10 replies to this topic

[Cymnomore2020]

Hi everyone,

 

Firstly I wanted to say thank you to the guys to helped create and maintain this group.  It will be a lifeline for so many.  I have yet to meet anyone, Drs included who understands what weaning off Cymbalta is like.  So THANKYOU!  I will redirect anyone I know being pushed Cymbalta during lockdown, in the hope they stay away from this horrific drug.

 

I will try and give my version of events in the shortest possible way. 

 

Been on Cymbalta for over a decade @ 120mg.  Diagnosed with depression back then, but I now know it to be more situational rather than a medical deficiency.  Spend an insane amount of money on therapy (all sorts), medical tests, psychiatrists, therapists, acupuncture, herbal remedies, reiki and healing sessions, auyhausca retreats.  You name it, I did it.  All because I thought I was depressed (I was for the first year or so, after than it was extreme exhaustion).  I spend all this time trying to figure why I felt so tired and unmotivated.  I was depressed in this state, but rather Drs had me believe that I was in this state because I was depressed.  Deep down I knew I wasn't.

 

After a number of failed attempts to wean down extremely slowly, I eventually have been free from Cymbalta completely for 3 weeks.  I know I am going to get a slap on the wrist for this one but I was so sick of sleeping, I weaned from 120mg to nothing in 4 weeks.  

 

So far, while is has been rough - I havent been sleeping properly, full of anxiety and restlessness, bowel trouble, nausea and being extremely irritable - I have gotten some energy back and am now able to function a little better, i.e. not need to sleep 12 hours a day.  Even cleaning the house doesn't seem like the same struggle.  That being said, I have literally launched a new business a week ago and in the third week of weaning has been the worst - crying at the drop of a hat.  I am putting some of it down to the stress of launching a new business, or at least I hope that's what it is because I have suffered imposter syndrome for most part of my adult life. 

 

Today has been the toughest - tired and wired, irritable and feel like my skin is crawling.  Found myself taking a pillow to beat the life out of the bed to release the irritability in some way.  

 

I have been taking a number of supplements (Cod liver Oil, thyroid supplements, Vit C and Ashwanghanda).  I find Ashwanghanda really helps at times, until it wears off and then it doesn't.  

 

Haven't seen it mentioned here, but I have ordered CBD Oil as another friend used it to manage anxiety and insomnia when weaning off another drug.  

 

Having read many of the posts and after feeling the way I have felt the last week, I am now starting to really worry I may have gotten off light with withdrawals and it's going to hit me like a tonne of bricks.  Having just launched a tech business with multiple investors, this is really worrying.

 

Is there anyone out there who has seen withdrawals last only a few months.  I think I could survive a couple of months but the idea that I will be like this for years terrifies me. 

 

I am currently caught between being on Cymbalta and sleeping my life away with little motivation to do anything or suffering the withdrawal and being anxious, nauseous, insomnia and few other common culprits. 

 

Anyways, sorry for the vent.  Hope everyone is doing as good as they can be during this crap time.  My motto "whatever it takes to get you through"

[invalidusername]

Hi there and welcome to our forum.

 

No slap on the wrist for your quick taper - if you had a tough time going slow, then it would be a case of "what have I got to lose" I expect! The answer to your question will only become clear with time. It is perfectly possible that you have hit the worst of it, but the truth is, none of us can tell. Having said that, the "worst" may be just what you are feeling now, but it being the same in 6 months time. The "worst" can be "not improving" for many people. The symptoms haven't got worse, but they also haven't got better. I sincerely hope in your case that they do improve.

 

There is a few references to CBD on the site and in the eBook - bit of a mixed bag - helps some, useless to others, but from what I have seen, there are those who do not correctly source the CBD and of course it won't work as it will be inferior to what it should be. There are a lot of scams going on out there.

 

It sounds like you have got a good supplement arsenal for the withdrawal, so unless there are specific issues causing you distress, it will be a case of sitting back, taking it easy and seeing what comes of it. Not sure that starting a new business at this point would serve you well, but people are more resilient than they give credit for. One of our members MXPro has been going through hell in his withdrawal and has just found out that baby number 3 is on the way!! But he has risen to it - bless him.

 

We're all in this together, so vent away!

 

God Bless

 

IUN 

[fishinghat]

Welcome Cymnomore

"I weaned from 120mg to nothing in 4 weeks." OK, consider your wrist slapped. lol

Could you be specific on the "thyroid supplements".

Typical withdrawal symptoms. I actually know people who have quit it cold turkey without any withdrawal. Lucky dogs. We have had a few members who have had it last only a couple months but that is rare. Normal is 6 to 8 months before you see improvement. I would strongly suggest you review our ebook. The link is in the first thread under the Medical Support section. It contains tons (or tonnes) of information on what members have tried and their comments as well as a wealth of medical information.

Ohh! That dirty dog IUN. I see he just posted. He beat me to it again. lol

[Cymnomore2020]

lol - Thanks guys.

 

An insanely fast response by you both, so thanks for that.  Yeah, on the business launch, it's been in the making for a year and a half and I really struggled with tiredness and not being able to get the work done, so rather than resilient I would say it was more of enough is enough.  At 34 I have slept most of my adult life away and gained a lot of weight.  Though not entirely sure I can blame the drug for that lol.

