845 replies to this topic

[chimera]

Hi Chimera,

I am sooo happy for you, I hope you continue to have good sessions with your therapist, you deserve to be happy

thank you  

[lady2882Nancy]

I am new to this forum.  I really wasn't aware of side effects when I began taking cymbalta for the pain of fibromyalgia, but someone mentioned terrible foot pain.  In thinking back, it was about a year ago, the foot pain didn't start until I started cymbalta.  I did have the severe sweating.  I had to change clothes three and four times daily.  I live in the south and spend a lot of time outside gardening, so that doesn't help.  I've been tapering off for months, and the pain is completely gone.  The pain was so bad I considered asking for a handicapped sticker.  I just assumed it was part of fibro.  I also went off all articial sweeteners and thought that was why my foot pain went away.

 

I think I have had all the withdrawal symptoms listed, but I was thinking about it today and wondered if anyone has lost dexterity in their hands.  I constantly drop things.  They slip from my hands.  I have a hard time opening things.  Anyone else have that problem?

 

I have also had a bad time with my hands but was blaming it on my OA but now that I think about it I realize that the whole problem with typing started when getting off and that is continuing. I have tingling in my feet too and I was blaming that on my back. I did have problems before but they got a whole lot worse after I started the freaking "wonder drug"  .

This crap truly does just keep giving and giving (us more problems that is) and I wish that I could give it all back.

[chimera]

damn and blast this weather to hell!! sorry lol, it is so dreadfully hot and humid here, and is exacerbating the itching and burning again. just when it had calmed down. back to half an antihistamine a night methinks. had it not been for this hot spell, I'd have been ok off it altogether. just had to rub the soles of my bare feet on the carpet, they burn. prickly itchy yuckness all over. not as bad as when it was at its worst, but 3 months off and this is still lurking! 

ah well, I guess its shown me that underneath, I am still not fully recovered in this respect. that is useful, as it is a marker of showing where I am at still in withdrawal. every cloud and all that

[lady2882Nancy]

I know what you mean. It seems that things that I was mildly sensitive too are not causing terrible rashes and itching/burning. I have to wear long sleeve shirts to weed around some of the plants in my garden then go wash my arms after. Also I have found that my eyes just don't stop itching even indoors.

Finally cool today and tomorrow so hoping that I have a bit of relief but will be back to the heat next week.

Who will believe us that this is still the Crapalta? I guess we all need to go to fishinghat's doctors lol.

[chimera]

glad it's cooler for you Nancy! we have a wait of about 4 days yet lol. yes weeding and garden work is more of a problem now in that respect in general post-Crapalta, even when cooler. I enjoy getting down and dirty in the flower beds, but make sure I wash off quickly now. fishinghat's doctors would definitely believe us:)

[chimera]

*waves to all, hope everyone is ok. quicky today, heat exhaustion so bit out of action brain wise, just wanted to check in (zombie fashion) x

[fishinghat]

Hi right back at you young lady! Hope you are doing well.The heat isn't too bad here right now, just 95 F (35 C). Just a little toasty. lol

[lady2882Nancy]

Cooled off here and was quite nice today here. Sunny and about 80F with a nice breeze.

Was great for working in the garden this morning.

Supposed to heat up though as the week goes on so I could be complaining soon as still sweating off the temazepam withdrawals.

 

I'm struggling with the Sertraline as my GI tract and IBS are not liking it. I hope it doesn't get too hot as my IBS doesn't like the heat and that would get to be too much as I have already lost 4 pounds in the last week.

 

I hate meds, especially starting new ones.

 

Take care all

[chimera]

hey Fishinghat and Nancy   30c due tomorrow, for us Brits that's very toasty;) 

sleep has been hard this week due to it, so always have a dip in mood and anxiety when I don't get enough. I know what's caused it so am not worried.

had therapy on Tuesday. still anger management lol at the moment. I have to keep a diary each day, and note things that make me angry. it ran a few pages of course! 

she's pretty helpful about giving tips, she'll sometimes lay a 'trail of crumbs' for me to work something out myself, which is good but hard work! 

are you doing ok Fishinghat? Nancy, funny how IBS is affected by heat, you're right. things that aren't usually strong triggers, seem more so. the Sertraline I can imagine is making you pretty tummy-unhappy right now:( 4 pounds in a week, you aren't having it easy on this one.

they're all pretty yuck to start with as you say. you're probably sweating off the weight too, more withdrawals are not fun at all. you taking any electrolyte replacements?

