Getting off of Cymbalta - My Story

I found a similar "journal" on this site and (https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=2407979) after reading it and reading about some of the withdraw effects of this medication I thought it would be useful to do the same. Not only to document what's going on with me, but maybe it can help someone else and maybe there are some others who have gone through it. So here goes:

I started talking Cymbalta last spring for depression and reached 90mg. I started to get dizzy, headaches, nauseous, vomiting, insomnia, loss of concentration/focus, making mistakes at work and went back to my psychiatrist. She thinks I'm having an adverse reaction to the medication. Before my appt. I knew I wanted off of this medication. I felt like I wasn't sure who was making decisions or creating emotions anymore - me or the Cymbalta. She agreed I needed to get off it and suggested trying to go cold turkey and get the toxins out of my body. She did say that if I was having bad withdraw symptoms to call her and we could taper.

I last took my 90mg of Cymbalta on Monday morning. Today is Thursday so this is Day 3.

I still am having the same symptoms as I was before: dizzy, headaches and insomnia. I wasn't nauseous today though so that's an improvement.

Hoping I can get some sleep tonight.

I took cymbalta for 3 years them went to effexor, yes I did have withdraw symptoms.

they lasted about 2 weeks, anti diahrea meds and gingerale got me through.

Peace
Trina

Cilly - you said you're withdrawl was horrendous from Cymbalta. What did you experience?

Anything

cilly said...
Cymbalta is tough med to recover from,so hang on .

It gave me terrible side effects and then withdrawal was horrendous.
But it helped with my pain and depression quite a bit.

You will be fine once totally done with it and slowly tape and take other one recommended....n see how it does for you,
Good luck.

Glad you got some sleep Kristy. Keep us posted though this period of withdrawal. We will help the best that we can. I have heard Cymbalta can be kind of hard to go off of. I hope it goes easy for you.

Hang in there...

Hugs, Karen...

No I'm not tapering at all. I had insomnia when I was on Cymbalta and it progressively was getting worse.

Day 5 was okay. Not dizzy as much as I was the first few days. My body does feel achy and my nerves sometimes feel like rubber bands snapping.

Sounds are a bit more amplified. I feel like I have super sonic ears and the littlest noises are noticeable to me.

I started looking around my house and was realizing all the stuff I'm been letting slide in the last 9 months - artwork in the corner that I meant to hang in the spring, laundry that hasn't been put away. Makes me realize how debilitating this has made me – whether it’s the depression or being on the medication. I’ve always been very organized and hate clutter. I know it’s changed me.

I want to be back to my normal self. I miss her.

Day 9

I'm definitely starting to feel some emotional affects that is either due to the withdraw from Cymbalta or just not being on an anti-depressant. I've been on anti-depressants for a couple years - started with Sertraline (generic Zolof) in fall 2013. Maybe this is my body telling me I really am depressed and could use some medication or its the withdraw.

I'm crying a lot, feeling really overwhelmed with about every aspect of my life. Feels like I just can't catch a break, and everything is breaking, falling apart or going wrong.

My parents came out of state to visit for a few days. They know what's going on with me and wanted to check in. I had to apologize to them today because of my emotional crying fits.

Still not sleeping great, which I'm sure is not helping. I wake up exhausted and have zero motivation to do anything. I go into my closet and stare. Nothing in me wants to be clothes on, be presentable and go to work. It's an awful feeling to wake up and feel this way.

Thanks for the message Karen - I'm set to see my doctor on Nov. 10. I was hoping I could be one of those miracles that went off medication and realized I didn't need it. But I does seem like I do need to be on an anti-depressant. I go to therapy on a regular basis - now once a week, increased it from every other week.

Day 10
I had therapy today and I felt better afterwards. I know I need to focus on the day ahead of me and what I can do that day, instead of catastrophying the future - I just needed to be reminded of it. She agreed with me that I should see a chiropractor for the lower back/hip pain I've been having. She thought it was funny I was trying to diagnose what it could be a result of before even calling the doctor :)

My regular Thursday night Restorative yoga made me feel super relaxed as well.

All-in-all a good day.

I will give myself a pat on the backfor not crying once today. yea me!

Kristy,
I have been reading your posts of getting off of the cymbalta. I suffer with panic and depression. I have also been on and off different antidepressants. My response to your past and recent post is this: Most people with depression 'can not' quit any anti depressant 'cold turkey' without withdrawal symptoms. Some are mild and some are severe. ALL antidepressant labels WARN patients not to quit cold turkey. Been there and done that.
Whether you are struggling with depression or not; the symptoms you are describing are most likely side effects from quitting like that. You do more damage quitting cold turkey than titrating down slowly and letting your brain take over where it wasn't in tiny increments. Your medicine has been doing for you what your brain chemistry couldn't; and now the receptors are messed up-confused.
I am not a doctor only one that has been hospitalized from withdrawals. I would call my doctor and tell her what is happening. If she is smart she will tell you to go back on, get stabalized and wean of 'very' slowly when you are stable.
AS far as your house goes...PUSH yourself to do what needs to get done. I too struggled with that. But I also struggled with relaxing and felt guilty if I wasn't doing something-part of my anxiety. One time years back when I was feeling at my best on my med's; my house was clean but not spit polished as in the past;and my sister came for a visit. She said "it is nice to visit your home and be able to relax. " "Huh?? " I said. "Well your house was always so perfectly in order that it was sometimes hard to relax." She was right....I think I even organized my canned foods LOL!!
Anyway...Med's do change you. That is their job. To take us out of depression and anxiety and help us to function in a calmer and more normal state of mind. BUT not every medicine is a good fit for our chemistry.

Tangodancer101,

I am glad to hear that the Cymbalta is working for you at this time. Try to not worry about the future and take it one day at a time. enjoy the day...

Best wishes to all!!!

Hugs, Karen...