280 replies to this topic

[Cecile]

I have nothing to say to you Debbie, I'm going to just write maureen messgaes and not post anymore...and i'm not leaving this site!! either..So leave me alone know and go talk to someone else please thank you!!

God Bless you,

Cecile

[barney59]

cecile

I'm going to jump in. I am not getting involved with all the previous posts.. I just want you to know that there is plenty of time for you to get pregnant and have a baby. I was 34 when I had my boy. Get your body healthy first that should be your first priority. Then the baby thing will happen when the time is right. Best of Luck to you! B

[Cecile]

Maureen,
Tomorrow is my appointment with my NEW DR. wish me best of luck!!!

Today is my 14 day without Cymbalta and I have a question the reason why i got on the Cymbalta i think it is errupting back..because i'm getting off this drug is that possible do you think?? write back

Cecile

[nursedeborah]

Cec,
I know your having a hard time, so am I. I don't want all this
tension around here, just want to keep this place safe, and
not turn it into a place where there is fighting, that's all.

If I hurt you, I am sorry, that was not my intension.

I am being supportive of you, as I know we are in the same
boat, and emotions just run high whe we are detoxing.

No hard feelings,
Debbie

[MaureenV]

Maureen,
Tomorrow is my appointment with my NEW DR. wish me best of luck!!!

Today is my 14 day without Cymbalta and I have a question the reason why i got on the Cymbalta i think it is errupting back..because i'm getting off this drug is that possible do you think?? write back

Cecile

Sorry, wasn't around after your last post; how did you go with the new doctor??


Maureen.

[Cecile]

Maureen,
I went to my appointment today with my new dr.!!!!! and could you believe he's in the same town as my old dr. and he don't even know him!!?? weird...Anyway, He was going to taper me off and he even said it the same way your tapering off, BUT!!!!!! he said i have been without it for a while SOOOO he donsn't want me to taper also, he says my side effects should go away in a week or two and he wants to see me back in 2 weeks and we will take it from there he says...So i'm still off!!!!??? did it do any good?? I don't know..He DOES listen more than my old Dr. though, so that's good!!!! as for my panic attacks and anxiety, he says he really dosn't know why my GP put me on cymbalta for that because it's not made for that he says and he says it's made for depresstion...I can't turn back time...I wish i could, but i can't so i'm dealing with the Cymbalta withdarws right now..i told him..it does make me feel really upset when he told me what am i doing on this drug...but what can i do?? I didn't look into the drug i told him and that's going to be something i will regret doing..I told him yes, I should have looked at the side effects before i got on Cymbalta..but i was 23 and looking for a wayout..of the panic attacks i didn't know what was good for me!! i never had them before in my life!!! and i really didn't know what to do then listen to a Dr. that i thought he would have known what he was doing!! you would think!! :(

It's been 16 days without Cymbalta..... and i went back to work!! 3 days ago and man!! i felt dizzy even at work and head aches (the usual) i even told one of my co-workes catch me if i fall....that was how bad i couldn't walk i just wanted to go home and lay down! that's what i have been doing for a month already..then the Dr. (old one) made me go back to work...
(Currently) I still have head aches, once in a while and feel like i'm going to through up!!! but only once in a while thank goodness!! i would say it was much worse during the weaning proccess... I still sleep with my Ambian i have ever since i got on Cymbalta..I tell my new Dr. that i want to try to get off of it when i'm done getting off Cymbalta..because i can't seem to sleep without it....it feels like if it's not one thing it's the other!!

Where are you at in mg's maureen?? last time u told me you were going on 10mg.. how many weeks has it been for you now?..I hope your feeling good..and doing good..

Cecile

[Junior]

Cecile

Cymbalta has been approved for depression, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, and the pain associated with things like fibromyalgia. I'm not sure if there are any other things but if you google cymbalta you should be able to find more info. The FDA site (if they have one, I'm an Aussie so haven't bothered) will probably have some info too.

