Cymbalta, all temp or perm negative effects (do they outweigh benefits)?
Question posted by GrandCypress on 8 Feb 2017
Last updated on 9 February 2018
ANYTHING ABOUT CYMBALTA FROM EXPERIENCE IS MUCH APPRECIATED. Hi, I'm 19. Ive been struggling with depression for 8 years, anxiety 7, and chronic pain for 5 years. I have never taken medication; due to being afraid of worsening these issues, especially depression and anxiety. I let my Dr. prescribe Cymbalta because these things are worsening by far on their own. I am honestly very scared that it will become much harder to keep myself calm (anger issues), to keep suicidal thoughts under wing, and to function properly. If it made any of my daily problems worse, I couldn't function at all. I have a girlfriend I need to keep as well, and that's also a lot of the reason I'm doing this. We have a lot of issues because of my persistent issues. My symptoms match up with all lyme disease symptoms. The anti body is in my system, just not enough to be diagnosed. - 30 mg for one week and 60 mg after that. -
I would like to know if the benefit outweighs the risk. What to look out for, tips, and complaints. Is it worth the risk? ANYTHING ABOUT CYMBALTA FROM EXPERIENCE IS MUCH APPRECIATED.
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10 Answers
KY
Kyotoprof
8 Jan 2018
I have been on CymbaltA for half a year before that on Mirtazapine. The earlier drug was better. CymbaltA wiped out every trace of feeling and most of thought as well. I have now been sent for a brain scan. I am a retired professor of literature and can't face my future without thought or feeling.i I really am a zombie and my poor wife no longer recognises me.
Votes: +0
BU
Bucketlist21
9 Feb 2018
I'm in the process of detoxing off after 2.5 yrs on med for neuropathy after chemo. MUST slowly reduce dosage or suffer worst fate. 60mg cut to 30 for 2 weeks then open capsule take about half of sprinkles for two weeks then an fourth for a week would be my Nurse recommendation . That was my plan however my Rheumotologist told me I would be fine to stop after 1 week of the 15. DONT!!! I called back a week later and Gave him my opinion of his medical opinion about stopping Cymbalta . I also called my Internalist and gave my opinion on how he personally needed to do review of mind altering medications before prescribing them. Just like it takes 2 weeks to work for your System it takes 2 weeks to clear your system then your body will withdrawal!!! So I would say to get to lowest dose that you can before jumping off!! Things to help with draw symptoms - Detox soaks for body or at least feet, which are Epsom salt , or/and baking soda. Stay hydrated.
Water is great but if start to muscle cramp- Put 1 tsp of salt and 1tsp of sugar in 2 quarts of water. Otherwise stay away from sugar which causes more inflammation in gut which does help with nausea, bloating or diarrhea. Do take in low glycemic index fruit , not juice. Multivitamin. I'm taking antihistamine for sneezing and nasal stuffiness, Tylenol for headache and back and body aches . Taking GABA to help with brain zaps. If you going to do this at home . You need love ones support and a knowledgement . Let your doctor know whether they approve or not.
DR
drh217
24 July 2017
I have never responded to any of these forums before. I feel somewhat compelled to answer this question because I am in the midst of withdrawing from Duloxetine, the generic form of Cymbalta, and the brain zaps are like a snare drum beating in my head at this very moment. I have taken antidepressants for 21 years and Duloxetine has involved the worst withdrawal symptoms of every drug I have tried before. I am determined to transition to natural supplements from antidepressant medications because they generally stop working for me or because the terrible side effects become prohibitive at higher doses. I am tired of this juggling act. I sympathize with everyone who struggles with depression and anxiety as there don't appear to be any easy answers. Yes, the drugs are worth a try as they seem to work for many millions of people. Good luck to all.
Votes: +0
KI
kickcymbalta2016
1 June 2017
I made it through the storm of cold turkeying Cymbalta! I made it! I have been off of it for a year and two months. The symptoms finally stopped at about 7 or 8 months. I had ALL the symptoms everyone else is reporting. I did not stop work though plus during that year, I started a new side business of growing peonies for the cut flower business. Life does go on! I plugged through the withdrawal even though I was in horrible shape. I was determined to beat it. So how I did it was with help from a chiropractor who is also a nutrionist. She got me off all sweets! No more sugar! She put me on supplements made by Standard Process that you can only get them through a medical practitioner. If you google Standard Process website it should have a list of doctors who are enrolled with them plus the areas where they are or who might be near you.