[fishinghat]

Hanging in there Chimera, thanks for asking. I am 25% off the lorazepam and another step down next week. Glad the therapist is helping, takes a while though .Hang in there.

[chimera]

thanks Fishinghat, and well done on the lorazepam drop, hope you are feeling not too bad during it? 

[pammynmbr2]

I thought I was the only one going crazy, then to find out it is the Cymbalta. I forgot to take my 2 doses yesterday and around 9pm last night, major headache, stomach ache, dizziness, if I move my head at all I feel like I'm on acid, woke up and didn't know where I was. This pill is horrible. They just upped my dose from 60mg to 120 mg per day. I have cronic pain due to back problems. I've  been on Cymbalta for about 6 years now. After reading everyones things I am going to start to ween myself off tomorrow.

[fishinghat]

Thanks Chimera. So far no noticable withdrawal. I am hoping withe slow taper it stays that way. lol

[lady2882Nancy]

I thought I was the only one going crazy, then to find out it is the Cymbalta. I forgot to take my 2 doses yesterday and around 9pm last night, major headache, stomach ache, dizziness, if I move my head at all I feel like I'm on acid, woke up and didn't know where I was. This pill is horrible. They just upped my dose from 60mg to 120 mg per day. I have cronic pain due to back problems. I've  been on Cymbalta for about 6 years now. After reading everyones things I am going to start to ween myself off tomorrow.

 

I don't know what doctors are thinking. 60mg is the highest dose recommended for Chronic Pain. If it doesn't work at 60mg it isn't going to work. Don't doctors read the prescribing information?

Why I am surprised I'm not sure as I should know by know that the medical profession doesn't seem to understand this med at all.

 

Hi pammynmber2

Yes go back to the 60mg and get yourself stable and then you can start to wean off this nasty drug. I took it for Chronic back pain too and it did not work for me. Of course by the time you know that it isn't going to work you have already been on it long enough that you have to go through the agony of the withdrawal side effects.

You are probably in more pain because of Rebound Pain which the drug is becoming known for. It will take about 18 days off before you will feel better. Exercise as much as you can even walking is good to help reduce the pain and side effects.

Take care and let us know how you are doing.

[DinCA]

This is incredible!!  First of all....Thank you to everyone who has posted on this site.  I have felt so alone.... and crazy for months.  tears are flowing as I write this.....which is par for the course these days.  I had the worst nightmare yet last night and It hit me this morning that it might be possible it was meds.  Thank God for Google!!!!!
 I had no idea until now that it could possibly be the reason for my craziness.  I had come to think I was actually suffering from mild psychotic episodes.  Which I was afraid was just the begining of schizophrenia or something.  I was afraid to discuss it with any one....the two ppl I tried to talk to...dont seem to be my friends anymore.
I did not intentionally try to get off the cymbalta.  was not aware of any problems with the drug.  I simply either forget to take it or I dont have the co-pay to get it right away.  So, it happens often...monthly at least.  i take 60mg and have for 9 months to a year.  I am about to call the pharmacy.  I havent taken any for 4 or 5 days but now realize I need to taper off.  
 
I have experienced EVERYTHING on the lists except the suicidal thoughts.  The worst of it has been:
 
The shame of it all
 
The "spending/shopping" side effects have left my life a mess.  I couldnt figure out why I couldnt get a handle on it.  I am on S.S. disability so this has been devastating.
 
