Hello, I'm new here aside from a couple introductory posts in another board about a withdrawal symptom of having songs stuck in my head.
I was on cymbalta 30 mg, and trazodone 50 mg for sleep, for about 30 months from 2012-2015. I actually felt great during this time. Never had anxiety or depression or OCD during this period. Only thing was sleep paralysis which I later learned was probably from the trazodone.
Anyways, I ended up in the ER one night after I had a severe rush of anxiety/adrenaline and massive head pressure (Came out of no where. I was just sitting at my desk). Paramedics came and said I needed to go to the ER because my pupils were dilated. I also started to see flashing lights when I closed my eyes. At the ER I was diagnosed with serotonin syndrome. I was taking cymbalta, trazodone, and a protein shake that had tryptophan in it. Though, I still wonder about this diagnosis, as have my doctors. I was ripped off cymbalta and trazodone cold turkey that night.
The rest of that year, 2015, I went through withdrawal and developed for the first time ever panic disorder, as well as bad anxiety, as well as numerous other physical problems due to medicines like beta blockers I was recommended to help ease my struggle.
I ended up getting back on 30mg of cymbalta in 2016, though it wasn't helping my anxiety that much after it leveled out. Went up to 60mg, and it took away most of my physical anxiety, but for the next 2 years I was on this I was depressed, irritable, always hot, and generally felt miserable. I also was on ativan for most of 2015 and all of 2016. I don't know if this is related or not, but even in the times I've felt best, I get this awful brain fatigue/overstimulation. I get it when using an electronic device, multitasking, or even just talking for a while to somebody. It's the weirdest thing and has prevented me from being able to work, and even do pleasurable activities, as whenever I seem to use my brain, even now as I'm typing this, I feel awful in my head. I also developed severe OCD starting in December of 2017 that has paralyzed me most of this year.
Decided to switch to zoloft this year, which I took ages 5-14, and 16-17, and only was switched to cymbalta due to my mom over-analyzing and being over involved in my health. I always felt great on zoloft. No anxiety or depression, though I did have a tic disorder at age 10, and a bout of minor OCD at age 12. Both resolved themselves.
May 9th of this year I started weening down on cymbalta. I did a 10mg reduction each week, and started 25mg zoloft on May 31st. I went off cymbalta completely on June 14th and went up to 50mg zoloft on June 11th. The zoloft has not helped at all as of yet aside from eliminating brain zaps. Though I imagine this withdrawal, as bad as it is, would be much worse if I wasn't taking zoloft.
Side effects when on cymbalta:
Depression
Irritability
Feeling hot all the time
Withdrawal symptoms (started right when I reduced dose, are at their worst now):
Really vivid dreams and nightmares
Pain all over my body
Muscle tremors especially in my face and arms
Worsening depression
Suicidal thoughts/hopelessness
Increased irritability (put 2 holes in the wall)
Increased feeling of hotness (I've measured my temp at over 101 degrees on numerous nights)
Worsened return of OCD (obsessive thoughts/intrusive thoughts)
Songs repeatedly playing in my head
Sleep changes (Not able to fall asleep. When I do, can't wake up easily)
"Feeling different" aka not totally myself
Worsened brain fatigue/overstimulation
I would like to ask, it seems like this withdrawal has gotten worse over time with no help from zoloft. Has anyone else had withdrawal that worsened over time and then got better? I am also probably gonna go up to 100mg zoloft and I imagine that would take a month or two to work.
Thanks for all your input.