Long-Term Effects Of Cymbalta

[@staceyflowers5569]

I am trying to taper off Cymbalta after being on it over 12 years. At first I tapered too quickly and developed protracted acute withdrawal syndrome ( PAWS). My psych Dr had no idea that's what it was and prescribed Xanax to help with the horrible side effects and anxiety. I found out how addictive Xanax was so I stopped it cold turkey. Shortly after that I developed akathisia and have suffered from it for 2 years. The inner agitation, terror and wanting to jump out if my brain is excruciating. I read some research that Mirtazapine helped with akathisia so I started a low dose and am tapering the Cymbalta by counting beads. I open a 20 mg capsule ( the lowest dose available) and am down to 30 beads. I am hoping the Mirtazapine will help me get completely off the Cymbalta. After I stabilize, I will try to wean off the Mirtazapine. My life has been turned upside down by this drug and I can only hope and pray my brain can heal from all this trauma. Please don't start Cymbalta. Try something easier to wean off of if you must take an antidepressant. This has been a horrific nightmare.

[@douglashirsh5419]

How are you these days?

[@staceyflowers5569]

@@douglashirsh5419 Still struggling, unfortunately. The Mirtazapine made my akathisia worse so I had to stop taking it. I'm still having terrible acute symptoms. Extreme agitation and terror as soon as I wake up then SI and depression later in the day. I haven't given up hope but it's getting harder to stay positive. Thanks for asking ❤

[@olly8]

​​​@@staceyflowers5569 I was on cymbalta for one year. It was prescribed for fibromyalgia. At the end of 6wks, when it was doubled to 60mg, I had EXCELLENT results. And then it stopped working after 3 weeks. It was doubled to 120mgs. It made me sleep 90% of 2022! NOT EXAGGERATING. I started dropping dose 30mg for 2 wks, then repeated. Even after I was off it completely-it still took a couple months to feel like it was out of my brain. I feel like it made my fibromyalgia symptoms MORE sensitive than prior to med. Have Flare ups with EVERY big temperature fluctuations- which have been OFTEN. I'm trying to reset my circadian rhythm as it was so upside-down. I'm amazed ANYONE benefits from this poisen pill. Good luck with your health. Sincerely! And it's OK not being positive every now+then. Know that others are keeping positive thoughts For You.

[@morningsunhomesteaders5466]

Thank you for sharing your story, I am an elderly woman and I feel you have helped save me. I pray you are doing well.

[@ebony3419]

​@@olly8(part 1) Same here..I was on it for just over 2 years. So many thing happened to me during taking it and I have almost 2 years of blacked out memories. I quit it cold Turkey. I was not handling anything well at all. Once I finally realised how little people I had left in my life after my brain finally started to function a little normally...I regret I was ever put on it. I lost family members. I lost a few friends.. I have no idea what I said to lost them. That's the hardest part. I started drinking quite heavy at the year in mark as I couldn't control how I felt. The alcohol helped me be happier and they are the main memories I remember the most whilst being on the medication. WEIRD I KNOW! I was also on lyrica at the same time. I joined a group on Facebook called "cymbalta hurts worse" and only then did i find out how BAD it could really be... I now either cry over the smallest things, at a lot of things or I have no emotion. I've lost the "inbetween" emotions. I've had anxiety my whole life and once I was on it and there after- stopped. - A year later It developed into panic disorder (this was also after cutting down on alcohol) and I was in and out of hospital a lot. Also I was hearing voices in my head and they mimicked my family members which I didn't know what was real or what wasn't. Thinking I was dying every day as well. Now 3 year whole CLEAN years later. I'm finally managing. Somewhat. My fibo went into remission 2 years ago!! and I was able to hold down a job and study. Then, unfortunately I was in a car accident(other driver fault) and now I can't work a normal job. I just drive here and there delivering food when I am able to..

[@GBoz94]

Coming off this was horrific. 3 months of zapps every 30 seconds. Never, ever again. Years later my doc said to try something else for my depression and adhd, but i'm too scared because of my bad experience with the withdrawals.

