102 replies to this topic

[Michgirl]

I found this forum today as I searched out answers to my Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms.  Wow.  I had no idea that I wasn't alone.

 

Over the past 6 months I weaned down from 30 mg daily to 20 mg then I started the process of taking the "pearls" out at a rate of aprox. 10 "pearls" every week.  Once I got down from 130 "pearls" to 90 "pearls" I just simply threw the towel in and quit taking it altogether.  I wish I had found this forum earlier.  This is when I started with feeling the withdrawl symptoms and started looking for answers.  I had no idea withdrawal from Cymbalta was going to be like this or that I should have stuck to weaning down the "pearls". But now I'm here 2 weeks out from my last dose of 90 "pearls".  My husband thinks that I should go back on it and keep weaning down but I can't imagine giving anymore of my years to this drug even if the withdrawal is horrid.  I have been on it for 8 years.

 

These are my symptoms:  Foggy brain, inability to concentrate, unable to make decisions, anxiety (go figure - scares me not to know when this will end), dizziness, anger, irritable, fly off the handle at things, sleep problems and sweating. The worst symptom is the fog brain.  I keep asking my husband if it's cloudy outside.  

 

This is a question so many have probably asked but when will I become me again?  Happy, joyful, clear headed?  6 months? A year? Is there any average time frame?  Does the time you were on the drug correlate to how long you withdrawal for?  Does the withdrawal severity have to do with going off of the drug cold turkey vs. tapering down?

 

I'm overwhelmed.  I homeschool my kiddos and can't afford to be doing this.  Any support or info. would be appreciated.

[fishinghat]

Welcome Michgirl

 

At the point where you are at I would recommend going back up to say 30 pearls. This won't fix the withdrawal but will help take the edge off. I would stay at that level 3 or 4 weeks until you settle down. At that point I would drop 1 or 2 beads a day until done.

 

As far as bead counting vs cold turkey, well just my observation that they both cause the same amount of agony but with the bead counting you can slow it down and control the intensity more. As fer as how long to go for you. After you have been completely off for 6 to 8 weeks there will start to be periodic let up on the symptoms. As time passes these good stages come more often and stay longer. To feel tolerable/ Well I would say an average of 5 or 6 months. Now this is all just an educated guess based on what I have experienced and seen on this site over the last 3 years. Some do better and some do worse.

[Michgirl]

fishinghat (or anyone else)

 

What happens if I don't go back on it and I weather this out?  I think I can manage to get to the 6 to 8 week mark if I know I have some support and I let my husband know that this is what it might be like for awhile.  Thanks for your sage advice.  I'm blown away by this med. and its affect on so many people.  I'll think about going back on it but I just got past most of the dizziness and I don't relish the thought of going back there.  I guess, come to think of it, I did have the nausea and diarrhea others had but it doesn't sound like I had it as bad as others nor did it last as long.  Grrr.  I hate this stuff.  I actually, except for anxiety, feel emotionally no different off the med than on.  It's these withdrawal symptoms that are scary.  Especially the unknown as to how long will it last.

 

This may sound silly but does anyone know if exercise helps clear the brain fog?

[gail]

Michgirl, hello and welcome to the forum,

First off, I am with Fishinghat here, you might try and go back to 30 beads and stay there till you have stabilized.

As for exercise, I can't tell. No one knows the outcome here, and if we are on the forum, this is because we have been to hell and back.

We just *** don't know how one will react. Based on all I have read here, and still reading, this is a drug from hell.

I have no answers, you can do well or not.

30 beads is not a lot but it could diminish the withdrawal symptoms. Anxiety is the worst. Indescribable! Up to you Michgirl. Keep posting, don't hesitate, we are her for you.

[fishinghat]

Michgirl, if you think you can handle it go for it. Just be prepared to go back on a light dose of it gets too much. Most have had their drs prescribe benzos, hydroxyzine, clonidine, Seroquel, buspar and many other drugs to help but some don't work for one person but do for another. It is just hit and miss let alone the side effects. even if the dr finds a drug which helps it may have its own withdrawal as well. No easy answers.

[brzghoff]

Michgirl - 

 

hey - and welcome!

 

if you are normally an active person then by all means get moving! exercise is great for anxiety. since your heart rate increases as you exercise it can make it seem as though your anxiety is picking up - but of course its normal for your breathing and heat rate to kick in when exercising so don't let that fool you. 

