81 replies to this topic

[TryinginFL]

ESG...

 

I take 250 mg of magnesium once a day.  In addition, also a multivitamin and Caltrate (calcium w/Vitamin D).  I know there are many others and many swear by them, but this is my "natural cocktail".

 

I pray for my brain to hurry up and re-wire but I know that is useless.  It will happen when it happens.  Patience is a virtue, so they say, but it is not my strong suit 

[brzghoff]

what i've quoted below from finenotions is for me the hardest part - but so true. this withdrawal wants us to focus on the events that haven't happened. its an irrational thought process, but that doesn't mean we can just go "poof" and sing don't worry be happy. i have found that getting out and interacting with others, whether it be going to the store or visiting with friends/family is helping more. i don't necessarily want to go out, but when i do i am glad i did. it seems i have to change up my strategies to deal with the anxiety. physical exercise has been a good one too, but its not working as well lately - maybe its this freakin' hot summer sun! i just mowed the lawn and am pretty overheated. i think mindless exercise may not be as good. when i bike i have to be engaged - looking out for traffic and other obstacles - change in the scenery - it seems to work better.  

 

on thing i did last night which i really regret, i went on you tube and found people telling their cymbalta withdrawal stories. its was a total downer and not helpful - this place is the best - lots of encouragement. the best part is the positive feedback from folks like FiveNotions, thismoment, fishinghat, trying in FL, equus woman and everyone else are real, not a bunch of happy talk

the tomorrows, the "what ifs," "will I's", etc. aren't here yet .. they are in the future, and are thus as yet unformed and non-existent

[Yanvrno]

So... I took my last tiniest bit of Cymbalta 6 days ago after stepping down over about a 4 or 5 week period. I was on a 60 mg. dose for at least 6 years. I didn't count the beads, but now wish I had. They give you all kinds of info on what happens when you start taking it, but no mention at all of what will happen when you stop. This withdrawal thing is insane. I expected a little dizziness and headaches, but not the seriously crazy stuff.

I'm starting to scare myself with emotional responses that are occurring. I can literally go from screaming angry to crying in a 30 second time period. I feel like the social control I have over my feelings has disappeared. I feel like I'm right on the edge of not having my stable mind control my behavior. When I flip out (even if it's just in my mind), I feel a huge rush of emotion and sadness for how much stuff I tamp down. It's like a magnifying glass showing me all the crap I've put up with over the years. Which is the interesting part, and in a philosophical way, I'm viewing what this anger is telling me.

I'm having these weird 2 second visualization a of bad stuff. I cry at the slightest provocation and then stop seconds later.

This is in addition to almost nonstop brain zaps. Moving my eyes alone causes them. I'm having intense hot flashes. I'm making goofy mistakes, misreading, mis-saying words, sentences, etc.... My ears ring really loudly. My vision is weird.

The only thing that helps me is this - I know this is due to the drugs that were in my system for so long. It's not really me and this will pass. I can step back mentally and look at it and don't fear that I'm literally going insane.

What really concerns me is the fact that I've been on one form of anti-depressant or another since 1992. I'm guessing no studies have been done on the long term damage to the brains ability to create and distribute serotonin, etc. (no money in it for anyone). I'm on Wellbutrin now, but after this debacle I'm thinking of getting off everything and get completely clean and free of this.

Thanks for listening and above all, understanding...

