Well, I stopped the Cymbalta on Wed., I just couldn't take it anymore, and am happy that I stopped it! With me, it made me feel like I was numb, except for it did start to make me very irritable, aggressive and angry the last week I took it, that's why I quit because I didn't want something coming flying out of my mouth and me lose my job or me hurt one of my friends/loved ones, or get into a fight in D.C. rush hour traffic! It did stop the crying spells, that's about the only good thing I experienced with it. Thurs. I didn't feel any zaps or anything, I actually felt physically better not taking it. Friday morning I REALLY felt good physically, no stomach pains/upset, or cotton-headedness. By Saturday, I was so hungry and all day long, I ate every couple of hours. I've lost even more weight on this drug, even eating a whole bunch when I would be hungry. I did start to get the zaps by mid-morning Sat., especially if I looked up too quickly, but was still happy. Yesterday I got the worst headache, which I still have, and got irritated over there not being anything "good" to eat in the house - you know like a pizza or big burger - "junk food". This morning I'm really dizzy, but happy because I went to pdoc, who put me back on Remeron SolTabs and Ritalin for the am if I'm just too tired from the Remeron. I have to say that my experience on Cymbalta wasn't the greatest and am so happy to be off of it! I really feel for anyone here who may have to go off of it, as I think the withdrawal can be pretty bad. I have doubled up on my neurontin in the meantime (600 mg. twice a day) to help stabilize my moods, and will probably continue to do so until the Remeron takes hold, which hopefully won't be too long.

How's everyone else?

Has anyone ever been very, extremely happy to get off of a med before? This in of itself has made me happy the last couple of days - weird hun?

I was sxtremely happy to get off Ppaxil years ago as it was very sedating for me. I didn't have any withdrawl, either.

I know when the day comes to get of cymbalta, it will be a rough ride, as i get the zaps if I'm a couple of hours late taking it as it is. Will probably try going on another ad for a week while tapering, then drop all meds. (I read that some docs do this, and mines open to suggestions, except for getting off cymbalta.) I know it makes me tired.

Glad you're doing what you need to do for yourself. Let me know how it goes.

I kinda need some help here.....
I'm not even sure which topic I should post this under....but here I go....

Ok...ive been on Cymbalta 60mgs for around a year. Ill admit I did something really stupid theother day. I completely stopped taking my Cymbalta cold turkey. I stopped becuase 1. I could no longer pay for it and 2. im tired of taking the meds...

Well I'm on day 6 and Im wondering how long I will be feeling the withdraw symptoms.
On day 4...I felt horrible...bad head ache, sick ot my stomach and dizzy and disoriented. Day 5 still had the funky feelings but not as bad...and on today day 6 im still feeling the disoriented...I don't have the energy to do anything.. and my head feels weird....
I am also having major hot flashes.....none of this is normal for me...
Any one have any idea when I will start to feel normal again?

I know what I have done is stupid...now Im just looking for a few answers.
Thanks

This post has been edited by TBird: Dec 14 2005, 08:30 PM

I wish I could help you with this, but I get the zaps when I'm a couple of hours late taking a pill, and I know that if I ever decide to get off, I'll need to slowly taper off.

I want to know why you didn't talk to your doc? I get mine for free, as I'm permanently laid off. I told my doc to get me off of it because I couldn't afford the $160. or so a month, either. She told me she'd give me samples and has been doing so since Sept., a month at a time.

You can also get into programs where they'll give you meds if you qualify.

You could also ask your doc to put you on a less expensive med.

I worked with psychiatrist in the past and they get tons of meds from drug salesmen. My doc said they throw meds away if no one needs them, meaning can't afford to buy them or have a co-pay. I had a $25. co-pay when I was working. I would have never dreamed of not taking meds, even though I did without things because of it.

If I don't feel well, my family and friends will notice. No thanks. I'm not going to suffer with the symptoms I had.

Anyways, please call your doc and tell him what you did and see if he can help you out. Your best bet will be to taper with this meds or another ssri.

Jackie

LAS I stopped last week, cold turkey after about 3 weeks on it and let me tell you I agree with you. I flew into rages for almost a week. Really bad. I ended up mildly hurting myself and having a few family blow ups (they were coming anyway) It was really bad.

Is there any one on here still on this drug apart from me?

Yes, I still take 60 mg a day. Have been doing that for about a year. My Pdoc gives it to me more for anxiety than depression. She recently started me on 450 mg/day of Wellbutrin also to fight the depression I'm in.

