3 replies to this topic

[Bec91a]

Here's my first post, to fill in on backstory:

https://www.cymbalta...-im-not-coping/

My symptoms got a whole lot worse than those listed above that I made an emergency appointment with my psychiatrist first thing yesterday morning after a horrific weekend of being a useless mess. He saw the distress I was in and immediately suggested I head in to the ER, he gave me a letter explaining the situation so I could be seen to quickly. I'm in Australia and I do not have private health insurance, so had to be admitted as a public patient. 

 

It was a horrible night in the psychiatric ward of my local hospital. It was my first time as an inpatient of a psychiatric ward, so I was scared, exhausted, confused and alone so naturally everything was a whole lot worse. The nurses were incredibly busy and so nobody gave me any kind of explanation about what would happen. I arrived late in the evening (10pm, after waiting hours in the ER waiting room) was shown a bed, and they simply said "here's your bed, goodnight".  

I couldn't sleep and had asked several times for some kind of sedative to help with my crippling anxiety. Nobody saw to me so I ended up sitting in the ward hallway crying uncontrollably out of fear, helplessness and desperation until finally someone took notice and sedated me so I could sleep in the uncomfortable tiny hospital bed, not far from a complete stranger who was snoring loudly. 

I only spent a night there, I woke in the morning and explained to the psychiatric doctor on duty that I would be much better recovering at home as this place was stressing me out more than I can even begin to explain. I was prescribed valium and was able to come home today. 

It was an experience I wish I never had to go through, and of course my withdrawal symptoms are no better; I'm just more sedated so hopefully I'll be able to cope until the worst has passed. I am absolutely refusing going back onto Cymbalta just to stabilise & then wean off. I am in the worst of the withdrawals so am determined to stick it out until I start feeling better. I am never, EVER touching this poison ever again, and deeply regret taking it in the first place. 

 

One odd thing I will note, is when I turned up at my psychiatrists office a complete wreck before going to the ER, he said that in all his years of prescribing Cymbalta, he has RARELY seen reactions like mine, and reading all of the Cymbalta support forums I find that hard to believe. Surely as a psychiatrist he has to be aware of the debilitating side effects of coming off this drug, but he genuinely seemed surprised at my severe reaction....... 

Anyway thanks for reading! I hope it's only up from here. 

[gail]

Hello Beck,

What an awful experience you have been through!

I am curious to know how you felt on Cymbalta. You seemed determined to do it cold turkey and this is so unadvised in the forum.

We have almost insisted that you reinstate at 30 mg. All of us. It's not too late to do it.

Your body, your brain is going a too rapid change. You can control your withdrawal symptoms with the bead counting method. Smoother much smoother way to do it.

Keep us posted Beck!

[lady2882Nancy]

Hi Bec

I do understand your determination to stay off this stuff so just prepare yourself for a rough ride.

 

The Valium will help but just remember it is addictive too and getting off it can be pretty rough as well. I was also on a benzo for sleep and my doctor had me on a very strong dose and should have only been on it for 2 weeks. By the time I saw my psychiatrist she was horrified to find out I had been on it for 6 weeks. It was a long taper down and I still had major sweating for a year afterwards. That is just the nature of benzos so please only take them as needed and at the lowest dose possible.

 

I do not know if you read about the recommended supplements that fishinghat recommended but if you are going to do this then I recommend you get them. They do help a lot.

Expect to be out of sorts for awhile as well. By that I mean short tempered and crying spells. I had a guy from Australia who was on here when I first got here that recommended L-theanine (make sure it is suntheanine) and it helped tremendously with the moods and headaches. Get it at a health food store or online. Take 200mg first thing in the morning on an empty stomach with a full glass of water, This can be repeated taking 100 or 200mg in the late afternoon again with a full glass of water. Like I said this helps with headaches and mood swings and to a certain degree anxiety.

The omega 3 also helps with anxiety. I took my omega-3 1000mg with each meal for a total of 3000mg a day.

 

I do understand that your psychiatrist has never had anyone that had problems. My own brother only felt sick for a few days and then felt fine whereas I was 12 weeks off and still suffering with not sleeping, anxiety and depression and I took it initially for pain. I finally had to give in and take a low dose of sertraline (Zoloft) to get over those lingering side effects then after 6 weeks I was able to taper off the sertraline.

 

Whatever route you decide to take we are here to support you and if you have any other questions please ask us as more than likely one of us will have been through it or remember someone else who was.

 

Take care of you

Nancy

[Michgirl]

Bec - Don't do what I did.  I am a mother of 3 here in the States and I see what you are going through.  I have been suffering from going off cold turkey from about 13mg of Cymbalta ( I had bead counted down to there) since Dec. 5th, 2015. I can not stress enough that you should listen to those older and wiser and who have been around this forum helping and watching out for folks like you and I.  I though I could do it b/c I was healthy and determined.  I wish in retrospect I could go back, stabilize and count the beads down.  

 

These folks here will absolutely support you in any way you choose.  But you may want to read my thread to see what you might be in for.  Of course everyone is different and it is a risk you will have to weigh.

 

Blessings to you.

 

https://www.cymbalta...-what-did-i-do/