 

i recommend fishinghat's advice. if i'd known about weaning/bead counting when i quit the C i would've taken that route. i dropped the C basically cold turkey and it was rough, anxiety being the worst symptom for me (but i had the whole range of them, nausea and other gastro issues and lots of physical pain in my joints and muscles). for sleep i relied on benadryl when things were roughest. i eventually got a 'scrip for clonidine which is a mild blood pressure med that works well for reducing the primary physical symptoms of anxiety - heart rate and bp. it makes you sleepy which is why i use it at night only. it does not create a dependency like anti-d's and benzos. at this point i don't think i really need it. fishinghat has told me that i need to do a taper down to prevent a spike in bp - but its not withdrawal. 

 

(hey dr hat! do i do it in quarters or what? i take .1 mg a night.) disclaimer: fishinghat is not a doctor, nor does he play one on this forum. however, i like to call him that. ;-)

 

michgirl, if you are not in therapy i recommend it. especially if you plan on not going back on the C and weaning off. cognitive behavioral therapy is very effective for treating anxiety - but it takes a therapist who specializes in CBT. it also takes time to implement and practice the techniques and strategies you'll learn to control anxiety. the dizziness, insomnia, anger, irritability and propensity to fly off the handle are all symptoms of anxiety.

 

i was on anti-d's for 18 years, the last 10 of which i was on cymbalta. its 19 months since i took my last pill and it does get better. you will be okay, but it won't be overnight. i really started to feel some semblance of normalcy around 4-6 months when i would have more than one good day in a row and could "see the light". withdrawal and its lingering after effects are very cyclic. but the stretch of good days gets longer and the bad days aren't as bad.  i have learned a lot about how to keep my anxiety under control thanks to therapy and on-line resources - but this time of year can be especially rough for me. i have been using 5htp on and off over the last 2 months with mostly positive results, but the jury is still out. it cannot be mixed with any anti-d's and should be avoided for at least several months after quitting the C or any of the others. i honestly don't know how much of its effectiveness is real and how much is placebo. i'll likely stop it again after the holidays to see what happens.

 

all the best and keep in touch! 

[Michgirl]

Good morning.  

 

I actually slept decent last night  - not completely but better than other nights for sure.  I am glad I joined you guys.  So good to know I'm not alone.  Wish I had known about dropping down little by little but I'm just not willing to go back on it at this point.  I'm going to nap, eat well, drink water and continue taking supplements.  I am clear enough this morning to realize that I went from 30 mg of Cymbalta to 20 mg to counting "pearls" down to about 13 mg then went off.  So, I guess that's a far better thing than going from 30 mg to off.  I think I can do this.

 

Some days, especially if I'm taking care of me by getting sleep and eating well I actually have about two hours in the morning where I feel like myself. 

 

Now I'm beginning to understand the serious effects of this drug - the side effects are so deep that they affect you when your off of the med. maybe the most. There is also a facebook group called Cymbalta Hurts that has a lot of good info.

 

I was also on Lamictal 150 mg for the past 4 years and I slowly weaned down over the past 18 months to none around the time I went off Cymbalta.  In addition I was on 1 mg  of Clonazepam to counteract the stimulating effects of Cymbalta so I could sleep and I weaned to off over the past year going off the last 0.25 mg at the same time as the Cymbalta.  Had I known...had I known I would have done the taper longer and not just gone from 90 "pears" to off.  I think I might be fairing better than most based on just the little tapering that I did do.  But I'm still scared.  I hate the sweating.  I hate not feeling engaged in my brain.  I'm thankful my husband has been supportive and reassuring.  I've been working with a holistic nutritionist which is why I began to get off this med in the first place beginning about a year ago perhaps.

 

I read on the facebook group that the brain fog is called Cognitive Cloudiness.  I feel so angry at this drug.  So many physicians don't realize the seriousness of it I bet.  

 

I'm going to keep a journal.  So I can remember the good days considering I can't remember much right now.  My fear is will I ever get back to my normal self?  I need to hear some encouraging stories of those who made it through.  I want to come back and encourage others that they can make it through too.

 

Thanks for your support.

[Michgirl]

Also, thank you for the support and responses fishinghat, gail and brzghoff.

[brzghoff]

Michgirl, we have more in common than i thought. not only longer timers on the C, but i was put on lamictal same time as the C. I have not yet weaned from it as i wanted to get my anxiety under better control before venturing off. i thought that i would be able to do it at the one year mark, but here i am 7 months later still waiting for the right time.

 

i suspect that your lamictal taper off was tempered by the C as well as the Clonazepam, as i suspect my C withdrawal was tempered by the lamictal. i am blown away at your referral to the stimulating effects of cymbalta. i slept no less than 9 hours ever, and could go 12 without an alarm clock. throughout the day i was always groggy and could fall asleep on command at any time. a friend of mine who has narcolepsy thought that was what was wrong with me. i would fall asleep on the phone if i was on hold for more than a few minutes. if the hold music was new age... forget it! it was that bad.