- Bobby

I've been on this med since one month after it came out for anxiety, depression and a pain disorder. I've been at 60mg.

What time is everyone taking their pill? I feel sluggish about 2pm, like 6hrs. after taking it. I know it's a time-released med. Does anyone notice that they sweat lots of this? I feel cold, get a sweatshirt or cover, and the next thing I notice is that I'm too warm. I'm having lots of problems with this at night while sleeping. I tired of these restless nights! I'm wondering if I take it around 6pm, if I'll get the nappy feeling at bedtime, or will I wake up in the middle of the night?

Thanks for any response. I agree, sky. The people on this med are few and the responses in this room are slow!

Come on in, people. I know who most of you are! Lets liven this up!!! We all can't be that zonked out, can we!

I usually take the cymbalta in the morning. For me, it's been pretty effective treating my anxiety attacks. I never noticed any side effects from it though. My pdoc just put me on wellbutrin also about a month ago. I really haven't cared a lot about anything for a year. Just feel like I was making the motions at being alive. Hoping the wellbutrin will kick in soon.

- Bobby

i have tried taking mind at tea time i do become sleep at night but i could never sleep as i would just lie there awake.
I now take two lots of 30mgs at different points in the day that has seemed to help with the tiredness during the day and i do seem to sleep better at night now. but i know that the uk medical system id totally different to the US, so it doesnt cost me anything different whether i take 2 30mgs or 1 60mgs.
i also have problem with sweats at night its horrible i wake up and im soking wet. dont seem to have so much of a problem during the day with that but i do suffer with very dry mouth during the day thats hard to cope with.

Yeah, I'm here, just joined. I switched from Zoloft to Cymbalta about 18 mos. ago due to sexual side effects of Zoloft (which I hadn't realized until I met my now-husband at that time ). When those didn't entirely get better on Cymbalta, my psych put me on increasing doses of Wellbutrin XL. To the point that now i'm on "maintenance" doses of both: 60mg Cymb, 300mg WXL. Because I just got married and things were stressful around the wedding, I didn't want to step off yet, so here we are.

So anyway, withdrawal -- I sent my new Rx to my mail-order service 3 weeks ago, and they only just received and are processing it, and...long story short, I am OUT of Cymbalta. In the past if I missed a dose I did get the "brain zaps" y'all mention, which would go away after taking the dose and sometimes requiring a nap to sleep it off.

But now...wowza, even 5 days later it's yucky. I was almost getting used to the brain zaps, but today sat and shook through a staff meeting and had sweats and hot flashes all day. It was my staff meeting, too, due to a recent promotion -- not exactly the good impression one wants.

I'll resume the dosage when the dang thing finally shows up. But I'm going to call my psychiatrist tomorrow and talk about stepping off as soon as possible -- even see if I can start a gradual phase-out before my next appt. with her in March.

Boy, I know about those zaps. I guess luckier people get a headache, but I get the zaps if I'm even a couple of hours late. I'd call the doc and see about some samples really quick!

Sounds very rough! Did you discuss this with your doctor? I hope you do. I don't think it should be more difficult coming off a med than going on, and I know how difficult that was!! Hopefully, he can help you out. I wish we had more info on this med, but I've looked and there just isn't much out there. I guess it's still so new that it's up to us to be the first!

Hi everyone,

I have a few questions about Cymbalta withdrawl and would appreciate your help. I have been on 60mgs for over a year. my new dr decided i should get off of it because he wants to give me something else. So i went to 30 mgs for 2 weeks and stopped this past Monday. Now I feel constantly hungover with hot flashes that come and go. I am having a lot of symptoms mainly relating to how my head feels.. heavy, dizzy, weird sensations that come and go.

I would appreciate some advice on how to get thru this. Also, How long does this last?

Thanks

Denise

hi denise

i am looking for the same answers as you hun. i stopped taking cymbalta bout 5/6 days ago and i have never felt worse in my life.
exhausted, DIZZY all the time, brain zaps, nausea, irritability, SPINNING HEAD ALL DAY LONG!, i have to try and lay down as much
as i can as being up right is dreadful the world spins around me, And a droning senstation in my ears, sleeplessness even though
im shattered, tingling in odd places
how long will this nightmare go on ???

hope your gets better soon denise

I am brand new to this site and happy to be here. I just stopped taking my Cymbalta and Lamictal about a week ago. It did not even dawn on me that is why I feel soooo sick, tired and crabby. I just thought it was my blood pressure. I take 3 blood pressure meds also. Which one of them I am out of. Talk about messing up. I did not think about the problems of going off these meds. I always seem to ignore that stuff. I hope I can learn from everyone on this site and you will learn from my ignorance.

