280 replies to this topic

[Cecile]

Junior yes i would like to know more about panic attacks I had a few of them coming off Cymb. That would be nice because all i know is techniques how to get through them like breathing in the nose and out the mouth. I have sooo much anxiety in my body I hate it!! my neck and arms get numb, but i just have to tell myself it's a panic attack coming....

I'm sorry i was gone for a while. i went back to work and it's been sooo busy!! Me and co-worker take care of 68 men and women at our nursing home...so it could be stressful there at times..

Marueen did you manage to be completly off now?? I hope soo you were doing very good when i left : )

Cece

[MaureenV]

Hi Cecile,


No not off completely. Part of that is just being a wimp.


I tried to stop completely at 10m but had such a 'stupid' day at work that I realized that I just couldn't afford (work wise) to lose another day like that.

I then went from 10mg to 7.5mg to 5mg - staying at each level 5 - 10 days. I only dropped again when I had had zero brain zaps for two days (they were only mild, but I was using them as an indication that my brain wasn't functioning 100%).

Once I got to 5mg (which is 45 beads) I started to drop 5 beads at a time. Was on 40 for about five days and today is my first day of 35 beads.

After being impatient before, I'm in no rush, I've still got 8 x 30mg capsules (which is 2,610 balls!!) and plenty of gelatine capsules.

I find it nothing short of extraordinary that my body can react (albeit very mildly) to a drop of half a gram. Unbelievable.

Cheers, and thanks for asking, Maureen.

[Cecile]

Congrats!! Maureen I'm happy for you!!

It's been 32 days now off Cymb and It's weird i could feel all my symptoms i use to have before going on the Cymbalta come up!! like my ovaries geezz there really killing me! and i'm sweating alot... I have a appointment for a ultrasound tomorrow to see how big my systs have gotten..I hope not big..My obgyn wants to see the ultrasound before I even think about getting pregnat!! but hey!!! I can get preg now since i'm off Cymb. Isn't that wonderful?? that bad news is I just might now get to if the ultrasound doesn't go good....... Anyway, I go to sleep earlier..Imagine that!! haha i never thought i would go to sleep earlier the cymb. always kept me up at nite...well, i don't feel completly better but over time I'm praying i will start to feel 100% better. Oh yea!!!!! and my husband tells me now you use to be sooo laid back and let me do anything when you were on Cymb. and now you just want to know everything!! can u believe this?? OOH well!! I'm not going back on that stuff!!!! it was 1 year of HELL...

Good nite

Cece

[MaureenV]

I feel for you cecile,


you know if you're out with other people and you have a headache, you can just say 'I have a headache'

Even period pain is something that most people know about, even if half the population don't experience it, they've often got a partner who has, and can sympathize.

But ovarian pain? "Oh, don't mind me, it's just my ovaries playing up." I can see that going down well!


Hope your scan goes well. Let us know.


Maureen.

[Junior]

Hi Cecile

I'll have to look up my info on Panic Attacks again. I had put it away seeing as you weren't here. Just remind me.. I'll get to it later in the week... (I work Mon, Tues and Wed).

Re: your ovarian cysts - I had one removed just as I was going on to the IVF program and it was handled very carefully BECAUSE I was about to do IVF. It was a Dermoid Cyst - apparently they find all sorts of interesting things in those, skin, bits of teeth, hair.... Anyway, they managed to preserve my ovary... Hope your scan goes well and that you are able to conceive without any probs :)

Cheers
Chris

[MaureenV]

.... teeth???


Perhaps that's why Cecile's getting biting pain. ...


Oh I really should go and do something useful.

Maureen.

[Junior]

*slaps you*

[MaureenV]

*Ouch*


O.k. I'll be serious for a minute. Can you tell me how this stuff actually gets into the cyst?





(Although I have been reminded of a joke about false teeth, but I think I'll give it a miss, folk might be eating their dinner.)



Maureen.

[Junior]

arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (the false teeth)


I think it's where a follicle kinda goes wrong.... if that makes any sense ?????????? Or it could be that an egg is fertilised while still in the ovary. Not sure really.


LOL had to do this legal training stuff at work today. You know, all the stuff about bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, etc. Some of us from the course went to lunch together and as we talked, it would be "that's harassment", "that's victimisation" etc. Anyway, later on, I playfully karate kicked this guy from behind and he stuck his bum out... So I was committing an act of 'occupational violence' and he was sexually harassing me! LOL!. We did it on two occasions and I said to him, this is going to be an ongoing thing isn't it? Of course, there wouldn't be ANY sexual harassment involved ... because he's gay!!! =D
(of course there might be if I decided to bite his bum.............. oh dear... hmm..you started it........ )

[nursedeborah]

.... teeth???


