727 replies to this topic

[invalidusername]

Hey guys...

 

Apologies for the radio silence my end. My week has been stupid busy. 

 

@Frog

I was so pleased to read your regaling of your travels. 90 minutes away from home is a biggy. There will be a point at which it becomes pivotal and the distance will simply make no difference. That obviously varies from person to person, but its the point that you realise that you can recover from the point you are at. The feeling is one of needing to be home to recover. We don't need to be. So the car is a good place to start as you know you can just jump back in and soon you will be back and surrounded by your creature comforts. Airplane is different. You usually have a return ticket booked in advance and there is nothing you can do if you wanted to get home short of hiring a car or hitchhiking which will make things worse anyway! Hell, this is making my anxious just writing this! But I have been here a few times and I am forced to admit that you are doing better than me here. It is clearly as a result of having a severely mentally ill wife you cannot walk a few yards to the minimart to get milk, so as much as I want to travel those 90 minutes to view some heritage sites and so forth, I can only do so on my own. That would look very odd, and it would upset my wife more that I was doing these things when she cannot.

 

But this in no way diminishes how pleased and proud I am of you, having seen what you have made it through. Truly a wonderful display of courage that has paid off and is a inspiration to many. Keep going!!!

 

@MX

I was thinking exactly what Frog said about your kid there. Stinging words for you, but working memories will take presidence over long-term. They have so much going on in their brains that this will soon be forgotten. A few weeks down the line I can assure you that you could ask them.. "Did you remember say that I was no fun?", and they won't remember at all. But more importantly - self compassion here. If you had a broken leg and your kid said "You're no fun - you can play soccer" - how would you feel? It is no different. These things, as I have said before, are symptoms of an illness. They are NOT you. 

 

But wonderful to hear about the day recently where you had a whole bunch of positive. Really tough to hang on to these, but they are there to serve as proof that things are a-changing! Brains are plastic - you can mould them at your will and they will respond. Your actions will pay off. As I have often said to others - "fake it til you make it". Smiling alone increases necessary neurochemicals, but you don't have to want to smile! So what you are doing is good. Kids are more perceptive than adults - they will see these things. Plus they pay far more attention to you, they learn from you, they love you.

 

Mother or Father is another name for God on the lips and hearts of all children. Sure, as Frog said, they cut straight through the BS, but they love you.

[frog]

Yes I'm very lucky that my husband is always willing to go on adventures. If anything I'm the one holding him back. 

 

We just bought plane tickets for the wedding at the end of the month. I feel optimistic about it right now we'll see how I feel as it gets closer haha

[wandering2]

Welcome wondering2

 

There are a few that are indeed suffering after 1 or 2 years (althbough much improved. For most I would say the turning point is 6 to 8 months after their last dose. After that improvement is slow but continuous. Of course that is just an average. There are some supplements that may help as well as diet and such. I would recommend a look at our free ebook which contains info on what members have tried, their comments as well as scientific information, diet and much more. It is the first thread in the Medical Support section.  Please feel free to come back and ask wuestions, release your frustrations ir just update us on your condition. Hang in there.

Thank you so much for the quick response and giving me a better idea of when ppl start turning the corner. Lots of great info in the ebook. Apologies for the late reply.  These last few weeks have been busy and I definitely feel like I’ve made a lot of progress finally. Really hoping it continues. How long have you been completely off? Are you symptom free yet?

[wandering2]

Hi wandering2 and welcome to the forum....

 

Hat is always there with the right advice for such people as yourself. There is never any knowing the length of the "sentence" following the withdrawal, but we can go by the averages.

 

Your focus here is that things have improved. Sure they have taken a few months, but yes, this is absolutely normal. Where people talk of things continuing for 2 years or so, it is often a specific complaint - for myself it was seizures. These cam about as a result of the cymbalta. Everything else cleared up within around 6-7 months, but I still have the occasional seizure. They were initially at least once or twice a week, if not more. Now, if I am fortunate, I can go a couple of months between episodes, and they are less intense. It is my fond hope that that will go altogether in time.

