1908 replies to this topic

[Carleeta]

Oh my...Yesterday was positively Father's Day...I was positively melancholy. .Missing my dad is very hard for me..I got through it though....Today I started making center pieces for my son and daughter in laws baby shower which is just three weeks away. ..I don't know how I got stuck with the decorations...lol lol.Im not even giving the baby shower...I'm giving the Christening dinner...lol lol...These younger kids think I have the energy level just like them...lolnlol...Nope! I want these center pieces done the end of this week...not the night before the party...I'm doing it my way...lolnlol..positively!

[Jones]

Well I cannot navigate this site very well. I was showing my daughter the guilt and rage post from gonnamakeit to see if she could better understand what was going on in my head, and realized I had confused gmi for wagtail in one of my posts. Oops.

Once again, glad to know you are here. I can get grounded reading here.

I was sitting in the Verizon store when someone held up a wallet and asked if anyone had lost it. I had dropped It in the parking lot and didn't even know it. I was so grateful it brought me to tears, of course. We started talking about painting, something we have in common. She had just installed an art studio and invited me over to paint. Then she started talking about a large fence she was building to keep her husband in because he has alz. Then she told me all the meds he is on. Cymbalta was in there.
It was an interesting and great morning.

Yay!

[Carleeta]

Jones...that was positively a wonderful encouraging day...something to be very grateful for.  Out of something bad comes something good.  Everytime I see someone who is experiencing something worse than myself, my depression lightens up and makes me feel how much better I have it than others.  I stop thinking about myself ad go on with my day....Great day Jones..  Yes its a bit challenging navigating around here, and I am no help!  Others may be better at explain the navigation may better than myself...lol

[FiveNotions]

Here's my good news...for the whole week and month....remember those four years of taxes I failed to file? Well, today in the mail I received two refund checks from the Feds for two of those years...enuf for me to pay my July and half of august's rent!!

Boom....anxiety level down multiple notches!

Of course,neither check indicates what year taxes it corresponds to....and neither amount corresponds to a refund amount I claimed on any of the four years..... ;-)

[TryinginFL]

To quote a dear friend of ours - "Yippppeeee!!!"
 

[FiveNotions]

Here's my positive for the day....I finally finished scrubbing and disinfecting my walk-in closet....yeah, I had big plans to get it all done, and even painted, a week or so ago....hahahahaha ....well, forget the new paint....the walls washed nice and white and clean looking, so that's enuf for me....anyway, I just hung the last of my clothes back in there, put everything back up on the shelves ...and large storage boxes on the floor in such a way that my elderly cat can't get back up and in there and repeat what he did while I was busy dying from cymbalta withdrawal... :-)

One more crapalta mess dealt with......anxiety volume lowered yet another notch.....

And, for bonus points, I washed my large living room window.....and left the blinds open all day.....no more cymbalta-cave living for me! I'd forgotten what a nice view I have.... ;-)

[Clara]

I'm outta likes! Yay for you FN!!!!!

[Wagtail]

FiveNotions :-(((((( you go girl , & yes yes yes let that lovely sunshine in & enjoy your beautiful view . It's amazing how we don't notice these things when we're hanging by our fingernails .. I too have a beautiful sea view & some days I just don't notice it , my husband has said to me " wasn't it a lovely sunny day ?," & Ive replied " was it ?."
I'm having trouble with my eyes & can't seem to focus properly , I don't know if it's a s/e or age related . I just had new prescription lenses put in my glasses & it didn't fix the problem . Funny how these little nuisances become gigantic problems when one is battling for ones sanity
.Fivenotions , you sound as if you've got one leg cocked over the top of the ledge & a firm grip ... Soon you will have both legs up there & no more hanging by those manicured fingernails ... I envisage bright red ones !... Lol
Keep it up my dear friend ...
God Bless.

[FiveNotions]

Wagtail, how are you feeling now, after several doses of the new med? Is your tail wagging again?

An ocean view.....wow!

[Wagtail]

No FiveNotions my tail is somewhat wilted .... My third day of Clonidine & this morning I halved the dose from 1 mg to 0.5 mgs & I still feel like a Zombi ... Dragging myself around doing my chores , I have always been extremely sensitive to medication , hence the reason I'm so fearful of trying anything new or increasing dosages .
It has eased the anxiety though but I can't function, no way could I leave the house or drive a car. Luckily it's Saturday morning here & my dear husband is home with me .
It's actually funny when I think about it , all the years that I was on the Cymbalta & would constantly consume a large amount of wine & wake up feeling just like this ... It's not so much fun when it's caused by a tiny tablet . Ha ha
Thankfully I have an appointment with my new therapist on Monday morning , hopefully she will help sort this bruised & battered brain out .
Xx

[FiveNotions]

Does it feel like you just want to sleep? If so, what about just letting yourself do that? You've had so much difficulty sleeping, and my bet is quality of what sleep you did get was poor....could that be part of the current feeling, now that the anxiety is easing?