 

i have heard mixed reports about lamictal withdrawal. the fact that you did it across 18 months sounds like it could be a doozy. was that your choice or did your doc map that out? i know that to avoid the possibility of developing stevens-johnson a taper is required, but i thought for that purpose the taper only needs to be across a month or less. as with most psychoactive drugs, docs seem to think any withdrawal - or discontinuation syndrome - only lasts 2-3 weeks. ha! survivingantidepressants.com recommends a much longer weaning process to minimize what some report as being a terrible withdrawal. i've heard others report it wasn't a big deal. but then for some that's how it is with cymbalta, no big deal. i'd love to get off lamictal, but i am not ready.

 

what was your experience getting off lamictal?

 

as for quitting the C altogether at 13 mgs... that is basically where i jumped off. i eyeballed splitting a 30 mg cap for about a 1-2 weeks (hard to remember at this point)  so it was 15 mg +/-. there was a little edge of anxiety at that point, more irritability. i then went the every other day route for another week or so and then jumped off the cliff. that's when all hell broke loose. the recommendation among those who have been through it (not from the doctors who prescribe it but have never taken it) is to taper much more slowly. it actually takes longer with the last few beads because the drop is really about a percentages, not actual numbers. dropping those last beads one at a time has made a huge difference for many. they've literally dropped one bead and then waited several days before dropping one more. taking it all the way down to taking a single bead per day for a few. not everyone does that and as they say, ymmv. 

 

i had been up to 120 mg at one point - just a short time - and dropped down to 90 mg all at once with no issues. about a year later another big drop to 60 mg, with no prob. i know most folks would have been thrown into serious withdrawal with drops that big. i was lucky. i suspect it was the support of the lamictal.  around a year later (time frame still a little hazy) i dropped to 30 mg... again, no issues as all. it wasn't until i split the caps that i started to feel achy and a bit of anxiety, it got worse at every other day and once i dropped completely i developed severe anxiety within about a week. while i never had an outright panic attack i went for weeks feeling shear terror almost 24/7 before i had little breaks here and there throughout the day. i will admit there were other exacerbating stresses going on in my life at that point. through all of it, i was able to maintain somewhat of a normal function although it was scary. i could go grocery shopping, although the simple task of following a list and finding my way around the store was very confusing. in the car i felt like a drunk driver and looking back i shouldn't have been behind the wheel. i was also able to work on projects around the house - at a slow pace. we were renovating a home at the time. those first several months were very traumatic. that experience led to me developing the lingering anxiety that i still struggle with - the fear that i could return to that earlier time. even though its not nearly as strong these days, the fear of fear is what perpetuates it. 

 

its a work in progress but i am very hopeful.

[fishinghat]

You did a good job on the other tapers. Congratulation on that. It sounds like the Cymbalta withdrawal is at least not getting worse. I hope you do OK.

 

Brz - Usually I take 1/2 tablet each night for a week to 10 days then of completely/ Even if the bp spikes a little you will be able to feel I, especially when active and adjust accordingly. I don't think you will have an issue.

[Michgirl]

Hi all -

 

This is day 22 off of Cymbalta.  This is what I am experiencing symptom wise:

 

Fog brain/Tunnel vision

Difficulty concentrating

Focus is diminished

Eyelid muscle twitching

Shivering cold at night with intermittent night sweating

Day sweats/hot flushes periodically

Irritable - if one extra thing comes my way it pushes me close to yelling

Light sensitivity - I wear sunglasses even on overcast days 

Food has diminished taste to me.

 

How in the world do people hold jobs like this??

 

I only had stomach issues for two days - once last week and once the previous week not fun but it went away.

 

New symptoms I've noticed:

A motor sound in my ears/head somewhat like a ceiling fan motor going on constantly.  Daytime is better b/c I have other noises to drown it out.  Nighttime and morning are the worst so far.  It just started last night that I noticed although I think I may have had it a little during the day but just didn't notice it.

 

This is no fun.  Thank you for supporting me through this.  Anyone have this motor sound before??  Please tell me this goes away.  Anyone have an idea of how long these symptoms last on average?  I might have asked that before.

 

I also gained weight on Cymblata about 46# steadily over the years.  I've lost a little though since I've been off.  I'm trying to eat well and drink plenty of water.

 

brz - I had no issues coming off of Lamictal that I know about.  I did it slow though.  Wish I had done this with Cymbalta.  I have similar issues with driving as well.

 

Also, I must say the facebook group is ok.  But...a lot of fear over there.

