Comments on: Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms Suck

By: Katharina

Katharina — Mon, 10 May 2010 19:48:13 +0000

Dave, I know this is an older post, but I have some experience with depression, anti-depressants and recently, Cymbalta. I am mortified! I am a educated business professional, mother, wife. After missing a dose, a related to my Psychitrist how odd I felt. He told me he had never heard of the electical lightning storm – brain zaps I had that day. (I knew he wasn’t being forthcoming with me because a good friend of mine saw him a year ago for the specific purpose of getting of Effexor and they talked about the brain zaps.) I was thankful this friend was willing to share his story with me, otherwise I would have been blindsided. I had no problems coming off the other antidepressants. I was on the Cymbalta no more than 2 months. I am on day 3 without it. I am home “sick” today. I didn’t take off when the depression was at it’s worst (and I would say I was suicidal…very dark…but too doggone responsible to not go to work. As I typey right now, I am using the backspace/delete keys like crazy. I am physically miserable. The brain zaps make me feel as though I would be an extreme danger behind the wheel. I am unstable on my feet, disoriented, feel as though I am licking a 9v battery while riding rollar coaster. Right now, I feel the Cymbalta has done nothing but add insult to injury.

By: Martha Rivera

Martha Rivera — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:01:16 +0000

Hola tengo la necesidad de dejarles mi comentario pues quisiera que de algun modo lograran informar al paciente de Cymbalta respecto a los efectos secundario; pues en mi experiencia esto ha sido lo peor, comenze usando Cymbalta para el dolor que me provocan la radiculopatia en la dosis de 30mg y luego de dos semanas aproximadamente comenze en los 60mg decidi descontinuarlo por que yo nunca habia padecido de depresion y ese medicamento me provoco una depresion severa casi ni hablaba y me pasaba durmiendo y para empeorar la situacion he subido de peso 18lbs en dos meses tambien tengo que decir que no se me oriento correctamente en ningun momento el medico me advirtio de los efectos que iba a tener al descontinuarlos aunque los descontinue poco a poco el ruido en la cabeza es la cosa mas tormentosa que he pasado me esta volviendo loca, en mi vida nunca habia pasado algo asi y cada vez que muevo la cabeza me da un corrientazo y mi vista se fracciona, me desoriento con facilidad y hasta la memoria ha sufrido daños, he recurrido a otros medicos y en estos momentos estoy visitando a un neurologo. Espero pronto mejorar pues en realidad me asusta la idea de que no se me vayan estos sintomas. El remedio fue peor que la enfermedad, Mucho peor.

By: JSmith

JSmith — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:10:15 +0000

I wish I would have found this site earlier. I have been on Cymbalta for 4 years. Started at 30mg, went up to 60 after the first month, and then to 90. Stayed at 90 for almost 2 years, then 60 for another 1.5 years and then down to 30 for the last 6 months or so. I was originally on for depression and anxiety attacks and then for PTSD after my husband committed suicide in July, 2006. I decided to go off on my own because I have moved and am almost out of the pills and did not want to start over with another doctor. I did a very fast taper; going from one 30 mg pill per day to one pill every other day for a week and then totally off. I think I’m on day 6 or 7 now, and this has been pure hell. The brain zaps weren’t a surprise; I’ve had them before when I missed a dose or even when I took the meds a little later than normal, but those zaps were NOTHING like what I’ve been going through. I feel like I’m being electrocuted and my head is about to blow up. My skin is crawling, my face feels numb, I’m on becoming a permanent fixture in the bathroom. I cry at commercials that aren’t even sad, have short-term memory loss and feel like someone has taken a bat to every muscle and joint in my body. On the plus side, I have not had any of the vertigo other’s have described. I’d like to say I found the secret cure to the withdrawals; I haven’t. But a few things have helped. I take Xanax once a day when the anxiety gets really bad. I take Tylenol for the headaches but am not sure if that helps. I’ve been craving fruit so I’ve tanked up on the Vitamin C. I also Take Omega 3-6-9 and think it is helping. I’m lucky that I have a job that allows me to work from home because I could NEVER get up, dressed for work, drive to work, etc. I also have a very supportive boyfriend who has read through pages of blogs to understand what I’m dealing with, brought me Benadryl, vitamins, Chamomile tea, etc.
I believe that it might have been easier to taper off for a longer period of time but I will not go back on this stuff. I’m hopeful that I’ve come this far and am crossing my fingers that the worst of it is over, although it probably isn’t.
I, like the rest of you, had NO idea the withdrawals from this drug would be like this. I tried numerous other depression meds before finding the Cymbalta and never went through anything like this. It did work for me but I didn’t realize how numb I was. I’m feeling so much deeper now, which is both a good thing and a bad thing.
Please hang in there. We CAN do this.

