14 replies to this topic

[nursedeborah]

Hello,
Already I have learned so very much here. I read something about buying caps at a store so I could go down even slower as
Cymbalta does not come in !0 mg.

Well what I did this am was to open my 60 mg cap, and remove a portion of it, and will do this for a few days, and see what
I feel like. I just can't do the drop from 60 mg to 30 mg like he wanted me to do. I will get 40 mg, or 20 mg from my doc as
soon as I can, but just thought I would try going to 50 mg.

The 6 days that I was on the 3o mg I felt it the first day. I get clanging in my head. Once I forgot to take it for about 5-6
days, and I was so out of it. I couldn't get out of bed to save my life. I didn't know I had not taken it until I saw that it
had fallen out of my med basket.

This stuff makes me so disoriented, confused, I can't do anything at all. I havn't been able to take a shower, wash my hair
brush my teeth, nothing. I only write this because this is my story of what it is like being on this noxious drug. I was never
like this before. I always cleaned my home, and myself. This has taken away my life in every respect.

Now trying to get off of it, it is going to like take another chunck of me, it's not fair or right. I have suffered so long, and I am
so terrified of what's to come. I only hope that by doing it this way I won't be as bad off as I was last week

I will really need all of you, and your support. Please Help!

Debbie

[renee]

Debbie,
Thanks for your post.
I thought about doing the same and may try that tomorrow as well.
I'd like to know about why this med turns some of us into zombies...
Yes, I too was a much more motivated person before Cymbalta.
Renee

[nursedeborah]

All I know is that I thought it was my depression getting worse. I had had a failed back surgery so I just figured it
was related to that.
The thing is that I was on Lexapro prior to that, and could do things around my house, but after a few months of
being on this crap I started to become, wwell I couldn't do anything at all. I just laid in bed. I didn't want to do
anything. Like I said I thought it was my depression.

Then I was told to decrease my dose by half, and got horrible side affects. that's when I looked up withdrawls for cymbalta,
and found this site.

When I read what poeple were going through just being on it, calling it the "Slug" drug I then knew it was not me, but the
drug.

I do feel better knowing that it's not me, but scared as crap to have to come off the stuff. I have a friend that said it took
her a year to feel normal.

My doctor had put me on 120 mg, but I told him I didn't like the feeling, and stopped it. Now Iknow what was wrong with me
back then.

I just want off this stuff, and want to have a normal life, to feel something, anything. It zaps you of everything.

Debbie

[nursedeborah]

Day 2, and on about 50mg. I am told I am cranky, but I am on another new med and it has side effects tht make you
that way, gee thanks.
I felt really out of it yesterday, like I was in a fog, but I think it's the other med. I stopped it last night, and will call my
shrink, and telll him.

I will do this for a week, and see how I am. I am going to be staying with a friend when it gets real bad. I can't do this
alone.

Debbie

[islandgirl0999]

I have been totally off since August 3rd. I can tell you it sucked until a week ago.I had brain zaps , night sweats, nightmares, nasty temper, didn't want to eat, couldn't sleep. But I promise you , you will get back in balance Slow down on the caffeine, take vitamins and be kind to yourself.

Good luck

[nursedeborah]

Day 4 of decreasing the Cymbalta, and I am feeling so much better.
I know it's only 4 days, but I will tell you that is so much better than
I have felt in ages. I do have more energy with just the small amt of
decrease that I am taking.

I am sweating, waking up when I am napping to weird dreams, but sleep all night
this way, without the nightmarres, not hyper.

I do think I will be able to go down another 10 mg in a few days.

Thank You all for everything,
Debbie

[Houdi]

Debbie:

Great news about you feeling better. Don't you love the energy? Wow, I did. Go slow ok, I know you are enthusiastic, and that is awesome. Still go slow and be really good to yourself with this withdrawal. Also, if you have a set back day or two, don't get discouraged. When I withdrew from Cymbalta, I didn't know there could be set back days and when I had a couple in a row, omg I thought I was the worst person in the world! I had major 'poor me the world is awful' syndrome. I was a pathetic withdrawal person. Big bottom lip pout.

Don't you love being able to sleep?

Best of wishes....Houdi

[nursedeborah]

Day 5
Just dumped out my little portion for the day. I did feel so much better yesterday, but I did feel hyper last night
so I just uppped my sleep med, which I am allowed to do. I think too it has to do with me being a littled freaked
out too!

I want to thank you for your support, as I have such a hard time with being supportive, and genttle with myself.
I really need to realize that I am going through a hard, terrible time, but I do see that I will get through it.

I am glad that I also stopped the other med too! I just don't want to take anything until this stuff is out of my
system, then maybe a real evaluation can be done on me, if I need one by then.

I forgot to say that I am still having the hot flashes, and itching some, but it's tolerable.

I think after all I have gone through, I can now take anything, and make it through with flying colors!

Debbie

[nursedeborah]

Day 6
I am doing better today, didn't wake up in a panic. I also have noticed that since I have been on this med that
I wake up very startled, I don't just wake up, I bolt up. Anyway yesterday got a little bummpy at times, and in fact
down right awful, sweating, Panic Attack at Wal Mart, but good things happened too.

