Hi, I was trying to figure out why I spontaneously developed uncontrollable itching all over my body today and my Google search led me here. I have been on Cymbalta for 3 years, 30 mg. My husband and I want to start a family and I have been doing extremely well lately, psychiatrically speaking, so I am working with my Psychiatrist to wean off of my medications. I am taking Clonazepam, Duloxetine, and Rexulti daily and have almost entirely gotten off of Clonazepam, but she wants to hold off on weaning off the Cymbalta until I am confirmed to be pregnant. I decided to join this forum for a couple of reasons.
I sort of quit Cymbalta cold turkey over a week ago. “Sort of” because I didn’t mean to. I developed BPPV (Google can tell you what it is better than I can) one day and couldn’t drive myself to my psychiatry appointment to get my prescriptions refilled. I also have other medical problems that kept acting up and before I knew it I had been off of all of my medications for about 10 days. I tried contacting my psychiatrist but she wouldn’t refill any prescriptions without an in-person appointment, which I have this coming Thursday. I found out that my pharmacy had one refill of Cymbalta on file so I got that refilled and took my first dose today around 1:30pm.
Around the same time the itching started. Oh man, I was ready to tear someone’s head off! I had the hardest time researching what could be causing it because I could barely take two seconds to type before I had to scratch at my hands again. After four hours of torture I thought to try Zyrtec since I was thinking I had an allergic reaction to something and about half an hour later the itching finally subsided. I don’t know if it was the Zyrtec or the Cymbalta that finally ended it, but in that time I found this site.
Reading everyone’s hardships while taking Cymbalta and then even worse problems getting off of it has convinced me that, pregnant or not, I don’t want to be on this stuff any longer. I have a couple of medical problems that I am now suspicious have been caused by Cymbalta. I am convinced that instead of getting back on that evil horse I will start to wean off of it, and get a new psychiatrist if I have to! I decided to become a member of this forum so that I can start my journey through hell with support but also to ask about my other main problem and see if anyone has any ideas.
In September 2017 I spontaneously developed a condition that has only been described to me as a “vestibular migraine”, a term which I have come to understand is often used by neurologists when none of the tests they run confirm anything else. In a nutshell, I am rendered completely immobile by nausea and dizziness 24/7 unless I am wearing a Scopolamine patch. Transderm Scop, as it is called, is often given to people who get seasick and are going on a cruise, or who have just come out of surgery. In other words, short-term. I have been on it 24/7 since last year because without it, as I said, I cannot do anything. My record is vomiting 4 times in 1 hour, laying still on the couch in between each bout. I have seen numerous neurologists, ER and Urgent care doctors, a migraine and headache specialist, a few ENTs, and even a cardiologist with zero results. I have had MRIs and CT scans with nothing notable. Blood tests out the wazoo have only told me I have slightly high cholesterol. I am going to try acupuncture on the 9th and in desperation I have scheduled an appointment for food sensitivity testing next April.
But after today I am wondering if this could be a side effect of Cymbalta? I haven’t seen anyone mention a similar problem but I thought I’d post on here and ask if anyone else is going through this or has gone through it? I don’t have my hopes up but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Thank you for any information you may have. I am stocking up on remedy posts for withdrawal symptoms on this forum so I can be prepared in advance. You are all amazing people and so strong for going through this! Don’t let Cymbalta tell you otherwise!