21 replies to this topic

[Eriu]

Hi All, I am new. I've been taking cymbalta for 2yrs, originally for fibromyalgia I was prescribed it, it was to take 30mg then to go up to 60mg but I couldn't tolerate it at 60mg it gave me horrible pain in my abdomen so I was left on 30mg. I've not took a dose in six days I was weaned off it over a 2 week time frame. I'm having brain zaps, mood swings, crying alot and anxiety through the roof at times. I'm currently going through a bad patch in my life and wondering when I may start to feel better as I've enough on my plate without feeling I'm going crazy. My mother had a stroke and prior to that she was diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's a month before getting the stroke. Is there any supplements or vitamins you could take to easy withdrawals..

[invalidusername]

Hi Eriu and welcome...

 

Where to do we start here...? So 2 years on Cymbalta and 2 weeks to wean is a mistake first up. All that you say about zaps, crying and anxiety would be normal given what has happened. Furthermore, you doctor should know that a withdrawal should be approached from a point of strength, not weakness. You are clearly not in a place to be starting a withdrawal. 

 

I am very sorry to hear about your issues with your mother, I offer my sincere sympathies. Did you feel the cymbalta aided you at all with anxiety or depression, or has the above coincided with the withdrawal?

 

Supplements and vitamins will help you go through the withdrawal, but as it has only been 2 weeks, I would suggest that you reinstate a few beads as you are more than likely in for a rough ride and I don't want your present situation made worse by the withdrawal. 

 

This will involve something called bead counting - are you familiar with this? If not, we can help. But whatever you do... DO NOT reinstate your original pre-withdrawal dose. After 2 weeks, your system will not take a jump back up that big.

 

What I need you to do is to open up one of the capsules (assuming you still have some) and count the number of beads - there will no doubt be over 100 - unless they are the "big bead" examples which are rarely found, in which case, you will find up to 6 larger beads. If you can do that for me, then we can work with you and help you get through this.

 

Counting beads can be a real test of patience - best way is to find a black shirt and tip the (white) beads onto that to count. Our eBook is full of tips like this! I suggest you grab yourself a copy - can be found here;

 

https://www.cymbalta...tion-the-ebook/

 

Let's start there and then suggest some supplements once we have you on a few beads and settled.

 

IUN 

[frog]

Hi Eriu,

 

Two weeks is a really quick taper so it's no surprise you're having problems. I think even if you're one of the luckier ones who don't suffer for too long it'll probably be at least a few weeks before things improve. But it could be longer than that too. I had a really awful withdrawal and struggled for many months (and still am not all the way better to be honest). Not trying to scare you, but it does happen. Unfortunately it takes time for the brain to reestablish appropriate control over the neurotransmitters that Cymbalta was managing, and until then you'll be pretty all over the place. 

 

You can try ashwaghanda or L-theanine as supplements that promote stress-relief and relaxation. They'll take the edge off but it's probably not going to be a dramatic effect. 

 

Hang in there! 

 

Are you taking something else to manage your fibromyalgia in place of Cymbalta? 

[frog]

Listen to IUN, he is wise in the ways of Cymbalta withdrawal

[fishinghat]

Welcome Eriu.

 

IUN and frog have got you off to  a good start. Once we get your bead count we an chip in some suggestions.

[Eriu]

Hi all, thank you for your responses really appreciate them it's great to talk to ppl who know how you feel and don't think it's all in the mind. I spoke with my G.P and I explain the brain zaps and the rest of my symptoms. She told me brain zaps are not common with withdrawals from cymbalta that I would only feel abit jittery for a couple of days.. She doesn't seem to realise how bad withdrawals from cymbalta are. I explained lots of ppl get brain zaps it's actually one of the most common withdrawal symptoms.. she said not to be googling on the internet. So far today I'm not feeling to bad apart from fatigue and mild nausea and mild headache and nervousness but it's early yet. I'm on lyrica 175mg in morning and evening, propranolol 160mg once a day. Cymbalta didn't help with my fibromyalgia probably because I was not able to go up to 60mg like recommend. I didn't suffer from depression, more sadness and stress from what's being happening as of late but also with the pain I have endured all my 30's I am now 39. I'm so happy I found this forum. Thank you. I will try ride it out and take each day as it comes but I will try the beading if I get to a point I can't take it no more. See I want to get off meds as I'm afraid I'll end up like my poor mum in yrs to come. Also with cymbalta I feel I was getting side effects constant nightmares since I started it, and involuntarily body movement like my head would move forward and back like a nod but not very noticeable thank God or my leg or arm would jump while sitting.