Thanks
Cyndee

From all that I've read about this med one really needs to taper slowly off of it. I know I did when I was on Paxil and other people were complaining of all kinds of effects, so I really took my time and went down to half and quarter doses and then everyother day for about a month. I didn't notice that I was off of it from any kind of effects, and maybe your doc would supply you with low dose samples to do this.

I've been on 60mg. for almost 2 1/2 years, so tapering off would probably be the only thing I could do as I get the zaps if I miss taking a dose for a couple of hours. I really feel great on it, so I'm not thinking about going off. I was on Lexapro for 15 mo., and was clenching my jaw and had a mild headache the whole time........ This is much better. I just can't skip any doses!!

Jackie

Hi Cyndee --

One other thing you might consider concerning the way you feel, is your blood pressure. Have you had it tested since going off Cymbalta? I know very few people report it, but Wellbutrin and Cymbalta can raise blood pressure. I had to have my blood pressure med doubled from going on Wellbutrin, so if you go off (or I ever go off it) the doctor said I need to monitor my blood pressure closely as it may drop -- and a drop in blood pressure can also cause nausea and light headedness.

That's one of the tough parts about taking a few different medications -- some times you're not sure WHICH one is causing problems.

Good luck to you!

J

I know early on with this last relapse, my doc tried to put me back on paxil as I had good success and no start up effects from it. My blood pressure went through the roof and after one week, I was taken off of it and put on a blood pressure meds and am still on it. My blood pressure was borderline, but after the paxil.........

Anyhow, check and make sure that it's normal. And get the rest of your blood pressure meds! Nothing to fool around with. I'm an a beta blocker and am never supposed to miss it or I could go into tacycardia. All I need! My anxiety is covered by meds, so I try not to 'rock the boat'.

Take care, Cyndee!

Jackie

Hi, im new to this site. I've been taking Cymbalta 60 mg for about a year now and my doc told me to take it at night. I take it about an hour before I want to go to sleep cuz it makes me feel tired. After 5-6 hours of sleep though, it wakes me up. I get muscle tension so bad I can't even stretch, so it forces me to get up and start moving around. And I don't sleep well either....have to pee at least 3 or 4 times during the night and the night sweats are soooooo bad, I wake up drenched in sweat. I have to change the bed practically every day because the sheets are either soaked, or on the floor with all my pillows (I must toss and turn like crazy). But I do sleep after taking it at night and I'm not sleepy during the day. Hope this helps.

Also wondering if anyone has tried tapering off Cymbalta by taking out a few beads at a time from the 60 mg capsule. I tried reducing to 30 mg with no luck, the withdrawl symptoms are HORRIBLE!! Worse than any ad withdrawl Ive experienced and I've taken at least a dozen different ad's. So now I'm trying to slowly wean myself off. I started by removing only 10 beads from each capsule for the last 4-5 days and I feel sick but not as bad as switching to 30 mg. I have the worst headache tho, and dizzy nauseated, brain zaps, heart palpitations, just feeling strange... appreciate any response

Hi there,

Is there really such a thing as a 'PRO' type of withdrawal symptom????

I only lasted on Cymbalta for 11 days -- it totally messed up my stomach and it took a full week for it to get back to normal (plus I started having horrible anxiety and even a couple panic attacks after being on it for a week). I just had some nausea a few days after stopping it, but my head cleared up (the fog I felt with Cymbalta) quickly and my anxiety stopped within 2 days.

As far as breaking open the capsules, I have read in many other posts people saying you should not do that, mainly because the capsule has a coating on it to protect your stomach from the beads -- they say the beads can burn going down your throat and that by not having them in the capsule, they don't release correctly in your stomach -- and they can also cause severe stomach issues (mostly GERD/acid reflux/heartburn).

On the flip side though I've read where the 30mg are more expensive than the 60mg so that it is expensive to start and then go off Cymbalta.

Great marketing tactic by Lily, eh?

This post has been edited by rattman: Apr 27 2007, 08:00 PM

i have been removing a few beads from the capsules at a time and taking the remaining beads in the capsule

Gotcha -- that's the way to do it. As long as you count and make sure you only take out half.....