By: NICOLE

NICOLE — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:30:09 +0000

i’ve been off for almost a week and am having the WORST headaches of my life!! has anyone else had this? i’ve got this awful headache (that will NOT go away)…..and i’m very nauseous. any suggestions on how to get rid of these symptoms?? withdrawals from this medicine are hell!!!

By: Rick Hauck

Rick Hauck — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:21:21 +0000

Cymbalta log day 7….60mg…… cold turkey- woke up singing today…couple of zaps, much better than a couple days ago- physical symptoms seem to be diminishing very quickly now. Still a bit of confusion, but I feel much safer driving. Libido seems to be creeping in slowly, no crying spells, or anything weird or unusual otherwise. Very happy with the decision to come off…I will be back in a couple of days, for one more log….. but i feel the worst is DEFINATELY over, and the good in life will soon be great again, sort of already is, its coming i can feel it! STAY STRONG people, good luck!!!

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:25:59 +0000

OK so, i have been on cymbalta for 4 years, started when i was 15 and im almost 20 now. I was on 60 mg till i got pregnant with my daughter and they lowered me to 30. now im on my 4th day off of it, after all this time and my head feels so funny allll the time. tell me why withdraw has to feel so weird. i sometimes feel like something is on my chest..i just dont like the fact i cant feel normal.i dont know what normal is after 4 years.so we will see how this is! ahhh

By: Rick Hauck

Rick Hauck — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:10:55 +0000

Cymbalta log- day 5-COLD TURKEY- 60mg daily…..i was on for anxiety- not depression, and .5 klon bid. iIm guessing i was on for two years. I have been reading blogs about how people having withdrawl after months of “weening”off. I thought, why put myself through months of that , maybe i get this sucker wrapped up in a few days….also…while reading blogs, i noticed the bad ones made my anxiety increase, and good ones seemed very encouraging…interesting tidbit about the power of the state of mind-i am excited to get off the dope and have feelings again…now i am not saying to go cold turkey…i am very healthy and fit- and the first 4 days were hard- almost a constant zaps, hot flash, some nausea, dhiarrhea.
Here are things that seemed to help me. First of all, prepare yourself for 4 days of hard symptoms, no work if possible, driving is simply dangerous. Omega 3 really did seem to help, more than anything else- I did canned salmon mainly-i also exercised like crazy drank a gallon of water a day, green tea, stayed away from any processed foods or anything that was not really healthy. The third day I woke up at 12:30, about 6 hrs later than normal- bazaar….so today is the end of day 5, the physical symptoms are much less than the first coule days. The physical symptoms are hit and miss, for no apparent reason, but fewer and much less intense, even than yesterday. Tonight however……night 5……..i have been crying uncontrollably for hours, with intermittent bouts of laughter in between sobs. But…it feels good to cry again, (maybe not quite that much!) I try to explain the withdrawl like maybe it would feel like coming out of hibernation…like you are waking up from a looooong period of limited and dull emotion. I miss my high highs, and my low lows. I WILL BE strong enough to stay off meds now and continue with a normal life. I wish the best for all of you going through the same thing. And yes the withdrawl is I would say 10 times that of paxil, (for me) but remember the zaps are not going to kill you, even tho it may seem like it. Just smile when they come, and know you are heading to freedom…very soon. Oh another thing i did on day 3 was pretty bad, put on my headphones and blast my music. Anything that takes your mind off withdraw and gives you an emotional boost, would probably help immensely. I turn on my music and danced around the house….dont believe me? try it. good luck my doper friends…you are gonna be fine in a few days!!! ALSO EXCITED ABOUT THE LIBIDO, ALTHOUGH HAS NOT RETURNED YET…I DONT WANNA JUST BE ABLE TO PERFORM….I WANNA ROCK IT, YOU KNOW? let me know if you need an update via e-mail, be happy to

By: Michelle N

Michelle N — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:03:24 +0000

I can’t believe that there are so many others out there that are going through these terrible withdrawls. I have only been on Cymbalta for about 7 months for depression, but it also helped with the pain from my disease called Chiari Malformation and Tethered Cord Syndrome. I started on 20mgs, to 30mgs, and then up to 60mgs. I stopped cold turkey two days ago and it hit me like a ton og bricks yesterday. I am vomitting, dizzy, headaches, (allthough that could be from the Chiari), and extremely irritable. I can fly off the handle at any moment. Please tell me this will get better, and NOT worse. My life is finally looking brighter, and now I have this sudden set back. Any advice is appreciated. Michelle

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:29:22 +0000

Luckily, my doctor prescribed a low dose of Prozac for two weeks. He said he was glad I talked to him about all of my withdrawal symptoms and that Prozac was the fix. I owe him big time

By: john lee

john lee — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 12:18:49 +0000

increases my bp