7 replies to this topic

[llhazu]

I have read a lot of posts over the past few weeks and decided today to join.  I was taking 60 mg for the past 4 years. A neurologist prescribed it for Arthritic joint pain. Not sure if it helped the joint pain but i felt great...so continued to take it.  At one point i ran out, and was not able to refill for 4 days. Certainly wasn't prepared for withdrawl symptoms. (Dizzy, nausea, off balance, funny feeling in my head). Just don't like the idea now of taking something that alters my brain chemistry. She advised tappering off. Started with 30 mg daily for 1 month, Then 20 mg for one month, then off. I am off now for 7 days, symptoms are very uncomfortable. Mostly with this zappy feeling in my head and nausea. Can't spend much time on the computer...scrolling makes the symptoms worse, also having a hard time driving. Really scared these symptoms are for ever?? Also have some teary moments.  I've never had a problem with depression, but i think i do NOW!!  I dont want to go back to taking cymbalta just to alieviate symptoms. Funny how none of the doctors i talk to ( I am a nurse and work in a hospital) Know any thing about the drugs they prescribe!!! Ok, After that long introduction..I guess my question is, do i have to learn to live with these symptoms?? Do they ever go away??

 

[fishinghat]

Welcome Ihazu.

 

 

The best choice is bead counting, where you open the cymbalta capsule each day and remove a few beads, usually 2 or 3. So the first day you remove 3 beads, the next day 6 beads, the next 9 beads etc. This provides for a slow steady withdrawal. If symptoms get to bad you just hold at that dosage for a while until you stabilize. Then start dropping again. Be aware that for most the last few beads give the worse withdrawal. Be prepared to slow down when you get to the very end. Now this is just an example. Some can only remove 1 bead a day and others 7 or 8 beads a day. You will have to play with it a little bit to find what works for you. This doesn't mean you won't have withdrawal but it will be lighter and you will have some control over it. Your doctors recommendation is fairly good as the drs go but each 10 mg drop is way to big and will probably knock you for a loop.

 

DURATION OF WITHDRAWAL

 

The first 3 or 4 weeks of withdrawal are the worse with some slow, and I mean slow improvements. By the 8th to 12th week usually see signs of good days followed by bad days but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel. Now that is the average. I have known people who actually quit cold turkey without a symptom. And others where the withdrawal last 6 months to over a year but these are rare. Research says between 30 to 80% of people do not experience withdrawal while other research shows that around 7% experience withdrawal of 6 months or more.

 

To be more specific Ihazu, these symptoms do go away. The majority of the physical symptoms have faded to at least minimal levels by 10 to 12 weeks. The psychiatric ones, including anxiety, panic and fear are the longer lasting ones. Isn't it wonderful that you took a medicine for pain and it will leave you with psychological problems for at least several month?  Please be sure to post and let us know how you are doing. God bless and remain strong.

[llhazu]

Thanks for the feedback!!  Even though the symptoms are awful, im not willing to go back on cymbalta just to withdraw at a slower rate!! I read about the bead counting after i had already stopped taking cymbalta. This is already my second attempt at stopping. Funny , i thought i was doing the right thing by taking cymbalta, as opposed to taking a narcotic pain reliever for arthritis. I was worried about the addictive nature of narcotics!! These withdrawal symptoms have SEVERLY effected my life. Threatening job loss do to time missed, not to mention my judgement as a nurse while at work, And my ability just to function in my everyday life!! I am quite angry!!!   Ok, Enough!! I will do what i know to do, go for a walk, visit with friends, etc.. Thanks again! i will update. 

[fishinghat]

I understand your reluctance to go back on Cymbalta. That was my mistake. When I read your post I misunderstood and thought you had only started this reduction 7 days ago. My apologies.

 

Many on here have lost their jobs during the extended withdrawal. A shame! They were just trying to take care of their health. Yoour anger is shared by many of us here. Be strong and be easy on your self. If you push yourself hard it usually causes a day or two of worse withdrawal.

