11 replies to this topic

[andrewinnyc]

Hi there,

I'm new to the site and appreciate anyone's thoughts on the following - and I apologize if any of this has been covered before.

 

Background: I was prescribed Cymbalta 3 years back for anxiety, and have been off it completely for six weeks following a gradual (2-month) taper from 60mg daily.  I went through what seem to be the standard withdrawal symptoms (fatigue, lethargy, dizziness, brain zaps) a few weeks back and those have mostly subsided (thank goodness!)... but what I'm dealing with now is absolutely crushing depression and panicky feelings accompanied by physical symptoms including extreme muscle tightness, nausea, and headache.

 

I have had depression in the past, but this is something else completely: I'm able to leave the house, be social, and do things with friends, but it's like a see-saw.  I'll be fine one moment, and then - as the physical symptoms creep into my consciousness - it's like a deep, dark negativity enters my core and blocks out all the good.  It feels completely hopeless, and I'm starting to have some pretty scary thoughts - nothing I'm planning on acting on, but I'm completely freaked out that I'm having them at all.     

 

I guess my question is, "Are these side effects of Cymbalta withdrawal that are late-hitting, or is this the resurgence of something else that is more foundational?"  If anyone has had any similar experiences, I a) hope you're doing much better, and would much appreciate some additional perspective.  

 

Thank you!

[thismoment]

hi andrewinnyc

 

Welcome!

 

After 3 years on 60 mg Cymbalta, a 2- month wean still is pretty quick. I weaned off in 42 days, and weeks of withdrawal set in and lasted for several months before attenuating into something manageable.

 

It's my opinion that you are experiencing withdrawal, with symptoms that were light and easily managed at first. Perhaps you encountered something emotional or challenging in your life that brought on the more profound symptoms you are experiencing now.

 

You are clearly having depression and anxiety-- the anxiety needs to be addressed first, and then the other symptoms will begin to calm down. Knock down the anxiety with a benzodiazepine or perhaps the non-dependency-forming hydroxyzine.

 

But Andrew, you have to keep your doctor in the loop-- it's possible that these symptoms are something new and they need to be medically addressed in some other way; I am only able to guess that these are withdrawal symptoms and in time they will begin to taper off.

 

If you don't have a therapist, please consider finding one to help you through these difficult few months that could be ahead of you.

 

Take care.

[andrewinnyc]

Thank you so much - very, very much appreciate your response.  And you are correct - I've had some big things happening in my life that are probably magnifying the emotional side effects of the taper.  That said, it's such a helpless feeling that it's always reassuring to try to wrap some sort of sense around what I'm feeling.

 

The good news is that I do have a therapist, and I'm going to see her this week.  In the meantime, your response is quite helpful.  

 

Thank you for that!

[thismoment]

andrewinnyc

Allow me to add a brief caveat to my earlier post: Remember, doctors treat symptoms; when you present the list of depression, anxiety, extreme muscle tightness, nausea, and headache-- the physician can't know exactly if these symptoms are from withdrawal, or if they represent the return of your original condition, or if they are something completely new. The physician will want to bury the symptoms, and the quickest way to do that is prescribe another psychiatric drug.

Therefore, if you are safely able-- and under the guidance of your therapist-- allow some time to pass before committing to another psychiatric drug-- It's most likely you are still in withdrawal.

Many of us on the forum have either had this experience ourselves, or we know someone who has. Symptoms from withdrawal often take months to fade to a comfortable level, so it's very very tempting to just go on a new med.

Please give this some thought. Of course quality of life is all that matters, and only you can know what that means for you.

Take care.

[fishinghat]

I really have to agree with TM's last post. It is quite possible that this is from withdrawal but there is no way to know for sure but to bear with it and see. If it is bearable then hang in there. These drugs dramatically change the neuron receptors and it takes a long time for them to return to normal.