[brzghoff]

Him Mich,

 

i can really feel for you. this is a tough time, i know it is very difficult, but very normal for having jumped off where you did. all of it. it does not sound as though anything you are experiencing at this point is out of the normal range of symptoms for your stage. 

 

i agree with you - how can anyone be employed and/or take care of children or a parent in withdrawal? i deliberately waited to quit the C until after i quit the job i had. i knew it would be rough, but not this much. 

 

i didn't really notice a difference in food taste but i wasn't eating much either due to nausea at that point. i don't doubt the light sensitivity, but that has been an issue for me since i was much younger, so while i noticed it, it was nothing new. the motor sound is likely tinnitus. again, that is something i've had for at least 10 years prior to taking any anti-depressant. the result of loud music - i worked in the music/entertainment/radio industry but in the 80's/90's no one thought about ear protection. i know others here said they developed tinnitus as a side effect while on the C, others as a withdrawal side effect. i don't know if it lasts in those cases. mine is pretty much out of control but i've learned to live with it. mine gets worse over time, but again, that's due to actual self-imposed damage. you haven't mentioned pain as a symptom. that was a biggie for me in addition to anxiety. it lasted about 6 months. at times it was terrible, my joints and muscles. i never had fibro, but during that early time period it felt like what i've seen described by others. i have had arthritis since prior to being on any anti-d. cymbalta is used as a pain med, and i wondered if it masked some of my arthritic pain. however other than my knees and fingers, the pain is gone. my knees and fingers have bothered me since i was in my 30,'s - i turn 56 on tuesday. 

 

my theory is that whatever conditions that cymbalta is effective at treating, actually manifest when coming off the drug. it makes sense that the symptoms for which we took it would re-emerge, but developing the others seems bizarre to me - but its somewhat consistent for us all. those who took it for pain, not mental health, often develop depression and anxiety in withdrawal. and those who took it for depression (me) and/or anxiety develop pain while in withdrawal.  however, the pain seems to fade for those of us who took the C for mental health issues.

 

i suspect that the majority of your physical symptoms will subside in another month or so - maybe less since its already been 3 weeks for you. for me, nausea was gone within about a month. other gastro/intestinal issues about 3-4 months but were tolerable, just kind of a hassle needing "to go"more than normal. still comes and goes with anxiety levels, but that's true of anyone with anxiety for any reason. i lost the 25 pounds i gained on the C in 3 months. i am 5'4" and went from 140 to 115, which is what i weighed when i first started taking anti-d's. chills/the sweats were gone by about 3-4 months for me. muscle twitching of the eyelid is a common stress/anxiety reaction in anyone. also numbness in the face. numbness comes and goes for me depending on anxiety.  other muscle twitching has been common with me since childhood. eye, arm/leg muscles. never major. aching teeth also, due to grinding. brain fog/focus/concentration/irritability are all directly related to anxiety for me, so they come and go. its been bad recently, the holidays and loss of a pet cat have exacerbated it. overall my anxiety is much much better. 

 

for me, the anxiety reduction is a direct result of actively working on it. anxiety does not go away "on its own". while the trauma of withdrawal causes it, its very easy to develop the classic "fear of fear" - that it won't go away. i believe it is a form of PTSD. it continues due to reactionary/habitual thoughts reacting to the initial trauma that no longer exists. in the case of cold turkey withdrawal, the body suffers a dramatic and immediate reduction in serotonin and norepinephrine levels that initiate the anxiety but as our normal levels return, the fear of that initial fear, conscious or not - is what triggers the fight or flight response of the sympathetic nervous system in anyone.   for me, CBT and info i've learned on various web sites have provided me with the "solutions" to my problem. the good news is that we will be okay. i do not believe there is any permanent brain damage due to cymbalta. i was on one anti-d or another for 18 years, from the age of 36-54. if i can get through this anyone can. but i admit after 18 months its still a work in progress. 

[fishinghat]

Brz is right on. You should really start to see some improvements in the next 4 to 6 weeks.

 

The ear problems are a common one. Many on hear have had this situation which may last a month up to 6 months before it fades away.

 

I am impressed with how light your symptoms are. Most not only have symptoms like yours but also common to have severe uncontrollable crying spells, rage, fear of impending death, suicidal thoughts and much more. I know you are suffering but count your blessings.

 

Hang in there just a little while longer.

[lady2882Nancy]

Hi Michgirl

 

Your symptoms are very similar to mine at this point other than I had some severe crying spells along with the irritability. It was at the 4 week off stage that I started to experience the rage that fishinghat talks about with anxiety kicking in too but then I had suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder before ever taking Cymbalta. which probably contributed to the anxiety.

