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Nightmares After 4 Years Of Being Off Cymbalta


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#1 Ezramae

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Posted 30 January 2015 - 08:45 PM

I've been off Cymbalta for four or five years now. When I was withdrawing, I had all the nasty side effects as everyone else did such as brain zaps, vomitting, passing out, night sweats, night terrors etc. I thought I was going to die. It all lasted for a few weeks to a month but the brain zaps, night sweats lasted for about six months and to this day, my nightmares are still around. Has anyone else have this issue? I've been to a sleep doctor but no one can figure it out. I'm not on any medications anymore (after finding out gluten and sugar caused my anxiety and depression). These dreams are so vivid and mostly extremely scary; every night. Prior to Cymbalta, I rarely had dreams like this. I swear this drug messed up my brain. 

 

 


#2 thismoment

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Posted 30 January 2015 - 10:42 PM

Hi Ezramae

 

We have similar histories. I take no supplements or other drugs, except for the odd glass of Irish Whiskey. Curious-- I don't eat gluten either.

 

I've been off Cymbalta for 29 months (almost 2.5 years) and my nightmares are still around, but they are vastly attenuated compared to the first year after quitting. I find the dreams leave me somewhat tenderized for the rest of the day. And yes, they weren't around in this fashion prior to Cymbalta.

 

My anxiety is gone.

 

I still have a constant 24/7/365 tension headache which has been with me since the first week of withdrawal 2.5 years ago. It has been slowly fading-- more over the past few months, and I hope that one day it will be gone completely.

 

I don't feel the drug has "messed me up", but I know that I am changed.  But of course the passage time changes all of us, and it's difficult to know what head-space I'd be enjoying if I'd never taken the drug; that internal debate is a colossal waste of time. I also continue to perceive microscopic improvements even 2.5 years out-- little things like feeling a renewed relationship with nature, the trees, the wind-- outside; a new and deeper compassion for animals. And music electrifies my spirit and breaks my heart all at once-- that's richer than it used to be, even as a musician. 

 

Do you perceive subtle improvements this far out?

 

Regarding discontinuation-- I think it just fades and occupies less and less conscious bandwidth. But when I sense one of those micro-awakenings, I know it's still there . . . . . but fading. 

 

Nice to talk to you.


#3 FiveNotions

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Posted 31 January 2015 - 08:47 AM

Hi Ezramae,

 

I went in the opposite direction from you and ThisMoment ... from having wonderful vivid dreams and deep sleep while on the crap to not dreaming, or not feeling I've dreamed, and not sleeping deeply ... thus not ever feeling really rested when I wake up ... the dreams and deep sleep are the only things I actually miss from my time on the poison ...

 

I've been off about 13 months now, and am only just, barely, starting to get a bit normalized in sleep ... having a few dreams that I can recall, and getting a few nights of deep sleep ...

 

I chalk all this up to discontinuation ... and, like TM, I look at it as a "fading process" ... and yes, I can totally believe that even this long off the crap, your brain could be, likely still is, "adjusting" ....

 

we're never the "same" after this drug ... we're still "us" but it's a different "us" ... a different "self" ... same yet different ... impossible to describe, but each and every one of us here knows exactly what that means, feels like, "is" ....

 

I'm glad you stopped in to share your experience ... every little bit of knowledge and experience shared here helps us, and the others who will arrive here after us ... please drop by again, or stick around to participate!





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