12 replies to this topic

[AppleButter]

I have neuropathy and was prescribed cymbalta 60mg. I took it for 5 months, with a taper down to 10mg in the final 2 months. Then cold turkey. I felt very dizzy for a few days after the cold turkey, even drunk some days with brain zaps during the taper, but symptoms seem to have cleared after about a week.

It has now been about 2.5 months since my last dose and I now feel the following randomly.

Dizziness
Anxiety
Insomnia (wake in the night after 4 to 5 hours always)
Depression
Vision issues like things are going dark

I am not sure if this is caused by cymbalta because I only took 60mg for about 4 months then tapered to 30, 20, 15, 10 over about a 2 month period for 6 months total.

Is this possible to have such withdrawal symptoms appear after 2 months off? I have had these symptoms for a few weeks now. I am of course, worried my neuropathy is causing my symptoms and not cymbalta withdrawal. What do you think?

[fishinghat]

You are very lucky AppleButter (love the name by the way). Many who have been on Cymbalta for 5 months take 2 years to taper and have far worse symptoms than you do. It can be a very devastating withdrawal for many. None of the symptoms you mention surprise me but the vision symptom. It is common to have vision issues during withdrawal but usually only blurred vision. I can see where dark vision may be possible but it certainly would be very unusual.

 

Just an educated guess from my years on this site but I would say that it might be 2 or 3 months for these symptoms to fade. 

 

Don't be surprised if your neuropathy comes back stronger than pre-Cymbalta for a couple months. This is called a rebound effect and usually only lasts a couple months.

[AppleButter]

You are very lucky AppleButter (love the name by the way). Many who have been on Cymbalta for 5 months take 2 years to taper and have far worse symptoms than you do. It can be a very devastating withdrawal for many. None of the symptoms you mention surprise me but the vision symptom. It is common to have vision issues during withdrawal but usually only blurred vision. I can see where dark vision may be possible but it certainly would be very unusual.

Just an educated guess from my years on this site but I would say that it might be 2 or 3 months for these symptoms to fade.

Don't be surprised if your neuropathy comes back stronger than pre-Cymbalta for a couple months. This is called a rebound effect and usually only lasts a couple months.

Thank you so much, you and the others that answer these questions are generous amazing people!

Two follow up questions:

1. 2 more months from now of withdrawal symptoms? So maybe 4 or 5 months of withdrawal after talking it for 6?

2. My neuropathy is indeed worse, but I stopped taking it because I have no pain, only numbness (and on advice of neurologist). Any thoughts on restarting the cymbalta? In your experience on the forum would it help decrease the numbness or hold course since no pain?

[fishinghat]

1)  "2 more months from now of withdrawal symptoms?"

     Correct, that is what i would expect.

 

2)  I have read quite a few of the medical journal articles on Cymbalta for neuropathy. Most say roughly a 50/50 chance of it helping. 

 

​If I read your post correctly you had pain before taking Cymbalta and now you have numbness? Is that right?

 

​P.S. - Thank you for the kind words. We have all been through the suffering of Cymbalta withdrawal and know how devastating it can be for many and just try to repay the kindness we received from members when we went through it. Most drs have little knowledge of Cymbalta withdrawal.

[invalidusername]

Hi AppleButter...

 

Welcome to the forum - great to have you here, and appreciate your situation completely and my sympathy goes out to you. Hat has already done his usual bang-up job of guidance and has a lot of knowledge regarding nerve issues. 

 

Obviously there are subjective issues at work here when it comes to withdrawal, and some might say that a 2 month taper is long enough for a 6 month stint on Cymbalta. You may very well come out of this relatively light, but I would have said that 2 months was an absolute minimum and only if your body was giving you positive signals.

 

The symptoms that you are having, as Hat said, are textbook for withdrawal, and we have seen all, very frequently on the site over the years. And yes, the dark vision part is not something I would take lightly if it continues. Temporary vision loss has been reported as a side effect (https://www.rxlist.c...mbalta-drug.htm), but again, I would tread carefully here.