[@dieterpareyn1803]

I was prescribed this 12 years ago (by trial and error) Me personally never actually experienced a benifit but my partner said she noticed 'some' improvements... After 12 years I decided to stop this medication. I went from 60mg to 15 mg over the time of 2 months. Since a week now I totally stopped taking it. Oh my god the withdrawal is bruta. Even after reducing the dose so gentle over time. I have the brain zaps, beeing extremely emotional,.... After looking into some information online some websites declare that withdrawal symptoms can last up to 6 months !!! After all this, I really really wish I never started this medication. Can't help to feel like I have been taken poison rather than medication all this time... It scares me that medication can have such massive impact on one's brain... Never, never, never again for me.

[@WendyH1968]

Thank you for this informational video! I was recently prescribed Duloxetine for anxiety due to my job and took it for 2 days. It made me feel so weird/ out of it/ weak/ dizzy/ and ZERO appetite for 48 hours. I'm relatively fit and exercise regularly, so I knew I would not be able to continue with my exercise routine feeling like this. I was also incredibly TIRED/SLEEPY. The second dose literally made me sleep on and off the whole day. I'm on my 3rd day and have decided I'm not continuing with this drug. I'm still very tired today and I had a good 9 hours of sleep ON TOP OF sleeping on and off all day yesterday. I know I didn't give this drug "time to work," but I don't care. This drug is awful. I am also taking Bupropion, which I've been on for over a year, but my doctor thought I needed something more due to my responses to her wellness questionnaire. I will admit that I don't know how well Buproprian works, but I think it does help some. I'd rather just keep on with the Buproprian and manage my stress/ anxiety through exercise, getting quality sleep & drinking alcohol in moderation.

[@olga7454]

Hey. I also had similar side effects of duloxetin+buspirone. 2 days of hell, insomnia, high heartbeat…anxiety…just terrible…couldn’t work, couldn’t take care of my toddler…I could not survive 2-3 weeks of this hell side effects…I am from Ukraine and have a lot of stress because of war and russia invasion…duloxetin was prescribed for treatment of IBS and some not severe anxiety. So I decided to care about myself more: more rest, more sports and sleep, less pills. I hope you are ok

[@stazym69]

You are NOT supposed to take Buspirone/Buspar together with Duloxetine/Cymbalta..... Most likely the reason for your horrible experience

[@gailtriff3024]

@@olga7454

[@mayken6661]

No, I felt like that on cymbalta alone .

[@MatthewsLife]

I am on cympalta (60mg) for Fibromyalgia for years now and for the last two years have been having crazy side effects I attributed to my fibro. As of Dec 21 I went cold turkey as I have had enough this was after my GP said he thought what I was describing to him might be cymbalta so a few days later I went cold turkey. Most of the withdrawl symptioms you describe I have been going through since I got sick with Fibromyalgia and Spina Bifida and just as went off it. Bang Cold & Flu at the same time and miss Family Christmas as I was in Bed. So How would I know if it is a withdrawl symptom or a usual fibro craaaaap? He wants to do some testing with my thydroid and some blood work but I could not take it anymore and just quit. Testing will be done in January but until then Cold Turkey it is.

[@daviddoin1557]

Thanks for the info! Is there any natural remedy that can be as effective for nerve pain? I’d love to not rely on an SNRI but they’ve been effective for pain management.

[@0secdox]

Please see this question 🙏 😭 I really need some help

[@Lau29Y]

Have you found anything else? So do you take duloxetine?

[@kalimanx]

Thank you. Thank you very much for taking the time to make this informative video.

[@Layingflat]

Femoral nerve compression was one of my major said effects. Had many femoral nerve compression release surgery’s. With no long turn results.

[@MariamPareArt]

Thanks for making this video

[@jlmw6311]

Cymbalta Hurts Worse Facebook group to taper off safely.

[@benjammin365]

I just want you to know Lyle, that because of this video, I learned of ATMC, and my wife just finished the 60 day program and is off all meds and couldn’t be more healthy and free. You saved her. Thank you for what you do and the work you put into this program. God bless you sir. P.S. I had to personally taper her off the Cymbalta by counting beads. Not easy, but there are plenty of informational videos on how to do it successfully.

[@meechi8265]

How is she doing now?

[@benjammin365]

@@meechi8265well she relapsed so now I’m another facility with poor mental health again

[@emperorelric]

I came here for a glimpse into the future and it seems pretty conclusive. Cymbalta changed my life for real. I wish I had done this 20 years ago. It just wiped away my constant despair. It forced me to quit drinking. I had no choice. It literally felt like it was killing me so I had to decide. It has been 6 months now and I feel great. But also curious about the down side and the reality that I probably can't keep taking this forever. I like his info on dosage. It wouldn't be difficult to get capsules, and redistribute dosage yourself to ween down.