[CymYourFaulta]

@andrew..., I know exactly what you're going through. I'm at a similar stage as you are in being off Cymbalta. I'm 7-8 weeks off the drug and I too have a lot of mood swings like you've mentioned. Maybe not exactly the same but they are definitely there and similar to yours. I have the same questions as you as well. "Am I experiencing something new or are these old symptoms coming back?". To me, I can't remember having these severe mood swings prior to Cymbalta. So I can only surmise its from withdrawing. As fishinghat recommends trying to bear with it is certainly the hardest part because we just don't know what the right amount of time is. Any way I've gotten some good advice from here and its very comforting to know we are not alone. Read some of my posts if you have some time. It may help somewhat.

 

My thread: https://www.cymbalta...ut-7-weeks-now/

 

Good luck and breathe.

[andrewinnyc]

thank you, everyone - what a wonderful and supportive group of people this is.  

@cymyourfaulta - i will absolutely read your thread and i thank you for sharing it.  

@fishinghat and @thismoment, i am 100% committed to having my recent experience with cymbalta be my last with mood-altering drugs.  i quite simply don't think they're for me (or possibly for anyone), and i'm doing everything i can to move to a place where i am attending to my body's needs naturally and constructively.  i don't plan on doing anything to the contrary unless absolutely necessary, and i'm lucky to have a physician who's on the same page as i am about this.

 

best to you all!

[andrewinnyc]

hey again, folks - i hope everyone is doing well and moving in the right direction.  

 

quick question: as i'm continuing with my withdrawal (about 9 weeks, now), i've started getting a weird palpitation type of feeling in my heart... almost like a string connecting my heart and my string is being plucked, and causing both to jump or stir a little bit.  it's very difficult to describe, and doesn't seem to be caused by anything in particular... it's almost like brain zaps, but heart zaps.

 

i was going to the doctor the other day, anyway, and an EKG revealed absolutely nothing wrong with my heart (though, of course, the zaps had stopped when i was at the doctor).  has anyone else ever experienced anything like this?  is this a known part of cymbalta withdrawal?

 

thank you!

[thismoment]

Hi andrewwinnyc

 

Good work on the 9 weeks off Cymbalta!

 

Regarding the heart zaps-- are you currently taking, or weaning off a benzodiazepine? There have been reports of similar symptoms associated with weaning off benzodiazepines. Also, are you taking any other meds that affect serotonin?

 

At 9 weeks off Cymbalta the overt spasms, flashes, jerks, and electrical events are typically gone-- keep an eye on this heart thing, and if it continues after a week or so, get it looked at.

 

Take care.

[fishinghat]

Definitely Andre. Many experience skip beats, irregular heart beats and heart palpitations (such as yours). Typically this is due to lack of magnesium in the blood. persons going through severe stress excrete high amounts of magnesium. Several people I know have been through this, including my wife, and were prescribed 100 mg of chelated magnesium three times per day. The chelated magnesium is very easily absorbed and does not upset the stomach like magnesium oxide can. I am glad you had your dr check you out with an ekg first, Smart move. It usually takes about 2 or 3 days for the magnesium to kick in. Keep us posted and hang in there.

[andrewinnyc]

thanks, @thismoment and @fishinghat - much appreciated.  

@thismoment, i am not on anything else mind- or mood-altering at this point... my goal was to get off these wretched things completely as possible as quickly as possible, and my doctor has been supportive of moving in this direction.  it may be making the short-term more difficult, but i'm optimistic about what it means for the long-term.

@fishinghat, i've been taking this magnesium supplement for a few months... i'm going to keep on keeping on with it and hope it eventually helps.

 

thanks, everyone - as always, it's nice to hear from others that are going/have been through the same thing.  wishing the best to you all.

[thismoment]

andrew

 

I certainly understand the desire to be off this mind-altering neurotoxin as soon as possible.

 

While you and your physician have chosen the cold turkey route, it's important for others reading this to note that cold turkey and rapid weaning will have consequences that are not felt in slow, long-term weaning: it's possible to have a symptom-free withdrawal.