MorbidAngles5150,

Too bad your doc didn't take this med at night and see what he put your through. I personally know that cymbalta will provide you with restless sleep due to it's time released capsule! I was used to taking Lexapro at night, so I thought taking cymbalta at night would work for me and spent the entire night awake while going through the titer and I still had to go to work, so that was the last time I tried that!

I wish you would have found this site sooner and had started taking it in the morning like lots of people do! Sure, you feel some jet-lag in the afternoon, but if you're at work, you just work through it and it's not strong enough where you need to go home... I've been on it for almost two years and it's covered my anxiety and depression well. I'll take feeling tired over not being able to shut my brain down enough to fall asleep, any time. I also had my last panic attack just before starting this med and my origional dx. was Panic Disorder and Major Depression. I also have a pain disorder and restless legs, so it covers the pain thing and I take a small dose of Neurontin for the RL, and I'm working fulltime and on the go, lots. I don't get rebound depression, just normal concern and the concentration is back. I sleep like a log.

It really upsets me that your doc doesn't know this stuff will keep you awake at night. I hope you let him know. Having to try to sleep like you did is crap. I know I had the hot flash if I was overdressed and I need to keep the bedroom a little on the cool side at night, but otherwise I'm one of these people who are never warm to start with.

It sounds like the anxiety is causing you to tense up. Maybe your doc would give you shoulder and neck exercises to do or you could look some up on the internet. You may have benefitted by taking a mild benzo like Ativan at night to ensure a better night's sleep and get your muscles to relax. All this is caused by tension and anxiety. Not the meds. It's the leftover stuff. I had it on Lexparo, early in treatment and my doc ordered different muscle relaxers as I was really suffering, but they made me sick and and I gave up. Taking a hot bath, using Icy Hot and a heating pad and taking a couple of Motrin were and still are just about as good as it get, now. I do lots of shoulder shrugs and different exercises to try to ge relief. Stress is never going to go away. I think we just learn how to cope with it as time goes on.

The balls in the cymbalta capsule burn mucus membranes. If you're emptying caps to do a reduced dose, you really don't know what you're getting. Call you doc and see if he has some samples of 30 that he can give you. Most of these docs sit on samples. I get my meds free from mine and have for almost a year. They just wait for someone to ask for them. Ask. Please!

Jackie

Uggggh! I've loved this med so far taking it, but I'm having a horrible experience right now . I've mentioned in other posts that I seem to get withdrawal symptoms extremely quickly, like if I am just a few hours late. Well, Last time I went to pick up my meds I got 2 months worth instead of three b/c I take Cymbalta and Wellbutrin, and the third month of Wellbutrin hadn't come in yet. Then, I'm supposed to see my pdoc every month, but the last two months he's cancelled on me, and my next appt is on Monday. Of course I ran out of meds on Thursday. I called a head of time b/c there is a nurse there that I can pick up meds from too, but she is on vacation for the second time this year. There was a sub nurse filling in and I left her a voicemail as she was not in the office, but she never responded.

So I'm temporarily off Cymbalta. Wouldn't be *quite* so bad if I wasn't working all weekend. And if one of the guys at work wasn't giving me h*ll all day everyday. I had to drive about 45 min each way up and back today, and it really made me nervous. I was getting brain zaps all over the place.

I tried to find someone to cover for me, but of course no one could. I'm so scared about going in tomorrow. I can barely function just sitting here in my apt, let alone taking care of three people all by myself. My head constantly feels like I am falling or passing out, myhead and hands are all tingly and will become numb for a few seconds and then come back, I'm nauseus, off balance, somewhat irritable just b/c Im feeling so bad...I can't even explain the head sensation, but I'm sure lots of you on here understand...every time I move my eyes or head or anything...

Arg! I just wanted to vent b/c I know you all will understand. My boss has been gone since Friday, and this is not the type of job that I can call off of without someone else being there, since I am the only one there and it is a type of 24 hour residential program.

I'm also having the feeling like my chest is really heavy, like its hard to breath. I was trying to take a nap earlier and couldn't fall asleep b/c it felt like Icouldn't breathe.

*sigh*

I hope I make it tomorrow w/o passing out or throwing up on someone.

This is so awful.

My pdoc is annoying, I never get to see him.


I need a new one.

