20 replies to this topic

[fushin]

Hello, after being on Cymbalta for over a year, I tried to go off it in March, was hospitalized, and nearly died from difficulty breathing. I tried it again in September, this time with a nebulizer attached to my hip. It's been nearly six weeks since I've been off it, and it was worse than scenes of crack and heroin addicts on TV and DTs from Alcohol you hear about. All the nausea and brain shivers, disorientation, etc, have mostly abated, but the one scary thing is that I still can't breathe right. I wake up coughing every night, and often feel like I'm drowning in mucous, but there isn't enough mucous to really spit out. I'm about to go to my asthma specialist, but I'm afraid of just getting another handful of inhalers without any thoughtful consideration of linkage to cymbalta withdrawals, etc. Any MDs or qualified advice out there? Thank you. PS -- I feel your pain if your currently in withdrawal. Forbearance.

[fishinghat]

MS in Physiology, NOT MD though. The ability to breath is a function of stress in most cases of normal asthma or bronchitis. Inhalers attack the symptoms (not the cause) by relaxing respiratory nerves. The medicine in the inhaler relaxes the nerves, bronchiole vessels expand and allow for proper breathing. Cymbalta affests tthe seratonin receptors. Light asthma during withdrawal is possible but not necessarily a normal part of the process. I have access to a medical data base so I will see what I can find in the literature. It may take a while though so hang on.

[fishinghat]

My first search found 17 posts where the person described difficulty breathing. Two had a history of asthma. These did not count hyperventilation (very common) or the feeling of someone setting on their chest. The interesting thing was that NONE of them reported heavy events of mucous. I will post more info as I find it.

[fishinghat]

eHealth has a summary of FDA reports of side effects. Out of over 39,900 reports it included 1,733 reports of difficulty breathing. I am sure that a lot of this includes hyperventilation.

[fishinghat]

The National Institute of Health lists difficulty breathing as one of the symptoms of taking cymbalta. If it can effect breathing during use it can effect it during withdrawal.

 

http://www.nlm.nih.g...ds/a604030.html

 

I could not find any reference to breathing difficulties in any of the medical research associated with cymbalta withdrawal.

 

I hope this helps.

[brookevale]

I don't have asthma and while on Cymbalta was short of breath. I started withdrawing the past few days and shortness of breath is worse. Also dizzy, lost appetite, nauseous, fatigued, panic attacks and more. 

[thismoment]

There are so many odd symptoms associated with withdrawal, and everybody seems to have a different experience. Some folks don't suffer withdrawal at all.

 

I'm not qualified to give advice, but this helped my withdrawal: I tried to eliminate 'variables' that might color or skew what I was experiencing. I stayed off alcohol, tried to eat a balanced and healthy diet and I walked and walked and walked. A supportive, non-judgmental friend would be fantastic as well. I took it on like a mission, a do-or-die quest.

 

Best wishes!!

[tomitsu]

Oh my goodness I have this! I'll be lying in bed and I'll start choking on my saliva. I feel like Im suffocating. I started to drool a lot. Anyone else? I choke on saliva about 3 times a week.

[FiveNotions]

Tomitsu, this is interesting ... umm, I don't mean in a fun kind of way, for sure ... for the past several weeks I've noticed that I have trouble swallowing when I'm lying in bed ... it happens as I'm trying to drift off to sleep ... I have to try a couple of times before the swallow happens... I wrote it off to sinus issues ... no drooling, however ...

 

I'll take a look-see in the research area .... ah, Cymbalta, the "gift that keeps on giving"

[FiveNotions]

Yep, it's our good buddy, serotonin ... but, the info I found connects trouble swallowing / dysphagia with an excess of serotonin ... in fact, it's listed as a possible "serious side-effect" of Cymbalta on the drug warning ... Also, it's been mentioned on the forum quite often ... just do a site search from the home page for swallow, swallowing, dysphagia...

Here's an FDA report from 2005 on dysphagia caused by Cymbalta
http://www.fda-repor...agia/page1.html
 
Here are a couple of other items:

Inhibition of the swallowing reflex by local application of serotonergic agents into the nucleus of the solitary tract
http://www.sciencedi...01429998590665X

Serotonin Syndrome With Prolonged Dysphagia(letter to the editor)
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
http://ww1.cpa-apc.o...rsSerotonin.asp

[Blackbird]

I was just researching symptoms of ALS.  I'm scared, cause I have them.  Slurred speach, swallowing difficulty, right hand weakness, co-ordination problems, and sometimes cramping in my legs.  This all started when I went off Cymbalta 5 months ago.  

 

Does anyone else have these things happening?

 

I need support!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FiveNotions]

Blackbird, I had every single one of those symptoms ... all are related to serotonin and getting off cymbalta... your brain is rewiring itself to regulate it's serotonin level naturally, without the artificial control of Cymbalta ... low serotonin can cause each of those symptoms ... and, as your brain continues to rewire, you'll find them fading ...

You don't have ALS ... but, if you're really concerned and can't relax about this, sure, check with your doc and get tested. A lot of us here have been convinced at one point or another during this process that we've got some other condition/disease ... and have gone to get tested ... so far, none of us have come back to report any positive test results, just that we've given more of our $$$ to the docs...
 