 

The light sensitivity lasted the longest for me and I had to wear sunglasses for about a year and a half before I slowly was able to wean myself to function in full light although bright sunlight on the snow is still too bright to me. The one good thing about that was that I could see in much lower light than most could lol.

 

You should seem improvements as the days go by now although since you gained weight while on it you can experience some recurring symptoms as you lose weight as this drug will be stored in fat they say.

 

I myself had to resort to going on another antidepressant (Zoloft) for a few weeks at 12 weeks off Cymblata to completely resolve my withdrawal issues but there were many who were back to their usual self at 6 to 8 weeks off and didn't need anything.

 

Hang in there, it does get better

[equuswoman]

Hi all -

 

This is day 22 off of Cymbalta.  This is what I am experiencing symptom wise:

 

Fog brain/Tunnel vision

Difficulty concentrating

Focus is diminished

Eyelid muscle twitching

Shivering cold at night with intermittent night sweating

Day sweats/hot flushes periodically

Irritable - if one extra thing comes my way it pushes me close to yelling

Light sensitivity - I wear sunglasses even on overcast days 

Food has diminished taste to me.

 

How in the world do people hold jobs like this??

 

I only had stomach issues for two days - once last week and once the previous week not fun but it went away.

 

New symptoms I've noticed:

A motor sound in my ears/head somewhat like a ceiling fan motor going on constantly.  Daytime is better b/c I have other noises to drown it out.  Nighttime and morning are the worst so far.  It just started last night that I noticed although I think I may have had it a little during the day but just didn't notice it.

 

This is no fun.  Thank you for supporting me through this.  Anyone have this motor sound before??  Please tell me this goes away.  Anyone have an idea of how long these symptoms last on average?  I might have asked that before.

 

I also gained weight on Cymblata about 46# steadily over the years.  I've lost a little though since I've been off.  I'm trying to eat well and drink plenty of water.

 

brz - I had no issues coming off of Lamictal that I know about.  I did it slow though.  Wish I had done this with Cymbalta.  I have similar issues with driving as well.

 

Also, I must say the facebook group is ok.  But...a lot of fear over there.

 

Hi Michgirl,

Welcome to the forum. I am one of the ones who had to wean ever so slowly off the poison. I tried by accident which was a 'cold' turkey....and when I figured out what was going on that I hadn't taken my Cymbalta for about 6 days. Well I got back on it. Then came a time that the SE were more than what I wanted to deal with and I began searching the w.w.w. for help to get off Cymbalta. My physician had NO clue as to the withdrawal that goes along with this drug. 

 

It was then that I was fortunate in finding this forum. It was here that I learned how to "bead count"...fishinghat and thismoment helped me to learn how to do this method. I began at dropping 10 beads per day but found that the W/D symptoms were just to much to handle. Thus I had to SLOWLY wean off the poison by dropping only one bead per day. It took me 4 months to wean off of this crap and resulted in a journey through hell and back. But I made it and have now been off Cymbalta for 20 months. 

 

I will never be as I was before but I take it one day at a time and try to do the best that I can. The ppl here are wonderful, caring and supportive folks.

Glad that you found the forum and wishing the best for you!

TheEquusWoman

[Michgirl]

Hi everyone.  

 

Wow!

 

To think my symptoms from what you have read/seen elsewhere on the forum are mild.  It saddens me to think others are experiencing worse than what I have going on.  My heart goes out to them.  What I am going through stinks.  I feel like screaming.  One minute I feel decent (not great) the next I'm sweaty and anxious and angry b/c there is so little to do but wait it out.  This morning I forced myself to go for a walk just 9/10ths of a mile but none the less a walk.  I forced myself to drink water and eat a bowl of turkey soup and put back the candy bag w/o taking anything from it.

 

 I WILL NOT BE BROUGHT DOWN BY THIS MEDICATION!  I WILL NOT DROWN MYSELF IN FEAR AND GIVE IN TO EATING POORLY!!

 

I am very thankful to you for the words of encouragement.  Someday I will be in your shoes and be able to give words of encouragement to others in my shoes.  I've not made it to the other side...but  I'm swimming and I'm not giving up.

 

I think I may have a big clue on why I'm not having such downright horrid symptoms - my daughter was diagnosed with an intolerance to wheat and oats.  I took her to a holistic nutritionist about 2 years ago.  I was so impressed that I made all the same changes they had her make.  Mind you I still continued to gain weight.  I believe there is a big gut mind connection going on.  Even so...two years she and I have made changes to our diets and I still am going through some pretty terrible withdrawal issues.  