[Elmosaysgo]

Yanvrno I have been off C for a month now and stil having everything your feeling.. Except my joints all hurt when I walk. I am taking one minute at a time and thanking God for getting through today.. We can do this!! I feel the same way been on anti depressants since 1990.. How do I know if I am depressed from the C or do I still need medicine. My Dr. Doesn't know I've done this.. I hate how they just put you on medicine and know explanations on what this does long term!! I had to throw my C down the toilet so I can't take it. My nervous system is going crazy, anxiety through the roof.. It's like you want some answer to this horrible feeling.. Has anyone on this site been on anti deppresant a for a long time like this and finally over time gotten better.. I get so afraid because I don't know if it's still depression or getting off the C and it will take time for the brain to make serotonin.. Feeling lost and helpless... I've tried to look this up no help just more anxiety from reading everything.. Why can't I just have a simple brain.. Sorry Yanvrno will be praying for you. God Bless

[fishinghat]

I understand how you guys feel. So many of us have been there. It is so overwhelming. But it does get a lot better. Unluckily it is around 8 to 10 weeks off the cymbalta before you start getting some breaks. You just have to be patient. You can make it. These are the hardest times right now so hold on.

[equuswoman]

Nothing but time makes it better.
Been there. Done that. It sucked.
But after 4 months I no longer swallow the nasty, vile poison of Cymbalta.
Hang in there. Be kind and patient with yourself♡
TheEquusWoman♡

[Elmosaysgo]

Hi made an appointment with my Dr. He doesn't know I have been off of C. Because I only go see him twice a year! Well here's my situation I feel horrible and am barely making it on a daily basis. I really don't want to go on any more drugs, besides I'm still on 1 mg of Kolonopin will tackle that in the future.. It doesn't help anyway. What are your thoughts on what I can go on to help levitate this horrible surge of adrenaline.. I think a few of you all mentioned hydroxoline or clonidine . It's about 5 weeks and no relief I feel like a drug addict and need a fix need some suggestions. I know he's gonna try and put me on something and I can't do this again.. Did any of you feel like you were still depressed and have horrible anxiety!! It's hard to tell the difference if this is hellish with drawls!!! Please some good news some help please. Thank You for listening just really scared

[thismoment]

Elmosaysgo

After just 5 weeks yes anxiety- and depression naturally follows. Get something like a benzo or hydroxyzine to knock down the anxiety and your adrenaline will drop too. Talk to your doctor about this.

You still have some weeks to go to get out of the woods, and (just my opinion) you're better off slightly sedated than in distress!! I, and many others understand the hell you are living. We've been there, and of course many of your forum brothers and sisters are suffering with you. All I can give you is this:

1. It does get better!
2. Get that anxiety down!
3. Hang on my friend. Hang on.

[Elmosaysgo]

thismoment I'm taking and have been on for years 1 mg Kolonopin and it's not helping.. Which is a a Benzo. I just don't want to get hooked on anything that causes severe with drawls like the benzos can do.. I'm proud I'm only on 1 mg and that is where I want to stay until I can adventually with draw from that.. Is there anything that isn't habit forming.. And can bring the anxiety down.. Thanks I hope you understand what I'm saying

[gail]

Elmosaysgo,

 

Give clonidine a try!, just started this morning and allready feeling the sedating effect. Look it up. It's usually used for BP, and now is widely used for anxiety.

[thismoment]

Elmosaysgo

Your benzo is likely pooped out (they become less effective over time) so you probably need something different. Regarding getting hooked on a benzo, you already have dependence on the Klonopin so switching to something effective wouldn't make that worse. You still will have to withdraw from steady-use benzos.

The hydroxyzine isn't habit-forming is my understanding. Fishinghat can advise on this.

[fishinghat]

Boy that ticks me off!! I had a full typed response typed up and when I looked up from typing (you can tell I am not a good typist) I was on a different webpage. Heck if I know how I got there!!! Must have been operator error. lol

 

OK lets try it again. You guys got it right. Clonidine, very effective against anxiety, can make you a little sleepy the first week or so til you get  use to it. No withdrawal but if you discontinue using it there is a spike in bp and pulse for 2 to 3 weeks so come off it slow for your own comfort. Clonidine is often used to help people get off benzos too.

 

Hydroxyzine, no withdrawal at al!!  Like clonidiine it can make you a little drowsy for a week or so.