 

Again, as Hat said, the eBook would be great reading at this point, and please feel free to drop in any time - perhaps start your own thread so you can document your progress. We often encourage our members to do this, so they can see their improvements, not matter how small. I look back on my posts 3 years ago and it shocks me to see what I was going through. If only the 2021 me could have spoken to the 2018 me and told me everything would be alright! You will be there.....

 

IUN

 Thank you.  So sorry to hear about your seizures. Sending positive thoughts your way that they end once and for all. 

[wandering2]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forum. I think the people who don't continue to struggle tend to leave the forum so we don't know about them so you're left seeing only those of us who still need help. There are likely lots of people who got better and never looked back. I can only speak for myself, but my withdrawal was really really bad. It triggered new panic attacks that were near constant and random and severely affected my mental state and sense of "safety". The experience was super traumatic and once the panic attacks finally wore off after about 5 months, COVID started which piled on an additional layer of stress. What I've been dealing with in the year following that is more the consequence and trauma of the withdrawal not the withdrawal itself. I hope that makes sense as there is definitely a difference. I just couldn't pull myself out of that loop on my own so I finally turned to Lexapro about a month ago. My hope is that with the help of meds I can give my mind and body a reset and a rest and allow things to go back to normal levels. Eventually when I feel ready maybe I will try to taper off the Lexapro slowly and maybe be off meds for good. Or maybe not. Life is very stressful these days. Having a little artificial buffer from the stress may not be such a thing bad. 

 

Hang in there. If you've already seen a lot of improvement, there is likely more still to come. If it really gets to be too much, there are always SSRIs to try. They are much gentler than Cymbalta so even though withdrawal with them is certainly possible it would never be as bad as Cymbalta

Thanks so much for the response. That makes sense. I hope your mind and body are feeling the rest and reset needed. Sending healing thoughts your way. 

[fishinghat]

Wandering2

 

I have been off for 8 years now and all is very well, thanks for asking.

[invalidusername]

Thank you Wandering...

 

Hat is an inspirational to all as is Gail, LDN, Frog, MX, AJ... so many on this forum. 

 

I am happy to say that you will find some very heart-warming stories here. We have all been through thick and thin, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel... and no, Hat, it isn't a train coming the other way!!

[frog]

Happy to report that our first trip across the country was a huge success. I had a couple of little moments of the inkling of panic tied to specific instances but the drugs did their job and it never became unmanageable or out of control. 98% of it went smoothly and I was in the moment and enjoying myself! I'm so grateful to feel like I'm starting to reclaim my normal life again. 

 

My main issue is that I have very little energy or motivation during the day. As a test I'm trying out taking the Lex at night instead of in the morning. Unfortunately the past week I've had a cold so it's impossible to say if the change has been working or not. Will report back later

 

Hope everyone is doing well 

[Mxpro32]

thats awesome.  I think its starting to work for me as well.  I've been anxious and not feeling really great lately, but its mostly due to my business going through a rough patch and the pressure of figuring something out.  I'm kind of in freak out mode.  I feel like I would be in a good place if my life was more secure at the moment.  I start feeling pretty good until I get stressful news.  I don't feel like I'm getting the random depressed episodes or anxious episodes.  it seems pretty tied to whats going on.  now I need to work on managing my stress and not catastrophizing things and I think I'll be doing much better.  I think I'm going to look for a cbt counselor as I don't think I'm getting much from my current counselor any more, and I really think getting my thoughts straight will really help now.  hopefully business picks up and things will be good again.  

[mimi10]

Wonderful to hear the trip was such a success.  The mirtazapine gives me the same sluggish feeling during the day, which has slightly improved since I’ve lowered the dose.  Hope moving the lex to bedtime helps, I hold some good thoughts for you.

[frog]

Hi everyone! Just randomly popping in to see how everyone is doing. 

 

Update on me: I'm still on Lexapro @ 15mg and the occasional Ativan when my anxiety is peaking and I am getting panicky but need to function (this generally happens when I'm on vacation especially after a night of drinking and is still 100% tied to feeling insecure about my bowels while knowing I won't have easy bathroom access like in a car or a boat, etc.). This is something that I feel like is still improving slowly as I am getting better at identifying triggers and is becoming less and less common overall. 