These supplements are made from real food, so they are good, whole food supplements with no additives or preservatives and well worth the money! It wasn't till I was completely off sweets that I really overcame the the depression. My nutritionist said that sugar was causing inflammation not only in my body, but my brain which caused me to feel depressed. I have always been a sweet fanatic big time and for me to stop eating sweets is unheard of. But I DID IT! My nutritionist also does muscle testing to see what other foods my body likes or doesn't like. Most of them my body likes, but if it rancid grains my body doesn't like those and if it's anything sweet, my body doesn't like it. I can have a little honey or a little coconut sugar or stevia. Otherwise I have learned to sweeten my food with vanilla or fruits. I will never forget those brain zaps, the stomach ailments, the nightmares, the back pain, blurred vision at times, the exhaustion and all the other withdrawal symptoms that started about three days after I did the cold turkey. They lasted for months! In the meantime, I have lost about 25-30 pounds and am on the skinny side now. My cholesterol used to be way high and now it is well within the normal range. So that is how I'm answering your question, GrandCypress. I did it, others did it, and you can do it too! Hang in there. My best advise is to find someone like I did, a good nutritionist who does muscle testing for food, get off sugar completely, and get on those Standard Process supplements. If you start taking those supplements and don't notice a change within a month for the better, then go to another nutritionist. Because some of them really don't do it correctly. Reason I'm sayin that is because I went to two of them who prescribed Standard Process. The first one was way off base. He tested with a biomeridian technique, and I felt horrible. So I switched to the second nutritionist/chiropractor who did the muscle testing and she was wonderful! I also spent a lot of time taking detox baths... hot water, epsom salts + baking soda that helped detox my body and get rid of the last remaining cymbalta. It stayed in my body for a long time, but the detox baths and supplements finally got rid of it. Most of all, find out if you get the sugar blues from eating sweets! Everybody knows sugar is bad for the body. Some people get joint aches from it and no depression. But I had both joint aches and depression. Also... If you think you have Lyme Disease, then follow up on that as much as you can. A conventional doctor is not going to run the labs on you the way a knowledgable Lyme doctor would. It's no wonder your labs are not showing much. LabCorp will only show Lyme Disease if it's acute but not chronic. Acute meaning like you just got bit and infected. Chronic is like when you feel terrible all the time, fever, aches, weakness, brain fog. Lyme gets into the entire body. That includes spinal fluid and brain. It can get everywhere and it has many co-infections that must be treated. It can mimick so many autoimmune diseases such as lupus, hashimoso disease of the thyroid, R, A, fibromyalgia, and so many others. The only way to find out if you have chronic Lyme Disease is seek out a Lyme literate doctor. Most of them have experienced Lyme Disease themselves and learned how to treat. Google Lyme Disease and join many of those knowledgable groups. I am 62 years old, by the way, and have had Lyme Disease and my 35 year old daughter is currently being treated for chronic Lyme Disease right now. Lyme Disease is very serious and the ticks are making people sicker than before. Take care, God bless and hang in there.
Votes: +0
RO
Ronajess
17 May 2017
I was on Duloxetine 60mg for 10 years. I tried to co.e off them 2 years ago very gradually. I found that i was very angry, easy upset and became suicidal. I pressured it was because I'd come off them and that i must really need them. I've recently tried again and realised it's the withdrawals I'm experiencing, which are horrendous. I've been off 4 weeks but I'm wondering if I'll be able to stay off, as the withdrawals are so bad
Votes: +0
GL
glammagail
8 March 2017
Please listen to all the previous advice . There's a special Cymbalta group , with people from all around the world who have /are suffering from the shocking side effects from CRAPALTA withdrawal . I joined this group 4 yrs ago & I'm still suffering today . DO NOT TAKE IT .. THERE ARE CLASS ACTION SUETS WORLD WIDE AGAINST THE DRUG COMPANY WHO SELL THIS POISON. Just google Cymbalta & you will see many support groups, log in & read some of the posts . Good Luck & please join a good support group ,they will give you the best advice.
Votes: +0
AM
amyloidosisi
8 March 2017
Well, I have tried a lot of different medications in my life and I have never had any serious reactions on the medications or when I went off of them, except for Cymbalta. I felt very strange when I went on it, stranger still when I increased from 30mg to 60mg, but after a year or so when my leg pains had gone, I decided to decrease back to 30mg with the hopes of going off completing. I have never felt so badly in my life. It has been five months and I am still have nasty withdrawal symptoms, fog brain, zaps, depression, unhappiness, trouble sleeping, no desire to do anything. I want it out of my body completely, but know I need to take it slowly. If I had known, I would not have started it.