 

I hope I have nothing to report in the next couple of days except snatches of seeing the other side of life without Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms.

[Michgirl]

Hi everyone -

 

The last two days were not great but I still made myself go for a walk.  I will not let Cymbalta win.  I deleted myself off of the facebook group Cymbalta Hurts b/c they are too fear based...maybe it was just me.  Anyhow, I did find an interesting site called The Road Back which gives quite a bit of detail in regards to the withdrawal and what I should have done.

 

I'm weathering it out though and here I am at day 26.  I am taking supplements to help get through this through being muscle tested.  But this still stinks and I would not wish this on anyone.  And I would never recommend quitting without counting "pearls". The following are my symptoms as of late:

 

Symptoms I am dealing with:

 

Cognitive cloudiness (brain fog) 

Tunnel vision

Impaired concentration/Forgetfulness

Hazy vision

Tinnitus with a low pitch buzzing in ears (most annoying)

Apathy to a degree especially when the other symptoms are heightened

Flushing and intermittent sweating

Hyper sensitivity to allergens (I’m not necessarily an allergic person)

Bronchiole irritation/Coughing/Nasal congestion

Lack of taste in mouth when eating and drinking

Taste of what seems like chlorine when breathing

Spine pain

Chills/Shivering

Muscle twitching in both eyelids

Fear/Anxiety (considering all that is going on with this it is not a wonder I’m having this)

 

Symptoms that seem to have passed :

Vertigo (Swirling head - has been gone since day 8 or so)

Irritability/Agitation

Restless legs/Skin crawling – this I still have to a slight degree

Abdominal cramping and Diarrhea and Nausea – had for a total of 3 days but not consecutively

Jaw pain and stiffness

 

Feelings that have returned by being off Cymbalta:

Feel brighter

Sleeping better

Waking in the morning better - way less apt to want to pull the covers over myself and sleep all day 

[fishinghat]

Thanks for the update Michgirl. At 26 days you are getting there. Usually you start getting some breaks in the symptoms around week 8 or so. Just hang in there. I know it is tough but it does end.

[brzghoff]

michgirl:

 

glad that you are working on the positives! from what you've said, you're doing great! based on your list it appears that you're on a similar time frame that i experienced going through withdrawal. not sure how much your anxiety is an issue, but i would like to share a link to a web site that i've found to be great for supporting those with anxiety - and focusing on solutions. http://www.anxietyguru.net

 

it contains blog posts and podcasts - which can also be accessed from itunes. the host is a little corny at times, but he is endearing. he suffered from anxiety for 10 years and found his own road to recovery. he started his blog almost 8 years ago just as a form of his own therapy and to help others. along the way he decided to get his master's degree and pursue a career in counseling, so he has the background too. that web site has created so much hope for me in regard to my ability to get anxiety under control and experience life like i used to. 

 

 

i still have the impaired concentration/forgetfulness and irritability, which i attribute to my anxiety. while i was prescribed the C for depression, i really didn't have much anxiety at the time. it was probably the first symptom that kicked in after i quit the C and will be the last to go - at this point its all up to me. as i've mentioned previously, the drop in neurotransmitters that occurred in cold turkey created a highly anxious state for me, but at this point my anxiety is a result of a post-trauma reaction. the fear of fear. in other words, its not directly a result of withdrawal anymore. however, everyone's experience is different.

 

 

by the way, in case its an issue for you, be aware that the road back is a scientology web site. 

[Michgirl]

Hi everyone -

 

I went for a 3 mile walk this morning with a friend I had confided in.  At the end of the walk she asked me if I wanted some talks she had on CD regarding depression.  I looked at her strangely and said "I'm not depressed".  Wow! Did that feel good to say.  I was nice about it don't get me wrong but I actually said those words and meant them.  Struggling with anxiety...yes.  Struggling with the withdrawal stuff...oh yes.  But, I get up in the morning and put clothes on and tell myself it's going to be OK.  I'm getting through this and I will get to the other side!

 

brz - in regards to what you told me last time:  "by the way, in case its an issue for you, be aware that the road back is a scientology web site". 

 

Thank you for the heads up...quite frankly I'm already quite nicely screwed up in the head from withdrawaling off this med. I don't need any scientology web site putting their craziness in there too so I am grateful that you made that clear to me.

 

Have I said thank you to all those who have been following my progress, hiccups, fears and questions?  If you have not felt sufficiently thanked rest assured I feel grateful to you all for caring about me.

 

My wonderful husband is a blessing who is supporting me through this patiently.  But he does not really understand b/c he hasn't walked in this body and mind of mine.  So again (and I will say it again and again) thank you for caring and reaching out to me during this madness.