The elctrical jolts in my head are sometimes almost disorienting
 
Nightmares..I woke up last night reciting the Lords Prayer....I am not a particularly religious person....I was saying it in my nightmare so I figured it couldnt hurt to continue...lol
 
Not only do I have trouble sleeping but when I have the nightmares...I dont want to sleep
 
Weight gain...2 and a half years ago I lost around 80 pounds...I have gained most of that back
 
Memory problems...I seriously thought I might be getting alzhiemers 
 
I have felt my Doctor thought I was turning into a hypo-condriac.  I quit mentioning things to her...and in fact dont even want to see her when something comes up now
 
This is all a little overwhelming to me right now....I mean FINDING THIS SITE.  And strangely enough I almost feel like I need to get BACK on the crap so I can wrap my head around all of this.  This is HUGE.  Thank you all again, sooo much.  I keep wanting to say "you have no idea how much I needed to find you all..to find this site"  BUT  I know that you all DO "have an idea"  how desperate I had become.  Which is exactly why I am so happy to have found it.

[fishinghat]

You know DinCA you might be right. It may be best to get back on a light dose and stabilize and then start on a slow slow taper using the bead counting method. But you sure can't continue with the 9 months on then 3 months off. That has got to be hell. A hell you don;t have to go through.

 

Don't let how horrible you feel destroy your perspective. Just keep telling yourself that it is just the withdrawal. This medicine screws up your neurotransmitters and destroys your way of thinking....It is not YOUR fault. Once successfully off this med you have every reason to fell like 'you' will return to being yourself.Keep us posted on how you are doing and if there is anything we can do to help.

[DinCA]

Fishinghat,

Thank you.  Turns out I was out of refills and didnt get them. Yesterday was a very strange day after the shock of finding all this out.  The more I thought about the list of side effects and withdrawl symptoms the more I understood this last year.  I feel a bit like I have been a bystander to my life instead of being the one in charge.  AND making a bloody mess of things all the while.

 

I am going to spend some more time educating myself here then call the Dr. this afternoon.  To be honest I think I have lost some faith in her  knowing that she handed me these pills from hell and said "these are great for chronic pain and the depression that goes with it".   no warning, no "be careful to look out for...."   And I have learned a valuable lesson in researching and being active in my own health decisions,  not just leaving it up to a doctor to decide.  I quit reading the reams of paper the pharmacy gives you with your meds, long ago......which was very foolish.

I do not understand how any Dr. could prescribe this medication to a fellow human being.

There are so many questions and I know you all have so much to offer here.  

I DO have a question about your reply....are you saying it will take 3 months to get off off Cymbalta and feel normal again?  Is that WITH the tapering off...or is that after getting off the pill all together?  Also....is this normal for this drug, or are we all just a small percentage of ppl that respond so adversely to it?

My God...why hasnt this drug been banned?????

[fishinghat]

According to the medical journals only an average of 20% of people taking cymbalta have withdrawal effects BUT those effects can be terrible (as you found out). For most people the withdrawal effects are the worse during the first 2 weeks, some small bouts of improvement the 3rd week and around the 4th week substantial improvement. Some symptoms may flair up from time to time all the way to around week 8 but in general you are doing a lot better by then. There is one complication to this. Ssris are fat soluble and the more obese you are the longer it takes to purge your system with withdrawal occuring up to 1 year in extreme cases. Those are estimated to be in around 2 or 3% of the individuals.

 

As far as why are doctors giving out such a horrible drug? and why hasn't it been banned? Well I can only tell you a lor of people have asked that question. With billions of dollars a year made from this drug and only about 20% having an issue why ban it? lol It is gold in a pill form.

[DinCA]

fishinghat,

I have yet to hear back from my doctor and no refill called into the pharmacy.....so... on I go, alone and cold turkey.  which I have decided I may as well try to do it that way.  I said alone...but I thank God I found this site. 

I have been searching for info.  and my shock continues. 

The nightmares hit a new high last night.  Satan himself has decided to join in the fun of torment ....I can say that a little jokingly right now,  but it wasnt so funny last night when he was whispering in my ear that the lords prayer would be of no help to me now. I woke up still hearing his last words in my ear.  How is it that we all have such evil dreams...many along the same theme?   this drug must work on a specific pin pointed part of the brain when it causes the nightmares.   the little electrical storm inside my brain seems less intense today but more constant..if that makes any sense. 