 

I am still dealing with finding solutions to my chronic pelvic pain and I've come to feel like being on Lexapro might be a necessity anyway while I continue on this path since chronic pain contributes so much to my stress levels. I have a really fantastic psychiatrist/therapist who I trust to help guide me through med management now and someday when I'm ready to try to reduce (or not!). I've also generally been digging really deep in therapy and learning SO much about the generational trauma and high levels of anxiety in my family leading to anxiety being "normal" all my life. I've actually been teaching my mom to identify her own anxiety and panic to help her start noticing it on her own and hopefully reducing it over time! Breaking the cycles and all that.

 

Other than that I really feel like I have my life back. I gained a lot of weight after starting Lexapro (and being super sedentary from COVID and working remotely) but I am trying to be more active than I have been since I was a teen: I've gotten back into ballet after 20 years taking an adult class once a week, and I bought a treadmill under my desk and am trying to walk 10k steps a day to get stronger and fitter. We've also been traveling again, vacationing in Portugal, Hawaii, and some other trips here and there in the US. This year we have rebooked our incredibly belated honeymoon trip to Japan in May and I couldn't be more excited. I remember being so upset thinking I missed my chance and would never be able to travel again. 

 

TLDR; I know the severity of withdrawal those of us on this forum experienced is not as common, but it is real and it is incredibly traumatic. So much so that even when the withdrawal ends, our bodies can't recalibrate back to 'normal'. But you can get your life back! For me it was with Lexapro and my amazing psychiatrist, for others it might be something else. Just hope this is an encouraging post to anyone who is going through the really hard parts. The nightmare ends eventually. But if you are just thinking of getting off Cymbalta, just do yourself a favor and do it slowly and with a psychiatrist's supervision. Trust me, it's not worth it to risk going through withdrawal

[fishinghat]

Great to hear from you frog!!!  Great post. Sounds like you are now in a more stable situation. Those individual areas of remaining concern can now be dealt with slowly and surely and things will continue to improve. But, you already know that. Please stop by from time to time and update us. It is always appreciated.

[invalidusername]

Hey Frog - apologies for the delay - had a few issues over the last few weeks, but as Hat said, it is great to hear from you, so pop by whenever and update us on the goings-on!

 

I understand the alcohol related anxiety - it is so common. In fact there is a term used in addition to a "hangover" which is "hangxiety" because anxiety is so common after a night of drinking. I am ashed to say that I have had alcohol difficulties and know this symptom all to well.

 

Think it is great that you are doing all the trauma stuff and aiding your family. That is truly honourable. I often noticed that side of you on the forum with new members - you have a very kind and generous soul. I wish you well with all that you do in this regard.

 

Really does sound like you have got back on your feet a lot and I am so happy for you. I have unfortunately gone back a few paces. I am not too good right now, but hopefully from all that I have learnt over the years, I will find my way back out. I have certainly been in worse places.

 

All the very best my dear one

 

IUN

[redbird22]

Can't stand the brain fog.... worried it will last years after I'm off this drug       
New here, no support from people ofline.

[invalidusername]

Hi Redbird and welcome....

 

Brain fog is SO common during withdrawal. Your brain is quite literally re-wiring itself, but I can tell you that, with exception of very very few cases, it WILL pass. 

 

Can you tell me how long you have been on Cymbalta - and the dose?

 

And how you went about your withdrawal... how long have you taken between drops... are you still on a dose now, or when did you stop?

 

Keep calm, this is nasty I know - it can knock you out cold and put in you in bed for a few days at worse. It will come and go, but the better days will soon outnumber the bad...

 

Good to have you here,

 

IUN 

[redbird22]

Thank you. Not on any meds now. Stopped the lowest dose (20mg) about 3 weeks ago. I don't have time to count out the little beads and do the tapering like most suggest to do.... I have like no free time due to work and other elements in my life. Plus, this drug makes me so mad (it's basically evil!) so now that i'm off it for good (i hope), I can't fathom the idea of going back to taper with the beads counting method, even if I did have the time for that.

 

Yesterday was a better day at times, but then the insomnia kicked in (again), which really is getting to me. Plus my body hurts. Then when I think I can finally sleep the weezing and breathing issues start.