[Carleeta]

Ihazu..Welcome to the forum. Yes, unfortunately Cymbalta has been prescribed for other issue other than depression. It's understandable how angry you are as there are almost every member on this forum. As Fishinghat has stated there are the percentages who either do not experience any withdthdrawal or minimal an others who have have these withdrawals for 6 months and longer. It's difficult to tell how this long this withdrawal will be for you. Although, there are wonderful members on this forum who are loving, full of support, caring, knowledgeable, and will share their experiences with you. Please continue to keep us updated as often as possible. Vent anything and everything you can on this forum. Your posts will also be helping quests and members here are you share your experience, fears and questions. Best of luck to you...

[thismoment]

Ilhazu

Welcome. I agree with fishinghat. I see you are cold turkey, off just 7 days.

Here's the choice: you can stay cold turkey and endure the brain zaps, nausea, crying episodes, risky driving, depression (perhaps anxiety to follow), potential errors at work, time off at work, establishing an unwanted reputation in your workplace, and perhaps the loss of your career which will impact all of your relationships and especially your relationship with yourself (your self-esteem).

OR

You can re-instate on Cymbalta until you are stable and taper off very very slowly and endure NONE of the above symptoms, and risk NONE of the above events that could devastate your life. Staying cold turkey is a crap shoot-- it could be short and sweet or long and painful; most that we hear about here are long and painful: 6-8 weeks of what you are beginning to experience now, and 4-5 months before relief appears on the horizon, and months of discontinuation after that, where things get better very very slowly.

This is just an opinion. It's not science.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

People here are extremely kind, compassionate, and sweet: the Cold Turkey Warriors and those that weaned short-term (less than 3 months) are still hurting-- intermittently, perhaps-- but hurting, and they don't want to scare you. You can avoid all of this.

As a 4-year veteran of Cymbalta, you have probably been exposed to an intermediate level. Those with long-term exposure (perhaps 7-10 years) don't do as well with either getting off the drug or escaping totally symptom-free. There is a correlation between exposure time and persisting symptoms. It's not just brain chemistry that's altered, these SS/SNRIs work by physically altering the brain within the architecture of the synapse: they shut down (sometimes permanently) the physical structure that is the serotonin re-uptake pump.

Opioids (my opinion) are the right medications for pain, and as one who has known real pain, addiction has no moral meaning to me-- it just doesn't figure in to what I think is important. Think long and hard about this. Talk it over with loved ones you trust, and a doctor you can trust-- if you can find one. This may be the most important decision of your life. Ask anyone here if they would reinstate after just a week and then wean off very very slowly, if they'd know the facts at the time.

Take care.

[TryinginFL]

Welcome, IIhazu - so happy that you have joined us!  This is a safe place for you to vent, cry, complain or even post positive events as they happen (and they do, but not immediately, believe me!)

 

This Moment has posted a masterpiece - please give it a lot of thought.  If I had only known way back what I know now, I would have followed that excellent advice.

 

I went cold turkey after 4 1/2 years on this crap and didn't find this site until I was 2 weeks in...decided to ride it out and it was a true trip to Hell.  Not the way to go when you have a choice.  I have been off the poison for 7 1/2 months now but still have sleep problems and anxiety.  (I never had anxiety problems in my life until now)

 

You have the opportunity to withdraw from this crap in a relatively sane way - not the way us cold turkey idiots did it - please think long and hard!  

 

I wish you well and please keep posting!

 

Liz

[brzghoff]

welcome llhazu

 

staying off C and going cold turkey vs going back on to do a bead count slow taper is a tough call given that you are employed. i've read posts from other forum members who have gone cold turkey while employed and managed to keep their jobs. i could not have done it. i stepped off after tapering down to 15 mgs every two days. after a week of that, i stopped altogether. forum members here tell me that was basically cold turkey. i will be 14 weeks off the C on thursday. i'm just now starting to feel like i could go back to work. do you qualify for FMLA? can you afford to take it? if you do, it'll buy you 90 days of unpaid time off without the threat of losing your job.