 

I told my daughter I was not comfortable being with my granddaughter alone until I am threw all this.  which breaks my heart...she is my joy.  I talked to my kids, my father, and my sister, so they will know, somewhat, what to expect.  and I am staying away from everyone else for the time being.  I lost two of my closest friends just over the side effects...I can afford to lose more over the withdrawls.

Now that I have an idea of what i am up against the next few weeks...I have decided to fill as much of my time with creative and positive endevors as I can.  maybe that will counteract the horrifying nights.  so, I am going to work with my plants...my container garden.  do some art projects and try to focus on the beauty of life when I can.  As well as making an appt with a therapist.  To be honest..I am scared...shitless....of what is yet to come. 

My memory has taken a vacation altogether today.  seems that the more I try to remember something, to focus on something,  the fuzzier it gets.  But I am now thinking it has been a bit longer without the pill than I previously thought.

I feel a little self centered these days...seems everything I do the past few days has been focused on myself and cymbalta.  I will be 50 in November...this crap is not helping my mid-life crisis!!!! 

Thank you for the info on the time tables...it gives me something semi-solid to hang on to.

[fishinghat]

It sounds like a good approach. I suffered from constant fear for several weeks. Even when I was sleeping I had constant fear.  But it will fade with time. If you think it is hard on a 50 year old...well I am 60 so I know what you mean. lol

[DinCA]

Well I read somewhere recently that someone is actually saying that 60 is the new 30.....course then I have also read that 50 is the new 40    I always get the short end  of the stick. 

Kudos to you for the strength it took and that you are here now helping all the rest of us. If you dont mind me asking...how long has it been since you went threw all of this? Also, is the fear from the pills too?  I mean yes this is ALL very scarey...the nightmares horrific...but I am wondering if the pills also add to the fear.  Because it occurred to me that if the pills arent enhancing the fear....it will take much much longer to get over the fear even after the drug is cleared from the body and the nightmares stop.   I dont see me forgetting these nightmares anytime soon...if ever.

Sorry...another bad night. More of the same nightmare...just worse.

My dr. had her aide call me this afternoon finally.   the dr. says that the withdrawls only last a week so I should be fine now and wouldnt need a lower dose.   I considered that maybe  because I was only taking 60mg that maybe she knows what she is talking about that I should be over it in a day or two.  And felt relief for a minute that it might be just about over.  then as the day progressed...things got worse.  And now , after waking up terrified again, I am back to wondering if she really has no idea about any of this.  This is, after all,  the same person who handed me the prescription and said how great it was and that it was just a mild antidepressant that worked on pain too.

I got the fish oil and b-complex.  trying to hydrate, but I am craving sweet drinks like crazy lately. 

short naps in the daytime dont seem to have the nightmares so I am trying to get some sleep that way, if that helps anyone.

Fishinghat...if your getting tired of my "novels" ,....  I understand.      I'd like to blame this on the pills too...but I have always driven ppl crazy with my long emails. 

[fishinghat]

I finished my last Cymbalta in Feb. And yes the fear was from the Cymbalta. I wound up taking some other medicine to help me get over the fear part and am now weaning off of it. By the way, your doctor is full of crap. If he read the current medical research he would find it is not uncommon for the side effects to last several weeks. I shouldn't be unfair. I know that in the case of my doctors they just don't have the time to read the hundreds of research articles that come out each month in the medical journals. The in-house training on medicine provided by the pharm companies is biased too and does not cover a lot. If I have a subject that I am concerned about and want to talk to my doctor concerning it I just bring a copy of a couple articles with me incase they are not familiar with it. They seem most receptive and discuss the issue with me. ON THE OTHER HAND if I find a doctor that is not willing to be open-minded then I find another doctor.

 

And as you can see I write novels too!! lol   No problem.

[lady2882Nancy]

Hello DinCA and fishinghat

 

Yes the lack of knowledge that the doctors have concerning this med is truly terrible. Some are lucky in that their doctor will listen and will take the time to find out what is going on with the side effects from stopping this med and then there are those who have doctors like mine. The Moron refuses to even consider that what I went through and am still going through is because of both taking and then stopping it. He wasn't even aware of this crap had a Black box warning on the information sheet that comes with the drug.