I understand what you are going through. This is one med that I never intend on running out of because of the effects from not taking it. I think I ran out of pills once or twice and had to wait until the next day to get more and I waited until late in the afternoon to take the last one as I knew the zaps would be coming on the next day, but I got through it and was able to drive to the doc's office without any problems. As soon as I picked up my meds, I took one in the car before I pulled out of the lot as I knew that the sooner I took it, the faster I would stop the darned zaps... It's not like they are killers, but it's weird and I really don't care for the experience.

Wish I could send you one to get you to Monday, but it's the net and not rl. I don't know what to tell you, other than to call and see if anyone covers emergencies and if they would call in a script for you, which is doubtful, but you need to try, anyways..... I know my doc went on vacation and i had to almost beg the nurse to ask another doc to get the meds, but I GOT "EM! You know, telling them the effects of not taking this meds was enough to wake her up! How would she like to try to function for a couple of days with the zaps going on and feeling anxious. I guess this med can put you into some kind of mess if you don't take it. I know I survived not taking it for one day, but forget two days. I know that has to be very uncomfortable.

You think you are going to make it?

Love, Jackei

Maybe go to the er and see if they will write you a script for 5 days. Take your bottle with you. I'm sure it won't be the first time someone had to do this as I just re-read your effects and it sounds like you are in terrible shape.

Your doc should be back soon. Get the refill and find someone else. It sounds like no one watches what's going on with people in their practice and someone needs to.

Jackie

quietCherub,

that sux, hope you get your meds soon

theres been a few timez i couldn't get my script filled, cuz the pharmacy couldn't get ahold of my dr, and it wuz friday nite or weekend, and they told me i had to wait until next week. so i went in to the pharmacy (Walgreens) with my empty prescription bottle and told them that cymbalta isnt a drug you can just stop taking cuz of the serious withdrawls. the pharmacist gave me a few pills in advance for the weekend and they will do that every time when i ask. so ask your pharmacy to hook you up, and hopefully they will.

This post has been edited by MorbidAngelz5150: Apr 29 2007, 04:39 AM

Jackie

i think my doc started me on cymbalta cuz he had samples. he hooked me up for 5 or 6 months until he ran out. i tried going from 60 mg to 30 mg but it wuz too much of a reduction in dose too fast, i couldn't hang. so thats why im trying to wean myself off by taking a few beads out of the capsule. otherwise, im worried i'll be on cymbalta forever because the withdrawls are sooooo bad!!!! after 5 days of removing only 12 beads out of each capsule, i still feel like my heads gonna hit the floor if i look down. scary. about the anxiety, i take xanax 1 mg, also at night. sometimes i take soma to help ease the muscle tension and it helps. soma really works and it doesn't knock you out like a lot of muscle relaxers do. check it out if you haven't already tried it. thanx for the advice

Well, I'm making it I guess. I got the second shifter to come in early for me today at work, so that helped a little bit. Then I came home and slept for 5 hrs. Now I'm back up. I see the Dr. tomorrow which is GREAT but not till 3:45 PM but hey at least I made it through the weekend. And I'm off tomorrow.

I get my meds through the prescription assistance program, so its not a script I take to the pharmacy. I go in to my pdoc's office and pick them up either from him or from the nurse. I have gotten a few pills to hold me over in cases like this when I did get meds from the pharmacy, but I can't do that now.

Poo.

I'm certainly going to give the doc a piece of my mind when I see him tomorrow, for cancelling so many times. I mean I'm supposed to see him every month and its been like 3 since I was able to see him. I get a call three days before the appt that he's cancelled, and then you can never get an appt sooner than a month away with him, so that puts me waaaayyy behind and it happened twice. Ridiculous.

I can't WAIT to get my cymbalta!!! Sounds horrible, but GEEZ this sucks.

Oh and I never thought about going to the ER. The bottle just has a sticker on it with my name hand written on it, so I'm not sure if they would give me some based on that or not. I'm thinking maybe I should ask for an emergency script for like 5 pills or something, or one extra small sample bottle to keep away in a drawer.

Thanks for your concerns, it really helped for me to vent! Luckily (bite my tongue) I haven't had too much mental withdrawal symptoms...if I take both meds late, I'm instantly depressed usually, so I'm really glad it hasn't been too bad. Having to deal with that on top of feeling like ^(&$#@ would be even worse to deal with!

*sigh* Well...countdown to tomorrow at 3:45...at least I get the meds instantly, so I won't have to wait for the script to be filled. I can take one in the car, and believe me I will!!