I'm wondering about CBD and Kratom. Has anyone on here mentioned either? Kratom is helping me get through the day. Helps a lot with pain, anxiety, and depression. Also wild lettuce helps sometimes.
The problem with CBD is it's expensive if i'm going to be taking it as often as I'd need to, to combat this shit.  Trying not to feel hopeless. 

I really don't like the sudden rage I get at times. This also is really fun (not!) when It is late and I'm trying to sleep but then invasive thoughts happen.

p.s. how does one keep a job when going through this process, when they have no time to count beads because work is too demanding? I have no other work options at the moment, so I have to stick with my job if I want to financially survive. 

Thank you for your kindness. I appreciate it.

oh, almost forgot: I was on this since 2010, I think. Hard to remeber due to a few reasons.

[invalidusername]

OK... so you have dropped by the available doses. This is often a recipe for disaster, so hold tight and you will need to wait for it to pass. Counting the beads can be a tough process, but for the symptoms it prevents, it is so much more often wirth it than not.

 

But as you stopped three weeks ago, I would suggest you just white-knuckle through what it throws as you. If you were to reinstate, it would have been a few days ago.

 

You are likely to get a whole host of stuff going on depending on how quickly you stopped, but 13 years is a long time and we would recommend a period of around 9 months to come off this "evil"!

 

Regarding CBD and Kratom, you have come straight to the right guy. I can help you out with anything you need to know about both as I have been a user of both for years.

 

Kratom is excellent and as you say, much less expensive than CBD. It can really help you, but bear in mind that it is an opioid and therefore can be addictive... so just be aware.

 

Keeping a job once you have hit zero can be almost impossible. When I quit, I was a mess and went through some horrific stuff. 

 

FishingHat went through even worse - but I will allow him to explain. His story is barely believable. They guy is a legend (as well as a veteran). You will be surprised how much our bodies can take.

 

Please feel free to ask me any further questions... I will do all I can,

 

IUN

[redbird22]

Thank you for your kind response. I just wish more people in my offline world would believe me. They google it and come up with the idea that the withdrawl isn't that bad, and lasts only 2 weeks! It's such a freaking joke. I hate this because what I am going through is 100% real, and no one believes me, despite anything I say or do or show them. It doesn't help that the main person, a friend of mine, who should be supportive to me emotionally, is on the autisim spectrum, and therefore only responds to "athority figures" on this topic, meaning doctors, (who of course don't tell the truth about any of this). I know they care about me, they just don't have the skills to relate at all on this particular stuff.    I have other friends but are not that close with them to the point of being able to confide such an experience to them. Family is not understanding / does not care at all.

I had cbd in my system when i first stopped a few weeks ago but quickly discovered that I simply can't afford it for the amount I'll need. I have been a fan of kratom for years. Green Malay seems to do the trick, but I still build up quite a tollerance to it. I really don't get addicted to anything at all. I know this from being put on a pain killer for an injury years ago and I was able to stop after a short while, no problem, with never wanting to go back on it. I just don't have that addictive personality. So I am not worried about addiction. Have you seen the movie Leaf of Faith?

I actually tried stopping from 120 mg cold turkey and was able to white-knuckle through for about 2 years until things got to be far too terrible for me. Outside aspects were very anxiety inducing and stressful. (Thank you Pandmic!  ) It was hard to tell what was withdrawl and what was the normal anxiety from the way the world was. The first year before the pandemic, was stressful, but I had more of a support system back then. Plus, I didn't know that I was in withdrawl at all. Just thought the sweats, depression, and anxiety were due to stress from a situation I was dealing with at the time. I had a lot of good happen in that year, so it really helped to balance out any of the 'off' feelings I had. but shortly after the shut down a year since stopping the cymblata the first time, I suddenly felt like I couldn't handle things too well. It didn't help that I had other factors on top of the pandemic that made things terrible too. All along I didn't know that what I was experiencing was the withdrawl (to what degree, again, i don't know because of all the other stuff happening all at the same time). It was only after giving into going back on cymbalta in 2021 at 60mg and then wanting to quit it because i discovered how evil the medical system is overall (don't even get me started on that... especially with the rage I've been dealing with currently as a withdrawl symptom... i'll get way too upset.). So I have been doing a lot to back away from the medical system in as many ways and as much as possible. So, I stopped again but decided to 'taper' this time according to what the dr. reccomended  . After a relationship went sour, I figured I'd research the idea of withdrawl from cymbalta and then finally put all the pieces together of what I went through in previous years. Let me tell you, I was some how able to keep my job through all of it, even when after only 2 months I went down to 20mg. It was hell, but I did it. Because it was such hell though, I was afraid to go off completely. 3 weeks ago, I found myself in a situaion where I had to start the process of not having cymbalta in my system completely. I can't afford it any longer. I can't have this evil drug depeting my body of essential vitamins that will help my immune system. So I went off, and here I am. 

