12 replies to this topic

[chrisann03]

Today is my 3rd day off the 60mg cold turkey. I am 25 and I have only been taking Cymbalta for about 6 months for my depression and RLS and the medicine just stopped working one day. I am always dizzy, nauseous, itchy, twitchy, sad, happy, laughing, crying, confused, cloudy, have diarrhea, stomach pains, starving but not hungry, and probably other things I cannot think of because I am so cloudy and dizzy right now. I am excited to get this out of my system and move on, but the symptoms are just so crazy. I got rid of the rest of my pills because I was afraid that I would freak out from the withdraws and start taking them just to feel better but my doctor and I both believe that I need to be off them ASAP. She said that she has never seen anyone who has had withdraws this bad from Cymbalta so I started doing research and found this site and I am thankful to find other people going through the same stuff as me. So good luck everyone else and here we go...

[barney59]

Chrisann03

yep..buckle up cuase it's a rough journey. I am day 13 off 120mg of this horrible drug. I continue to have all of the symptoms you described plus the horrendous brain zaps. Zaps are not as constant but continue throughout the day.Can't wait till its over and my life as I once knew it returns.......

B

[chrisann03]

Yeah I am having those Zaps too...just forgot about them...no idea how I could, but did! Good luck to you too. We can do it!!!

[Melandned]

I'm new here and thank God for this site! I have gone from 60mg 8 days ago, to 30mg 6 days ago to 20mg now-day 3. I feel like I'm going crazy! Does anyone have the horrible tightness and vice-like feeling in their neck and head? The ONLY time I feel OK is when I first wake up in the morning and haven't moved my head yet. Are these symptoms and others really going to go away? It's so bad some times that I feel like just going back on the stuff to feel better-I won't, but I can't even function now. I'm trying to go to school to be a nurse and I haven't even cracked a book this week-some one please tell me there is hope!!!

[nursedeborah]

mel,
Sorry could remembeer the rest of the spelling. Anyway you cam off the drug way to FAST!!!
Now this is just my opinion, and what I have found out from my doctor cutting my dose in
half, as on the 6 th day I was totally insane.

I was having nightmares, couldn't sleep, but was sleeping? It was a weird thing hard to
explain, anxiety up the you know what, abdmonial pain, cramping too, muscles cramping,
electrical shocks through my teeth, oh so many more things.

I finally like you found this place, and thank God as the people here saved my life, and mind.
I was taugh how to go off this stuff at my own pace, we learned how to open the caps, and
just pour some of the noxious little beads out, and stay where we were until ready to go
down again.

Here is a really important site to have, well it was to me, it's all the withdrawl symptoms
http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm

That way while your going through all of this you can just look at the list, and know what's
really going on. That does not mean you should not have things checked out with your
doctor, especially if you get chest pains, this is just my opinion, no medical advice:)

Welcome, and I am sure you will find a way to get off this drug, and be able to get back
to homewerk to become a nurse. That's what I was up until 4 years ago, then something
awful happened to me.

Ok, this is a WE THING, hang in there,
Debbie

[chrisann03]

[quote name="Melandned" The ONLY time I feel OK is when I first wake up in the morning and haven't moved my head yet. [/quote]

OMG same here.

[chrisann03]

Went to the doc this morning and took her all the paperwork. i'm still not sure if she believes me...but she wants to see me once a week now and wants me to start my new medicine tonight. she is putting me on wellbutrin. i am going to do my research on that today before i go fill it tonight. she said call her on monday with an update on how i am feeling. she could tell i was really aggravated this morning. (to say the least i was ANGRY). i printed out that fda paper with the withdrawal symptoms and highlighted all of the ones i am having so she can understand and took her the fda report as well. she said she was going to take them home this weekend and go over them. i hope it helps her be more knowledgeable for future patient and to help me with what i am going thru.

[nursedeborah]

Chrisann,
I really fell bad for you that even taking all this information in to your doc
it sounds as if you still not being validated about the brutal withdrawl
symptoms that your having, and even now the FDA has writen them out
and making sure all doctors get a copy.

To be truthful this is only again my opinion, but being put on what she's
going to put you on will not for most here work for the withdrals. It has
beeen said that Prozac does help, and this is going by people like us who
are going through this.

Doctors are not given this information by the Pharm Rep's when they give
them samples, and they are aware of aware of the side effects of just being
on this drug as well sa the withdrawl symptoms. They just wouldn't be able to
get doctors to use it if they were honest!!