[@mahmoudnour1231]

From Egypt ❤thank you for this information

[@ladabingo7912]

I’m a week into coming off duloxetine after 2 years of treatment, crashed 2 days ago and been in bed since. Anxiety, fatigue, feel numb and disconnected, world feels grey and dead, hard to focus. I wanted to reduce or come off because I was no longer sure what was depression and what was side effects. When on the drug I experienced lethargy, muscle fatigue and episodes of acute brain fog when tired. Now I am coming off the drug I’m not sure what is me, what is depression, what is side effects and what is withdrawal. I’m reducing from 60mg to 30mg which I take at night. Has made me more determined to come off as I’m thinking of this is withdrawal what was the drug actually doing whilst I was taking it. I might be rambling now, it’s 4:45am and slept yesterday until 5pm, been sleeping on and off since. May try to get up shortly. It’s like the worst jet lag.

[@kvrskpx8182]

You take this AT NIGHT? My psychiatrist prescribed me Duloxetine in the morning. Told me that it's sort of an anti depressant that sorta gives you energy and lowers anxiety. Taking this at night doesn't sound like a good idea.

[@ladabingo7912]

That’s what I thought but I used to take in the morning, and I was drowsy until lunchtime. One possible explanation I’ve read is that Duloxetine can take 2-6 hours to reach peak concentration and it has a 12 hour half life, so the optimal concentration is likely 6-12 hours after taking the capsule. GP advised I switched to night time and I found I could get off to sleep faster and was waking up brighter which kind of fits. Another advantage is I am at lowest concentration in the evenings when I want to relax, and because of the short half life I find that in the evenings I have fewer sexual side effects as concentration is at its lowest in the few hours before I redose. Apparently it can work either way, the GP advice I was given is if you are drowsy after taking, take at night and if you are energised after taking take AM. Nobody seems to knows how it works anyway!

[@kvrskpx8182]

​@@ladabingo7912 oh, that's interesting! In my case it's a bit different, because I also take Concerta in the morning for my ADHD, and also Gabapentin in the morning, lunch and at night when also taking Mirtazapine. I guess the cases differ, and also the effects may be different from one person to another due other medications we take on the side, different brain structures or other health and genetic factors. Either way, I wish you the best! I hope you recover from your bad states! Take care!

[@sean5990]

I suffered horrible itching after coming off this nasty medication which only contributed to my existing depression. Please, please do your research before taking it long term. You'll be thankful that you did!

[@carolgayfagerhaugh1969]

As you suggested someone getting onto Prozac and tapering off of Cymbalta and then tapering off Prozac, is that doable for somebody that’s been Cymbalta for years and years and years and decades

[@xanthus8699]

DLPA certainly has been a help. Meanwhile regarding Cymbalta, I cannot help but wish that I ignored the doctor and just took it short term at the lower dosage. Unfortunately most GP really do not read antidepressant symptoms as a sign of things needing adjusting. After 1 year on 30mg and 5 on 60mg, I can only say that Cymbalta is the med of nightmares. People are terrified of opiod analgesia dependence, and while that certainly is a bad thing, SNRI dependence has been far worse.

[@timcongleton4218]

I have never said that it's easy to block everything out. Is being On this navigation 2 years.

[@linnettearroyo1999]

Thank you

[@HurlingMongroach]

Evil doctor evil drugs

[@carolgayfagerhaugh1969]

What’s going on with somebody who’s been taking Cymbalta for like 30 years? How can the pharmacy companies allowed us to have this person OK and if they’re taking this drug why aren’t there accountability for this person in therapy to see how they’re doing? How could somebody have slipped through the system and are being allowed to get this drug for 30 years to take and not deal with their stuffI’m afraid they’re gonna die

[@nomudnolotusnodragonnogold]

😬

[@carolyncollier1589]

This was Ok, but I hate it when you guys.use terms like SSRI’s etc!!! Just Say the words!

[@Susan-lf2hl]

It's a mouthful. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor! I will go with the acronym.

[@carolgayfagerhaugh1969]

As you suggested someone getting onto Prozac and tapering off of Cymbalta and then tapering off Prozac, is that doable for somebody that’s been Cymbalta for years and years and years and decades