[Elmosaysgo]

Thank you everyone today I will say was great. I got a break from the horrid anxiety.. You all have given me great information to continue through this. I have been taking magnisium 500 mgs. B 12 and the Benadryl is really helping. Bless each and everyone of you for your caring hearts.. I praise God today and yes taking one day at a time.. Maybe will with draw from the Benzo if I go on clonidine.. My prayers are also for each of you who are suffering from this terrible C with drawl. You are all right when you say be good to yourself , talk positive to yourself and surround yourself with up lifting people.. Tomorrow's another day and I ask God to go ahead of me and make my path clear. Blessings

[FiveNotions]

"Tomorrow's another day and I ask God to go ahead of me and make my path clear."

Wonderful affirmation/prayer, ESG... I am stealing it to use for my self!

[TryinginFL]

Elmosaysgo...

 

So happy to hear that you had a break from the anxiety!   I can't remember having such horrendous stuff in my entire life - it really sucks, doesn't it?  I'm glad that you have found some things that help you

 

Hang in there - I know you can do this!

 

Hugs and prayers,

Liz

[brzghoff]

Thank you everyone today I will say was great. I got a break from the horrid anxiety.. You all have given me great information to continue through this. I have been taking magnisium 500 mgs. B 12 and the Benadryl is really helping. Bless each and everyone of you for your caring hearts.. I praise God today and yes taking one day at a time.. Maybe will with draw from the Benzo if I go on clonidine.. My prayers are also for each of you who are suffering from this terrible C with drawl. You are all right when you say be good to yourself , talk positive to yourself and surround yourself with up lifting people.. Tomorrow's another day and I ask God to go ahead of me and make my path clear. Blessings

congratulations! i got a break today too - lets keep it going!

[Elmosaysgo]

Hi everyone making it one day at a time.. God has shown Himself to be my light as He walks with me into a journey that I rather not take.. I see my Doctor tomorrow and will have to tell him how and why I went off of C.. With every breath feel confident in myself to not let him talk me into other meds except the hydroxoline or clonidine like some of you had shared with me.. It has been a roller coaster that I have been on and can't wait to get off the ride, this one hasn't been fun... The only thing I can take from this is God is teaching me how to solely depend on Him and only on Him.. I ask for prayer at church today and will believe God has better things to come for me.. So wish me luck and pray I don't fall apart.. I leave this bible verse with you all it might make since to some of you here. Hope it helps....2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. I believe God wants to heal each and everyone of us in His own way... I Thank God for each and everyone of you and will let you all know what happens.,,

[thismoment]

Elmo

Good luck on your visit to the doctor tomorrow. This is week 6, how is the anxiety?

You won't fall apart- stay strong and be forthright and truthful with the doctor. Let us know how how it goes.

[Elmosaysgo]

Well everyone went to my psychiatrist today and Thank God I prayed before I got there.. He was angry prideful and said there's no withdrawl going off of C . He said why didn't I tell him I was doing this and he could if got me off C in 10 days using Prozac.. I said I didn't want another drug to get off of C. I told him I would still would of had extreme withdrawl and he said not at all . He said who ever is giving me this information is in correct and once depressed always will be depressed.. He said all my symptoms are age related and since I have been going through menopause that's why I have the sweats.. I said I can tell the difference in menopause hot flashes and anxiety and with drawl symptoms.. I told him I felt like I couldn't think anymore and felt like I had dementia in a since. I told him my joints hurt now and he said I probably had some form of aches and it was helping me not to notice while I was on C... He was so angry that I'm not on this medicine and said I would feel fine if I went back on... Of course I said NO.. I asked him to put me on hydroxoline or clonidine he refused and said what have I been taking and I told him Benadryl to help with the surges of anxiety and he said just keep taking it than... How can he sit there and tell me there are no side affects from this. I have been living it.. I will not be seeing him any time soon.. He didn't care about me getting better he cared that who ever this group was I was getting help from are all wrong.. I told him I did bead counting and he said he didn't know what I was talking about.. I asked him if he ever heard of C causing these types of symptoms and he said NO... I don't believe it... I am having an ok day angry and trying to focus on positive thinking not negative.. I can't sleep ordered chamomile tea and valerian hopefully when it comes in it will help.. I thank God I found this group or I wouldn't of had the confidence to say no more.. Thank You all

[fishinghat]

What a jerk!! But not a surprise. It is great you stood your ground. Blessings and best wishes.