[fishinghat]

I don't understand Drs. Maybe they should try to keep up with the medical research so they know what is going on. 

 

You hang in there Eriu. I also suggest you review the ebook as it lists a lot of things to avoid that can make the withdrawal worse (eg. coffee, alcohol,...).

[Eriu]

Hi fishinghat, don't understand some doctors either. Oh I didn't realise caffeine made them worse thank you. I don't drink alcohol so that's one thing off the list but I do drink caffeine so thank you I will avoid it so. Oh is there an eBook on it that's great I'll look it up.

[frog]

Your Dr sounds awful and very removed from reality. Like you said brain zaps are probably the most common side effect from not only Cymbalta withdrawal, but other anti-depressants. I would even get them back when I was on Cymbalta full time, if I forgot to take it for one day. All your side effects sound totally typical to withdrawal. I had it all: brain zaps, nausea, insane anxiety and panic attacks, random bouts of intense crying, etc. Some of it went away quickly, some went away after a number of months, some is still around in some form. 

 

I'm not sure what you're on the propranolol for, but it'll help for the withdrawal too which is good! My psych NP put me on it about a month into the withdrawal to help cope with the panic attacks. I was taking 20mg twice a day and it was a lifesaver. Beta blockers like propranolol stop your body from feeling the physical effects of adrenaline like heart racing/pounding, shaking, jitters, etc. After about 5 months I stopped getting the panic attacks and I weaned off the propranolol.

 

Hang in there! And don't listen to your doctor. It's not in your head. Withdrawal is very real and as FH suggested, even the FDA supports a slow taper off this type of medication. The label for Cymbalta is pretty misleading, stating that the following withdrawal side effects occur in "1% or greater" of people (worthless statistic): dizziness, headache, nausea, diarrhea, paresthesia, irritability, vomiting, insomnia, anxiety, hyperhidrosis, and fatigue. But you can see it's many of the things you're already experiencing. Not just "jitters" like your doctor claims. 

[invalidusername]

Hi Eriu.

 

Bloody 'ell. Your doctor is a right plank. 

 

Most doctors say stuff because they are expected to know. And I cannot stand it when a medical authority tells me "not to Google for information". Google is one of the finest things that has happened in the research field ever... period. What they mean is, be careful how you interpret it.

 

When I last saw a doctor for my withdrawal (before he confiscated my remaining beads - not kidding), I asked him what the half life of the drug was. He told me that HE would ask the questions. You don't know do you? I responded. 

 

Silence.

 

Then don't tell me to take them every other day if you don't even know what the half life is.

 

There are two types of "doctors" in this world; ones that are in it for the knowledge and the research, and the others who are in it for the pay check. I would say that is the difference between a PhD and an MD, but that isn't fair. I won't tell you which of the two I fall under LOL

 

Frog has got a lot of withdrawal experience behind her already and no doubt she will be happy to explain some of the symptoms as she has already listed. She has a very good way with words...

 

So, your Lyrica is a moderate dose, so should keep anxiety in check along with the prop. Jut keep those steady for now - do not be dropping doses from these for a while. And you are right, 30mg will do nada for fybro. No point in taking it, and you might indeed find that a drop from 30mg turns out to be OK, but still reserve that the advice given was wrong. 

 

For the record, I have had involuntary movements when on the Cym and still now months after. They have got better, but not sure they will ever completely subside. Thanks Eli Lily.

 

Keep us updated and best of luck

 

IUN

[Eriu]

I'm sorry to hear you had bad experiences with your doc too. My doc put me from 30mg of cymbalta to yentreve 20mg the also made by Lilly and have duloxetine in them took them for at 20mg for week. Then the second week I took them every 2nd day and that was it I was told to stop altogether. I'm now on my 8 day and boy do I feel crap yesterday I was not near as bad.. I feel like a zombie is the only way I can explain it no energy and I literally mean that in every sense of the words. Feel bad nausea and so weak.. It's so up and down one day u think I'm getting there next day your so bad you cant function. I'm on propranolol for migraines and lyrica for the same reasons. Lyrica is my 1st prescribed med that I'm on around 9yrs.. would love to get off it and have tried so many times but literally can't all the pain comes back and then some along with serious bad mood changes so I was never successful. It all started after a root canal that I got horrendous sensations in my head that I shot up right in the bed and didn't know what the hell was going on. So I went back to the dentist and she taught I had a sinus infection so she continued to put me on antibiotics for 5wks different ones as I kept going back as I was getting worse. I just had enough of antibiotics and when for a 2nd opinion from another dentist he sent me to a dentist that was highly trained in neurology he put me on lyrica and told me I had chronic migraines I couldn't believe it because my symptoms were as following electric shocks in my face and teeth mimicking toothaches, awful sensations of the teeth twisting in my mouth sounds crazy I know,numbess , burning, pins and needles sharp shooting pains etc list goes on in my face and mouth and head... Lyrica really helped so I was left on them. I couldn't afford to keep going to him as I'm on a medical card and wouldn't be able to afford it mad money if I was to stay getting treatment with him. So my gps kept me on it. Few yrs on I felt no pain at all so wanted off lyrica it had so many side effects I had memory problems balance problems weight problems. I was no longer me and I'm still not I don't even know who me is anymore it's so long ago and I've being on meds 9 yrs now hate it and I know lyrica can cause dementia and I don't want to end up like my poor mother who suffers everyday. But I know I'll just have to wait to try get off it again till I'm over this hell of a med cymbalta but I fear when getting of lyrcia this will of being a holiday compare to lyrica withdrawals.. sorry about the rant just hard to try get my whole 9yrs of my exp with meds across. My neurologist just kept me on lyrica also as well as cymbalta and just add propranolol to the mix.. He said he didn't want to take me off anything not for a long time... Incase it sets of the original chronic pain I suffered with. But I don't want to be in my mother's situation in yrs to come..