 

I think I just might be able to continue to school my girls this semester albeit somewhat trimmed back while I recover and overcome!  

 

Somewhere in the span of years on Cymbalta I lost myself but I'm going to take the metamorphosis slowly and fully expect myself to recover.  I'm a nurse and to think there is no way I could work right now.  I quit to homeschool my kids anyway but even that will be quite the challenge this semester whilst I recover :/  

 

When I am ready I will be going to my Psychiatrist with info in hand to help her understand the depth and breadth of this creature.  I'm going to assume she was welling meaning (of course she was) when she prescribed it.  But the goal with an antidepressant in a large amount of cases should be to move a person off the antidepressants and onto a healthier form of lifestyle for the individual.  Education on nutrition and better life choices.  The goal should never be to shuffle antidepressants when and if the current one doesn't work for someone.  A body was never meant to ingest this chemical for long periods of time!  That's my soap box and I think I'll stick to it. 

 

Michgirl (Day 27 off "The Beast" but still battling it)

[Michgirl]

Grrrr.  Day 28

 

I have to keep my "normal" anxiety under control as it seems to ramp up the side effects from the withdrawal.  Good gravey!  I'm trying to get things in order today to do a decent job homeschooling on Monday.  Hmmm.  I may have to rethink this once again.  Thanks Cymbalta...a great big thanks to Eli Lilly Corp. and their wonder drug.

 

OK.  It is what it is.  I can do this.

[fishinghat]

Slow but steady wins the race. Take plenty of breaks, work at a moderate speed and don't put too many expectations on yourself.

[brzghoff]

Michgirl:

 

you said "When I am ready I will be going to my Psychiatrist with info in hand to help her understand the depth and breadth of this creature. "

 

be prepared for your psych not to be understanding. as you've likely read elsewhere on this site, doctors tend to deny the existence of withdrawal symptoms that last more than 2-3 weeks. its extremely frustrating. hopefully she is a diamond in the coal mine. they do exist but there are very few.

 

unlike other specialists, psychiatrists only treat conditions with drugs. there are no "check ups" if there is no intent to write a 'scrip. if the patient doesn't need drugs then they see no reason to see the patient. the only way they can maintain a clientele is to continue prescribing drugs. 

 

as for homeschooling, i hope that there is some breathing room for you on how much time you must devote each day. how old are your kids? i know very little about the day to day but my daughter has homeschooled her three kids virtually their entire school career. the two oldest were in public school for a total of two years. one year in germany (homeschool is illegal there) and one year in the states - the first year they moved back. otherwise, all home school. however, she's also been a part of a local home school community where parents pool resources and conduct lots of outings/field trips. the oldest finished up and enrolled in community college when he was 15. he is now 17. the middle is almost 15 and will be done in another year. the youngest is almost 8, and well... she has a few years left! i know once the kids got to about 12 mom continued to research and choose the curriculum to match state expectations but they were on their own to do the self paced study with mom looking over their shoulder to make sure they were keeping up. of course, lots of it is on-line, but not all. what amazes me is all the flexibility and how much faster the pace is with home schooling. it seems a lot more can get done in a lot less time. but then, that's just me observing, i'm not the one responsible for making it happen ;-)

[Michgirl]

Hi guys.  I needed those words of encouragement from those who have gone through this or watch as others do.

 

I realized today that I've lost almost all sense of smell at this point.  I had to call my husband to ask him how old something was in the fridge b/c I couldn't tell.  I've also got to be aware of the time and how my body is reacting so I know if I'm hungry.  I want to loose weight but this is a fine way to go about it.   I'm eating regularly and healthy b/c I know I need to but I can neither taste nor smell food.  Have you heard of this from others?  I guess if I had to choose symptoms I'd rather not be able to smell or taste vs. vomit and diarrhea.

 

Tonight I'm angry.  Angry at the injustice of this thing.  But, for the time being I will put that energy into getting myself better.

 

fishinghat - you said very little but it is powerful - please accept my gratitude again for following me and encouraging me.

 

brz - I too am a part of a field trip group but no cooperatives right now thank goodness I couldn't do it.  My kids are pretty involved with activities in the evenings so that keeps them going.  I've had to make some pretty big and painful decisions on how to conduct the next semester of schooling it boils down to basics.  fishinghat is right - keep my expectations in check.   Reading, writing and arithmetic at a minimum and I'll add in as I feel better.  I read a lot to them and make plenty of trips to the library.  I've had them all tested so I know where they are and I feel pretty confident that this hiccup will work out ok.  Keeping track of library books will be a challenge - it's a challenge under normal circumstances.

