12 replies to this topic

[NoCympathy]

Hello there this is my first time on this community, I recently saw another psychiatrist who started tapering my meds, I'm now only taking 30 mg of Cymbalta, 12.5 mg of Seroquel and 7.5 mg of Remeron, but decided to stop all of them, it has already been 2 days since the last doses, I do find it hard to sleep, I also have weird dreams, but I always have those even as a kid. My other physician actually tapered all my meds before, during that period I was only taking 10 mg of propranolol for anxiety, there was no insomnia and both doctors prescribed me the same meds. I feel decent after quitting it cold turkey, but I find it hard to sleep though, perhaps the idea of not being able to fall asleep caused more anxiety that may leads to insomnia as well. I followed my doctor's advice and tried to stay logical instead of emotional, maybe I shouldn't be stressing out about the sleep aspect. I don't have headaches, I can force myself to eat although I will get gag reflex when I take the first bite. I think I have a fast metabolism since I don't gain weight easily, and I did some research online finding out that it can affect the half life of the drugs, withdrawal symptoms will appear quick when the meds were completely flushed out of your system, I think for Cymbalta, it takes 60 hours to be completely cleared out of the system. I'm determined to stop my meds since the doses are really low and has no therapeutic effect. I'm Asian, so my doctors prescribed meds based on the physiology of Asian people. Would definitely appreciate if someone can offer advice on dealing with Insomnia, I think relapse tends to happens when you can't sleep well. Sorry for my English, it is not my first language.

[fishinghat]

Welcome NC

 

First of all I am amazed at your lack of withdrawal symptoms. Most members who withdraw (usually very slowly) suffer from bad withdrawal for 6 months to 2 years. You have in deed been very lucky. 

 

Insomnia is a very common problem when withdrawing. There are many things to consider taking to help with the sleep. I would recommend you look over our free ebook. You can simply do a search for the word sleep and look at the results. In fact there is a whole section on how to improve your sleep. If you have any questions do not hesitate to come back and talk to us about your concerns.

 

The ebook can be found at ...

 

https://pdfhost.io/v...of_Contents.pdf

 

If you have any problem with the site let us know and we will help.

[NoCympathy]

Thank you for replying fishinghat ! I will definitely check the ebook out, I think it will ease up my mind a bit. I was tempted to use otc sleeping pills, but then again that's like trading one addiction with another. Course load from school distracts me from anxiety-inducing thoughts, also it makes me tired so that's also a plus. I will keep on updating my current state for those who are interested, this is a good place to share and get insights. I been on many other antidepressants as well, at one point, my psychiatrist think I might have treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. Thank you once again, I am delighted to become part of the community.

[fishinghat]

NC

 

taking OTC sleeping meds has helped many but there are some precautions to follow. All that is in the ebook. Always here to help.

[invalidusername]

Hi NoCympathy...

 

Love that name you have come up with! Very creative!!

 

Whilst Hat has stated that you have indeed had little effects thus far, I would err on the side of caution in stating that it has only been 2 days which is often dubbed as the "honeymoon" period whereby people think they have got away with coming off so quick, as it often takes 3-5 days for the full withdrawal to kick in. 

 

Given that catalog of meds, I would have advised again a cold turkey of all at once, bu they are relatively low doses, and you may find that you get away with limited symptoms. 

 

Regarding the eating, there is something known as "first bite syndrome" which is a very strange phenomenon, which can cause people to feel jaw lock-up or other reflex. I have not heard of this during withdrawal, but it is not really anything to be concerned about.

 

Please feel free to post any other questions and information - we will be only too happy to help you. I would be very interested to see how you feel over the next few days. As I said, the withdrawal period may yet have to set in, but if you have a faster metabolism, this would suggest a sooner onset of the withdrawal, so again, as Hat said, you might be one of the lucky ones who gets off lightly!! I hope for your sake, this is the case...

 

IUN

[Mxpro32]

my withdrawals crashed down on me 2 weeks after my last dose.  I hope you are one of the lucky ones.  