Perhaps that's why Cecile's getting biting pain. ...


Oh I really should go and do something useful.

Maureen.

Good one Maureene,
Teeth, ouch!

[Cecile]

I went to my Ultra sound today and it was very uncomfterbel I had to drink six glasses of water a hr. prior to the procedure it was aweful i had to go pee once i was there!! and i had a appointment and i still had to wait like 10 before they called my name while my bladder was full of urine!! Anyway, The ultra sound tech told me I had to use the Probe cause she couldn't get clear images.. that was aweful but i got to do what a girls got to do!! to find out answers, anyway i get my results in 3 days from now and i will let you all know the results..Hopefully all is ok to get pregnat..


Junior, Oh dear i hope i have no teeth in my ovaries!! haha kinda scary..


33 days without Cymbalta and I still have head aches twice a day at 12pm and i take 1 IBU then at 8pm then i take another IBU, pretty much 2 IUBs a day. anyway I wish the head ahces would go away and the anxiety is still there...slowy but surely.. : )

Cecile

[Cecile]

Ewww! i have been gaining soo much weight since i got off Cymb..I feel nasty I'm trying to diet and eat right, but it seems not to be working in the areas i lost weight on when i was on Cymb...OOH well I would rather gain a couple pounds rather than be on that nasty drug anyway!!!!!...


There is a Hurricane called Rick in Mexico right now and it is sooo cold her in California BUUURRR!!! we will probably get the end of there storm.....


Junior any news on the Anxiety?? I'm thinking about doing acupuncture...I heard it works and i still have bad anxiety and pinched nerves everywhere...Anyway, Have a good day..

Cecile

[Junior]

Cecile

Unfortunately gaining weight is a 'side effect' of being pregnant ;-p
Better get used to it!

Junior

[nursedeborah]

The stuff put 35 lbs on me, and now I am finally dropping all that extra weight!!

Debbie

No kids coming this way, toooooo old

[Cecile]

Junior I'm not prego yet!!! LOL

I have to see the results of my Ultrasound frist to see how big my systs are before i get pregnat that's what my OBGYN told me...so we will see what happends.. : )

[Junior]

I know... but just thought I'd point that out :-p

I really hope that your cysts are ok. People can have them for years. If they are not problematic, they leave them alone. Let's hope that's the case for you :)

Junior

PS - You really are sounding SO much better

[nursedeborah]

Junior,
Your right again about cysts on the ovaries. Women have them all the time.
If they really think there is a problem, they do a laporscopy to see if they
need to come out, and then take a sample for a biopsy.

I can't tell you how many cysts I have seen when we do c-setions, and other
odd growths.

Debbie

[deija]

I've been on Cymbalta for the past two years. They had me taking several different medications other medications which I've had no problem with stopping use of. However with Cymbalta I feel as if I'm losing my mind. They put me on it when I was in the hospital for drug treatment for pain killers. Everytime I miss a dose I feel achy all over & just want to sleep. I'm in my mid twenties & do have real back pain due to an accident about 5yrs ago. At work when I don't take it I feel paranoid & see light fragments or specks of light. I keep crying for absolutly no reason at all & viciously attack my boyfriend of over a year verbally over nothing or I have panic attacks. My doctor told me its my choice to take it but, with all the side effects from not taking it & the fear of future risk of continuing its usage I feel utterly stuck with no possible way out. I've divided up my capsules putting half in another empty capsule after I tried not taking it altogether. Not taking it altogether was a disaster. Hopefully I will be successful with not taking it after lowering the dose repeatedly but, it just seems to get worse until I end up breaking down & taking it. This is downright DIRTY the way the drug companies have created something that does something so WRETCHED. It seems to have created more problems than solutions for me. It helped me for a period of time but, I don't want to feel as if I have to take it or I'll be in agony & a sobbing mess!!!!

[MaureenV]

HI Deija,


You're already experienced with splitting the doses, so you're half way there to a solution.


If you want to come off Cymbalta, and, like me, don't feel able to tolerate the symptoms of withdrawal, you first of all need to find a dose at which you're comfortable, then start tapering the dose slowly.


All this on and off is only making you feel worse.


What dose are you currently on?


Maureen.