 

Here is a question:  I can't be the only one to blame myself for not going off the med. slower right?!  I'm pointing the finger at myself!  What?!  I never, ever thought that going off the Cymbalta was any different than going off of Effexor when I was on that and weaned off.  It's probably no

 

Tell me again - I will see the other side right?  I will get through this.  The sun was shining and I went for a mile walk today.  Dog was cold but there I was...sweating away.

 

I did email my doc. through the internal web portal for patients.  I didn't blame or point fingers I just stated the facts.  I'll let you know what she has to say if your curious.

 

I won't be posting daily on how I'm doing but I'll try for every other day.

 

Hanging in there at Day 27

[brzghoff]

yes... you WILL see the other side. can't sugar coat it, there will be rough days but then you'll get a good day, when you get one - know that there will be more, many more. it takes awhile, but know that you WILL be okay! recovery is cyclic. 

 

hang tight and take care!

[gail]

Brz is right. No sugar coating here and no time line.

You will see the other side, time has to do its own job.

Michgirl, at times, it will be a minute at a time. Cyclic describes real well what recovery is like. You feel good and think it's over, then bam! You feel like S**** and think it will always be that way.

Quite a road trip. Yes, hang tight!

[Michgirl]

Quick day 28 update.  I awoke in the middle of the night last night and was surprised to hear no motor sound in my ears.  It's back this morning but my husband picked me up and twirled me around when I told him.  Cymbalta effects the whole lot of us not just the taker.

 

brz and gail - thank you for the being supportive yet truthful   

 

Do you all have threads to your stories? 

 

Hanging tough at day 28

[brzghoff]

my story of withdrawl is just above on this thread. the story of what my med history and experience through that is: found https://www.cymbalta...it-by-accident/ scroll down its my second post in that thread.

 

the reason for getting off was i didn't need it anymore and side effects including weight gain which led to the development of high blood pressure,high cholesterol and acid reflux. i also had a difficult time emptying my bladder which resulted in chronic UTI's. i was always tired, able to sleep on command and often dozing off mid-day. would go 11-12 hours non-stop when no alarm was set. only upside were the great dreams - flying, vivid, episodic night after night, and i never felt menopause. not one bit. also a biggie negative that is not uncommon at all was that both effexor and cymbalta (both SNRI's) prompted me to drink like crazy, couple of beers and 1/2 to 1 bottle of wine a night. as soon as i quit - i stopped drinking. just - like - that.

 

all bad effects ceased when i quit. i lost 25 pounds, went from 140-115 pounds, i am 5'4",  and no longer need bp meds. my cholesterol is now 195. my hdl (good) is through the roof and my ldl (bad) is very low. 

[gail]

Michgirl,

Short story, on it for five months, at 30 the first four months.
The fourth month all hell broke loose in my brain, it was sooo scary.

Dropped to 15 then off, withdrawal could not be worse then the last month so I stopped.

Week 12 or so,I began to have a bit of good days. Month 7, I could not stand the anxiety and went on something else, then something else, and finally quieted down on prozac 10mg. Still have cycles of anxiety but not as deep. I know, dull story.

It's a long road and from what I have read, no magical stories here.
Time and often a long time to heal. Time and time and time.

[Michgirl]

Speaking of weight gain/loss

 

brz you said: "all bad effects ceased when i quit. i lost 25 pounds, went from 140-115 pounds, i am 5'4",  and no longer need bp meds. my cholesterol is now 195. my hdl (good) is through the roof and my ldl (bad) is very low" 

 

I am at 4 weeks.  I have had just enough meals to satisfy and not skip but my weight is going nowhere.  I gained 40# over the last 9 years and could never seem to loose it.  Well, here I am in withdrawal - no taste sensation, no smell you've read it all already...you would think the weight would start to drop but it seems to be there.  I'm serious when I say I eat a protein, vegetable, a good fat like avocado and I drink fluids of either water or hot tea.  I have not ingested sugar except in the form of a tsp. of honey or tsp. of real maple syrup with my tea or on perhaps I don't know what in about 2 weeks.  I was loosing track of eating so I started keeping track just to prove to myself what I was taking in.  It's as if the withdrawal isn't releasing anything except this chemical odor I can actually "taste" when I cough.  People have been asking me about my "cold" b/c of this cough.  I'm pretty sure it's detox - my chest is rattling as if I had pneumonia but I'm neither a smoker nor am I drained but I've had this thing for about 3 weeks and it comes in waves.  I can start coughing and get so junked up that my airway is almost blocked and I can't take a breath in.

 

I've got to get some things done.  Wishing you all a great day.