I had two feelings, I cried, and got angry. I am thrilled, as I feel more alive to at least have something other than
just numb.

I see my doc today, and will get the 20 mg caps from him so it will be easier to go down when I do in another week or so.
I am not pushing myself, and just want to go at a pace that I can tolerate, and function at the same time.

Debbie

[nursedeborah]

Day 7
This is still really hard, but I have been getting lots of info about this from other people. It's like whhen I posted it on my other site they came out from no where to say they were on it having so many problems, or had been throught the withdrawls, and still don't feel normal even after months of not being on it.

After reading all the withdrawls symptoms, I now know that everthing I am going through is just a withdrawl symptom.

I am scared, anxious, forgetful, sweating, can't go to the bathroom, pee like a race horse constantly, not just from drinking the water, I am getting the hyperness now, and it was about at day 6 last time that this happened.

Last night I could get calmed down, and had one of those weird dream states it talks about in the withdrawls, it like your awake, but asleep at the same time, also still no energy at the smae time too. Then will have energy, well I did yesterday.

My skin looks really awful, alll of this now I can tell myself that it's just coming off this drug, and that helps with the anxiety, one form of it anyway. The attacks of anxiety, are there still.

I feel like no one is here anymore, and that I am all alone on this site.
I just hope everyone is ok, and not suffering so bad they can't come here. I know on the drug I would get really bad off.

I want to find me under all this mess, and see what I was like, no I know what I was like before, and wish to hell I never would have gotten off of Lexapro, at least I was able to do life, and have feelings.

I am just hoping I can get throught this day, funny how I am looking, or counting the days, just like I did when I got sober years ago. I feel like a newcomer in AA all over again.

Debbie

[Cecile]

I feel your pain I'm weaning off 30mg right now I dunno how I would react to 60mg but it's aweful getting off of only 30mg right now I could only imagine the pain ur suffering I will pray for you like I pray for myself for God to help everyone get throw this Evil devil of a drug. -Cecile

[nursedeborah]

Hi,Thanks for the much needed support. Don't discount what your going throuh as it makes no difference the amount your on the withdrawls are the same!! I just have a little longer to go to get off this noxious shit.I do  have to say being day 11 that I can see that things are much better. I actually did things yesterday that I have not done in over three years of being on this drug as it had mehousebound, and afraid to be around people or out in public. I always felt in sucha fog, anddisoriented, things just were not ok at all. The anxiety was also so brutal.I was able to visit at a friends house, and stay therea few hours, go to lunch, then I was even able to leave my house again after I had gotten home which I have not been able to do either!! My other friend came over, and I even was able to stay up until after 9;00 pm.I know this all sounds so strang, but I had totally lost my life, and just stayed in my house, afraid of the world, and to be in it. I found that all of this was in fact due to the drug.I am taking less than I thought, as when I measured it this am, I dumped out a 20 mg cap, and fillled it up with the amt I have been taking from the 60 mg cap, that I have poured out
a portion, and I am on about 30-35 now, a lot less than I thought. I am glad I didn't know that eachday I had rrreally been letting a couple of the beads drop out more than I thought!

So now I will go to the next decrease in a week in an half. What dose are you on right now? How are you doing your decrease?

Take care I am always here if you need to talk, or neeed help.

Debbie

[MarkP]

Debbie,

Don't give up.... I know it's tough for you right now... My Dr. switched me back to 20mg. of Lexapro. I'm happy to report that I've had no major withdrawal symptoms or problems. I feel much closer to my old self again!!! Praise God!!!

Mark

[nursedeborah]

Thanks Mark,
I am doing better, day 13, down to about 30 mg. I am really impressed with how much better I am doing.

I am able to go places, and sit in a Taco Bell and eat lunch, and have not been able to do so because of being on Cymbalta.

Hell I couldn't do anything at all.

I am not going to put anything in my body until I am off this 100% so I can see what I am really like.

This caused me such severe depression that I was thinking of getting shock treatments, but now that it's getting down in the doseage I feel so much better, and not depressed at all.

I will see what I am like, and then see if I even need anything for depression then.

After what I have been through, I can handle anything!!!! This was the most horrible 3 1/2 years of my life.

Love,
Debbie

[nursedeborah]

madtabby,
Welcome, and SLOW DOWN!!!! A slow taper does not mean that you decrease some each day!!
Please read lots of posts. We all have had to find the right amout that works for us, and stay on
that amount for about 2 weeks, some even longer that 2 weeks. It just depends how bad your
withdrawl symptoms are.

I went from 60 mg x's 3 1/2/ years to 50 mg, then to about 45 is mg, and then was just not doing well
at all. The cymbalta really did a number on me mentally, so add what happens during the withdrawl to
some of us. I finally got on Prozac as I founf it on here that it did help very much with the withdrawl
symptoms. I just got on it last tue, wow 6 days already, and feel so much better.

Check out my favorite thing to have on hand so when something is going on you can look it up,
and usually find it on the list.

http://procaztruth.com/cymbalta.htm

So glad your here. If you ever need someone to talk to I am always here, then again there are many that are
so loving, and supportive.


Debbie