Scary that he is not aware of the side effects of the meds that he prescribes to his patients and worse that he will not look at the information that I have tried to give him. Worse was the fact that he belittled me for believing what I found online.

Yes it is time to find a new doctor.

 

DinCA it sounds like you love to garden as I do so I can tell you that it helps with the anxiety to dig in the dirt. I have both container and a regular vegetable garden. Both have gotten lots of attention this year. When nothing else works the garden does.

Novels are very acceptable on this site as we all tend to post them from time to time. I know I have posted my share of them. They are very therapeutic and I like reading them too.

 

I haven't been posting much lately as it has been hard to concentrate and focus with starting a new med. I've been spending a fair amount of time out in my gardens.

 

So I am 16 weeks off Crapalta now and 19 days ago had to start taking an antidepressant to function again. I had never been on a SSRI or SSNRI before Crapalta (a SSNRI) and it seems wrong somehow that I had to go on another SSRI in order to get relief from the side effects of taking and stopping the Crap. Things are much better now and the side effects from starting the new med are settling down. I don't think this is quite the right drug for me but at least I am no longer hiding everytime I hear someone coming.

 

Take care of you and you will get through this.

 for all

[fishinghat]

Interesting!! I like to garden as well. I wonder if that has something to do with our problems? lol

[Lizzy12]

Hello! I am new to this site, my mom recommended it to me. I am 22 years old and I was prescribed to cymbalta 2 years ago when my dad had an affair. I became severely depressed and started having anxiety attacks. I started with 30mg and got bumped up to 60mg after 2 months of being on it. Since I started cymbalta I have gained 35lbs and decided that was enough. Convinced it was the cymbalta causing my weight gain, I told my doctor my theory and of course he looked at me like I was crazy and told me I needed to spend more time on the treadmill.

I told him I wanted to get off of the cymbalta but I was scared my anxiety attacks would take over. He told me to gradually stop the cymbalta by taking one every other day then one every three days and so on. He prescribed me to a low dose of Wellbutrin.

I started weaning myself from cymbalta exactly two weeks ago today. I wasn't aware that my body was going to go through withdrawals or anything because my doctor did not warn me. The first week was nothin but severe headaches and spent most of the day/night hugging the toilet. I finally called my doctor and told him how nauseous I was. He had the nerve to tell me I probably had a virus or something. I knew it wasn't a virus and I begged him for something for the nausea. He finally prescribed me an anti nausea drug and that helped a ton. I started feeling better and stopped throwing up after 7 days.

This past week is when things started getting bad when I though the withdrawals were over. I have been experiencing the brain zaps which feel like my eyes roll in the back of my head almost like I am going to black out. I am so light headed and dizzy and feel like I am going to pass out at anytime. I woke up the other night from horrible nightmares and I can't stop sweating.. Especially at night. My roommates (4 girls) and my boyfriend think I am crazy and a hypochondriac. All I feel like doing is laying in my bed all day watching Netflix. The whole time while on cymbalta I could never ever cry no matter what, and recently I can't stop crying. I start getting so emotional about meaningless stuff. Today I have been having severe mood swings and bursts of anger. Also my lips have been going numb during the brain zaps, has anyone else experienced this? I am glad I'm not alone and reading these posts make me feel less crazy. I hope I get back to my normal self soon.

Take care,
Elizabeth

[lady2882Nancy]

Hi Lizzy

You poor thing suffering every day like that.

 

Unfortunately doctors don't seem to be aware that there are side effects when trying to discontinue this drug. And none of them know that this drug has a half life (the length of time it takes 1/2 of the dose to leave your blood stream) of only 12 hours which is why the side effects are so bad. The way your doctor told you to discontinue works for most of the other antidepressants because they have long half lives (most are 24 hours or more).

 

So know you know why you are feeling so bad. The good news is there is an easier way.

