Comments on: Slowly Leaving Antidepressants Behind

By: larry d

larry d — Sun, 16 May 2010 17:56:02 +0000

Well I am a dizzy as hell again I f”ing hate the drug! I have taken my last refill and open up the capsule I freaked look like a million little dots of hell in a 60mg tablet. No way to count it out so I just pour out what I hope is half hold it up to the light and took I hope 30 mg for a week and all went well but today real dizzy, could it be staying up so late 3 am and I took a shower this morning. Remember I have MS and it makes me very heat sensitive and an hour later the nausea started with the dizziness. I will take a Valium for ear ringing and dizzy spells for my MS I rarely have to take it one pill every 3 weeks. So I just took a Valium and 3 days to go and I will cut down the capsules to I hope 15mg and keep going. There is no turning back all this for pain management go figure. I look back over the several years I have been taking this poison and all the side affects I blamed on my MS and so do all the doctors. Hell the DR I see now has no reason why I am taking the stuff but yet he wrote the script for the past 1 1/2. Now that I want to quit it for all the above reasons and the cost he is no help this is plain crazy. Where is a lawyer when you need one LOL. Seems like most the folks stop posting, I wish some would check back in for an update. No one should feel this bad. Hang in there my friends one day at a time I will report at the next level. I hope this helps somebody to ween off better. Just not a lot of info how to ween off. Hope this works for me. I may feel shitty but I still do my chores around the house. Remember I have been on this for about 5 yrs for pain management lol what a joke it causes more discomfort NOT RELIEF.

By: Quincy

Quincy — Tue, 11 May 2010 02:13:10 +0000

If it makes anyone feel better, I am starting to feel better. It took a year. No medications for 6 months about. I made dietary changes, lifestyle changes and I am still making more changes. I have taken antidepressants since 1998 consistently until this point. So I feel pretty good but I eliminated alot of stress out of my life (working less that 10hrs a week, not socializing etc). I am still struggling with sleep issues but I feel hopeful which is a change. I will start seeing a counselor soon. Cymbalta withdrawal was hellish but it will end…one day.

By: larry d

larry d — Mon, 10 May 2010 02:56:20 +0000

Congrats gator Gal,
I figure after the day I had it’s time to open the pill and cut in half. How long have you been on it???
I think for me 4 years for my MS since I take a SUBOXONE for constant MS pain I know I do not need this ( cymbalta). Suboxone is normally used for people who addicted to Opids but can be used in long time pain management. I have a very active life even with the MS. Just about finished my house remodel.
I curse the day they started the Cymbalta. Today was like having a monster MS attack. I was able to eat some Mac and cheese 8 pm sure some of the feeling was being hungry but when the stomach will not let you eat what can you do.

By: GatorGirl

GatorGirl — Sun, 09 May 2010 22:54:10 +0000

I greatly appreciate all of the tips. I was determined to get off of Cymbalta. I went from 60 to 30 for two weeks. Then I opened the 30 capsule and made, approximately, a 20 capsule and did that for a week. Next 15 for a week, then 10 and I am FINALLY FREE!!! Yes, I did have some periods of being more emotional than before, but as a working, mom in her 40s with fibromyalgia, that is not unexpected and at least the emotions are really. I still get slightly dizzy at times, but not bad. I had forgotten my 60 mg/day Cymbalta for a 2 day trip and the dizziness and headaches were just incapacitating. Thank you all for the encouragement and good advice. I am sleeping better and deeper than I had in years. I also don’t get as tired during the day. I was taking Cymbalta for my fibromyalgia and I do experience a bit more joint pain, but I am working on taking supplements, getting proper exercise, and taking Tylenol when needed. A little joint pain does not compare, for me, for the expense and other side effects of Cymbalta. I have not had a significant weight loss yet. I had gained 20 lbs. in 6 weeks when I started and then increased to a total of 40 lbs. over 6 months. I have only been Cymbalta free for 2 weeks. Still hoping for improvement in that area.

By: larry d

larry d — Sun, 09 May 2010 19:12:23 +0000

Mothers Day the worse I ever felt 2 days without Cymbalta and I took a pill. I think dying would be easier right now. I feel like I am about to vomit and dizzy almost like my MS is flared I hope not. I have been doing 0ne pill every other day since the 29th and then 2 days without was yesterday. Why do I feel so good on the days I do not take it and so bad when I do???
DR. wants a visit will not discuss any other way (ass hole) Can’t close eyes and feel comfortable this stuff is a curse!