MAngel: Wow, withdrawl effects after removing only beads from the capsule? That kind of scares me. I've been feeling like my meds aren't working quite as well lately, so I was gonna mention that at my appt tomorrow. Don't know if that will lead to a med change or not. Are you starting a new med, or just stopping cymbalta?

And just wondering, anybody here taking cymbalta with dysthmic disorder? (thats the long term milder but chronic form of depression, lasts 2 years or more. Me, I've been depressed since I was born!) Just curious because like I said, I feel like my meds aren't helping quite as much lately, and I'm thinkin because I usually go for meds when I'm having a major depressive episode, and they help me get through that, but then I'm not neccessarily feeling "good" I'm just back to my general mildly depressed funk. Not sure if this is something I will ever get rid of, or if I will just maybe be able to reduce the recurrence of the major episodes.

I went into a relapse that was filled with anxiety and tons of anxiety attacks, so I first started on Lexapro and stayed on it for 15mo. I got on Cymbalta to see if it would cover the pain I have from restless legs and fibromyalgia, plus cover the anxiety and depression as well as Lexapro. Well, it works on the anxiety and depression, plus cuts the muscle flares that I used to have with weather changes due to fibromyalgia, but not the stiffness from osteoarthritis. I still have to move and exercise to work out the kinks.

I take neurontin for restless leg syndrome that has tons of foot and leg cramps with it. I actually have had episodes where my toes curled back towards the top of my feet that reminded me of the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz, and I can tell you that it was almost as painful as labor. I couldn't do the steps to go downstairs to either take a bath, put some muscle rub on my feel and lower legs and find the heating pad. The next day, I could hardly walk due to the pain left in my muscles.

The combination fo these two meds have allowed me to have some 'normalcy' to my life. I can work and do housework and shop. I think you get the picture. It's not like the days prior to all these illnesses coming down, but I'm going to stay on this combination for as along as it takes. Until something comes out that has less tiring side effects, I'm staying in.

I guess is would be safe to say that I have chronic depression, Quiet. Almost 4 years of being on meds. I just got tired of the relapses, and they were coming on about every four years, then I went into menopause and thought I was loosing my mind as the anxiety was so out of control. I got through that, but the restless legs and the Fibromyalgia are also chronic. I don't feel depressed, although I have a very stressful life. As long as the anxiety doesn't start limiting me in where I go or what I do, I'm fine. My doc told me that if it get out of control, she'll gladly put me on a low dose of Ativan. That was about a year ago when I tapered off of that, and I've been able to deal since then, so it's safe to say that it's taking care of me.

Love, Jackie

I'm new to the site - found you while searching for info on Cymbalta withdrawal. I was on 30 to 60 mg for about six months. Tapering down to 30mg and then 20mg (they do make such a dose) then I went to every other day for a week then done.

I had to stop it as I had gained 40 pounds since beginning it, was retaining fluids, sleeping horribly with night terrors (I think Tarantino would have loved those scripts!), lack of energy or interest in life, irritable. In short, it made me worse off than before.

So, I took my last dose one week ago on a Thursday. By Sunday I was having a full-blown withdrawal. On Monday, I had a complete breakdown in my general MD's office. Seems he was clueless about withdrawal from this stuff, it's side effects, etc. Just didn't care. Told me to rest & get over it, amybe take my Inderal to help with symptoms. I did get a referral from him to a PDOC who I'll be seeing tomorrow.

I'm wondering how much longer this goes on? I basically have skipped work this whole week. The anxiety attacks have stopped, but off course I have all the fun of the "zaps" and insomnia, bad dreams, headaches, almost feel like seizures, nausea, tremors, etc. etc. I feel like I'm a textbook case for both side effects and withdrawal. How much longer will it last? It's been a week since my last does. What can I do or take to help? anything to suggest?


Thanks for your help and also for this site
DeeVa

Hi,
I had been taking 60mg of Cymbalta for about 3 months and had to go cold turky because of a rare blood disorders. I have never experienced such bad withdrawls in all my life. It has been 8 days now and it seems like things are getting worse. I am having severe brain zaps, nausea, dizziness, flu like symptoms, dry mouth and am unable to sleep. I have a very supportive husband, but find that i am also crying for no reason at all. I have searched numerous web sights trying to find out how low this is going to last, as I am really struggling. There seems to be no answers. i did not have a choice to tapper, or else I would definately gone this route. I am a mother of 3 young children, and am desperate to know how much longer these symptoms are going to last, and if I will be able to get through it since I have come this far. Please let me know.
Urgent
Mich

This has been a real concern to me as I often wonder what kind of withdrawl I'll have if I ever go off this med. After being in it almost three years, I think I'd ask for another ad to cross taper with, then decrease the other med and see if I could avoid some of these effects that people talk about. I know I get the zaps if I am even a couple of hours late taking my dose.