[Cecile]

Debbie would a ultrasound show abnormaltys??

Today, I felt bad all my symptoms i use to have are coming back...there is no more cymbalta to hide the pain i use to have...it's back and i'm dealing with it everyday... I woke up to with a stiff neck and i had to go to the charpractor, I couldn't turn my head and i had a shooting pain down my back.. also, i had tinggeling and electricity feeling going down both my arms....It's not soo great being off Cymb...you gotta deal with reality!!! Anyway my Charpractor says i'm stressed and have pinched nerves..and it all started from the begining a year ago when i went on Cymb!!... anyway, i go back to him next week also he says he could treat my anxiety and panic attacks!!! how wonderful!!

Ps. Junior thank u for saying i sound better...I'm not as angry as i use to be last month, when i went through the weaning off system with my Phyc. I was very angry and argumentive, it was part of the withdraw effects...I can't say i 100% feel better because i don't...I'm just hoping in due time i will... : )

Cecile

[Junior]

Hi Cecile

Part of coming off these drugs is learning (relearning?) how to live without them. I'm sorry you've been feeling so much pain. I hope you can get it sorted. Also, you are desperate to have a baby. I know how that feels. It's very very hard. Especially when you have had no success in trying. But try to take it one step at a time. First, get used to being off Cymbalta. Second, see what your ultrasound results show. Third.. well we'll deal with that when we that far :)

I wish you all the best
Junior

[Junior]

PS - I will look up that info on panic attacks for you when I get a chance. I haven't forgotten. Just haven't got around to it yet :)

[Cecile]

That's ok!! when you get a chance from your busy life...It could be sooo stressfull espeacially working..

I have constant head aches and there starting to scare me and my panic and anxiety attacks are irrupting again...I really really want to know what is causing it..cause that's one of the reasons why they put me on cymb. for my panic attacks and if i could stop the headahces maybe i can stop panicing!!! so much.. I almost went to the ER today because my head hurt sooo bad and i feel dizzy like i'm going to pass out! then i get scared and that's when my panic attacks come!!! I hate this...I thought coming off Cymb. would make my life better..and I'm trying deal with the problems i have without cymb. and it's sooo hard to do that...
Things I wish would go away!!!!
1.Get off my Ambian every nite! (afraid i'm addicted) and go to a sleep disorder place or doctor to help.
2. Find out what's my head aches coming from!!! cause it's killing me!! I want to get a CT or MRI of my brain or head.
3. My ovaries hurt all the time!!! and I'm still finding out if i can get Pregnat from my Ultrasound.
4. My pinched nerves in my neck!!! i can't even turn my neck!! and i have seisure like symptoms..both my neck and arms have electricity running through me...it feels so tinggley it's so aweful : (
5. I'm Still fighting withdraw effects from Cymbalta!!
6. I have gastic problems with my stomach also..
7. My sinuses are killing me!! making me feel like my head is stuffy!!!
8. I want to cry still alot and that hurts my sinuses and my head...I try not to cry so it wont hurt..But i can't help it, i think of all my problems and all i want to do is cry... and it's so hard not to cry since i have been on Cymb. for a year i never cryed of felt any emotion and now that i feel emotion..i want to cry for what i have been going through....and it's hard not to... :(
Others stressers
..My husband is being checked for Prostate cancer because his older brother that was 26 had prostate cancer and had to do Kemo and Radiation. Also, he was in a car accident 3 years ago with blood in his brian and he needs another CT scan or MRI because there is a little blood spot that showed up on his head (the scalp)

I'm sooo stressed out!!!

Cecile...dosn't feel good.

[MaureenV]

Hi Cecile,


Don't have much comfort to offer, I'm afraid, but I do think you should be seeing someone about those headaches.

I don't want to imply it's nothing, but do keep in mind serious causes of headaches are rare - you just tend to hear about them more.

I can't recommend strongly enough getting lots of (mostly gentle) exercise for your pinched nerves. When we've got that sort of pain we tend to hold our head (or whichever bit of our body's affected) in a way which minimizes the pain - often just sending the problems further along the nerve paths.

For example: before I started taking diclofenac for my lower back I had lots of problems with muscle spasm in my upper neck. What would happen is that I would be constantly tense from trying to minimize the lower back pain - just pushing the stress further up my spine. The diclofenac would be helping a bit, but the low dose I'm not would not be enough to prevent that completely, and I no longer have a problem. But I walk and cycle a lot. Swimming would be very good for that part of your body too. Yoga would also be great.