What herbs and vitamins help with this process? St. John's wart seems to help people. I tried it last summer when in the depths of dealing with the change to 20mg. I don't know if it helped all too well. 

I cannot afford to lose my job. I've been through a lot in life, so i'm hoping I can white-knuckle through this..... Any advice on what to say to a boss while one is going through this process? My boss is also on the autisim spectrum, and so it's of course harder to get him to understand anything outside of his own personal experience of life.   

If there was a way for me to just take a break from work and be able to lean on anyone, I would, but that sadly does not exist what so ever for me. I've had to be self sufficent from a young age and that has not changed for me in any respect yet.

Thanks again. I really appreciate that I can at least share with people who care on this site.

p.s. sorry for any typos. needed to get all this out quick before brain fog gets to me, and need to get back to work now.

[redbird22]

clarification: 

Thinking back, I think this is what happened. Details extracted and facts on dose are below:

2019 was on 120 mg (had been on it since 2008 or 2010, honestly come to think of it, I can't remember at this point if it was 2008 or 2010 but I know it was one of those 2) and took myself off it because i just randomly decided that it'd be nice not to be tied to the idea of having to take a pill every day.

fast forward to going back on cymbalta at 60mg in 2021, and then in spring of 2022, I went down from 90mg to whatever the next step was, [60 mg]? Lived that for 2months. Then went down again to 20mg at that 2 month point. stayed on 20mg for about a year, & finally stopped 20mg CT about 3wks ago.

[invalidusername]

Ok - Lots of information here....

 

Googlel is NOT your friend unless you look through the scholar search and find academic papers. You cannot taper off any anti-depressant in 2 weeks unless you have been taking it for a month or less. Unless you have been there, you do not know. 

 

The reps that visit the doctors are TOLD what to say by the pharmas. They have no understanding at all. FishingHat has always said that there are so many papers published every month and the medical community cannot dedicate the time to look at them all, but from my perspective, the medical stafff should NOT accept what they are said - they need to be sure themselves that the advice they are giving you is in fact correct. And telling patients to stop anti depressants within a few weeks after you have been on them for years is simply wrong. No ifs, no buts - its WRONG.

 

Green Malay is a good vein. It is a choice of mine. Doesn't make you too sleepy, but mellows you out, helps with anxiety whilst allowing you to carry on with your day. Glad that you are not prone to addictive substances - neither am I, but yes, the only issue is that Kratom does have a tolerance. Stop it for a week and it will reset.

 

I often use a red vein for getting back to sleep when I wake with stress and/or anxiety. Still works every time. It is a lifesaver. It also help with my epilepsy as I had taking more meds than is necessary.

 

Sorry that you had to attempt withdrawal during the pademic - that would not have been easy. But one of the other common symptoms is the ability not to tolerate stress. Because it is an SNRI, rather than an SSRI, it control norepinephrine - the precursor to adrenaline, so you will have found that you get angry, wobbly on your feet - anxious - stuff all over the place. I went through 3 months of a rollercoaster of this and I was only on Cymbalta for 10 weeks!!

 

So you did as I thought, dropping by the avaiable doses rather than bead counting. It is no wonder that you had the issues that you did. 

 

The best stuff you can do to aid your situation will be Omega 3, but you will need a combined 3000mg of EPA and DHA, which might seem a lot, but this will certainly help you with your brain fog. Do not be afriad to take twie the recommended dose - it is perfectly safe, but you need this much for it to work. A good dose of vitamin C is good - you cannot really overdose on this, and potentially B12 and magnesium. 