Even with a blood disorder, I'd ask for another ad. Having three children and going through this has to be extremely difficult.

I also don't understand why taking a beta blocker would alleviate the symptoms. I take atenolol for high blood pressure and it stops anxiety attacks, but other than that, I'd think a benzo would offer more relief. Shame on your doc! I hope you can get into see a pdoc who has more experience with this med and can help you out.

Please report back and let me know what happens. I know the brain zaps are a pain in the a**, especially if you are driving or doing some serious work or need to do some money things. I had them on Lexparo, but not as rapid as I have had with Cymgbalta.

Love and take care,

Jackie

So frightening to me, how harsh coming off of these different drugs can be. I am supposed to switch from paxil (withdrawals from I have experienced) to cymbalta. I hear the cymbalta, when the time comes to quit, is worse....hopefully for me it will not be as bad as the paxil.

I found my answer here today - thanks! After a really horrible year of various diagnoses (BPII for awhile, then back to major dep with anxiety) I am beginning just now to feel partially normal again. I suffered from horrible memory problems for over a year, and they became worse as the depression worsened and they added drug upon drug that didn't work (or made me seem manic, or made me suicidal). Finally, after a 4-day battery of neuropsych tests they added ADHD to the mix.

Finally my doc got me off the BPII drugs and put me on Cymbalta, Klonopin, and then added Adderall. Never any negative side effects on any of these, except It was this week when I felt myself coming down with a cold and was feeling overwhelmed and disappointed (I just started my new job). Somehow, I managed to forget to put the 40mg of Cymbalta into my weekly pill box on Wednesday. The result was what i didn't realize was my withdrawal from the drug ...

Not having had SEs to begin with and having a rather fabulous response to Cymbalta almost immediately, I didn't even think it had to do with the meds - I thought I just had some bizarre flu. But on the third day of waking up in a pool of my own sweat, and suddenly bursting into tears in the shower, I finally started poking around the Web. I assumed it was the Adderall since I only recently started on Adderall XR in addition to regular Adderall. But nope, looks to me like it is a withdrawal symptom of Cymbalta. Hoping as I get it back in my system this extremely disgusting side effect will disappear for me.

I was told once that Effexor - which I was on for 6 years - was harder to get off of than heroin. I've always felt that it should not be FDA approved because of the severity of brain zaps I got and how incapacitated I was when I forgot even a dose. With that in mind, Cymbalta is in a whole different league for me. 4 days off Cymbalta and not one brain zap. I'll take mild flu symptoms and sweating over brain zaps and incapacitation any day.

I know all drugs work differently in different people and I am just one person lucky enough not to experience SEs with Cymbalta, but who did with Effexor (libido in particular). I will just try not to let my ADD mind forget the Cymbalta in the future!

Also, I lost 35 pounds through the 8 months I was depressed and none of the treatments were working. Cymbalta has not affected my appetite - I'm still losing weight unintentionally. Told this may also be the adderall and it will wear off in time and I will be able to put weight back on. I simply CAN'T gain weight right now, even at 40mg of Cymbalta, so I am assuming this is another side effect that you may or may not get. I wanted it and didn't get it! So don't NOT take it for that reason - you never know.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who has posted and helped me put my own experience in context.

I have been taking it for about 7 months now I started out with 30mg for the first month and then went to 60mg and then after 2 months or so I was experiencing dizziness so they put me back down to 30mg for a month and told me that if the dizziness stopped to go back up to the 60mg which I have done and basically since then I have had tremors and they are slowly getting worse. now one of my new doctors suggest that the tremors is probably a side effect but he could not tell me for sure.

Basically I would liek to know with some certainty if it is a side effect and when I am at the full dosage of a new medication he is going to taper me of the Cymbalta to see if it was causing the tremors.

So what I would like to know since the tremors are getting stronger and spreading to other parts of my body and if it is a side effect will they stop eventually after I stop taking the Cymbalta or will they continue.