Panic attacks can be treated with other methods as well as anxiety. This is off the top of my head but I have a book that goes right into 3 of the major anxiety disorders, that is, generalised anxiety disorder (what I have, and why I was put on Cymbalta), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder. It describes exactly what each disorder is, what research has found about differences in brain function in each, and what treatment methods are recommended. In panic disorder (repeated epsiodes of panic attacks) I think medication was supposed to be used at the same time as therapy - can't remember the details but I can look it up if you would like.

That's if you are still talking to me...

Cheers
Junior

[Cecile]

Ok heres my story...My panic attacks and anxiety all started when i was 23 in 2008 when i made the biggest mistake of my life Junior...I went into a hard core Bulimia stage for 6 months (droped to 89lbs)..I got really really sick and i had happend to get neupmonia and i started feeling anxiety and that's when the panic attacks irrupted I though I was going to die!! I don't know if the Neupmonia came at the right time to same my life? or to just make me fight with panic attacks?? my whole life.. i don't know what it was really meant for.... I literally thought i was going to die, no food in ur body for sooo long...i was telling myslef i couldn't stop the panic attacks!!! they were like every 1min.!!! of my life...I need a way out..so i went to my dr. and he put me on Ambian, xanax and Zoloft for 4 months, it wasn't for me!!! it made me feel dead and zombie...So the dr. put me on Cymbalta, the Dr. also sugglested i could be depressed from the Bulimia, because people that have bulimia are usually depressed..So that's when i got on Cymbalta and it was going good for a while untill I was a zombie again..heartles?s.no crying...no emotion..always scared of everything!! ( i believe i'm scared of everything because of the insident when i could have died) I was rushed to the ER for fluids and no potassium in my body. and they even gave me adavan for the panic attack..i was in and out of the ER a couple of times...Anyway, I want to get off Cymbalta i want to start a family when my husband i have been with for 6 years and no children yet..that is just one good reason why i'm trying to get off, i'm not bulimic anymore...I stopped when the nurses reasured me that i would die if i didn't quite and that also, scared me...the point is the panic attacks were triggered by FEAR...
After that i want to get off my Ambian i have been on for soo long since they started me on the Zolof...i have xanax but i try not to take it bacause there really is no point to when ur painc attack only lasts like 10 secounds and by the time the pill gets into ur system it's already over with....

I need to work on relaxing and not stressing Dr. says...and that's what i have been trying to do.......

I can take any info to help treat my panic attacks, I'm just soo glad i haven't really any since i got off..i just got 1 made at work the other day...thank you : )
Goodnite!!!!!
Cecile

[Junior]

Cecile

I'm just getting dinner ready (lovely lamb roast - mmmm) so I don't have time to go through too much with you right now. I will a little later on :)
I just wanted to ask you if you have ever been to a psychologist. I think you mentioned somewhere in another post something about your parents? Something about one of them being an alcoholic? What I am thinking is that you have had a lot to deal with in your life, even though you are still pretty young, and it may have triggered both your bulimia AND the panic attacks. Now, medication can help with the symptoms of these but if you've never talked it all through with a therapist, then you would never have dealt with it psychologically. That is a big thing. And maybe it's something you need to do right now.

I applaud you for wanting to get off your medication. I was the same when I wanted to start a family. But pressuring yourself isn't the answer. I believe you are 25? Is that right? Then you have plenty of time. Believe me :) I'm not sure what your cultural background is and I know that it may be very important for you, culturally, to produce a child - but don't make that the most important thing right now. (If you can manage that.) Right now you need to focus on you - on getting yourself well enough to be off medication. When you do that, you will be well and truly ready to have a baby :) People can be cured of panic disorder. Wouldn't it be a good thing if you could do that? Even better if you did it before having a little one to care for?

We'll talk more later
Junior

[MaureenV]

Hi Cecile,


glad to hear you're feeling better.

