The Duloxetine worked GREAT on my fibro pain, but made me crazy in the head. Severely depressed, a lot of anxiety and suicidal. It also raised my blood pressure ridiculously high (not a usual side effect). I had no weight gain.I have no other health problems and take no other meds other than recently being put on Clonidine to lower my blood pressure. I don't want to take a pill to cover the side effects of another pill. I started at 30 mg 8 months ago, to 60 mg 6 months ago.
I'm on week 3 of weaning myself off. I had no advice from my physician other than don't stop taking Duloxetine suddenly but wean myself off she had no suggestions as to how much to take. I don't think she knew of all the adverse side effects. (does she not google?) I went from 60 mg to taking 3/4 capsule for 2 weeks. I started on 1/2 capsule (30 mg) this week. This week I can tell a difference. I have had a non-stop headache. I know what everyone is talking about the brain zaps now. I'm having trouble sleeping and I feel like I'm high also. I don't have the nausea though. I guess I'm going too fast, but according to what I have read, I'm going to have bad side effects no matter what.
P.S. I had increased pain in a couple days of tapering down
i took it for depression, not pain, but the high BP side effect is one reason i quit. it was very difficult to control - spiked a lot. its actually listed as a side effect now. however, there can be all sorts of warnings all over a medication label but for some reason some doctors still claim they didn't know. very very few have any clue about the withdrawal symptoms. some say they don't exist, others say after two weeks they're gone. they just parrot the drug reps shilling the stuff. seems highly "educated" medical doctors think sales people who live off commissions can be objective - or - they don't care. and no , doctors don't google. they don't believe anything they read on the internet, anecdotal or otherwise. they don't believe their patients either. just big pharma. if they admitted that some people have problems weaning off they set themselves up to lawsuits since they never provided their patients with informed consent - so they stick their hand in the sand.
i realize that for some people the benefits to taking the C outweigh the negatives but everyone to whom its prescribed must be given informed consent - but no one is.
i did not take the C for pain, yet since coming off i have experienced a tremendous amount of pain. i think i understand a little about what fibromyalgia feels like, although i would never claim i have it as bad as someone who's received that diagnosis. i won't take anything stronger than ibuprofen since i know it is situational due to withdrawal. there seems to be a preponderance of evidence that once you stop the C, or any SSNRI/SSRI, it takes awhile for your body to once again reduce the uptake of the neurotransmitters that the drugs work on, serotonin and norepinephrine. both neurotransmitters, especially the latter, impact the regulation of pain, both physical and mental (depression). they also have other side effects that make them useful for off-label use. Cymbalta is marketed in europe as "yentreve" for use to control SUI. for people who take C for whom that isn't a problem develop another sir effect, inability to empty their bladder all the way - leading to an increased susceptibility to UTIs - a big problem for me. my BP is way down and UTIs have gone away since quitting. i am hoping once i get anxiety more under control i can quit the BP meds al together. i have dropped down to a much weaker BP med at a low dose (losartan at 50 mgs/day). weight gain was a huge problem , but i lost it all - back to a healthy weight and a low BMI. i was active throughout and have eaten a very healthy diet all my adult life, no red meat and poultry and chicken only 1-2 times a week; very high on the veggie protein and fiber - but it wasn't enough to combat the weight.
yes, whether you go cold turkey or wean slowly you will feel side effects. i do not think that going CT makes it any quicker. the length of time many people feel the side effects tends to be about the same either way, HOWEVER, they are MUCH worse when you go CT. i was basically a CT off of 15 mgs (at one point i had been on 90 mgs as i was on the stuff for 10 years). after quitting i had disabling anxiety for the most part of 4 months. i had quit my job prior to coming off the C - thank god. i never would have been able to work. some folks work through it but i don't know how. i am much better at 5 months off but still struggle with anxiety at bedtime. during the day cognitive skills keep my head straight. went back to therapy a couple time for a "refresher" worked wonders for me - better than any drug. i still get the physical pain off and on.
i certainly understand your desire not to take another pill to cover up side effects, which is why i won't take benzos - even though they work well for others. i do take clonidine which is a mild anxiolytic - also prescribed to reduce anxiety. as you may have noticed it can make you drowsy. since i still have a little of the the high BP, it does doubly duty for me - but i need to monitor closely to make sure it doesn't drop too low. i take .1 mg at bedtime most nights, but not all. its primary purpose for a long time was for high BP but with so many other BP meds out there, it ends up being used more as an anxiolytic.
all the best as you continue on your recovery and keep us posted about side effects of withdrawal, both those that go away and the others that persist, or creep up.
