257 replies to this topic

[smacoy1973]

Interesting no migraines this week. A drug to help these I think was intensifying them... Still on the topamax but only 50 mg at night and have had to take no breakthrough meds. Amazing to me. I seriously hate CYMBALTA! It needs a black box label. My neighbor takes 120 mg of this stuff. Today I am 3 weeks clean. Lol I sound like a heroin addict. Heard yesterday at work Tramadol will be a controlled substance Aug 18. But drugs like cymbalta just keep on getting prescribed. I'm warning all my docs and discourage it as much as I can.

[smacoy1973]

Great job, Crystal! 3 weeks is awesome! This is day 2 for me and I took out 6 beads today. So far so good!! No symptoms so far. I just can't wait to be clean from Cymbalta. I went and swam laps at the pool this morning. Going to try and keep exercising as much as I can. Good luck to everyone!

[TryinginFL]

Wow smacoy...

 

Swimming laps - that's great!  Hope you are not pooped out tomorrow - it can happen.  And no problems with removing the 6 beads - great!  You are doing so well, if this continues it should not be such a horrible trip for you!

 

I wish you much luck and please continue to keep us posted

[Crystalg1973]

Good job smacoy-take it one day at a time!!

[Amybc7]

smacoy - 

 

Welcome and great job getting started on this!

 

When first starting out I was able to take out many more beads than I am able to now.  I'm down to 15 beads and these last beads are a pain!  I've found that I'm doing best removing one every three days...which is sooooooooo slow...but I'm able to function.  Listen to your body as you go!  If the side effects are a lot - just hang steady until they minimize.

 

That's what I've learned here.  

[smacoy1973]

Thank you so much, Amybc7! I will definitely keep that in mind. I took out 9 beads today, so we will see how that goes. I also ordered some YoungLiving Essential Oils that are also supposed to help with depression. I hope those will help make my transition a little easier. I will let everyone know how that goes when I get my kit and get started on those. I'll post back later today. Hope everyone has a great day!

[thismoment]

Amybc

Yes, listen to your body. You have a great attitude! One bead every 3 days is fine. There is no "slow" because there is no timeline; as you've discovered, your body will tell you when to adjust the pace, and the timeline simply follows along and is therefore open-ended.

Take care.

[smacoy1973]

Hey, everyone! Day 3 with taking 9 beads out and I did fine😊. Didn't get to exercise today, but I plan on getting some in tomorrow. My goal tomorrow is to get my daughter's room (toys) cleaned out. I've been needing to do that all summer and haven't yet. Keeping my fingers crossed that I, at least, get started on it. Taking 12 beads out tomorrow. I'll post tomorrow night with an update. Thanks, everyone, for listening. Goodnight😴

[Crystalg1973]

Pretty good day. Still winded.. But made it one more without cymbalta. Daughter came home from her mission trip. Got 5 loads laundry done! She had a marvelous mission trip in NOLA. Glad to have her home, I will be more busy with her here. Gonna try a bit of exercise. Gotta get off 30 pounds that surely will help my breathing! No headache or nausea or dizziness! Counting down the days to my vacation ...going in 3 weeks. Can't wait. Positive note I have had some sex drive.. I had zero , absolute Zero on Cymbalta. Don't know it that is a side effect from it but it sure was for me. Again I hate Cymbalta ! So proud of myself for going this long without it. I am a bit emotional tho.. Always been a crier.. It's intensified now I cry at anything I mean anything. My 20 year old text me he loves me and I cried. My boss told me I looked nice, I cried...Hope that gets better it I'm gonna have to wear sunglasses all the time.. Lol😉

[smacoy1973]

Day 4 taking 12 beads out went just fine! Did get started on my daughter's room, but no where near finished. Just ready to get my motivation back. Hoping tomorrow goes good. I'll keep you posted.

[Crystalg1973]

Great day today!!!!

[smacoy1973]

Yay, Crystal!! So glad you are doing good. You give me hope. Praying for another great day for us both.🙏

[smacoy1973]

Day 5 took 15 beads out and still doing good! I just keep thinking about how wonderful it's going to feel getting this stuff out of my body for good. Hope everyone is doing well.

[TryinginFL]

Crystal and smacoy...

 

Wow - you 2 are doing great!  Keep it up!