Too be honest, I can't actually imagine anyone with pinched nerves in their neck NOT getting headaches from it.

Much as I'm reluctant to suggest you take more drugs, diclofenac (Voltaren here) might be worth a try, JUST TO SEE IF AS WELL AS YOUR NECK IMPROVING, THE HEADACHES ARE HELPED. Do you get my drift? If, IF, you find that that is what happens, you will know your neck is what's causing/aggravating the headaches.

The ovarian pain is probably also making you tense your neck/head area and not helping. So many of these things are snowball issues - you start with one problem and end up with five, partly because of the drugs you take for the first, and partly because of the further problems the first one creates.

kind regards, Maureen.

[Cecile]

Maureen,
Thank you for ur kind words, Today was horrible!!! I went to my Carpractor and i got my x-ray results and then founf a "curve" in my spine in the upper part of my neck..Maureen, all i can do is cry and worry and i don't know how to stop crying, because i'm soo scared...I never had this problem on cymb...and i wouldn't know till now if i had this on cymb. i only know now cause i'm off the Cymb..I really don't want to go back on cymb. is there anything not addicting that i can take for the pain?? I want to be fixed i asked the carpractor if i need surgry he says you can't do surgery, but carpractic will help and get rid of it in due time.. what should i do?? go to him or a orthopedic surgen?? Maureen my stomach and arms and legs are all nerves and i shake!! it's all cause of the nerves are not all going through my body.....
Maureen, i think i'd rather die then have to go through this!!! it's stressing me out and since i do CNA work i don't think i can work like this!! and i just went back to work!! what should i do maureen?? i have soo many problems im not a avarge 25 year old all i want to do is live a normal life a 25 year old girl lives and i haven't been able to do that!! all i do is stay home cook and clean...and mop!!! about my problems...i'm just soo tired of it!! (crying right now) sorry..i wanna go have fun but i can't...I'm sorry im crying out my soul to you...

Cecile

[Junior]

Cecile

I'm so sorry to hear about the problems you are having.

The neck thing is probably unrelated to the Cymbalta except that Cymbalta stopped you from feeling the pain. I'd keep going to the chiropractor. I have mild curvature of the spine too... up near the neck and all I have to do is make sure I stretch - the chiro will show you how - regularly. It's about managing it, not curing it. Going to an orthopaedic surgeon wouldn't help because they are not going to break your spine and try to straighten it. Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much risk.

With your nerves running amok... some of that will be due to the pinched nerves so you need to get that treated. If you are feeling internally jittery it could mean that your body is still craving the Cymbalta. I had that problem after just having gone back ON Paxil after 6 months off it.. although I think the jittery nerves came from Lexapro withdrawal not Paxil.... but it passed after about a month back ON the Aropax. I know how much you want to be off all drugs and how much you want to have a baby but you may need to consider getting back ON to an anti-depressant to help with the nerves. It is a COMMON symptom of withdrawal from what I've read and doesn't happen until a bit further down the track. That's why Drs dont' know about it. According to drug companies, "discontinuation syndrome" only lasts 3-4 weeks. Unfortortunately too many DRs take it as a sign that the original problem has returned but it HASN"T. It's withdrawal. And it is usually far more severe than the original problem.

Taking something like Prozac might ease the nerves and the panic attacks a little and give you time to seek out a therapist. Part of the problem with panic disorder is a fear of the panic attacks themselves...but.. the fear can cause your anxiety to build..which in turn can trigger a panic attack. So you need to learn how to change the way you think. As I said, a therapist can help with that.

With the constant 'moping' about and being lost in your own thoughts.... that is something you need to try to change. The more you worry, the more you are feeding your own anxiety. I recommend this website as a starting point http://www.anxiety2c...com/panic.shtml

Cheers
Junior

[nursedeborah]

Debbie would a ultrasound show abnormaltys??

Today, I felt bad all my symptoms i use to have are coming back...there is no more cymbalta to hide the pain i use to have...it's back and i'm dealing with it everyday... I woke up to with a stiff neck and i had to go to the charpractor, I couldn't turn my head and i had a shooting pain down my back.. also, i had tinggeling and electricity feeling going down both my arms....It's not soo great being off Cymb...you gotta deal with reality!!! Anyway my Charpractor says i'm stressed and have pinched nerves..and it all started from the begining a year ago when i went on Cymb!!... anyway, i go back to him next week also he says he could treat my anxiety and panic attacks!!! how wonderful!!

