9 replies to this topic

[ellclare]

Hi all,

I've been taking Cymbalta for a few months (3, maybe 4, I've lost track). I decided to get off, just quit. Cold turkey. Yes, bad idea, trust me - I know. But now I need help! I haven't taken any in almost a week. I feel completely dizzy, and have been experiencing cold sweats from time to time throughout the day (if I'm not sweating already!). I can't move my eyes too fast, if I do, I feel like I need to just close my eyes for a few seconds to catch myself.

Does anyone have advice? Will this continue? Will it slowly stop? Should I start taking it again, then wean myself off properly?

Please help - this is NOT fun.

Thank you!

[Michelle Hinton]

Hi all,

I've been taking Cymbalta for a few months (3, maybe 4, I've lost track). I decided to get off, just quit. Cold turkey. Yes, bad idea, trust me - I know. But now I need help! I haven't taken any in almost a week. I feel completely dizzy, and have been experiencing cold sweats from time to time throughout the day (if I'm not sweating already!). I can't move my eyes too fast, if I do, I feel like I need to just close my eyes for a few seconds to catch myself.

Does anyone have advice? Will this continue? Will it slowly stop? Should I start taking it again, then wean myself off properly?

Please help - this is NOT fun.

Thank you!

i went cold turkey and it took 1 month of HELL AND MISERY to feel almost human again.
i am still undecided about the best course to take, ie. cold turkey or weaning, but from what i have read, to wean has also many complications and for some has seemed to prolong their suffering.
i guess it all comes down to personal choice.
i took valium to help with the agitation [started week 2], ibuprofen, and codeine. these were prescribed after i went to the ER.
check with a Dr before you take anything at all though, i had a VERY bad reaction when i took tramadol [tramal] for a migraine, thinking i was able to take it coz i was no longer on antidepressants... wrong. obviously they were still in my system even though my dr said it wouldn't be after 3 weeks....

my email is cymbalta.hell@gmail.com if u need to talk.. i feel for you!!

[cookie]

i went cold turkey and it took 1 month of HELL AND MISERY to feel almost human again.
i am still undecided about the best course to take, ie. cold turkey or weaning, but from what i have read, to wean has also many complications and for some has seemed to prolong their suffering.
i guess it all comes down to personal choice.
i took valium to help with the agitation [started week 2], ibuprofen, and codeine. these were prescribed after i went to the ER.
check with a Dr before you take anything at all though, i had a VERY bad reaction when i took tramadol [tramal] for a migraine, thinking i was able to take it coz i was no longer on antidepressants... wrong. obviously they were still in my system even though my dr said it wouldn't be after 3 weeks....

my email is cymbalta.hell@gmail.com if u need to talk.. i feel for you!!

Dear Michelle:
Since you say it was 1 month of hell and misery. Does that mean that you are feeling better???? and that you are over the misery???

[cookie]

Hi all,

I've been taking Cymbalta for a few months (3, maybe 4, I've lost track). I decided to get off, just quit. Cold turkey. Yes, bad idea, trust me - I know. But now I need help! I haven't taken any in almost a week. I feel completely dizzy, and have been experiencing cold sweats from time to time throughout the day (if I'm not sweating already!). I can't move my eyes too fast, if I do, I feel like I need to just close my eyes for a few seconds to catch myself.

Does anyone have advice? Will this continue? Will it slowly stop? Should I start taking it again, then wean myself off properly?

Please help - this is NOT fun.

Thank you!

Dear Ellclare:
I´ve been weaning slowly for 8 months. I am still taking a low dose of medication. I´ve had a long list of emotional and physical symptoms (the physical are all new to me). However they seem less severe when compared to those from the people who have quit cold turkey. What I do not know is if I am going to feel as bad, once I quit the drug completely. I just think I shouldn´t feel as bad, because, I have let my brain adjust to lower dosages, little by little. And my last drop won´t be as big.

[pamela]

Cookie....how was it when you dropped down from 20mg to lower?

I am having a really hard time going below 20mg. Within a few hours of taking an 18mg pill I am dizzy and nauseous. Last week while on 20mg still I was feeling pretty good, comparatively speaking. Now it's bad again.

How did you do it?

Pam

[cookie]

Cookie....how was it when you dropped down from 20mg to lower?

I am having a really hard time going below 20mg. Within a few hours of taking an 18mg pill I am dizzy and nauseous. Last week while on 20mg still I was feeling pretty good, comparatively speaking. Now it's bad again.

How did you do it?

Pam

Dear Pamela:
I had a specially difficult time, once I got to 20mg. What I did was to stay on that dosage for a longer time (7 weeks). I waited until symptoms dissapeared before making further drops.
Since you mention you were on 20mg last week, we do not know if the symptoms you are having are consequence of the week you were at 20mg, or the decrease to 18mg.

