" ....

 

You are not alone in these things....

[Flossy]

Pretty scary stuff FiveNations, a little sad really, I just hope I've not scarred those around me too much! I just had a revelation from you too, I never considered it self harm but It really is just that!

[thismoment]

Flossy and FN

 

Regarding 'mental illness', these drugs (and discontinuation in general) have the effect of turning what would be a simple flu into full-blown pneumonia! The meds play a large part in the visible contemporary expression of mental illness; it's hard to tell which is which. This stuff isn't in the textbook yet.

[FiveNotions]

Yep, I agree, TM.... that's why I prefer Breggin's term, medication spellbinding..... these drugs exert their own influence over our brains... and we somehow become "not ourselves" while yet still being ourselves.... maybe it's closer to demonic possession? Getting off of Cymbalta has indeed felt like waking up from a spell...

[jkat]

Flossy

 

 

 You just triggered something in me that I completely forgot about.

 

I have been scratching mosquito bites like crazy to the point of bleeding and scabbing. I used to be bad at that as a little girl and then stopped as I got older so I wouldn't have scars.

 

 

Also - I have ingrown toe nails. I've always just cut the nails myself to keep from growing down into my skin. Lately I've really been digging deep into my nail beds and causing them to bleed and be sore. I normally never ever cut them to the point of drawing blood. The only other time I dug so deep and cut them out badly like this was when I was on Prozac and Ambien together. I have been on waaay too many meds and was so apprehensive about ever getting back on this drug addiction cycle again. yet here I am. New meds, same results - don't help and have all these weird side effects that I can't tell is me or meds or meds amplifying a condition of mine.

 

 

I would also sleep all the time. I could sleep 10 hours a night and still take a 5 hour nap. Just a couple years ago, my body would never let me fall asleep for a nap during the day!

 

 

And had moments of wanting to splurge on spending. I've been getting into credit card debt that I've never had before. But some of that has to do with me working a new job that is only part time and barely above minimum wage.

[Blackbird]

Flossy,

I too went on spending sprees while on this drug.  Also, obsessive thoughts and anger....done and said things that are totally not me.  It's like Cymbalta was taking over my mind and frying it at the same time.

[Amybc7]

The obsessive thoughts are something I've always struggled with - and they actually seemed to quiet down on Cymbalta.  Isn't it weird how different experiences can be?

 

I will say that it was MUCH harder to pull in the impulsiveness.  There are many times where I could almost watch myself doing something - and be so disconnected from it.  I still have those moments while withdrawing - but they seem to ebb and flow with how I'm feeling.  Perhaps it's been there all along and the Cymbalta just helps to release it?  I don't know.  

 

I completely get where you switched from one girl to another.  One day I was going straight out - and the next I hated everyone, everything, and just wanted to be alone.  No rhyme or reason.  

[Devastated]

Extreme Behavior:
Im not sure if I am post in the correct area but here is my story.
I am a 50 year old female that had been on Cymbalta for 2 1/2 years with great results for my depression. Anxiety and Fibromyalgia. I just had my Medication changed to the generic. I started taking it on July 1st. Within 2 days I started having the return of major depression, impulsive actions,voices telling me to do things,dreams that when I awoke I didnt know if they had been real or not.My behaviour has totally changed as if I am a different person.On my 50th birthday last week I got into legal trouble and went to jail for a theft issue.This is not the person I am nor wish to be. I feel I am loosing all control of my emotions and actions.
Has anyone had similar isues.
PLEASE RESPOND.

[Devastated]

Any recent experiences with one of the new generics just released this year?
Difference between them and the name brand?

[thismoment]

Devastated

 

There have been numerous complaints about the generic duloxetine. If you were doing better on the brand name, can you go back to it?

 

Sorry to hear about your psychotic episodes- I think it's important that you contact your physician or psychiatrist as soon as possible. 

[lady2882Nancy]

For those of you who don't know me I joined this site back in February of 2013 due to the effects that Cymbalta (Crapalta) had on me while I was taking it and for the help I could get while getting off of it as well. I have been off this drug since March 28, 2013 and here I am however many months later still dealing with the mental health issues it caused for me. Lucky me (no not lucky at all) it turns out that genetically I am a candidate for Bipolar. If you read the Black Box warning on the information sheet it does tell you that this drug can cause rapid cycling and mixed episodes and this includes those who are even mildly bipolar and don't know it.

The symptoms you describe are well known to my Psychiatrist but then she is very good at her job and thinks that family doctors should not be allowed to prescribe these types of meds to their patients as they just don't have the knowledge of the dangers.

Yes this med caused all those symptoms you experienced and you were lucky because they can be much worse. I have just come out of a 7 week mixed episode at 17 months off Crapalta. I have lost track of how many I have had.

[Flossy]

Wow you have certainly had an horrific time! I am so sorry to hear that! I'm still on 45mg and dropping, hasn't been nice but my brain has been very clear thanks to what many are calling "the new era" in mental health treatment! http://www.biobalance.org.au/ . I'm in Australia and this treatment has been life changing! There was a large conference in NYC in May with 17000 psychiatrists from around the world, luckily my dr is one of only 33 in Australia who has been trained. I've been on the nutrients for 10 weeks and other than withdrawal I'm mentally the best I've ever been. I highly recommend. I'll try to send a YouTube link with an interview with the Dr behind it all. I showed in my bio testing to have very high copper and pyrrole disorder, both causing disturbance to my seretonin and dopamine levels. I take compound vitamins which actually cure my problem and not try to treat symptoms. Best of luck

[Flossy]

This is the link!

[FiveNotions]

Devastated, I'm glad you found us! Yes, the generic can and does cause this behavior ... I had a run-in with it last December...
 
CALL your doc IMMEDIATELY to get the brand RX, or go to the ER! You need to get OFF he duloxetine ASAP!

GET BACK ON the brand, right away, even if you have to borrow $$$ to buy it!

My generic "adventure" involved just one dose ... I went into the early phase of a psychotic episode (I knew right away, because in 2007 the generic wellbutrin, bupropion, did the same thing to me ... but that time, my doc told me to keep taking it and I believed him ... it put me into a full blown psychotic break and landed me in the psych ward) ... This time, with the duloxetine, my current doc never answered my emergency call about needing the brand Cymbalta, so I quit cold turkey ...
 
Others here have had problems with the generic C as well ...

Keep posting and let us know how you're doing ... this is serious stuff, and we want to help you!