[NoCympathy]

Thank you for all the support, last time when my first doc tapered my meds, I recalled that process only took few weeks because he was doing talk therapy with me during our sessions, so I got more insights about my thinking pattern, I trained myself to be more positive and not stressed about almost anything, I also had part time job for 2 months, without the meds, I started feeling more myself, more angry, and then a thought suddenly dawned on me , maybe I was never depressed but I was suppressing my anger and it turned inwards and became depression, my psychiatrist used to say that what I'm feeling right now could be a secondary emotion. What helped me the most is recognizing the root cause for my anger and go from there, I was always a short-tempered person even when I was a kid. But other than anger issues there were no unwanted withdrawal symptoms in my first taper. I stopped my current my meds cold turkey since my last appointment with another doc, he cut the 7.5 Remeron out so I only have 30 mg of Cymbalta and 12.5 mg of Seroquel, is Saturday over here already, my sleep is getting better cuz I do tend to vape before I sleep, so I stopped a few hours before bed and slowly I fall asleep more easily and resetting my biological clock. But thank you for all the replies and supports! I think when you will start experiencing withdrawal depended on how long it takes for the meds to flush out of your system, I think because of my fast metabolism, it probably flushed out fairly quickly.  I wish nothing but the best for those who are dealing with withdrawal, it can be hell, quitting cigs is probably easier than quitting Cymbalta, I do think Cymbalta helps me get more clarity on things leading to me retraining my mindset, is the part where no one tells you about the withdrawal which is really unethical. But as a part of this community, we are in this together!

[invalidusername]

Nice post NoCympathy. Thank you.

 

You are right that is it essential to get to the root cause of the issues as the meds will only mask what is underneath, BUT having gone through the meds and then coming off. it can add a whole host of extra issues to go with it, and these issues are the direct cause of the meds - they were never part of you before. It is important to separate these so it doesn't get overwhelming. Bottling up anger (or any for that matter) is not a good idea as turned inwards can prime the emotional feed to the brain to have a lower than normal (and negative) baseline. 

 

I would agree that as you have a faster metabolism, the withdrawal effects should start sooner rather than later, but there are reserves left in other parts of the body which will be tapped to satisfy the lack of the meds. The way that your neurochemistry reacts also plays a large factor and has nothing to do with metabolism, and we simply do not have a methodology in modern medicine to work this out. So whilst it looks hopeful at the moment, the brain may yet to react full force to the withdrawal. 

 

As said before and echoed by MX, we sincerely hope that you are one of the lucky ones, but a clear 7-10 days will give a more accurate indication that this is the case.

 

Please keep us informed - and remember, we are here for you, regardless of what happens.

 

IUN

[NoCympathy]

Hey guys, is NC here,  just want to give you guys a quick update on my whereabouts, sorry for not replying for awhile, I've been busy with school. Anyway for those of you who are still following this post, it's has already been day 18 since I quitted the 30 mg cold turkey style , I am able to manage my emotions pretty well, I was worry about not being able to sleep but somehow I have no issues with insomnia and other things like brain zaps experienced by many here who had stopped taking Cymbalta, I've been taking omega 3 especially EPA everyday because I did some research online and it said EPA helped the most with moods regulation.

 

Also thank you for the supports! I can't thank you this community enough!

[fishinghat]

That is a good sign that you will come out of this OK. I am very glad you aren't suffering too much. Hang in there.

[invalidusername]

Thanks for the update and I am glad that the omega helped you well. 

 

It is very useful for people such as yourself to come back with updates so that others can see the potential benefits that can occur.

 

Please feel free to drop by any time - for more advice or an update.

 

IUN

[NoCympathy]

Hello there y'all ,NC here! Just want to give you guys a quick update, sorry for replying late, I can only respond on Sunday due to the heavy course load. Anyway it's been 27 days since I stopped Cymbalta  and all other antidepressants and stuff for anxiety. I've been working out almost everyday but avoid working out before bed because I don't want it to interrupt my sleeping cycle, I am still taking the omega 3,supplements and for those of you who would like to know which brand I'm currently taking , it is (Swisse Omega-3 1500 MG), it said on the label it is also good for brain health along with many other benefits, I take one capsule of it daily for brain health and nervous system support, the product literally have a list of instructions for different purposes of use . I haven't experienced any insomnia, although I frequently have weird dreams, some of you may call it nightmares but I had those for as long as I could remember , even from naps too. No other side effects at all, I just focus on keeping myself busy and work towards my goal, and not to ruminate over things, I found it most helpful when I'm being irrational and anxious, I would picture my most logical friend and asked myself 'What would he do in this or that situation? 'Fake it 'till you make it! I wish nothing but the best for this community and I hope y'all can make it through! I'll keep you guys up to date as soon as I can when I have some time.

 

Edit:27 days since I quitted all my medications cold turkey.

[fishinghat]

That is fantastic NC. I think you have probably got it made.