[FiveNotions]

Wonderful progress reports, smacoy and Crystal!

 

Just keep listening closely to what your bodies/brains are telling you .... and take a break/slow down any time you need to ... keep us posted, love hearing the news!

[Crystalg1973]

Good day, productive. Worked 9 hours, went out with Fam and shopping. It's hot as donkey balls here today! 104 right now. Hampers the asthma a bit! Feeling fine tho. Got some St. John's wort at Walmart- anyone tried this? Hungry as all get out. I am so glad to be getting out of the house. The last 6 months I have not gone out much.

[gail]

Crystal, that's good to hear.

 

As for the weather, same here with so much humidity.

 

St John's wort, I have tried before going on lexapro then on crapalta. I hear it does wonders for many. Cant say it did for myself.

You may be the lucky one here. Much positive revews on this. At least a 6 week trial is needed if I remember correctly. Needs to build up in the system.

 

Keep up posted.

[fishinghat]

Crystal, my old psychiatrist asked me to try it when I was going through withdrawal. What I didn't know was that it was incompatible with antihistamines like Benydril. Wow was I sick!! I would also mention that it is a mild ssri and should not be taken with other ssri/snri as it can cause a condition called serotonin syndrome.

[smacoy1973]

Day 6: Took out 18 beads. Another great day! I walked 3.22 miles this morning. I'm thinking about starting to take out multiples of 4 instead of multiples of 3. I can always slow down if I do not do well with that. I know the worse is yet to come, but so excited so far. Thank you everyone for listening.

[Crystalg1973]

Well I don't think I'll take the St. John's wort. Don't need any other crap! Lol. Doing well without the meds I think!

[FiveNotions]

Crystal and smacoy.... still going strong!

 

And Crystal .... "hot as donkey balls" ... well now, that's a phrase I've never heard before ... I'm definitely adding it to my vocabulary! ... and we've got the weather here in DC to justify using it ...  94 degrees but "feels like 101," thanks to the humidity ... blech ..

[thismoment]

Here's a link to the original Donkey Balls Store in Kainaliu Hawaii. Made with chocolate and macadamia nuts; many varieties including Blue!

 

 

http://www.alohahawa....m1plqscsfapp01

[FiveNotions]

Hey, they've also got Dingleberries, Goat Balls, Dolphin Balls, Monkey Balls, Chicken Balls and Numb Nuts .... all "hand crafted" .... and, my personal favorite ... the "Balls Gone Wild" tee-shirt .....

 

TFL.... you're going to be in Hawaii for the wedding ... how 'bout makin' a little side-trip for us .... bring us back summa' dem balls!

[TryinginFL]

I will certainly keep an eye out for all those balls! 

[thismoment]

There once was a man from Devizes
Whose balls were various sizes
One was so small
It was of no use at all
But the other won several prizes

[TryinginFL]

TM....LOL

[smacoy1973]

Y'all are too funny!!
Day 7: Took out 24 beads and did great for the most part. I had a little bit of a headache tonight around 6, but nothing that ibuprofen couldn't fix. Other than that, I had a great day! Didn't get to exercise today, so going to really try hard to get that in tomorrow. I hope everyone is doing good!

[TryinginFL]

Great smacoy!  24 beads on day 7 - that's wonderful!!  And nothing but a slight headache?  You are sooooooo fortunate....

[charpern]

Hello I am new here too. I am Sue and when I went to pick up my Cymbalta prescription last Sunday - I found out it would cost me $229.00 - boy love that "donut hole" - NOT!!!.  So I called my pain specialist and asked how to get off this stuff.  I still have a few capsules left - I was told how to wean myself off it.  After 3 days of half off ( half of a 60mg cap) for 3 days I am miserable so I looked up withdrawal side effects and luckily found this group.  I have lower back pain, possiblely Fibromyalgia, an autoimmune disease (in my GI system) and Osteoarthritis.  I was on an anti depressant years ago to help with pain and getting off it was not like this at all.  The doctor used Valium as a muscle relaxant and withdrawal from that was tough and I made it through that and I will make it through this too, but I am glad to have found you all.

Sue in Oregon

[fishinghat]

Welcome Charpern.  Do you have enough medicine left to bead count or are you going to have to stick with the cold turkey?