[FiveNotions]

Oh man, ESG ... this guy is a jackass, idiot and asshat all rolled into one ... time to find a new doc, IMHO! 

[thismoment]

ESG

 

Oh dear- sorry to hear your psychiatrist is still reading from the first SSRI pamphlet published in January of 1988 when they released Prozac. I hope you can get some rest. 

 

It's always amazed me that physicians don't have to re-qualify (knowledge and skills) the way firefighters, police, and airline pilots do. Doctors must be really smart.

[equuswoman]

IMO he is an @$$ hole...
Shame, shame on him.
The ppl on this Cymbalta know these w/d symptoms are REAL.
Prayers for you. TheEquusWoman♡

[TryinginFL]

ESG...

 

So sorry to hear of your horrendous experience with the idiot doc!  I know that I would not be seeing him again...

 

Had a similar experience, though not quite as bad, and I am not seeing that doc any more either.  When they start that "holier than thou" routine I just want to zook  

[Unknown]

Hi, brzghoff -- 

 

Congratulations on nine weeks! That is a huge accomplishment, and as someone who is about five months in herself, I know it isn't easy at the beginning. But, I keep reading on here that things really start to turn around at about the eight-month mark. Isn't that great news?! I know you can do it. 

 

And, I definitely share in your sentiment with not wanting to go on another medication, of any sort, at least for right now. I was on anti-depressants (Prozac, then Zoloft, and lastly Cymbalta) for 15 years, and I want to try my life again without medication, especially since it was always explained to me that my depression was mild enough to try to do so one day. 

 

Some tips that have worked for me include drinking LOTS of water; exercising every day, even if it's just a 20-minute brisk walk; getting enough rest, but not too much; and just listening to my body (especially when it comes to headaches and stomach aches). 

 

I hope this is somewhat helpful. I know you can do it. Keep fighting the good fight, one day at a time. 

[FiveNotions]

WAH, I'm so glad you've joined us! At 5 months off, you've got lots of experience and encouragement to share!

[ShadyLady]

Why are there such extremes in the sxs of stopping this Crap! Somewhere around 3am this morning, I posted a long, blabbering under the 'Suicide' topic hoping it would relieve the insanity but whatever I did when I clicked 'post' it deleted the long diatribe!

I am miserable & suffering beyond what I feel for me is a tolerable level! Yesterday afternoon I was frustrated at my attempt to make an appointment with a therapist, unsuccessfully, and whatever set the wheels in motion for me to completely unravel over the next 24 hours has be scared! I know what anxiety I have experienced in the past feels like, ugh:(, and know many are suffering here terribly from it after stopping the Crap...but I don't know if what is playing out now is anxiety or not! I took a 1/2 Xanax around 2pm and by 6pm I was restless?, pacing, brain spinning, so I took 1mg Xanax & 1 percocet. By 7pm I was nuts!! Tried laying down, reading here, watching some t.v., pacing around the backyard and sliding into what felt like a psychotic break. Scared to death, I think this must be an anxiety attack I have not had in years & take another Xanax, Aleve, as head was pounding and my neck pain issues through the roof! My husband is non-existent in this & goes to bed. I cannot say how many more times I took the Xanax or Percs, Benadryl, twice maybe until 4am & started to calm down and have been flat lined since...no meds since for 12 hours, no supplements.