[Michelle Hinton]

Dear Michelle:
Since you say it was 1 month of hell and misery. Does that mean that you are feeling better???? and that you are over the misery???

i havent had a brain zap for 3 days. and the few days before that they had slowed down heaps.

but although i had no brain zaps i had really severe muscle weakness until 3rd day on zoloft when it was 50percent improved. (didn't wake up and cry about feeling so weak and shitty)

i am on my 4th day of zoloft 50mg. and i felt a little better again today.

the aggravation- which was VERY VERY BAD- (i felt how i was treating my kids amounted to (emotional) abuse, i am not joking has improved so much i feel almost human again. still a little weak and tire easily, but mentally i feel much better.

i was starting to feel better before the zoloft but i think i can credit the zoloft with improving my muscle pain and weakness. (this is due i think to the norepinephrine levels being thrown around whilst on the cymbalta. norepinephrine is partly responsible for the production of adrenaline.hence the muscle weakness.. all makes sense to me..)

i can now also concentrate a bit better. THANK GOODNESS!

i am glad i stuck to the cold turkey, everyone is different, but i was horrified to see people on the forum having symptoms for months. i really dont think i personally could have coped with that.

dont forget i took valium to take the edge off the aggravation, so that helped throughout. also Nsaids and codeine helped me. if you want to take anything to try and help you CHECK WITH A DR OR PHARMACIST FIRST, AND TELL THEM EVERY DRUG/MEDICATION YOU ARE CURRENTLY TAKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i had a SERIOUS reaction coz i took tramadol for the migraine i got. it scared the shit out of me. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH DRUG INTERACTIONS!!!!!

any more questions feel free to email me, or even for moral support. i know how rotten u feel.. it helps to talk to someone who has been through what u are going through!!!

all the best

[cookie]

i havent had a brain zap for 3 days. and the few days before that they had slowed down heaps.

but although i had no brain zaps i had really severe muscle weakness until 3rd day on zoloft when it was 50percent improved. (didn't wake up and cry about feeling so weak and shitty)

i am on my 4th day of zoloft 50mg. and i felt a little better again today.

the aggravation- which was VERY VERY BAD- (i felt how i was treating my kids amounted to (emotional) abuse, i am not joking has improved so much i feel almost human again. still a little weak and tire easily, but mentally i feel much better.

i was starting to feel better before the zoloft but i think i can credit the zoloft with improving my muscle pain and weakness. (this is due i think to the norepinephrine levels being thrown around whilst on the cymbalta. norepinephrine is partly responsible for the production of adrenaline.hence the muscle weakness.. all makes sense to me..)

i can now also concentrate a bit better. THANK GOODNESS!

i am glad i stuck to the cold turkey, everyone is different, but i was horrified to see people on the forum having symptoms for months. i really dont think i personally could have coped with that.

dont forget i took valium to take the edge off the aggravation, so that helped throughout. also Nsaids and codeine helped me. if you want to take anything to try and help you CHECK WITH A DR OR PHARMACIST FIRST, AND TELL THEM EVERY DRUG/MEDICATION YOU ARE CURRENTLY TAKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i had a SERIOUS reaction coz i took tramadol for the migraine i got. it scared the shit out of me. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH DRUG INTERACTIONS!!!!!

any more questions feel free to email me, or even for moral support. i know how rotten u feel.. it helps to talk to someone who has been through what u are going through!!!

all the best

Dear Michelle:

It is curious, but brain zaps are not frequent for me. I do not have them as frequent as other people describe. I wonder what I am doing differently???

I am so glad to hear tha you are feeling “almost human again” and “mentally better” and that you can concentrate better

Yes, everyone is different. I rather wean slowly. I hope I do not have to add any other drug to counteract withdrawal symptoms.

Yes, it is so important to check drug interactions. There is a page called drugs.com which is very helpful.

Now that you mention pain and weakness, this week I started having knee pain (which I never had prior to the medication)

Keep me posted.

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[jmaniex]

I am having brain zaps, cant sleep at night, I get dizzy if i move my head to fast. I am always angry and I have started cursing my kids and husband. I feel really bad for a lot of reasons. I even got angry with my mother today and seriously thought about never speaking to her again. I am constantly thirsty. I want to fill my prescription just so that I can feel normal again but I know if I do, I will have to do a repeat of feeling like a crackhead coming down from a crack-escapade on a sunday night. I have been taking Cymbalta for nerve pain stemming from a back injury that I sustained from work. The nerve pain is back and im not sure if the pain is because I stopped the Cymbalta or if its part of the withdrawls.

[pamela]

I am having brain zaps, cant sleep at night, I get dizzy if i move my head to fast. I am always angry and I have started cursing my kids and husband. I feel really bad for a lot of reasons. I even got angry with my mother today and seriously thought about never speaking to her again. I am constantly thirsty. I want to fill my prescription just so that I can feel normal again but I know if I do, I will have to do a repeat of feeling like a crackhead coming down from a crack-escapade on a sunday night. I have been taking Cymbalta for nerve pain stemming from a back injury that I sustained from work. The nerve pain is back and im not sure if the pain is because I stopped the Cymbalta or if its part of the withdrawls.

Did you stop cold turkey or do a slow wean? I am weaning slowly and although having some symptoms I have been handling them.

I am not a doctor....just a fellow sufferer but from what I have read quitting cold turkey is not recommended by doctors or pharmacists. I think it sucks whatever way is chosen.....it's just a matter of how much you want to handle and for how long. Myself, I need to be able to function, go to work etc.....so I chose to wean slowly and take a few months. Some people have found that quitting cold turkey and getting it over with it best for them.

There is a lot of support and advice if you look through the past posts. You are not alone.....we are all here knowing how bad it sucks!