Posted by jessers11581 on May 23, 2005, at 8:15:43
Hello fellow babblers! I just want to relay my current situation and see if anyone can share similar experiences, tips, support, etc. I came off of 30 mg. Cymbalta about one week ago. There was no tapering down from that--I just stopped (my doctor said I could). The first 3-4 days were fantastic. I did have some of the brain zapping, electrical body shivers, etc., but my mood was incredible. I felt so ALIVE and euphoric almost, and clear-headed for the first time in 8 years. My irritability and agitation disappeared, I became super-productive, I was really nice to people, etc. However, it is now day 7 and I'm feeling crappy. The electrical impulse things have gotten much worse- I can feel them surging throughout my whole body anytime I move too fast, or hold my breath. The euphoria is definitely gone, and has been replaced with a sort of melancholy. I've had a few crying spells and my anxiety seems to have resurfaced. I'm also having trouble thinking straight and feel disorinted much of the time. So anyway, it seems the tables have turned! I guess I'm just wondering how long these effects will last, and is it normal to get hypomanic when first coming off AD's? Man, I'd love to feel like that again! Even with the withdrawal effects, though, I'm still glad I decided to quit meds and am adamant about staying "clean" for as long as possible. This is the first time I haven't been on an anti-depressant in 7.5 years. Does anyone have any suggestions for improving the down-times while I'm waiting for the high-times to come back (at least I HOPE they'll come back!). What about reducing the amount of "brain shivering" and dizziness? Also, has anyone found that drinking alcohol while withdrawing from meds made the side-effects much worse? I did have a few beers the night before last, and the next day was TERRIBLE. Well, I'm sure I've written enough for one sitting. Please respond with ANY information, experiences, etc. I'd really appreciate it!
P.S. My sex drive is back with a vengeance, even throughout these withdrawal effects. And that's soooooo important to me. That alone will make this worth the effort, I think.
poster:jessers11581
thread:501604
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050519/msgs/501604.html