 

The first thing your doctor should have done was given you a prescription for 20mg pills. That way you would have gone from 60 to 40 for 2 weeks then to 20mg. Much easier to deal with the side effects on a gradual decrease in dosage rather then cold turkey.

I'm hoping that you still have some Crapalta (cymbalta) left so you can get stablized before trying to wean off slower.

You can wean down slower by doing the bead counting way.

Carefully open the 60mg capsule over a bowl or plate (a colored one is best as the beads are white).

Remove 5 beads from the capsule, close up the capsule and take it.

Each day you remove an extra 5 beads.

Day 1- 5 beads out

Day 2-10 beads out

Day 3-15 beads out

You can save the beads in a container for later use as you can buy empty capsules at most drugstores if you need to.

 

Get those roommates and BF of yours to take a look at this site too as you are NOT crazy or a hypochondriac. We have all been through what you are going through now and we know how horrible you are feeling.

 

Some other things to help you are:

Drinks lots of water - it helps with those horrible brain zaps

Take omega 3 - 1000mg with each meal so 3 times a day.

Get a vitamin B complex and take it every day

L-theanine (suntheanine) will help with the mood swings.

 

You will be okay dear even if you do have to go cold turkey but it isn't pleasant.

 

Let us know how you are doing and if you have questions just ask.

 

Take care

[DinCA]

Lizzy, sweetheart, you hang in there.  I am new here too, so I dont have the knowlage  that the others do.  but I have been unknowingly putting myself threw withrawls off & on for a while...I never could remember to take this pill consistantly...so I have been suffering with it for a while not knowing what was going on and still not clear what was side effects, what was withdrawls, and what was just my normal brand of crazy.  ....I'd like to share some things with you.  

I too had the numb lips...not now while I am going thru this final withdral,   but off and on for the last year...so it is nice to know that someone else had this and that it is yet another thing caused from the cymbalta.  also thought my numb fingers and toes were from the nerve damage throughout my spine which got me to this med in the first place.....that too seems to be getting better the last week.   Which I can tell you is wonderful...you cant know what it is like to think you are losing the sense of touch for good. And when I get those little elctrical flash storms in my head my eyes want to roll back in my head too.....or sometimes I think "I" want them to roll back cause it might make it just get over with.  there was concern that these were little siezures...and the jury is still out on that.  2 doctors dont seem to agree on anything.  my primary doc who I refuse to see again til I am feeling better  and thinking clearly,  or things get worse.... Has heard me complain of  at least half the side effects over the course of using this drug...and she never put two and two together  making me feel like a hypo condriac all the while..  and still thinks I should be over any side effects and most certainly not the side effects I am going thru.  the other doc  seems to think ANY THING IS POSSIBLE with this drug and is not counting anything out...unfortunately I cant see him...insurance wont cover it!  but he has offered I can call if i need to and even emailed me to see how I was feeling.  And he promotes...research, research, research   of the symptoms AS WELL as supplements and any little tricks that might help.  So, dont count out all doctors.

I have decided that I should make no decisions until I am off this med.... the worst two things I am going thru right now are the nightmares and the REALLLLLY screwed up thinking.   I thought I had lost my two closest friends during the course of all this...i talked to both of them this week...seems it was in my head as well.  I seem to have a problem with linear thought.  was told to count coins in incriments ( like pennies one at a time then by tens til I get to a dollar), that it would help.   also the old card game of Concentration..turning cards over 2 at a time trying to remember where they are to match them up.  The idea is to  make the brain do some of its normal stuff  and it might help it get back in order. and remermber when you get frustrated  doing these things or any other simple tasks....it is just the drug.   This thought process is so strange.  it has been happening for a while i think, it just has gotten much worse and I am noticing it now.  I realized the other day I have been taking this drug much longer that what I was thinking...my memory is on vacation...and goes on vacation about 100 times a day.  I hate it.  I am taking notes and writing everything down now...the problem now is remembering to read my notes 

