Cymbalta Withdrawal Only Exists On Message Boards
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Earlier I had written a post titled Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms Suck where I had gone on a rant of all the shitty Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms I was feeling. To my surprise, that post became very popular and a lot of people have weighed in about their experience while weening off Cymbalta.
I am now completely off of Cymbalta and haven’t had any Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms for a couple of months. I do however, relive my experience every time I read a new comment posted on my Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms article. Sometimes people have questions about certain withdrawal side effects which I don’t have answers to so I’ll try to look something up on line…that’s not easy.
Where Is All The Info?
It seems that Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms only exist on message boards and blogs. Other than that the only cautionary warning is to not stop taking Cymbalta without consulting your physician. If you enter the term Cymbalta withdrawal in a search engine you will see that the top results are message boards.
Just try and find some site actually associated with the pharmaceutical company listed…you won’t. That is completely shocking to me. It is a fact that Cymbalta is causing moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms in people yet the company doesn’t feel that it’s necessary to address this?
Take A Closer Look
Even scarier than the number of message boards and comments being left by people suffering Cymbalta withdrawal is what is actually being said in these comments. There people who have been going through Cymbalta withdrawal for up to 3 weeks just crying out for help from anyone.
A common theme in these messages about Cymbalta withdrawal is that the people suffering are not getting the help they need. They are either going to there doctor and being told that they are being “extra sensitive” about what they are going through which is magnifying the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms. Or they are being told that Cymbalta does not cause withdrawal symptoms.
I have over 80 comments on my Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms Suck post and out of those 80 there are about 2 people that were taken seriously by their doctor about the withdrawal symptoms they were experiencing. In those cases the doctors either changed the rate of the tapering schedule the patient was following or got them on a supplement routine that would replace what their body was now lacking due to the withdrawal.
It just seems like Cymbalta is being prescribed more and more for not only depression and anxiety but now also for diabetes nerve pain. People find, after taking this drug for sometimes only a few months, that it is no longer serving the purpose it was intended for. Instead of being able to quickly taper down they are now stuck taking Cymbalta for months and months after it is needed just to avoid severe withdrawal symptoms.
I Gotta Do SOMETHING
I read this stuff and it makes me crazy. But then I say “what can I do?”. Not much actually. Along with keeping this topic in the spotlight on my site I decided to create and online petition which I will be sending to Eli Lilly at the end of 6 months. I strongly urge (and beg you) to please sign my Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms online petition. As of writing this article I have one signature and it is my own. Come on…be a pal!
Posts
September 2nd, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Thank you! I have gone through the suffering of coming off of Cymbalta and I have been trying to think of a way to get people together to do something about this drug! I’m not all that great with computers- is there a way for me to put a link to your petition on my myspace page? I would love to do that. Thank you so much for what you have done!!!
September 4th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Just checking up on you- come by and say hi!
September 6th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
I signed the petition and left a brief message about my withdrawel traumas. Thanks for steeping out and helping to do something. I hope to get the message around somehow to make more sufferers aware of this site and the petition. I dont know how to yet, but I hope to think of a way. There arent very many people that have signe the petition yet.
September 6th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Erin,
I signed it as well. I hope things are okay with you. Haven’t seen any new postings in a while.
September 7th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Hi Erin,
I have been taking Cymbalta for 2 years. I am taking 60mgs. daily for nerve pain. I want to go off. After reading your post, I am scared to death. I don’t think the Cymbalta is working now. I really, really appreciate your posts and the other people who posted after you. I have had the brain shocks, when I have ran out of Cymbalta for a time. They are real. I forgot what you called them, but they can be so severe they can knock you down. I have told 2 doctors about these shocks to no avail. They think I am dreaming this up. I will try to go off slowly when I do. What scares me most is the nausea. After a stomach surgery, I can not throw up. I don’t know what to do. Thanks again for your posts. Please let me know of anymore findings, or if you need help getting Eli-Lilly to face up to the problems with going off of this nightmare of a medication. Joyce Germer
September 9th, 2007 at 2:45 am
It’s 4am and I’m on my 3rd day off cymbalta. I’m really glad that I found this sight. I knew I was going to have some kind of problems getting off cymbalta but had no idea what I was in for. I hated the side effects while I was on it and I’m hoping I’ll live threw the withdrawals. Reading all the comments has helped me realize what is going on. It’s been a weird day just trying to keep my head from falling off and rolling around on the ground. It seems like there are some things that will help like Dramamine and I may end up trying it. That may help one problem but just having some insight to what to expect helps me alot. I’m sorry to say but sometimes we need drugs like cymbalta to help us. I ended up on cymbalta and welbutrin only after trying everything else that didn’t work. I’m still on welbutrin and I’m hoping as the Dr. said would help prevent some of the withdrawal problems of cymbalta. I have one more month on welbutrin and then I’m hoping I’ll have my life back. I’m looking forward to that day. Good luck to you all.