By: larry d

larry d — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:06:59 +0000

I have been taking 60mg for 3 to 4 years notice sex drive was off and I was placed on this as a trail for my MS. I have not seen that DR. for years and all the others just keep refilling it??? I have never been depressed to crazy for that and to busy. Notice issues with speech and thoughts and I am just tired of taking this stuff ( I will be polite)
I am about to stop while I have 7 pills left, after reading the withdrawals I am concerned. I am a big guy 6’3″ and 260 lbs. I wonder if it would be easy to stop it since it was for pain. I am taking Suboxone for pain and at the minimum dose 2mg 3 times a day.
I honestly take enough meds as it is and I am stopping this, I have to take testosterone gel because my levels are low. I was told pain meds will cause this, and maybe the Cymbalta is contributing to this?
Next move is to call my DR and inform the staff I am done with it. I need a refill to stop slowing like the most of you did. I think for now every other day for starters. If I have a symptom I always blame it on the MS. I will keep in touch. Wish me luck.
Larry D.

By: GatorGirl

GatorGirl — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:52:26 +0000

Wow…I am so glad that I found this site. It is nice to know that I am not alone. I am curious to know if anyone who had weight gain with the Cymbalta, did the weight come off after getting off of Cymbalta? I was thin all of my life and gained about 20 lbs. in 6 weeks and finally stabilized about 40 lbs. more than usual. I need to get the weight off and I am tired of taking the expensive med. Thank you.

By: kennedy

kennedy — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:14:25 +0000

I started taking effexor in dec 08 and immediately began to feel better. I had gone through a divorce after being married for only a short time. (Wellbutrin did nothing for me, tried that first). I had a successful year on effexor (150) and decided in sept 09, with the help of my dr. and therapist, to begin coming off of it. I really felt I had gotten to a place where I didn’t need it, and frankly just could not lose the weight I had put on and that really upset me. I was able to very successfully come off the med by tapering it – decreasing the dose month by month. I was SO SCARED I would have the withdrawel symptoms that so many people have had but thankfully I did not have that. I think it’s because I went so slowly and allowed my body to adjust to the decreased dosage over a one month period of time. I took my last pill on Jan 16 2010. That first week was a little difficult but I really did not have the withdrawel symptoms and was so pleased with that.

In the last 2 weeks or so I have had trouble getting up in the morning and have had an overall decrease in my mood and energy. Of course there are external factors that I’m working on, but in the past few days it’s really been hard for me to do anything and now I’m considering going back on the medicine. It will break my heart if I feel that’s what I need to do, because I did the work coming off of it.

Has anyone else experienced this? Where they were on it, came off of it successfully, and now feel they want to go back on the med?

By: dramateach

dramateach — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:52:53 +0000

i have only been on 30 mg fpr 6 days and i can’t stand it…all i do is sleep and i’m groggy…just not myself…called my pharmacist and she said to skip a day…but i think i’ll open the capsule…even though it’s only been 6 days…i just don’t like the way i feel and what i’m reading…i hope you guys feel better…i have arthritis and the insurance company keeps denying epidurals…so the pain and the stress has me a mess…so two doctors recommended this medication…i think i’d rather endure the pain at this point…thanks for your posts…

By: Teacher

Teacher — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:29:59 +0000

Vane,

So sorry to hear of all of your pain. Fibromyalgia runs in my family too.
I probably to have it but it isn’t severe. How long have you been on the Cymbalta? I have been on it for a year and a half and the highest dose was 60 mg. I then was cut to 30 for a year. I then went off cold turkey.
I recently broke a bone off in my foot and I have had alot of pain with that and almost every joint hurts along with my skin when I put on lotion. I don’t know if it is the withdrawal or fibro maybe entering my life. I went back on my natural remedies, like Glucosimine and vitamins. I took one day off for the cymbalta thing cause after reading everyone’s problems I was scared what would happen. Thank God I haven’t had the vomiting , I do cry more easily and am emoitional.
I hope all goes better for you.