Can I suggest, in order to help your doctor as much as yourself, that at the end of each day you 'rate' your day (e.g. 9/10, 2/10), in terms of how you think the withdrawal has affected you.


Junior is, natch :) right, panic attacks are very curable. Note I didn't say EASILY.

A case in point: my sister developed such terrible panic attacks on aircraft that a few years ago she boarded an aircraft, had to ask them to open the door again to let her off, travelled half way down the country by train (about a day's trip compared with an hour in the air), without telling anyone at work what happened. She managed to wriggle out of potential trips various way, until her boss sat down with her one day and said 'um ... this time we really need YOU to go ...' and she had to tell them and get help to deal with it.

She did a fear of flying course (run by one of our main airlines) which, slowly but surely, effectively cured her. She still has to work on it a bit, and listen to the tapes on takeoff and landing, but through the power of the mind has ceased to have panic attacks on aircraft.

I know that's only one case, but people have been cured of all different types of panic attacks. There's an inner part of the brain that's very difficult to control with our conscious brain, but with help from experts you will be able to target the rising panic and deal with it differently.

To give you a (probably unhelpful) example: When you 'nearly' fall down some steps or somesuch, before you've even had time to consciously think about it, your brain (amongs other things) has sent danger signals to your adrenal gland; this tiny little gland has released enough adrenaline to flood your body, increase your blood pressure, heart rate etc in preparation for the 'fight or flight' response. This is ALL in less than one second. How amazing is the body?? This is similar to the response YOUR body goes through in a panic attack. By the time it's happened it's then possible to consciously calm yourself down if you've practiced yoga or somesuch, but preventing them probably needs, as junior says, the help of an expert to sort out the lead up to them.

That's what they work on, dealing with preventing or handling the lead up, BEFORE your brain responds to what it perceives as a threat.


Hope that makes sense, Maureen.

[Junior]

An excess of norepinephrine is also implicated in ADHD.....

[MaureenV]

Akay Junior and Madtabby, may I pick your brains??


(You can keep the cymbalta withdrawal affected bits all to yourself though ... ) :))


The reason I did my waffle to Cecile, is because in her full story, she mentioned that one of the reasons she was on Cymbalta in the first place was because of panic attacks; I was trying to encourage her to think about non-drug ways they could be dealt with, given they've got to be one of the most treatable (as opposed to easily treatable) with the help of an expert in the area.

My question is: what then happens to someone suffering Cymbalta withdrawal? We all know the emotional lability that comes with withdrawal - is any of this adrenal related?


The reason I ask is because if someone has no effective adrenal glands, they're given replacements for aldosterone and cortisol, but not for adrenaline. So are they even CAPABLE of getting panic attacks??

yours in confusion,

Maureen.

[MaureenV]

Thanks for that, I'll have a look.


Maureen.

[mreaves]

I am currently undergoing the withdrawal from Cymbalta. I took the last does on September 26th so at 9 days I felt unbelievably grateful to have found this website. I will just be so glad when this is over. One of the worst experiences of my life.

[barney59]

Mreaves,

This site is a Godsend isn't it. Makes you feel like you are not crazy, not alone. Good luck on your withdrawal. May it be easy and quick. It is day 17 for me. Afraid to say I am feeling a little better. Last time I thought I was, the next day it was like I was back to day 4or5. Anyway, this is a great site for support and info.

B

[mreaves]

Yes it does exactly that, I am not crazy or wimpy or whatever other adjective ,it is real. Even though my husband has been supportive he did not understand fully and this is helping him to get a grasp of how intense this is. It also caused him to be a little unhappy with my doctor.
Thank you for the words of encouragement. I am glad to hear that day 17 may possible be better than day 9. I just need to see improvement. Doesn't have to be fast although it would be nice if it was. Just improvement a light at the end of the tunnel.