[Blackbird]

Thank you so much!  Most days I don't feel like things  are getting better.  Maybe 5 months off is not a great indicator.  Think I saw somewhere that it can take a year or more......ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!

[thismoment]

Blackbird

 

Yep! I was informed that I spoke with a mouthful of marbles. I had pretty bad balance issues (couldn't stand on one foot for 2 seconds)-- had to sit down to put my shoes on. I had numbness in my thighs, intermittent pain in all my muscles and joints, kind of like a flu that came back in waves every couple of weeks.

 

This is discontinuation, and it  v e r y  s l o w l y  f a d e s. At 5 months I was still in the trenches as you are now. I was able to clearly note that things were improving after 6 months, and the improvement seemed to come faster after that. I think it's important to find something else to focus on, and take the imposed timeline and throw it out the window-- the timeline is beyond your control.

 

Discontinuation is done when you stop thinking about it. But yes, symptoms may persist for many months and well beyond one year. There is little hard data on this because it's all so new-- Prozac, December 1987, that's when it started. WE are the living study and nobody's looking at us except ourselves!

 

Who knows, maybe Cymbalta and all other SS/SNRI concoctions will join that pharmaceutical graveyard with the other 150 dangerous drugs that have been removed from the market since 1960.

 

Take care.

[Blackbird]

God-like,

Thank you so much for so much encouragement!  It's been incredibly hard, sounding like Forest Gump;  Sounding so flat, slow, and missing important notes and expression.  After all, our personality is there.  And  I cannot work at all like this.  It's so hard!!!

 

I've had some 'sound-bed' treatments. This is where a person talks into a microphone, and a pc program analyzes your voice.  I'm missing D, C, C+,  (no wonder I can't sing anymore). Missing the note of D means a CNS issue.  After the microphone thing, you lay on a bed, and the missing notes are vibrating into you.  Sounds weird, but it's an energy thing.  It  seems to be helping.   Also, I guess, according to the program, I do NOT have A.L.S.  What a relief!

 

Also, has anyone heard of 'The Healing Code'  book? I started doing these too.  It's been an extremely stressful 11/2 yrs for me...divorce and all.  Trying to be consistent doing these, and they help too.  With the codes, my blood pressure has dropped 12 points.

 

All in all, as you know, there's good days, and bad days.  Forget about it when I'm tired!  

 

Thanks again for all the kind words.  This is truly a good place to be.

 

Good-night.

[FiveNotions]

Blackbirds, time for us both to go back to bed....we need our beauty sleep :-D

By the way, every single issue you're having and have had and will have in this process is/was/will be a CNS issue .... all connected to serotonin...and your brain's effort to relearn how to regulate the amount of it on its own.... The CNS controls virtually every bodily function ....

Nighty night ;-)

[gail]

I was just researching symptoms of ALS.  I'm scared, cause I have them.  Slurred speach, swallowing difficulty, right hand weakness, co-ordination problems, and sometimes cramping in my legs.  This all started when I went off Cymbalta 5 months ago.  
 
Does anyone else have these things happening?
 
I need support!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blackbird, I have not had those symptoms.
But I have read about people in this forum mentionned they had them.

Can't remember who, besides FN, the slurred speech and swallowing difficulties and also the weakness of the arm. Only had that cramping of the front leg.

Rest assured, it is not only you! No time line here, as much as we would like to set one.

[Blackbird]

Tomorrow am having an MRI.  My daughter is insisting.  She sent me money to take care of the co-pay.  The neurologist I got, am not liking.  He says this has nothing to do with Cymbalta.  I wonder why the symptoms didn't start till I was in withdrawal.  Just too big of a  co-incidence.  It's now 7 months off. Sometimes my speech is better...sometimes not.  At least I'm not choking on everything I eat now. 

[TryinginFL]

Blackbird,

 

I suggest you go ahead with the MRI because it will put your (and your daughter's) mind at ease, but I agree  - I'd be willing to bet that it is part of the withdrawal.

 

I understand that it's hard to believe that after 7 months you are still having pain.  I have been off 9 1/2 months now and the RLS has become worse since I stopped taking the crap and am taking double my original RX.  You are not alone - many people have experienced a good deal of pain in different areas, but we are all different.

 

When you have the results from the MRI, not only will you know for sure, but you will also reinforce the knowledge that the Dr.s know nothing about this withdrawal and discontinuation syndrome.

 

I wish you the best and hope that your pain subsides soon.

 

Liz

[Blackbird]

Had the MRI 2 weeks ago, and will be another 2 weeks to see the Neurologist.   Swallowing is getting better.  Now I can take some supplements again.

Hand is getting stronger.  Maybe our bodies know which issues to focus on first.  

Took myself off of klonopin.  Since it effects the CNS.   Now off of every RX.  Only take 5htp and benedryl at night to sleep now.

Tired of sounding like Forrest Gump.  Let's see.......6 1/2 months of this hell!

[TryinginFL]

Blackbird,

 

Congratulations on 6 1/2 months off!  Glad your hand is getting better, as well as the swallowing problem - willing to bet it was part of this damn discontinuation.

 

 Bravo for being off all meds!!   Don't think I'll ever get to that point, as I have high BP and have to take that stuff...

 

It will be interesting to hear what your Neurologist says - Please keep us posted!!