I got the fish oils and B complex....and just after a few days I can tell you I can see they help a bit already.  I also added other suppliments, more specific to my own symptoms. Some supplements will take a little while to notice the difference so keep up with them.  And be sure you dont take a supplement that will mess with any other meds you might be taking.  follow dosage instructionts.  Be proactive honey...search out what ever will help you feel better...emotionally AND physically...just make sure it is safe and healthy.  research research research.  Rock star hydration is my new best friend.  when I drink one it seems to clear up the brain fuzzie a little as well as the brain "zaps"...but I know I cant drink them all day, every day.   so be smart about it.  I am staying away from alchohol but i am indulging my dire cravings for sweet drinks as long as I also drink just as much water.  But watch the sweets if you have any blood sugar issues.  My other over indulgence is cigarettes....like a freight train.....,  I am giving myself that too until this is over.  I am determined to try this without needing yet another horrific pill.  I know I might need one, so I wont completely count it out....I just am soooooo very afraid of this turning into some continuing saga of side effects  and nightmares   but I know that i may need it anyway.  If Satan should be hounding any one's nightmares...it should be the brains behind the Eli Lilly company.. 

I have tried to fill my day with postive things...art projects, music,  my plants...etc. I think it is keeping me sane.  and counteracts the horrible nights and fear. I am staying away from alot of ppl too.  And dont think about your room mates or what they are thinking.  If you can get them to look at this site,  I am certain they will get it.  You have a pretty great Mom to have found this site for you.  I am finding that when I think someone thinks I am crazy or wierd.....it is often all in my head.  I have been beating myself up over this part of it for months.  I have two girl friends who I expressed this concern to and now they let me ask,  then give me good feed back....when I think I am acting weird...I ask..and 9 out of 10 times they say no...you are acting normal.  it is that 10th time thats a bitch     On the other hand one of my sisters, I hear, seems to think this is all a bunch of bullshit.  I am thinking she hasnt bothered to check out this site.  and I am glad I have stayed away from her.  As that is just the kind of thinking that made me struggle with thinking i was going crazy all this time.  ignorance is not bliss....research research research.   and post here...knowing your not alone is half the battle....AND ABSOLUTELY essential to getting thru this i think.

 

Hang ing there Lizzy!!    First and foremost be kind to yourself.  this isnt like normal mild depression where making yourself get up and out of bed is what will help and is important.   If all you can do is lay in bed and watch netflix...I say   THANK GOD for netflix!!!!  Go buy yourself some new jammies and put extra pillows on the bed...burn some inncense...some candles....turn your bedroom into a magical little place where you can feel safe and loved.   You have got to support yourself in this until everyone else in your life catches up.   I, myself,  have run threw every movie that the Redbox box holds and have been doing that for months. I am wondering why they dont come out with a much larger redbox....something the size of...idk...one of those old video stores that redbox put out of business maybe.   it would be nice to have a good quality movie instead of some of the dribble rebbox has.  

One more thing...someone asked me yesterday "why are you laughing about it if it is as bad as you say it is.?"   I HAVE TO.  my jokes may be corny,  maybe noone else gets them.  and half the time my brain doesnt let them make sense to anyone but me....BUT laughing this last few weeks...I would not have made it.  find the humor...look for it...laugh at yourself...laugh WITH yourself.   You have to bring the joy in...where ever and when ever you can find it. 

love yourself.

 

[DinCA]

LadyNancy and Fishinghat

The gardening IS great.  I am thinking it might be because the plants dont ask me what the hell is wrong with me or give me that funny look when I"ve gone "over the hedge".      seriously I think maybe its because it is a mindful thing...you can just be present in the momont...MOMENT. (my spelling suffering thru all this too).  And you are so right,  it is helping with the anxiety.  My only problem with it is my out of control spending.  my trip to walmart..."a few new plants, a few nice new pots, oooh better get some extra potting soil just in case the 10 I have at home arent enough...oh, and isnt that little ceramic frog that hangs off the side of the pot cute, and wow look a new coleus I dont have".  I thought how nice it would be to have sometwhere to relax with my coffee and plants in the mornings...saw a really cute wicker love seat the other day and considered buying it instead of paying rent.     Gots to be careful. 