September 13th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
I signed the petition as well.. Thank you for your help and support with this trauma to our body and lives..
September 15th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
I have been on Cymbalta for about 4 months and am up to 60 mg twice a day. I was in an accident a year and a half ago and had trouble walking and I also have nerve pain from diabetes. So far it has helped a lot, but I am worried about it if it stops working and I have to go off of it. My doctor did not tell me of any adverse side effects when she put me on it. I don’t know if she is even aware of them. I had an episode two weeks ago that scares me even worse. My prescription needed filled so I called it in and had taken my last one Saturday morning. When I called it in I thought I heard that they were open until 7 pm so I went to pick it up after work. They unfortunately closed at 6 pm. I did not have my meds for Saturday night, Sunday, and Monday, since it was labor day weekend. Sunday I got sick at work with diahrreha (sp?), faintness, cold sweats, couldn’t think, and had trouble walking. I seemed to be fine on Monday, but Tuesday morning I got a severe headache and my right hand started to shake. They thought I was having a stroke so I went to the emergency room. The headaches and the shaking got more and more severe until my whole right side started to shake. They gave me adavant and sent me to a larger hospital. The doctor there told me that the combination of the cymabalta and my suppose sleep apnea I had damaged my frontal lobe and was having mini strokes. I am not sure if I agree with him because I haven’t had a problem with sleep apnea for a long time. I think now that the cymbalta alone is what cause the damage and the mini strokes. I am still having trouble with the headache and yesterday I forgot how to write twice. When I was in the hospital I had forgotten how to walk for about three seconds and then remembered. Everything I have read and experienced now has me very worried.
September 21st, 2007 at 3:34 pm
I’m 18 Years old almost 19 and, I have cerebral Palsy. I had been on Cymbalta for All most Two years it is the third anti Depressant since I was, 16 when, I was first Given Zoloft. I stayed on that for a few Months or so, Before being transferred to Effexor XR. I stayed on that for a year and a half until it stopped working for me. Then I was transferred to Cymbalta,it worked like I said for close to two years. Before I said enough is enough I was sick of the “anti Depressant shuffle” that is the only way to describe it . I asked my doctor to help me get off it. I was taking 60 Mg once daily My doctor had me take 30 Mg’s for two weeks, and then stop period. That appointment, with my Doctor was two and a half weeks ago. Since I started to taper down my dose symptoms I have Gone trough are, Severe Mood swings, intense Muscle and joint pain, Incressed Muscle Spasms somewhat due to my cerebral Palsy but incressed by this withdrawal, dizziness, and what fells like motion sickness when I stand, intense Insomnia, very Emotional, Edgy, Severe Headaches. Things that seem to help Valium, benadryl, and headaches medications. That seems to be about it. and I Have had at home advice from my parents who are Nurses, But not much helps the withdrawal symptoms.
October 25th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
I am sitting here in tears (probably because I’m extra-sensitive in withdrawal..LOL) reading because I am so glad to hear that I am not crazy. I am so glad I had the hunch after 10 months that I had to get off. I am in so much pain..so much..but I am going to tough it out. God Bless.
March 23rd, 2008 at 11:40 am
I have been off of Cymbalta now for 9 days. I feel like I have a bad case of the flu. The worst part is the constant nausuea and the dry throat. i can barely swallow and I feel like I constantly need to force myself to eat, to get rid of the nasuea feelings. I know it will be a bad road ahead, but I keep thinking to myself, if this is what happens when you try to get off of this medicine it frightens me to think what it is exactly doing to my body. I just hope this ends soon! I might take the 30 mg tablets every other day for a while, but I’ve already been cold-turkey for 9 days, and hope thow rost is over.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:47 am
I took myself off Cymbalta (cold turkey) about 2 months ago. I went through a job loss and was finding the co-pay too expensive with insurance and impossible without it. I have had severe insomnia which is finally getting a little better as well as night sweats and anxiety. The stress of looking for a job hasn’t helped either. After visiting this website, I thought I would try taking the benadryl to see if it helps. I am feeling better but it has been a very uncomfortable 3 months.
August 11th, 2008 at 7:03 am
I also took myself off Cymbalta cold turkey 2 weeks ago; told my dr what I was doing, but refused to go on any other meds. I did start taking 100 mg of 5-HTP & extra B6 & folic acid plus my normal multivitamin, which I believe helped.I had flu-like symptoms & extreme fatigue for a week, & now have muscle & joint pain that I hope will go away soon. 1-2 Benadryl at night helps insomnia (which was MUCH worse while on Cymbalta). I’m so happy to be off this med. Best of luck to everyone in their withdrawal recovery!