 

St Johns Wart will only add more serotonin into your system, so I would stay clear of that as it will only prolong the process. Others have cross tapered to Prozac to counteract the symptoms, but if you felt ok when you tapered, then you should feel fine once off this stuff. 

 

But please continue to check in. I am more than happy to help. We have 10,000+ members who have gone through Cymblata - far more than any ER or doctor. We have seen it all and would not give you any advice that we were not sure about.

 

IUN 

[fishinghat]

Well, as usual, IUN has really got you off to a good start. You have come so far since you were on 120 mg!! You should be very proud of yourself. A tough trip for sure. 

 

I agree with IUN on the St. John's Wort, it has its own withdrawal as well. I am going to include a link to some of the things members have found useful with their withdrawal. This referenced post is the first of three posts in a row listing the possible helpful supplements. I would suggest the Omega 3 as a possible help for the brain fog.

 

https://www.cymbalta...row/#entry99115

 

You might also want to look through our free ebook which contains medical research, member comments, diet suggestions and much more.

 

https://pdfhost.io/v...ble_of_Contents

[redbird22]

Thank you hat and IUN, It's wonderful that I found this site and am able to get the support I need. I can't thank you enough! Had insomnia again last night, and had to sleep sitting up due to the breathing issues. I'm hanging in there. Your support makes a huge difference. I don't feel crazy... I now know that all these random things are because of withdrawl for sure, and that makes a world of difference for me to curb the anxiety. Basically if i can understand WHY something is happening, I have A LOT batter chance of being able to deal with it.

p.s. I just wanted to state that I mean no harm to those on the autisim spectrium. I myself am 100% sure I'm on the high functioning side of the spectrum too. 
I refuse to get diagnosed officially because I've seen more bad than good come of that for people. This medical system overall is so messed up in like, every way. It's crazy!

[redbird22]

Just wondering, has there been any study on this site regarding the unique experience of cymbalta withdrawl for people who either have ADHD or are on the various levels of the autisim spectrum? Being someone who has both of these elements to contend with, I find it even harder to go through this process of withdrawl.

 

Its beyond hard to 'mask' my autistic traits, (seriously it takes everything in me to appear normal even without being in this withdrawl process!)
and as for the adhd, the hardest part to deal with hands down is the brain fog due to already having focus issues to begin with!

being dyslexic is fun too... this withdrawl sucks for that. so, if I ever mispell or have typo's thats an added reason as to why.

Try doing sales for a living on top of all of this, and you will have a fun insight as to what I'm dealing with currently. lol

I don't want any medication for either of these things I deal with. I'm trying to be 100% medication free. 

Anyaways, I really think there's a huge population of people on the autisim specrtum who have been proscribed this evil drug but who also are desperate to get off the drug/ are struggling with the withdrawl symptoms. Same thing for those who have ADHD.

 

I think i've got good points here and I know that if you had a thread dedicated to each topic individually, it'd help SO MANY people. Seriously. 

So far, i have yet to find anything dedicated to this withdrawl process from the viewpoint of either having adhd or someone being on the spectrum. I know information on both would help me and a ton of other people so very much.

just food for thought.

[fishinghat]

That is a good suggestion redbird. I will add it to my to do list. I (and I am sure IUN would agree) have noticed that anyone going through Cymbalta withdrawal always seem to have a harder time if they have any pre-existing condition that effects the nervous system. 

 

By the way, don't worry about your communication/typing skills. Mine are not great either. lol  I type with 4 fingers and the other 6 are all croissed as I am hoping i spell things correctly.  

[invalidusername]

It is very difficult to comprehend how the autistic spectrum and the ADHD will affect these medications. 

 

Both are fairly new to the factorials of medication and the research is very limited, but I can certainly understand that the person undergoing the issues (yourself, in this case) will be feeling the brunt of it.

 

There is so much more research to be undertaken to allow for people such as yourself. 

 

Let us not forget that it was not so long ago that it was believed that the mind and body were considered separate in diagnosis. In that it wasn't until the 70's that doctors considered that the mind played a part in physical ailments.

 

For example... just think for a moment that you are squeezing lemon juice into your mouth.... Can you feel the saliva in your mouth.... the acidity?! 

 

There you go!!