Ps. Junior thank u for saying i sound better...I'm not as angry as i use to be last month, when i went through the weaning off system with my Phyc. I was very angry and argumentive, it was part of the withdraw effects...I can't say i 100% feel better because i don't...I'm just hoping in due time i will... : )

Cecile

Cec,
Yes you do sound so much better! I mean it's just amazing. junior was the one who noticed that I too
was much better, and making more sense.

Yes to your question about the ultrasound. If there were cysts, they would be able to see them. I had left this
somewhere, but don't remember where.

I also just left you a really long post somewhere else that you asked a question, I am blank to where it was?
Just hope you can find it. It was the one you were talking about all the horrible withdralws coming back.

Take care, I see where you said you were angry last month while you were coming off this crap, well I am
just know starting to feel, and it's been since Aug 18 th or the 31 that I started all this withdrawl stuff.

I know what else you had said in that other post was how the withdrawls symptoms your having are like
being back on the drug again. You sure hit the nail on the head. I can't tell you how many times, all of a
sudden I just feel like I am back living that awful life I was living while I was on this stuff for 3 years!

I hope you find that other post!!

Love,
Debbie

[MaureenV]

Hi Cecile,


Funny! First Junior and I am going to tell you that I've also got some mild curvature in the top part of my spine. According to my chiropractor it's as common as mud. I found out by accident when I had xrays after fracturing a rib coming off my bike a few years ago. It made me realize why I often had pain etc up around the area and down my arms. However, that was in the early days of my bike riding, and I've since had negligible problem with it - I think the way I have to hold the top half of my body on the bike has helped there.


It really is just a matter of finding which exercise - pilates, yoga, swimming, gym etc help, and which ones hinder. Most of us are a bit crooked here and there, and we don't find out until we're doing something that aggravates it.

If you took a completely healthy person and gave them an exhaustive medical, most would come up with something worth investigating, which, when investigated would generally turn out to be nothing of any consequence. (some WOULD show real problems of course, but it's cost versus benefit.)

If Cymbalta was helping with your pain (and it sounds as though it was), then when you were pain free, you were also relaxed; now that you've got pain, you're not relaxed, and guess what usually makes pain worse? Tension. So unless you want to resort to chemical pain relief, you have to find some way of releasing the tension, by yoga, swimming etc.

I've no doubt whatsoever that the chiropractor can help with your anxiety and panic attacks, but you mustn' think that he's going to do this by pressing a few bits & pieces of you. He's no doubt going to do this by teaching YOU what to do with YOUR body when you start to feel them coming on.

As for anger, and speaking only for myself, I sometimes wonder if it's just normal emotion that I'm feeling, but I'm so out of touch with feeling it, even after only 8 months on anti-d that I've temporarily lost the ability to use my brain in these situations instead of my tongue. I haven't actually had to DEAL with anything emotional until now. Dunno.

Keep in touch, Maureen.

[nursedeborah]

Cec,
Also remember there is a thing called "The Pain Cycle" when yoou have that it's awful, and brings on so
much anxiety, it's a response the body has to it. First the pain hit, then the anxiety, and if this is ongoing
over time depression stays on borad. that is why pain management, not meds is so very important for
people who have pain.

Debbie

[Cecile]

Deb,
I got my Xrays back on my neck and its a "Curve" that's what my Chiropractor said and also i think that's what's making me soo anxious.. AND it is soo bad that it's sending electical currents through out my whole body!! it feels soo weird!! i feel it in my stomach in my legs in my head!! to the tip of my finger tips!! all i want to do is stay home and lay down and cry from the pain...I don't get it i just got the pain in my neck and lower back last week! and I was fine getting off Cymbalta..1month ago then this comes up! right after feeling better that i was actually off this stuff! now this happends to me!! I'm So mad! why me??!! If i do take a pain medication it's not going to be a anit depressant!!! I have been just taking 200mg IBU's twice a day.

Question deb, will i have permanent nerve damage from this "curve" in my neck??
Also, I can't feel my legs, arms, neck, face! all the major parts of my system and i do believe this is from the nerves correct?
Will i die?? because i really do feel like im not breathing good like i use to, and i feel like there's no circulation going to my brain! I know there are seisure like symptoms..But will i get a real seisure? My head feels soo dizzy and lite headed and very difficult to breath! it scares me! : (

I want to go to the Hospital all the time! for this but i don't know rather i should or not, cause what would they do for me??? Dope me up with Pain Medicine?? Probably!

Please write back....
Cecile