Votes: +0
MR
MrsRobbinson72
16 Feb 2017
Oh, please... ANY antidepressant is hell to come off of. ANY !!! I just took my first Cymbalta today. Am I a bit scared ? Of course. But... if you don't feel good or things go downhill, ( and it seems you have a lot of problems ) then stop taking it. You will know within a few days to a week if this medecine is not going to be for you. After a weeks time quitting it is NOT going to cause that much problem. When people talk about it being very difficult they have usually been on it for a longer length of time... As always... we are all different, each and every one of us. What works great for you may be miserable for me. You will get about a 50/50 spread of opinions by reaserching ... any medication. From what you have written, I don't think you have much to lose by just trying it at least. What if it turns out to be EXACTLY what you needed ?? I am not worried about withdrawal because I know that the use of an antidepressant will just be a routine part of my life.
Yes... it is a very scary step to take. Especially if you have never even had medecine like this before. But... when you find the right one,and it works... wow, you can start to live your life again. I hope your girlfriend is there to support you... and your family as well. If you need to talk, or ask anything else along the way, that is why support groups are in place. Also be in touch with your doctor. In a few weeks if you feel that you are doing really well, then maybe you don't need to increase your dose. You are in control of YOUR body, despite what the doctors tend to think. So tell your doc, " I'm doing good right now, I want to stay where I'm at." If you feel ok, and you think you could benefit by a dose increase then do so. Now that being said... in the very first few weeks of starting a medication you could have a headache, diarrhea, dizziness, but you shouldn't have anything MAJOR feeling. You might sleep too much or not sleep at all... but usually these things calm down after a few weeks IF you even have any side effects at all !!! Me personally, I am in such terrible nerve pain due to trauma injuries that I'm willing to give it a try... if there WAS such a thing as that "magic pill" out there, everyone on Earth would be on it, right ? When it comes to taking meds... your not going to get something for nothing. By that I mean, you may have to deal with a bit of this or that the first few weeks to reap the benefits of the medecine. I have taken a long list in my lifetime and it has been the case with every single one. But, like I said, you will know "minor" things compared to "major" problems... trust me. How will you know if this could make a difference in your life if you don't try ? I'm not talking you into it by any means, but I hate to see someone suffer because they are too scared to take a leap and go for it. Don't like it in a few days or so... ? Then don't continue to take it and give your doctor a call. The mind is such a powerful thing. Try not to overthink it too much !!! Just try it or don't. But don't let reading a bunch of forums scare you away. You can also Google "positive experiences on Cymbalta" and get just as many good stories as you can bad !!! I wish you the best !! From the bottom of my heart !! I really do. Now, as for me, I'm taking the plunge ... I took my first one this morning, and I'm praying to the dear Lord that something will give my beat up legs some relief. Best of luck, and... if you did start the med let me know what you think of it so far.
Votes: +3
PG
pg13934
18 April 2017
You are giving out false information. This drug effects your brain chemistry not something llike taking an over the counter drug you can stop anytime. A doctor should be involved. You are asking for trouble if you think you can overpower this very powerful drug. It's withdrawal looks to be worse then many narcotics. It also added leg and foot tingling to my effects.no other antidepresent has done so. There are many that do a good job and do not add horrible effects. It is not a drug you experiment with.
GR
GRAMYBEAR
12 Feb 2017
I have to agree with everyone else, unfortunately. I wasn't on it long enough before I would have been experiencing withdrawals. I have known people who take this medication and go to hell and back trying to get off of it, as it has to be done a doctor. I think I tried it for 2 weeks to no avail and so glad I got off when I did. Please do some research about this medication, okay? We are NOT trying to scare you, not by any means, we just want to be honest. Hugs
Votes: +2
BR
Brenla
14 Feb 2017
You have to withdraw from any SNRI is with a doctor's help. They can introduce a new drug while decreasing the Cymbalta. That is the only way without experiencing terrible withdrawals.
MR
MrsRobbinson72
2 June 2017
Thank You Brenla !!! I too (personally) think that's about the only way to go.
JA
janiebme
8 Feb 2017
Hi Grand- I agree with Sharilee. If you have a tendency to have fatalistic thoughts, it maybe best to find an antidepressant that could have less side effects. Celexa and Lexapro may be an option. Talk to your doctor about it. I empathize with your situation.
Votes: +1
SH
Sharilee4051
8 Feb 2017
Get off this drug!!! Cymbalta is by far the worse withdrawal you'll ever have! I went on it for 4 months. I was sick on it the whole time. I had no choice but to do a very quick taper. It's been a little over 8 weeks that I'm off it and I'm suffering terribly! Tremors shakes pain - not to mention it's made me mental! There's no way you can be in this much pain for over 6 months and not have it get to your brain! I haven't been able to work. I'm staying at my sisters because I can't even be alone. I own my own house and business. I fear losing it all over this drug! Just a warning - stay away from cymbalta! It's poison!