At this moment, flat, hopeless & starting to dread the night. NOTHING is helping me sleep! Please, people talk to me...I would start the Cshit again if I thought it would relieve this terrible state. Anybody remember this around 6 wks off or ever? Should I check into a rehab, if so, what kind?! God, I am so ashamed but desperate...I don't want to end my life, the checking out before the miracle thing, but this is not me! Say Anything...

[TryinginFL]

Cym,

 

I am so sorry that you are having such an awful time...

 

Did you say it has been 12 hrs since you last took anything?  Does the Xanax help at all?  That is what I take and if 1 mg hasn't done it in the past, I have taken another 1/2.  Do try...this may help to settle you down at least a little.  If you don't feel better in an hour then try the Benadryl or, as FN has suggested some Robitussin - do you have any of that?

 

I am not so up on all of these different things to try since the Xanax always worked for me - my RX is for 2 mg/day.  What the hell, if I needed to take both at the same time to try to get some sleep, I would do it.

 

I hope that TM, FH or FN will come on here soon, as I think they may be of much more help to you.  I know that you needed to communicate with someone when I saw your post, so came on to try to help.

 

I think FN may be appearing soon... 

My thoughts and prayers are with you, Cym.  

[FiveNotions]

hey there, girl, hang on! Yeah, at about 6 weeks I was desperate and about to lose all hope, and ready to go back on the crapalta ... Fishinghat and the others here talked me back off the ledge, and encouraged me to wait it out just a bit longer ... I had to break it down into hours, well, sometimes minutes ... whole days were more than I could fathom surviving ... I was cycling between rage and tears in 3 seconds flat, still sick as a dog ... about then is when the unbearable optic neuritis hit ... red hot pokers stabbing me in the eyeballs ... vertigo was still bad... still wasn't able to eat much solid food... mostly broth, herb tea, dry toast and crackers ... I was convinced it was never going to end, that I was going to feel just like that forever ...

I came here and ranted, wrote crazy and desperate posts and asked questions about absolutely everything ... and the wonderful people here stuck with me and kept talking to me and coaxing me forward ... keeping me as stable as possible and reminding me that all of the awful stuff I was experiencing was simply due to my poor brain beginning to readjust to life without the artificial serotonin boost from Cymbalta ...

Your brain is rewiring itself, Cym ... it's doing the very best it can, as fast as it can, but the sparks are just plain gonna' fly for a bit longer ... take a deep breath, and step back from the maelstrom in your head ... take a seat on the sidelines and watch the fireworks from a safe distance!

For me, by the time 8 weeks rolled around I was finally able to experience some solid improvement ... the first time I had two good days in a row I was thrilled beyond description ...

You're gonna' get through this ... you're in the hardest part of the journey now, and my bet is that you're about to "turn a corner" ... it's like the drug doesn't want us to turn that corner, it wants us to give up and give in ... when we're really just about to make it ... don't give up or give in!

[FiveNotions]

Here are some "home remedies" that helped me ... take a gander, and see if any of them "appeal" to you ... as in, "oooh, that would feel good" ...

*herb tea ... any flavor that you like
*soaking in a warm bathtub
*cold shower
*heating pad ... I liked holding it over my solar plexus/stomach area ...very calming
*ice packs on pulse points... back of neck, temples, wrists, solar plexus, back of the knees ... the cold took my mind off the anxiety
*lying in a darkened room
*self-acupressure on your solar plexus and the spaces between your ribs where they join the solar plexus
*lying on your back and elevating your legs on pillows
*playing "sounds of nature" on your computer ... go to youtube.com and search for that phrase ... you'll find rain, ocean, birds, you name it ... I played rainstorm sounds constantly ...

And, a huge help for me, but don't know if it's "your bag" or not ... prayer ... the Rosary was my favorite, but also repeating simple "positive aphorisms" .... several I came up with for myself are "I am healing, I am healthy, I am hopeful" ... "I am at peace as God heals me" ... "I am calm, confident and competent" ... "I am at peace in the midst of my suffering" ...