[fishinghat]

FN

 

What she decribes does sound like a reaction to too much clonidine.

 

Wagtail

 

Go to 1/2 tablet of clonidine at 8 PM only. Lets see if you adjust to the medicine in a few days. Again keep me posted. I have to step out this morning but will check in later.

[FiveNotions]

Yes, FH....I see that now...I just read up on it....I also saw that it can take 3-4 days, not just 1 or 2, to settle in with a particular dose and adjust....

Since you already told wagtail to go down to 1/2 tab of the Clonidine, which wagtail references doing in her post just above....

Would you clarify this a bit more, so she does exactly what you intend.....

When you say "go to 1/2 tablet of Clonidine at 8 pm only" I can read that two ways.....take it only at night, or, take just 1/2 a tab at each dose, morning and evening.....

(As you've pointed out, once a day dosing doesn't work due to the half life).....

[FiveNotions]

https://www.cymbalta...ge-6#entry43211

We need to get this conversation back over there, not here in "listing the positives, as we're going to lose the continuity of information and sequence of comments.....
------
this is Wagtail's post from 3:33 a.m. today in the "withdrawal or not" thread.....as I read it, she skipped the 8 pm evening dose....

Fishinghat , it's now 5.30pm & Ive dragged myself through the day ... I only took half a Clonidine tablet @ 8am .. I can still feel the effects quite strongly .
I've decided that I can't function like this so I'm not going to take the 8pm dose , I've hardly got enough energy to brush my teeth .
I think it's depleted ALL my adrenaline completely lol .
I'm feeling clusters ( not sure if that describes it ) of anxiety & allowing the feeling to wash over me . I will take a lorazapam soon & hope that will get me through the night .
I have my first appointment with my new therepist on Monday so hoping she can sort out my bruised & battered brain .
Until then I will do my best to cope . :-)
---------

[xman]

I am off today-my 1st Saturday off in awhile. I had to drag myself out of bed, but I did it. Glad to catch up with my friends and see their progress. Grateful to be alive.

 

So good to see Clareeta went on a MAJOR journey and did so very well! YAY! Three cheers and more!

[FiveNotions]

I'm delighted that today is a dreary cloudy day here in post-cymbalta land....I'm feeling a nice long nap coming on...the kitties have already assumed their assigned nap positions on the bed and are just waiting for me to arrive to fill in the spot they so thoughtfully left for me.... ..and then maybe, just maybe, a bit of housecleaning.....

Xman, it's great to hear from you....you haven't been around here much recently....all good, I hope?!

[TryinginFL]

xman....

 

So good to hear from you!  How have you been feeling?  I know that things have been really rocky for you lately.

 

You remain in my thoughts and prayers..

 

Please take care - I'm glad you have the day off

[fishinghat]

FN

 

With her sensitivity I would like to error on the side of caution.  1/2 Tablet of clonidine at 8 pm. None in the morning. If it makes her drowsy at night that is ok. People over 60 usually have different dose levels for bp meds, antidepressants etc because at that age they can be much more sensitive to the med. I don't know what the geriatric dose is for clonidine is but I will check. The half life for her I would guess more at 18 hrs or more.  I will be right back with more info.

[fishinghat]

Well I bite the bullet on that one. No special dose for geriatrics. I am going to check something else.

[fishinghat]

Well just fine. The Mayo Clinic says there has been no studies on the dosage for geriatric patients. And if you are curious geriatric is usually defined as 60 or over.

[fishinghat]

Wagtail and FN

 

If she stays on a 1/2 tablet at bed time only then in a few days her body should get accustom to it like you said. I just don't want to risk her being to foggy during the day and getting hurt or falling. If she takes that 1/2 tablet for a week (at 8 pm only) and she is still groggy in the morning it will be time to go back to the dr.

 

What do you guys think?

[FiveNotions]

Yep...I agree....I was doing similar reading up on the dosing, age considerations, etc.... Half a tab at bedtime, for a week....

Wagtail is clearly sensitive to meds....and you've got her cut back to half a dose.....and she's tried the twice daily dosing at the half a tab....that's still seeming like too much....

Taking the half dose at bedtime is the next option, I agree....and staying at that dosing for a week certainly should give her time to adjust to it....or not....and if not, call the doc.....

Also, I bet it is staying in her system longer than the 12-16 hr half life I see listed as the "standard" ....one note I saw indicates that half life can be up to 41 hrs in patients with serious renal failure....