I joke but I have actually asked for some help from my kids to watch my spending.  I dont think...I just do it.  everyone is calling this a compulsion here, but I feel like a compulsion has alot of drive behind it..a fierce NEED, almost emotional.  I dont have that...mine is without any feeling at all.  like a robot..I just do it.  with no thought. no need, no care that there is no money to cover it or whether it is needed or not...or even whether it's of any use. it's like being programed into auto pilot but the program doesnt even make sense.   and if it is shiny and colorful...it's mine     I go to the store for milk and come home with 3 bags full of useless crap...and forget the milk to boot.  a while ago I decided to start buying more fruits and veggies to try to combat this weight gain.  for 3 months all I have bought are fruits and veggies...which is all good and fine...but I was buying way too much.  filling the fridge packed full of them then throwing half of it away because it went bad.  This kind of shopping has been going on for quite some time.  I couldnt figure out what was happening, because to me I was acting normal.   where the money was going. no gas in the car. constantly running out of things because I would forget to buy them but spent the money for them.  never enough food to last the month, but the food money for the month was spent.   getting deeper and deeper and ashamed to tell anyone.  when I read this as one of the side effects a light bulb went on over my head.....then I was just as relieved as I was shocked.  I am thinking about forwarding the bills to Eli Lily ...I mean SOMEONE should take responcibility...I'm not.    and that leads me to my question finally....

my new fear is   am I blaming all this stuff on the drug? ...I mean there seems to be an aweful lot of stuff I have been going thru for it all to be from this one drug.  and alot of this stuff...like the over spending, seems to be stuff I had a little problem with before that just got grossly out of control this last year. 

All I know for sure is I want my life back.  I am at the very least trying to take responcibility for doing  that....no matter what the reason is that I lost it in the first place.  But it sure makes it easier to do that,  thinking I wasnt really "me".

Anyway, both of you are amazing...to be going thru all this  and  to be here for all of us too.  I hope the side effects of the new meds subsides quickly.  and thanks for not minding these novels...I dont seem to be capable of anything  shorter.

oooh...3 yawns in a row...there is a possibility I might actually get some sleep....and just in time to see the sun come up 

Sweet Dreams

 

[buzzbuzz]

I'm 4 months post Cymbalta (was on 60mg per day for 2 years). 2 days after I took the smallest dose possible (approx. 15mg A.K.A. 45 little pillules)

 

For nearly 3 months, this is what I experienced:

 

1. Brain zaps (they were the worst upon waking)

2. Eyes were extremely light sensitive (all frigging day)

3. anxiety

4. afternoon depression (bad enough that I had to hide in an empty office at work and cry)

5. mood swings (didn't have a problem with this b4 cymbalta)

6. Edema (especially hands)

7. Insomnia got worse (I have had trouble sleeping since age 14)

8. uncontrollable laughter (fun when it happened at home, embarrassing as hell at work)

9. carbohydrate cravings (gained a bunch of weight after quitting cymbalta)

 

All of this has improved since then. Here are some of the GOOD things that have happened since I quit cymbalta

 

1. no more migraines (seriously). I was having those awful nocturnal migraines with aura. I would see crazy patterns first and then the pain would start. I had no idea that cymbalta was triggering headaches until I stopped taking it. I can actually enjoy a glass of wine w/o getting a horrible headache later.

2. sex got better immediately, I could actually have a real orgasm again.

3. Stopped snacking, no more blood-sugar crashes (I read that SSRIs can make you hypoglycemic). I am not nearly as hungry as I was while taking cymbalta. As long as I exercise and eat three meals a day, my energy is steady.

4. finally lost some weight & and inches that I couldn't lose while on cymbalta (and I trained for and ran a marathon while taking the crap and never lost a pound)

5. I can actually feel empathy and cry (couldn't do these things when I took cymbalta)

 

I hope this helps anyone who is considering quitting this crap, or is in the throes of withdrawal......

[girlcat]

I am on day 24 of withdrawal and started having bad dizziness and nausea again.  I thought I was done with that.  Is it common for this to come back or get worse as this point in withdrawal?  Thanks for your input.