[barney59]

Mreaves

Something I printed out for my doctor, but let my husbad read also was the FDA Report. I gave the link in another thread, not sure which but look for title FDA Report (sorry). My doc was grateful to receive it. He as many docs were not aware how severe withdrawals could be. My husband also found it helpful to understand, to some degree, what I was and still am going thru. Hope it helps.

B

[nursedeborah]

mreaves,
What dose were you on, and for how long? Did you stop cold turkey? If not how did
you wean yourself off this drug?

You sound like you doing ok, and I am so happy for you! Glad you didn't end up like
so many of the rest of us.

Oh by the way Welcome, finding this place was the best thing that ever could have
happened to me. I thought I was crazy for 4 years, and found out it was just this
drug!!!

Continued success!!

Debbie

[Junior]

Maureen,

Just responding to your earlier question about adrenaline / noradrenaline (norepinephrine). Sorry for the delay. I don't have as much time now that I'm working :)
Adrenaline is different to norepinephrine.
Hmmm..... I just found this. It is a very good article and should give you some idea about the functions of the various chemical transmitters in our body. http://en.wikipedia...._nervous_system.

To answer your question about what causes Panic Disorder... it is not actually known for sure. I'll quote a couple of bits'n'pieces from my book on Anxiety Disorders. Hopefully that will help :)

- Some PD(panic disorder) patients have an excess release of norepinephrine (NE) from the neurons in the locus coruleus (the brain centre that houses most of the NE nerve cells). Excess NE causes a cascade of symptoms that are anxiety-producing and can lead to panic states.
- Serotonin (SE) is a neurochemical that has significant impact on brain structures that affect anxiety, and it affects NE levels, which are postulated as a cause of panic. SE and NE function in a feedback loop with each other. In a healthy brain, when SE is sufficiently available, NE levels remain balanced.

- an interesting adjunct to the hypotheses for NE causes of PD is that if the increased NE cannot raise SE levels sufficiently, symptoms of anxiety and depression may both occur because the balance between these neurotransmitters is impaired, causing several systems in brain function to become disturbed.

- Gamma aminobutryic acid (GABA) is associated with relaxing the nervous system. If GABA is not working well a person may manifest significant anxiety and paniclike symptoms. Benzodiazepines are internal brain chemicals that affect GABA neurotransmitters. In a PD patient, the ability of the benzos to modulate GABA may be out of balance.

There are also a couple of brain structures that may be mildly impaired.

Wehrenberg, PsyD, & Prinz, MD. (2007). The Anxious Brain.

Is that clear? As mud? ;-p
Junior

[mreaves]

Debbie,

I am so glad that I sound okay, believe me I feel anything but okay. I am trying to keep focused on the end whenever that may come and I am taking each day and looking for the improvement.
I was started Cymbalta during that time I was caring for my Mother who was terminally ill. So I guess I started taking it about 3 years ago. I was taking 60mg. In the past couple of years I started having trouble with my thyroid and began medicine for that and in the course of the bloodwork it was discovered that I was low on some vitamins and such. Since we were working on getting me feeling well etc. I asked the doctor about stopping the Cymbalta, my Mother has since passed away and I really only needed it during that horrible time in my life. So my doctor simply said okay. That was a red flag for me since I knew that if I missed doses that I did not feel good. So I asked for a prescription of the 30 mg. I began taking those and the withdrawals started, but I did not realize how much was withdrawals because I was at the same time beginning to see an Endocronologist for hormone issues.
I continued with the 30mg and began taking them every other day. Still thinking that the problems I was having were because of hormones. Then I went to every third day and realized I was just prolonging the torture and decided to stop all together. I told my family hey I am stopping this medicine so y'all help me out this week. Little did I know. I have been miserable. Finding this site has helped so much. I knew I was feeling all of these things but I did not know why.
Like you I thought something was wrong with me while I was on the drug too. But I did not know it was the drug. I have been chasing thyroid/hormones for 3 years.
I have gained at least 30 pounds since beginning this drug, maybe more I am afraid to actually find out for sure on that. I now have to take testosterone, progesterone, synthroid, vitamin B-12 and something to help me sleep and I don't know how much of that can be contributed to taking this drug.