And even though there aren't special dosing instructions for us "geriatric" gals and guys, I'd bet that age does factor into the dosage and dosing schedule....

So yes, I betcha wagtail has a much longer half life for this stuff....

[FiveNotions]

Also, I'm sure wagtail doesn't want to fall asleep during her first chat with the therapist ;-)

[Wagtail]

Well just fine. The Mayo Clinic says there has been no studies on the dosage for geriatric patients. And if you are curious geriatric is usually defined as 60 or over.

Fishinghat !... Are you kidding me ha ha I'm classed as geriatric ???. This is definately not a positive ..:-)

[Wagtail]

I am very happy to be able to post in this forum topic today ..

I went for a long walk along the waterfront with my dear husband .. The sun was warming & felt wonderful . People were out enjoying their boats & water sports , the atmosphere was just beautiful & the happiness was contagious .
I am sitting in my lovely family room overlooking the water all warm & safe ,with the smell from our home made chicken & vegetable soup cooking on the stove .
It has been a good day ..:-)

[xman]

I suppose I shouldn't post any negative on the positive side, but to answer the question as to how I'm doing… I have definitely been better. I find each day more of a struggle in terms of depression. Though many of my side effects from the poison are less severe, one thing that has not changed is my brains chemistry. Now I am prepared to wait but have had many challenges lately. My thoughts are constantly in motion and it is difficult to straighten out The thought process. Alas on the positive side I am happy to see some of you guys are feeling better and for myself I am up and Adam! Sometimes that's as good as it gets yes?

[FiveNotions]

xman, I'm finishing up my 7th month off the poison....the physical effects have pretty much faded/subsided....now I'm in what I'm calling the "second stage" .... my brain continuing to re-wire itself and get into stable recovery (I no longer think I'll ever be "recovered" ... but that I'll always be "in recovery" .... like recovering alcoholics and drug addicts)....

 

The brain part, stage two, is subtle, infinitely variable, and I'm finding that lots and lots and lots of patience and gentleness with myself is essential....I'm still getting back chunks of memory, I still have whole years I basically can't account for, I'm fragile emotionally and prone to anxiety .... etc....

 

And yet, to have come this far, from where I was last December .... I know that given more time, my brain will do amazing things to heal ....

 

So, be gentle and patient with yourself....if you need something for anxiety, get it and use it ..... watch the depression as if a disinterested third party .... it's all brain chemicals ....and they're getting themselves sorted out .... if you need to take a bit of something, another ssri, etc. to give yourself stability, allow yourself to do so .... just don't rush into that decision .... I've got the sertraline/Zoloft I let the shrink rush me into taking ....and which I didn't take, thanks to my friends here, esp. fishinghat....if more time goes by and I still haven't stabilized, then I'll actually use it....

 

but it took six months for my body to get back to a functioning level....so I can't expect my brain, my CPU so to speak, to reboot faster than that ....

 

Hang in there, xman....hang in there!

[TryinginFL]

xman - how long have you been off the poison now?  I have been off 5 1/2 months and am just now beginning to pull out of the depression that set in...I'm not great on that yet, but it is definitely improving.  Apparently time is the only healer and it is obviously different for all of us.  My major problem has been the anxiety - I have so much trouble sleeping - I hope that this, too, will in time work itself out.

 

I also had the thoughts flying around in my head - that also is improving but I wish I were further along than I am.

I think that FN explained it beautifully...

 

 

On a positive note, I have a plaque in my kitchen that reads:

 

I want to be an outrageous old woman who never gets called an old lady.

I want to get leaner, meaner, sharp-edged and earth colored, until I fade away from pure joy.

 

This is what I am striving for - there's a lot of truth there!

 

Love, hugs and prayers,

Liz

[xman]

Five notions and Liz thank you! I love those words in your kitchen! Five notions I think you're right on and thank you for telling me so. I am so reluctant to get on another SSRI or any brain chemistry altering medication. But life is passing by and I fear alienating people and there's my job… it has been very difficult to get through my days at work. The emotions the waxing and waning I suppose mostly waning. I am at approximately four months off the poison.

[FiveNotions]

ah, 4 months .... that was just about where I had a "turning point" .... the body started to feel so much better...and when the physical pain faded, I was able to notice my thoughts and feelings ...

and, I'd forgotten that you're in the medical field, with direct responsibility for other's lives....yes....yes, that's a pressure and a concern....and it likely will be a factor in your decision about trying another ssri....definitely talk this through thoroughly with your doc and shrink/therapist ....

Remember, above all else, that you've gotten off Cymbalta...the big, ugly, evil monster....nothing else you take would come anywhere close to it ... you've beaten the King Kong of ssri's... :-)