 

So therefore, you condition will play a part in what you are going through. As much as I do not like to say it, but you will have a little more to contend with than those who are not on the autistic spectrum.

 

I am many friends who suffer the same as you, and as much as i would like to experiment with them (!), it is not legitimate!!!

 

But I am glad that you have answers.

 

When Hat and myself agree, there leaves little to be understood. Between us, there is little else to be known.

 

Keep in touch and I wish you all the very best.

 

Your friend.

 

IUN

[fishinghat]

"When Hat and myself agree, there leaves little to be understood. Between us, there is little else to be known."

 

I don't know about the last half of that statement. It seems like the more I learn the more I realize there is still so much i don't know.

When Hat and myself agree, there leaves little to be understood. Between us, there is little else to be known.

[redbird22]

Question: Has anyone on here given any tips on how to communicate with work about going through this process? Tips on what to tell your boss, etc. ?

current things I'm dealing with [yesterday/today/last night]
1] having to sleep sitting up due to breathing issues,
1.5] insomnia
2] anxiety (kratom is helping with this... I gave up on cbd due to it being too pricey for what you get),
3] brain fog (despite taking the fish oil), feeling tired (idk how much is from not sleeping well due to the way i have to sleep / still fighting inspomnia),
3.5] focus issues / dyslexia / everything takes longer for me to compared to when I wasn't in cymbalta withdra\. ex: writing emails for work and making sure I include all details needed and spell everything correctly, etc.
4] feeling hot and cold randomly,
5] massive body aches / all of my body physically feeling tired
6] stomach issues

7] I am thinking there's more, but brain fog is getting the better of me right now. 

 

one other thing: Windows and Waves:
Per research, I have come to understand the 'windows and waves' concept. That totally makes sense to me. Windows = times when things are not as bad Waves= times when things are at the worst. However I feel like there are many different levels or types of 'windows' because to me at least, even when things are some what better, I still combat things like feeling hot suddenly, brain fog, breathing issues, insomnia, etc. I feel like as time goes on, in general,  these 'windows' get a lot better. (sometimes not though, becaue it's as if you relapse into worse times later in this process). 
Regardless, there should be different levels of these 'windows' explained to people out there who are dealing with the withdrawl process.  Same thing with 'waves', as some waves are worse than others, in my opinion.


thanks again. Can't tell you how glad I am to have found you guys!

[invalidusername]

First of all I have to respect what Hat has to say, but he is very humble with what he says.

 

He is very well educated, and I myself, am a PhD candidate in Neuroscience, so am at the forefront of the latest technology. I am reading papers all the time!!

 

But I have to respect that Hat is covering our back in stating that that is always people that who may know know more that we do, but those people are very difficult to come into contact with.

 

All of the things that you mention, believe it or not, are quite common with withdrawal. Honestly, it is totally normal and will pass with time. You have stopped very quikly so all of these symptoms come as no surprise to me.

 

The windows and waves work out to the same as good and bad days respectively, and again, this comes as no surprise to me.

 

You will just have to see it through given your withdrawal plan. 

 

Do not blame yourself - you weren't to know.

 

Stay in touch and we will do all we can to help you through this

 

IUN

[fishinghat]

"Question: Has anyone on here given any tips on how to communicate with work about going through this process? Tips on what to tell your boss, etc. ?"

 

I have never seen a post like that on this site. I know that some have indicated that their bosses did not understand. I wish i could give you some outstanding advice on what to do but all companies have different policies and all bosses are different so I suspect that whatever I came up with would probably be wrong. Sorry.

 

Things mentioned in "current things I'm dealing with [yesterday/today/last night]"  are so typical. I wish that I had a majic bullet that would help. Have you reviewed the "What may help" list? These are the things that had the best chance to help withdrawal symptoms.

 

I have not heard the term "Windows and Waves" before but that is certainly a great term for the thing we often call withdrawal rollercoaster. Your comments have fueled a thought in my brain as to how to explain this situation in our ebook and suggestions on how to use it for the member's benefit. Thanks for the idea.

[redbird22]

Guys! Look at this post on Reddit!!

It's getting a TON of attention! (All about side effects of cymbalta withdrawl and kratom helping, and people's experiences!)

I hope it goes viral!!

https://www.reddit.c...web2x&context=3