12 replies to this topic

[SouthernMama22]

Hi all!!  I've been off and on Cymbalta for a few years now.  I was prescribed Cymbalta in December 2013 for fibromyalgia & depression.  At the beginning I felt wonderful!  Now, almost 8 months later, it has stopped working.  So my doctor switched me straight over to Fetzima 40 mg.  Since they are in the same drug class, she assured me there would be no trouble switching straight from one to the other.  The pharmacist agreed.  So Friday I took my last dose of Cymbalta 60 mg and Saturday my first dose of Fetzima 40 mg.  Felt ok on Saturday.  Things started going downhill on Sunday.  I feel like I did the time I quit Cymbalta cold turkey.  Has anyone else experienced this?  Brain zaps, nausea, cloudy thinking, irritable, mood swings, crying, dizziness, etc.  I'm wondering if maybe the dose of Fetzima was too low to make a straight switch?  Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

[thismoment]

SM22

 

Welcome!

 

Unfortunately you are in Cymbalta cold turkey withdrawal. It takes 6-8 weeks for Fetzima to be fully effective for depression and anxiety. The doc should have overlapped at least a month.

 

You could be struggling for a few weeks until the Fetzima begins to come on stream.

[fishinghat]

TM knows. Bad move by the dr for sure. Hang in there. It will be a bumpy ride.

[Carleeta]

Southernmanna22 Welcome aboard..

Sounds to me like you are experiencing Cymbalta withdrawal even though you have been given the fetzima. My suggestion would be to call your dr immediately and explain what you are going through. It's possible he/she will reinstate the Cymbalta and have a slower switch over, or increase your fetzima. It certainly will not hurt to give this a try.

Please keep us posted as to your progress. We are here to help for any concerns and questions you may have., even if you just want to vent.

[SouthernMama22]

Thanks so much for replying!  I contacted my doctor to let her know how badly I am feeling.  I thought I was doing somewhat better but today the nausea has hit me like a truck.  I'm considering taking a Phenergan and calling it a day even though it's just after noon!!   The drug rep assured her that switching would be fine since they're in the same class so that's why she had me do it that way.  I'm the first patient she's prescribed it to (she's an OB/GYN) so I will make sure she doesn't let this happen to anyone else.  I thought maybe the Fetzima dose just wasn't enough.  I didn't even think about it taking so long to take effect.  I had labs drawn on Friday, including a serotonin level, so I'll be interested to see how that turns out.  Thanks again!  Hope you all have a great day!

[brzghoff]

hello southernmama!

 

many of us who participate on this forum are here because of the advice a drug rep gave our doctors. drug reps make their money based on how many 'scrips they can get docs to write. since you are the first of her patients who've been prescribed fetzima and she is an obgyn i would ask her what she knows about the drug in order to provide informed consent - so you know what you are getting into. 

[Jones]

So I'm just going to ride out this last wave of depression on my surf board.

[Carleeta]

Thanks so much for replying!  I contacted my doctor to let her know how badly I am feeling.  I thought I was doing somewhat better but today the nausea has hit me like a truck.  I'm considering taking a Phenergan and calling it a day even though it's just after noon!!   The drug rep assured her that switching would be fine since they're in the same class so that's why she had me do it that way.  I'm the first patient she's prescribed it to (she's an OB/GYN) so I will make sure she doesn't let this happen to anyone else.  I thought maybe the Fetzima dose just wasn't enough.  I didn't even think about it taking so long to take effect.  I had labs drawn on Friday, including a serotonin level, so I'll be interested to see how that turns out.  Thanks again!  Hope you all have a great day!

SouthernMama22, Glad you contacted your doctor and she is working with you. Sounds like you have a wonderful and dedicated physician who truly cares about her patients. Please keep us posted on your progress

[SouthernMama22]

I made a decision to just stop the Fetzima since I was already in withdrawal from the Cymbalta and the Fetzima hadn't really gotten into my system yet.  I feel like I'm about at the end of my rope.  I'd like to just crawl into a dark cave until this is all over.

[FiveNotions]

SouthernMama, did you tell your doc you've quit both meds cold turkey? What does she have to say?

 

I may have missed this in one of your earlier posts, if so, I apologize ... but why in the heck are you quitting Cymbalta cold turkey, rather than bead counting? I'm a cold turkey survivor, as is TFL and a few others of us here ... and none of us would recommend/suggest that as the way to go ...

 

Also, am I correct that since your doc is an ob/gyn, not a shrink, that she prescribed the Cymbalta for post-partum depression? And, if that's the case, do you have a therapist to help you find other coping strategies?

 

If you've got a little one to care for, and ppd, that's all the more reason not to quit Cymbalta cold turkey ...

[thismoment]

FN said it all.

[Carleeta]

Southernmana, in my opinion I wouldn't have stopped this medication. It seems as though you have a an understanding doctor who is willing to work with you. Things take time to work. As Fishinghat is very knowledgeable, please reread his posts to you..

Keep us posted please, we will be here for you in any decision you make...

[SouthernMama22]

I really appreciate all the support I've found here.  It's very hard to explain how I'm feeling to someone who has never even been on an anti-depressant, much less suffered through withdrawals.

 

In answer to some of the questions above, I was originally prescribed Cymbalta in 2010 by my OB for post-partum depression.  She selected that one for me rather than one of the many others I'd been on through the years because it would help with fibromyalgia as well.  It did work really well and then when we were ready to get pregnant with baby #2, I had to come off of it.  Well, Baby #2 is now almost 2 years old and I had not been on another antidepressant until December of last year.  I was prescribed Cymbalta by my rheumatologist for fibromyalgia treatment.  I did not intentionally stop it cold turkey a couple of weeks ago.  When I went to see my OB for my yearly physical, I mentioned that it didn't seem to be helping much for depression or fibro anymore so she recommended a switch to Fetzima.  Since I didn't have a follow-up scheduled with my rheumatologist for another few weeks, she went ahead and gave me samples and said it would be fine to go straight from one to the other according to the drug rep.  I also verified this with the pharmacist.  I was fine the first day and then started falling apart the next day.  I have had a few good days since then (yesterday was a great day!!) so I'm hoping that the worst part of the symptoms are behind me.  Fingers crossed!!

 

The reason I decided to stop the Fetzima was because it wasn't in my system yet or I wouldn't have felt so bad.  And then I realized that in another few months or maybe even a year, I would be back in the exact same spot trying to wean off of another drug.  I'm just tired of feeling like I need chemicals in my body to function.  I have 2 precious daughters that I waited a very long time to have and I don't want them having a zombie for a mother (which is what I felt like most of the time).  I realize that these types of medications can and do work wonders for people and for that I am very grateful to the scientists that created them.  But my husband and I have decided we'd rather take a more natural approach to it.  In all the research I've done, I have come to believe that my whole issue isn't depression but rather adrenal fatigue.  My chiropractor agrees and is ordering me a natural supplement to take that will help me.  Of all the doctors I have, I've never seen a psychiatrist so I don't have one to guide me through this process.

 

I hope that explains my situation a bit better.  Sorry if it's rambling!   Someone here may have said it but my chiropractor mentioned the other day that drug companies don't create cures, they create customers.  And I'm tired of being one of their customers.

 

I hope you all have a blessed day and thank you so, so, so much for listening to me!!!