 

Do you have peripheral neuropathy? There is always the potential for it to spread to the optic nerve in which case, you need to get to an optician fairly quickly. I would remain mindful of it, when it occurs and for how long. 

 

I agree with Hat regarding the potential length of the remaining withdrawal. If you read through some of the other stories and posts on the side, you will see that this length of time vis-a-vis length of time on Cymbalta is about right. Doctors often think we can just stop in a couple of week and everything will be fine. So very rarely is the case.

 

I would also suggest that you have a browse through our extensive eBook;

 

https://www.cymbalta...tion-the-ebook/

 

It is a free download and has a wealth of information that people find very useful.

 

IUN

[AppleButter]

1) "2 more months from now of withdrawal symptoms?"
Correct, that is what i would expect.

2) I have read quite a few of the medical journal articles on Cymbalta for neuropathy. Most say roughly a 50/50 chance of it helping.

​If I read your post correctly you had pain before taking Cymbalta and now you have numbness? Is that right?

​P.S. - Thank you for the kind words. We have all been through the suffering of Cymbalta withdrawal and know how devastating it can be for many and just try to repay the kindness we received from members when we went through it. Most drs have little knowledge of Cymbalta withdrawal.

Fishinghat - thanks for your advice! Yes, I have full body neuropathy caused by COVID. Some doctors have said I will make a full recovery, but after 10 months I have little hope left, and almost no feeling in my body left. Indeed, in the beginning I had lots of pain and took both gabapentin and then cymbalta. I discontinued the gabapentin when cymbalta kicked in, then tapered off the cymbalta for 2 months after taking it for about 4 months full dose.

Invalid - thanks for your reply too! I will see an opthalmologist as soon as I can, thanks for warning me about the dangers. I will report back as to the findings.

[invalidusername]

Oh my goodness - I am so sorry to hear this was all a byproduct of COVID.

 

I have just found, and read, a couple of very good papers;

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC9138404/

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC9214475/

 

Essentially, these point to the fact that whilst nerve damage is quite common with specific SARS strains of COVID, the fact is that very little is known about the association. But... this can be a good thing, as it means there are more likely to be treatments available as the research continues. So please don't write off any potential recovery. There is plenty of work to be done, which means a lot of information will open up. 

 

Being a researcher myself I understand the mechanisms of the work, but I know it will be so frustrating right now, and again, my heart goes out to you.

 

Please keep in touch and let us know any way at all we can help you,

 

IUN

[fishinghat]

Wow, so sad. Don't give up the fight though. We will help in any way we can.

[fishinghat]

Those are good papers IUN. Especially the first one. I would strongly recommend AppleButter to read it. A simple blood scan might reveal vitamin or mineral deficiencies that may be contributing to her condition. I sincerely doubt it would "cure" the situation but it might help some.

[AppleButter]

You guys are really great. I mean it.

As for nutrition, I wish it were so simple! Everything is good on the scans except vitamin d was low (26.6) which was promptly corrected and now in the 80s. Unfortunately no improvement seen yet after 10 months other than no pain, only numbness.

The second paper is interesting and does give me hope. I am a rare case where it is in my entire body, head to toe. I may start taking NAC and ALC again, and try a carnivore diet similar to Dr. Terry wahls. She cured her MS, maybe it will work for neuropathy.

Again, thanks for all your support. You are great people helping many. I was a lurker for a couple of months so you are helping probably 20x more people than you know!

[AppleButter]

Hey guys,

Today I am so dizzy, and my brain feels like it is in a tin can. Like my brain power is greatly reduced and I could fall over while in public. Scary. But I did run this morning no problem.

I worry it is my neuropathy and neuroinflammation causing brain damage. But probably not. Such a roller coaster. Any thoughts, guys?

[fishinghat]

Probably withdrawal. Not uncommon. If it was your neuropathy I would think you would have a lot of other symptoms as well. Just a guess. IUN will probably have a better perspective than me on this subject.

[AppleButter]

Probably withdrawal. Not uncommon. If it was your neuropathy I would think you would have a lot of other symptoms as well. Just a guess. IUN will probably have a better perspective than me on this subject.

Thanks fishinghat! I am interested in what IUN has to say too 🤗