I have not heard of anyone doing good at all going off this like your doing,
but like I found here from people that have gone through this are decreasing
the drug at their own pace, and finding the amount that's at least able to keep
us functioning.

Please read lots of the older posts, like back in early August, those are the ones
that when I got here what were life saving. I am not saying that the other posts
are bad, it's there that I found decreasing from this the most that's all.

You will still find it now, and we will all keep helping you on this road of recovery.
Just know there is a gentler way to do this, and with less beating up on your body,
and mind.

You can do this!!!!

Love,
Debbie

[chrisann03]

Thanks Debbie. The Wellbutrin is just my new meds she is trying. She has had many patients have success with it and depression. She just wanted me to start it a little sooner than originally thought because she was hoping it would help with my anger issues. So I did start it that night and I tell you I feel "normal" since then. I am not angry anymore and just feel peaceful. I am still having some of the withdrawal symptoms from the Cymbalta and probably will for a while but at least I don't feel like I am going to punch someone anymore. I am dealing with the nausea and the vertigo with Dramamine and it keeps it manageable but not all together gone. I say all this now and it could easily change another day. But like you know we have to take it a day at a time. I also have been upping my vitamins and antioxidants and water to try to help with everything too. Thanks for the help and advice! It is really amazing to know that I am not alone and I have all this support out there. (although it sucks that other people have to go thru this junk!!!)
Thanks again!!
Chrissy

[nursedeborah]

Chrissy,
So glad you found some peace! That's all I was looking for when I finally tried the Prozac.
I never would have known about it if I had not read it here.


I am juat so grateful for this site, and all it had done to help me during this time.

Continued support your way,
Debbie

[Rsnyder1228]

I had a doctor start me on Cymbalta on September 16 because I told them I was having some light depression come back after I had been off medication since 2006- I was on lexapro at the time.
I called in the first week on Cymbalta complaining of the nausea I was having but my depression was totally GONE! Then reality set in--- after about 3-4 more days my headaches and nausea were so bad, I started feeling MORE depressed, not to mention constipation followed by bouts of diarrhea. I started totally zoning OUT, I would stare at anything for a long period of time. My pupils would dialte very wide, TOTALLY lost the ability to orgasm which normally for me is no problem at all. I also had a yeast infection, and my period was late So On Oct 1, I went back to the doctor and saw a different doc (the guy i normally see) and he told me to quit taking cymbalta cold turkey and in 2-3 days take Wellbutrin. Today is now Oct 6 and I can not name hardly anything that isn't going bonkers with my body, I STILL haven't started my period and yesterday I was vomitting. I have lost the want to eat, and when I do eat I feel terrible. This medication is TERRIBLE I can't believe Doctors are not more edcated on what happens to your body when you are on it and when they tell you to quit taking it cold turkey!

[barney59]

rsnyder1228 -

sorry you had to discover how horrible this drug is. It is becoming apparent that the doctors are finding out along with us how bad cymbalta withdrawals can be. They have only been told what Lilly wants them to know, and Lilly has really downplayed the side effects and withdrawals. Most docs are aware though, that some type of weaning is best. Maybe he had you go cold turkey because of the Wellbutrin? I'm sure you will get some further feed back from other members here. Some are very knowledgeable (more so than I). My only other concern is, with lack of period and vomitting, could you be pregnant? Just know you are not alone in what you are going thru...
B

[nursedeborah]

rsnyder,
Welcome home, you told part of my story, or should I say nightmare from being on this drug
from March 2007 until I started to decrease it on my own Aug 31.

Doctors do not know about the side effects, or the horrific withdrawls that we all have to go
through to get off this drug.

It also does not make any difference how long you have been on it, the withdrawls are the same.

Drink lots of water, and add some kind of sports drink to it to get some electrolytes that you
losing in throwing uo, and diahrrea. I learned all this here.

Ginger root for the nausea, peel it, and shave a few slices into a cup, and pour hot water over it,
and drink. There are other OTC things that you can find at your pharmacy too!

Please read lots of posts here to see how we are all decreasing this med at our own pace, and talk
to your doctor. Tell him this is how you want to do it.

Here is the site for withdrawl symptoms htttp://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm
Also look for the post on FDA report, and take that with you to your doctor.

I know you can find you own way to decrease the med at you own pace, or do this anyway you
decide. Please!!!!! Do not go cold turkey!!!!!! Doc don't know anything about this drug!!!!!

Good luck, and we are all here for you!

Debbie