Posted by Yvonne Garcia on July 6, 2007, at 17:16:33
In reply to Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by Regina on March 3, 2005, at 16:37:18
I moved from one city to another after recieving my Associates degree to continue my education. With the move circumstances caused me to run out of the medication (cymbalta). I had been on 60mg. a day for over 6 months. I told the psychiatrist that was taking over my care that I was about to run out...at the time I had 3 capsules left. He told me he couldn't write me a prescription without seeing me and he could not see me for a month. His attitude led me to believe I could come off the medication without any great distress. WRONG! First being given no preparation about what I could expect was very very wrong. The psychiatrist should have made me aware of what to expect. He didn't ask about any outstanding health problems...I am diabetic and my blood glucose soared above 400 and nothing could bring it under control for over two weeks, I had hypertension and my systolic soared to 180 and stayed between 160 and 180 for that same two week period AND my diastolic went over 110 and stayed there for that same time period. Nausea, vomiting, diarrehea my stomach didn't know what end to kick the food out of. I had insomnia but along with the inability to sleep I also had severe exhaustion. Dry mouth and incredible thirst which I don't know whether to relate to the withdrawl or the elevated blood glucose. I was on phenergan suppositories every 6 hours for 5 days and then a brat diet. It was like I was dying and didn't know from what. The miserable thing was with the psychiatrist's attitude I thought I was physically ill from a virus or something but it just stayed and stayed. I feel more normal now but I have never experienced anything like that in my life. I saw in another posting about cymbalta leading to increased alcohol use...I am an alcoholic and addict and in recovery...before coming off the cymbalta the nagging to use again was getting pretty strong though I never relapsed. I know this is probably not the appropriate place to say this but the psychiatrist that allowed me to go through that either through "poverty of knowledge" about the withdrawl (trying to say it in a nice way), or his lack of time or lack of sensitivity (there's no nice way to say that), put me through hell and has severely shaken the trust I have had in the medical profession.
poster:Yvonne Garcia
thread:466069
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20070419/msgs/768123.html