I was prescribed Cymbalta to help with pain and sleeplessness, which were caused by fibromyalgia. After helping neither the pain or the sleeplessness, I decided to quit taking the drug. I never, not in a million years, would have thought it would be this hard.
I have never smoked or done any drugs, so I don't know what withdrawal from those things is like, but if it is anything like this, then I can totally understand how people have such a difficult time quitting.
Let me tell you something: My life before Cymbalta was just fine. I never thought of hurting myself. I never had such a short temper or had such frequent mood swings. Ever since starting taking Cymbalta, my life has not been the same. I wasn't aware of these withdrawal effects. My doctor never mentioned them. I had read over all the potential side effects when I was first prescribed it, and it all seemed reasonable. Nothing about the potential withdrawal effects tho. I guess they "forgot" about those.
I have been "tapering off" Cymbalta for nearly 2 months now, taking 1 pill every other day, then every other other day, and so on and so forth. I have now been completely off the drug for over 2 weeks, and every day is a struggle to stay sane.
I shift moods from extreme anger to extreme sadness at a drop of a hat. I have hot spells and break out into cold sweats. I have horrible nightmares that make me not want to sleep. My brain feels like it is always "buzzing." I am dizzy all of the time. My head feels like it is stuck in a pinball machine, bouncing from side to side. I can't concentrate or remember things. I am easily distracted and confused. I get these strange "brain zaps." I get stressed out very easily. My head hurts all of the time. Sometimes, I feel like I would be better off dead. I can't take much more of this head buzzing thing. It is so nerve racking! I feel like a freakin' zombie sometimes.
I never had these problems before Cymbalta. Instead of helping my problems, it has CREATED new problems for me.
For now, I am just going to continue doing what I am doing: living one day at a time. Hoping to one day have my life back. And always hoping that tomorrow will be a better, brain-zapless day.
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5 comments:
OMG! It's crazy what drugs can do to you, especially if they mess with your brain chemistry. I was taking a bloog pressure medication for a while...I found myself becoming more and more depressed. Then I remembered something I read in the drug specs that said it may cause mood swings and depressiong. I finally told the doctor he had to switch me to something else. He didn't want to but I told him that he really didn't have a choice. I knew how I felt and it wasn't right. I stopped the medication and within a couple of weeks, I was feeling much better. Each day was an improvement.
I'm sorry you have to go through this. Hopefully your issues will end soon. If not, talk to your doctor again.
I really must thank you for this blog today. I was researching "Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms" this morning in tears wondering if there is an answer why I'm feeling this way. I too was put on 60 mg of Cymbalta for nerve pain after a surgery I had three years ago. I was taken off of it quickly, and not tapered off, a month ago and I have not been myself ever since. I've been very emotional, which is not me. My new husband (as of six months) and stepdaughter are wondering what they have gotten themselves into as I have been not very social the last month. What you blogged is exactly how I feel. We are going to print it out and let my stepdaughter read it to at least understand that I am not myself right now and it's not b/c of how I naturally am. I think if I tried to describe my symptoms right now, I couldn't, as I would be in tears again! Thank you for being so open with a personal topic. One family appreciates it!
No problem. I really did it to vent, but also to offer a warning to people to realize what they are getting into when they take this "medicine." I am having a pretty good morning so far, so that's a good sign :)
I have to thank you for your blog about htis!
I was searching the internet for an answer to my medical mystery and feeling the way I do and I hit your blog and it is me to a T, from the Fibromyalgia to the buzzieness etc etc, I wound up in the hospital yesterday direct from the docs office because they thought I could be having some kind of anyuerism or stroke or something, which in the end led them to the diagnosis of inner ear issues and they told me to take gravol. I knew damn well it wasn't an ear problem and I was soooo mad, I never wanted to be on meds to begin with for the depression and other things but in order for me to be able to qualify for assistance I have to use pharmacuetical medications versus herbal.
I am so angry right now with our health care system and I am in canada!
Heather
Thank you for doing this blog- have been withdrawing from cymbalta for 2 weeks- am a 61 year old woman- have had some panic issues most of my life- have been on cymbalta for 2 years- tired of troubling dreams- worsened hot flashes- weight gain-
now am having hyper sexual dreams-- mood swings- paranoia- nausea- cannot BELIEVE this medication is on the market.
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