[invalidusername]

Eriu.

 

You need to look into this. The nerves that would have been tampered with during your root canal are linked with critical parts of the brain and can cause all manner of issues when done by people who are not trained and do not take the necessary precautions. I do not want to warn you, but the dentist who did your root canal could have caused this problem purely as a result of malpractice. This is why it would be a cold day in hell before I would let anyone do such work on my teeth.

 

There are countless studies on it, so unless you signed a waiver before having the work done, you may well have some comeback here. You'd be surprised where all those nerve endings go and what they can cause.

 

Lyrica has an awful withdrawal - can be as bad as Cymbalta from what I have seen and heard. But yes, one at a time.

 

I am in a very similar position to you as my father got Parkinson's as a result of staying on Citalopram for too long. The irony is that he didn't even need it. The doctor told him that he should keep taking it for maintenance. Words along the lines of "diabetics need constant insulin, so people prone to depression need constant antidepressants". I have never heard so much BS in my life. I have been on Citalopram for 14 years now and I want off. I was all set to start my wean before the damn COVID and man, am I glad I didn't start!!

[Eriu]

I'm sorry to hear that about your poor Dad that's awful beyond words how many life's have being badly effected by medications I dread to think. I think that's why my mother go Alzheimer's and vascular dementia
because she was on sanex for 40yrs. It sound crazy I know. If I could go back in time I wouldn't of started but I was told I'd be roughly 2 r 3 mths on lyrica 9yrs later here am still on them and more. Just want off all meds just don't want the pain back either it's not a pain you could put up with. I had a brain MRI done and neurologist said all was ok but I'll ask them again. That dentist was a butcher I had tears running down my eyes from pure pain and I told her to stop I could feel it still she said I couldn't because the nerve was dead after the 1st session of root canal but clearly was not. I didn't realise root canals were so dangerous at the time I know I was stupid..

[invalidusername]

Good grief - that is a long time to be on a benzo. How on earth can this have been overlooked by the medical community?!

 

Don't blame yourself for what happened, but this is the truth about nerves that run in these parts. People just don't put two and two together. How could anyone suffer brain damage from teeth?! Quite easily if not approached correctly. People always talk about serotonin from the brain, although we produced 90% or so in the stomach. It isn't the same stuff that is regulated by an SSRI, but there are influences between the two.

 

If there is any advice we can offer, please ask...

[Eriu]

Thank you for all your info and advise greatly appreciated thanks s million. Great to have the support here. Thanks to all. I will

[Eriu]

Update

[Eriu]

Hi all, hope you all are doing well. I just taught I'd add an update on how I've being doing. I'll be 3wks off cymbalta on Wednesday. My brain zaps have calmed slot but my mood has being very up and down. I'm getting mood swings and very tearful and nightmares.

[fishinghat]

Unluckily that is a standard reaction. Hang in there. It will get better.

[invalidusername]

Just as Hat said - this is textbook for where you, but the gaps between swings will improve in time.

 

Difficult as we all know and we are here if you need anything.

[Eriu]

Thank you I will. I'm happy the brain zaps at least have calmed down they were awful. Hope you are doing well and having a good day

[invalidusername]

Yeah, those brains zaps can be really debilitating at times.

 

Things for me are a little tough at the moment, but never forget that every one has "down times" once in a while. They come, but they also pass... 

[Eriu]

I'm sorry to hear things are tough for you right now. I really hope they improve very soon.