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Just started Cymbalta and not feeling right.

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Posted 8/30/2008 11:59 PM (GMT 0)

Hi friends,

I first posted this in my usual forum for Crohn's Disease, someone suggested that I post here too.  Thanks for your help :-)

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My primary care doc gave me Cymbalta 30 mg for generalized anxiety disorder.  I've never taken anything like this before.  (anti-depressents and the like)

My first dose was Thursday night.  My doc said that it may make me tired and nauseous...hence taking it at bedtime. Well it made me horribly nauseous and all day yesterday I was so dizzy and just didn't feel right.  I stayed home from work and I left a message for my regular doc on Friday morning and never heard back from her.

Friday afternoon I had an appointment with a new GI.  She said she can't give advice on something she didn't prescribe...but she thinks that the dizziness and nausea is normal with cymbalta and that if I just push through it, I'll build up a tolerance.  I took my dose last night.

Today, I feel horrible. Nauseous again, I can't get out of bed - which in turn has brought on a horrible headache.  I'm not hungry but when I do try and it I just feel sick. 

I called my doctor's office - the receptionist said "i'd stop taking it until you can talk to your doctor, but let me pass you to a nurse" - who told me that my doc won't be in until Tuesday and that nausea is normal.  She was absolutely no help with my questions.  I asked her if the doctor who is on call would call me, so we'll see if I hear from anyone. 

In the meantime I'm kind of getting worried.  Thank goodness it's the weekend, but what happens Tuesday when I have to take my kids to their first day of school and I have to go to work?  And, if I stop now and then on Tuesday my doc says - no that's normal, keep taking it - I'll just have to go through all of this again!

Sorry, I feel like I'm all over the place writing this.  I'm just confused and I don't like feeling this way...almost like I'm high on drugs :)  I guess I am, geesh, I don't like this.  Has anyone ever been through this?  Is it a normal reaction?  Should I take my next dose tonight?


Thanks,
Melissa

Posted 8/31/2008 1:11 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Melissa,  We have a lot of members on Cymbalta and it seems that the initial period of adjustment is quite hard. My BF just started a dose of Zoloft and he had a pretty bad week with dizziness, nausea, D, and "out of body"..if it continues after three weeks please go back to your doctor. The receptionist should be...elswhere..don't stop the meds without dr supervision. Here is what I found. I wish you well. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects: ·          stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); ·          restlessness, overactive reflexes, hallucinations, loss of coordination, fainting, coma; ·          nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and fast heartbeat; ·          painful or difficult urination; ·          easy bruising or bleeding, nosebleeds, or ·          black, bloody, or tarry stools. Less serious Cymbalta side effects may include: ·          dry mouth ; ·          drowsiness, dizziness, headache; ·          diarrhea, constipation; ·          sleep problems (insomnia); ·          weight changes; ·          feeling anxious or nervous, increased sweating  
Posted 8/31/2008 9:23 AM (GMT 0)
I'm on Celexa and have been on Zoloft and had the same side-effects of nausea, tiredness, drowsiness. From what I can gather, side-effects for the SSRI's and SSNRI's are very similar. They should die down within 2 weeks.
Posted 8/31/2008 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
Melissa H

Good Morning, this is Kitt. I am on Cymbalta. I started at 30mg, then to 60 mg and then my sweet Pdoc said my complaints about not liking it were because I needed an increase in dose...............so yup - 120mg. Needless to say I got hypotensive, dizzy and had to lay right down on the floor.

I took the med for 5 days and felt awful at that dose. I finallly called the clinic and said I needed to drop back to 60 mg, I also had called the Pharmaceutical Company to get info on that large of a dose. My physician received a letter due to the reaction I had to that big dose.

I am a firm advocate for not stopping a med on your own if it is working and you are doing well. However if you cannot tolerate the med and you choose to stop until Tuesday you do have the right to advocate for yourself.

I listened to a nurse who told me to keep taking a med that was causing me a rash and I ended up in ER and Solumedrol IV.

Keep posting and know we care. Please remember I am not a professional.

Kitt
Posted 8/31/2008 6:46 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your advice everyone. I did end up taking my dose last night - and today the nausea is not quite as bad, but I am still really dizzy and have a pounding headache. I feel like my head will explode. This is such a big week for me at work and with my kiddos starting school - I really need to be awake and able to function. I think I'm going to hold off on taking anymore cymbalta for now. I've only taken 3 doses so hopefully this won't be a problem. I may call my pharmacy and check with them too. Thanks again for sharing, and I'll let you know how it goes!

Melissa
Posted 9/2/2008 10:54 AM (GMT 0)
I'm on 10mgs a day of cymbalto and only notice some dizziness in the evenings. My friend said she's noticed I'm more drugged out then usual lol, but with all the drugs they've tried me on what else can I expect. I've got another 3 weeks to see if this works and if not I'll be withdrawing and starting something else.

That becomes a problem what if the pdocs can't find anything else?