[mreaves]

B,
Thank you so much, I am going to try to find that and print it out for my husband and my doctor.

Mitzi

[nursedeborah]

mreaves,
Hello, and what is going on with you? What have you decided to do about your withdrawls?
Did you start the Cymbalta again, and start to decrease it slowly on your own?

I am glad that my story helped you, sorry it took me so long to get back to you as I just
now found it. I am just worried about you, and I know what it's like.

Please let me know what you decided?

I do hope your ok.

Debbie

[barney59]

mreaves

here is that FDA Report link incase you haven't located it yet

Wanted to share this link with all of you. My doctor found it very helpful and enlightening. I shared it with firefighter1042 but didn't know how many people may miss it. I think it is important for our doctors to read this. Then maybe they might realize what we are going thru is real, and begin to trust what we say. My opinion, just fyi..

http://www.fda.gov/d...oads/AdvisoryCo ... 172866.pdf

Again, hope I linked it right, if not see Zap Zap Zap thread

Bbarney59

[mreaves]

Debbie,

I have not started back on Cymbalta, I am so wanting this to be over I will never take another one of those pills again.
I am now on day 10 without a dose. I am moody to say the least. Last night I was literally laughing so hard I could barely breath and immediately went into sobbing. I fight those crying fits so hard because I feel as if I may never stop if I start.
I am unable to think clearly, PMS is very intense. I am experiencing pain all over my entire body feels like I have flu, pain in all of my joints. I feel warm but I am shivering. It is hard to think clearly although today has been some better. Slightly clearer head. I itch it is the strangest thing. I am also eating constantly.

Mitzi

[mreaves]

B
Thank you I had not located it yet. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Mitzi

[Cecile]

Hey it's Cecile and I have been 31 days now without Cymbalta and I do feel different now.........

[Cecile]

I feel like i can feel all my pain coming back to me like example I have systs on my ovaries and they use to hurt before I got on Cymb and now they really hurt...also I still have head aches and can't sleep without my Ambian, witch will be the next thing i'm going to try to get off and I have gained weight coming off Cymb.about 5 pounds...not soo good for a former bolimic person but i'm not about to get myslef back into doing that.. The Good i feel more human and not souless, I guess that would be the best part.

Cece

[MaureenV]

HI Cecile,

Good to hear you're doing better now.

Unfortunately pain can be distressing; distress can make us depressed; doctors look down their list, see Cymbalta which both eases some pain and helps with depression and before you know it, there you are, on a drug which is a big problem to get off, just adding to your worries.


Please, please keep in mind that with your bulimia (and I'm sure you're going to stay strong on that one, but these things lurk in the back of our minds), and pain, and panic attacks, that you're at risk of doctors finding it easier to put you on drugs which CAN help all of them.

Good luck,


Maureen,

[Junior]

I feel like i can feel all my pain coming back to me like example I have systs on my ovaries and they use to hur before I got on Cymb and know they really hurt...also I still have head aches and can't sleep without my Ambian, witch will be the next thing i'm going to try to get off and I have gained weight coming off Cymb.about 5 pounds...not soo good for a former bolimic person but i'm not about to get myslef back into doing that.. The Good i feel more human and not souless, I guess that would be the best part.

Cece

Hey Cecile

I'm glad to hear that you are doing better. You disappeared so quickly I was afraid for you....
Did you still want help on what to do about panic attacks?

Junior

[nursedeborah]

Ceciel,
So good to hear from you! That so many days one would think it would just all be over with.
So sorry to hear about all the pain that your having, and the cyst too!

How is the anxiety now> I have that still, but I am still decreasing, I am just as of today
on day two of my new decrease from 25 mg - 2.5mg. I am rreally going to go slower this
time. You missed alot while you were gone, so I hope you stay here, and not go away.

Take care,
Debbie