 

Brutal drug - Eli Lily has a lot to be accountable for.  

 

I know the CBD is coming from a good source but it's just hard to tell if it helps.  What I would also add about Ashwaghanda is, I have been using it for years and too much can give you a sore head.  

 

The Thyroid supplements are something called Thyroaid - mainly vitamin B12, kelp and selenium.  

 

Also taking something called DIM - it's for estrogen levels to help my skin as I noticed breakouts. 

 

Oh wow, in relation to dealing with this with 2 kids and another on the way, in lockdown no less.  If that isn't resilience I don't know what is. 

[Cymnomore2020]

I will get a look through the ebook. 

 

Seriously, even just coming across this site has eased my anxiety, so I will be forever grateful. 

[invalidusername]

Glad that the site has helped you already. It was a blessing for Hat, for me, and many more when we first came across it.

 

Also bear in mind that at higher levels Ashwagandha can also increase depression in some people. I have found the same around the 2gm mark of KSM-66. 

 

Regarding the supplements, it is always better to try one at a time so that you can judge whether or not it is helping you - and always go for the better range regardless, otherwise you will be wondering whether it was the brand/quality or the type of supplement - which is why I mentioned KSM-66 as my source of Ashwagandha.

 

IUN (aka the dirty dog.. apparently!)

[frog]

Welcome! Sorry to hear you're dealing with the dreaded withdrawals. 120mg to 0 in 4 weeks is VERY fast especially after being on it for so long, but hindsight is 20/20.

 

For me I was in such a bad way with the insane adrenal problems (restlessness, agitation, panic attacks, anxiety) that supplements were not cutting it. Beta blockers ended up being my lifeline. i think the symptom management method you choose would probably depend on which of the side effects is making it hardest for you to function. For me it was the adrenaline, panic attacks and insomnia. Beta blockers helped with adrenaline and panic attacks. It doesn't stop any anxious thoughts though, just the physical effects. They were a godsend for about 4 months and then eventually the panic attacks stopped completely and the adrenaline is not quite gone but I don't need medication to manage it anymore. I tapered off the BBs about a month ago. I still take low dose Seroquel for insomnia every night (it's basically a sedative). I would love to get off this medication ASAP but it has a nasty withdrawal complete with rebound insomnia and I'm not sure I'm ready to take that on quite yet. 

 

All this to say that there's nothing wrong with leaning on prescription meds to get through this if necessary. Yes you will have to taper off them down the line, but there are several options for anxiety that have helped myself or others that have very mild tapers

 

By the way, Overall it took me 5 months to see significant improvements, this was when my panic attacks completely went away. Hopefully yours improves even sooner. After 7 months total I feel a lot like myself again, but there are still days when I wake up irritable and anxious for no reason, or depressed and crying for no reason. Just remember that progress with mental stuff is not linear. It's not like a broken bone where one day you wake up and it just doesn't hurt anymore. You'll have days when you feel less anxious and get your hopes up that it's over, only to feel awful the very next day. Don't get discouraged! It's all part of the process. 

[Cymnomore2020]

Thanks very much guys, that is all really helpful and useful information.  I'm just sorry that you all know too well the effects of taking and withdrawing from this drug.

 

I will watch the Ashwagandha - little bit of a lightbulb moment when you said about it causing depression in some.  I am hoping that when I get the CBD oil I won't need to take this, because the headaches aren't totally worth it. 

 

Also, good to get the feedback on betablockers, a friend of mine had recommended them for anxiety another time for stage fright but I didn't take it at the time.  Frog, all those effects of withdrawal all sound very familiar and I that's definitely my biggest struggle.  I'm sorry you had to deal with that, but to hear at you felt yourself again at some point, makes me feel less anxious.  I have this innate fear that this is all in vain.  Maybe that'll be the withdrawal....

[frog]

I think the fear you're having is only natural. It's really scary to feel like your brain and body are messed up and you don't know why or if it'll ever end. And while it seems like SNRI withdrawal is hellish for many people, I think it's less common for it to last for many months like it has for me and for other members on this forum. As a result there's not a lot of information about what recovery looks like in those cases. Which means you just have to have faith that you're going to get better and that's really really really hard. 

 

If that wasn't bad enough, I think the withdrawal puts our bodies/minds into a heightened state of stress. Constant fight or flight basically. I think when we're in that state, the parts of our brains that normally let us think thoughtfully and critically about things aren't as active. Instead our more primal parts are activated which heightens feelings of fear. So you're already worried and scared about the recovery process and your brain is amplifying those feelings x100000 instead of letting you think through it rationally. I remember this phase all too well. All I can say is that it sucked but over time your rational brain will kick back in and the fears will start to subside. 

[Cymnomore2020]

Cheers Frog,

 

Was very anxious today, but had a better day today generally.  Having access to this platform and people on it, really makes a difference.

[invalidusername]

Great input there from Frog...

 

Just a little to add regarding the fight or flight as far as the stress is concerned - as this is something I have landed myself in over the last few days. With the consistent barrage of stress, there is no flight and there is no fight, in can be that you just have to let it be. You cannot flee from it and you cannot fight it. This is one of the hardest things to battle with. 

 

Faith is what is required as Frog said. Man is it tough. So so very tough.