Posted 9/2/2008 1:30 PM (GMT 0)
hi I just wanted to reply to your posting. I have been perscribed cymbalta and the 30 mg dose was insane for me. I felt tweaked out and restless and crazy. Racing thoughts and just loss of reality along with the stomach and weird body issues on top of the brain racing. I didn't want to just stop it after I started it without being under the care of a psychiatrist which I am still waiting to get in to. Just fyi I did some cymbalta research and read a lot of people's posts on some differend sites and I decided to open the capsule and only take about half of the medicine in the capsule. The 15 mg seemed to help a lot more. The nausea stopped after only a couple of days and I didn't feel high like you are describing anymore and was able to get some sleep finally. Just sharing that cuz the 30 mg made me feel out of control and miserable.
Posted 9/3/2008 4:15 AM (GMT 0)
Aussieangel - Good luck with the new dose, let us know how that goes.

ddd - thanks for your comment, you've described how I was feeling. I think I need a lower dose for sure. Heck, I take a tylenol and get sleepy :)

Update: I did stop last Sunday and by Monday morning I was feeling back to my old self. (which I was actually pleased about, ha!)

I have noticed a bad headache and jitters this morning, but maybe that's just my body still getting rid of it? Anyway, I have an appt. with my pdoc to check into a different dose, or perhaps another medication. Looking back over the 3 days I was on the Cymbalta, I realized just how out of it I really was. I don't remember any of the conversations I had all weekend! It's a scary feeling to be that "out of it".

Glad I found you guys as I venture into this new diagnosis :)
Melissa
Posted 10/14/2008 2:47 PM (GMT 0)

I'm bumping this old thread back up and hoping Melissa or someone will answer.  I usually post on the Lupus/Arthritis forums so I hope you don't mind. :-)

I am having the same reaction to 30 mgs of Cymbalta.  I've been on it 7 days and still don't feel right and not sleeping.  The nausea has gotten better though.  I feel awful and so out of it too.

Did you end up stopping it all together?  Or did you keep it up and this all went away?

I'm ready to throw in the towel.

Posted 10/14/2008 3:15 PM (GMT 0)
Trying2BFree

Good Morning,

When I went on Cymbalta I went on slowly and eventually I was bumped to 120mg.........I did awful at 120mg and even called the drug company. I call my Pdoc and was bumped back down to 60 mg. Until my Pdoc maxed me out I was fine getting on the med.

It will take 4-6 weeks to reach the therapuetic dose so some of the sx should start going away soon. If not do talk with your physician.

Take care and keep talking to us

Kitt
Posted 10/23/2008 8:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hey everyone!

Im happy I finally found a place like this.  I just started taking 30mg of Cymbalta 5 days ago, I was trying to wean myself off of 5mg of Paxil and never could.  The Doc gave me Cymbalta and told me to just take it the next day in place of my Paxil.  I'm really hoping that this works for me as I have been dealing with gad and social anxiety.  I haven't been to a mall in probably 15 yrs.  My kids don't understand why mom doesn't go do the fun stuff (fairs, bowling, shopping, concerts etc.).  Anyway, I was just going to say that the first couple days were good, only dry mouth and a little sick to my stomach however last night I felt kind of weird and started getting a headache.   I went to bed and woke up a few times feeling kind of tingly and had very vivid dreams(not nightmares) which I have read alot of people have the dreams.  This morning I have been shaky and felt sick and had to leave work.  I'm wondering if it's the Paxil  wearing off or if anyone knows if you can have ups and downs when starting out on Cymbalta.  Like I said, I really hope this works for me but am hoping I will eventually even out.

Thanks,

S.a.s

(Social anxiety sufferer)

Posted 10/23/2008 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome S.a.s. to HealingWell.

I am glad you found us. Your question is a tough one. I have never been told to stop one med right now and substitue another except for one I was allergic too. I am very familiar with Cymbalta but not with the withdrawal effects of Paxil.

I am sure someone will come along and help you out with some great advice.

Again Welcome
Kitt
Posted 10/23/2008 9:17 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you stkitt,
With you being familiar with Cymbalta I was wondering if you could let me know how you did or a doing on it. I am nervous about being on this med. ( I was with Paxil too) must come with the anxiety. Im one of those people who figure if there are side effects I'll probably get every one. Also, I know you aren't supposed to drink on this med but I do enjoy a few beers now and then but also don't want to kill myself by mixing the two, any thoughts on alcohol and Cymbalta.
Posted 10/2/2017 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
IDK if anyone uses this thread still but, I've been on Cymbalta 30mg for exactly 2 weeks. Nothing but trouble for me. I've slept maybe 20 hrs in the 2 weeks taking Cymbalta with the hopes of it getting better. It got so worse, I visited the hospital. I can't even drive my fiance to work or down the street to Walmart without panic, weird zombie like feeling. Needless to say I'm done with modern medications as this is my 5th bad experience with an anti anxiety medication. I'll keep the pins go natural, I'd rather have the anxiety!

How do I wean off this horrible, horrible drug I was just going to stop cold turkey and hope for the best I can't be counting those little beads! I'm going to try contacting my doctor today, once he's at the office! I sleep during the day it's so bad! Chest pains severe and nearly every symptom everyone else has mentioned ddd hit it on the nose! Excuse my language but **** these medications... DONE and DONE.

Please someone with the same tramatic experience reach out to me.
Posted 10/2/2017 3:40 AM (GMT 0)
Cc,

I am sorry to hear of your difficult experience.sad

Definitely talk to your doctor about a discontinuation schedule. He/she can help you with a gradual/gentle wean to avoid any more unpleasant effects.

For now, please see our Resources at the top of the main forum page here for great self help material to work with during this time...and beyond! Practicing the suggested exercises daily will make a big difference in how you feel!

Best wishes, and post anytime for support!

Scaredy Cat
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