Diana's fun fibro chat- Whoa! I'm awake early and incoherent. Is it Cymbalta withdrawals?

* Please note- I don't sell anything. *

I have fibromyalgia and do regular "Coffee Break" chats aimed at other people who have fibromyalgia. However, anyone is welcome to watch my videos, and comment on them.

This morning, I discuss waking up very early and going through all the withdrawal effects from the drug Cymbalta.

The early morning thing is weird-- I used to not be able to get out of bed at all in the morning. My alarm would go off at 6:30 AM for work, and it was so hard to peel myself off the mattress.

My body has changed, though. Lately, I've been waking up really early, (on this particular day, before 4 AM.) It's much easier getting out of bed because my body doesn't hurt so much anymore.

However, I did have a tough bout this Spring, due to withdrawal symptoms from the drug Cymbalta.

My General Practioner prescribed Cymbalta for migraines. It helped at first, for about six weeks, then stopped working.

It took five months to withdraw (taper down slowly) from the drug.

I was very happy to finally get all of that drug out of my system.

I include footage of flushing all my remaining Cymalta capsules.

Very satisfying.

If you are on this drug, please be aware that some people experience severe withdrawal symptoms for Cymbalta.

It is very important to not quit this drug "cold turkey." Work with your doctor to "titrate" the dosage down slowly-- the slower the better.

I also briefly reference my "wrist/hand/arm" is slow in healing. For those who don't know me, I was in a cast all Spring, because our senile dog accidentally tore the tendons in my hand and thumb. He didn't mean to do it. His eyesight is very poor, and he doesn't do a good job of slowing down when he runs up to great you. He is an 85 pound Australian Shepherd/Queensland Healer mix, so that's a lot of dog coming at you all at once. I put my hand up to protect myself when he came charging at me full-speed, but, all I succeed in doing was hyperextending my hand backwards the wrong way. It wasn't the pain that was really bothersome. It was more annoying that I couldn't use my right hand for a couple of months. It made it very hard to type on the computer, write out checks for bills, (my left-handed scrawl was almost illegible, and I did not think the banks would accept the signature), and I couldn't give the dog his daily insulin injections.

My 5-year old ended up becoming my little "Doogie Howser, M.D." My hubby travels during the week, so its just me, my son and all the animals holding the fort down. I was able to load the insulin into the syringes one-handed, but could not administer the shots. You have to pick up a flap of skins on the back of the dog's neck with one hand, then insert the needle and depress the plunger with the other hand. No way it can be done one-handed.

So, my son assisted me everyday in caring for our dogs' diabetes. He was very proud of himself, and now does not fear getting shots at the pediatricians' office.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Cymbalta
• fibromyalgia
• drugs
• prescriptions
• medications
• chronic
• pain
• headaches
• migraines
• anti-depressants
• Eli
• Lilly
• Pfizer

[dianacwolf]

I'm glad this was helpful to you. You are wise to do research on a medication before deciding to take it. Always good to get a variety of opinions, since we all react differently to medications.

[avamakeupalot]

i just want to say thank you for posting anything about how u r feeling and what you went/going through...it is just more that i can show to my husband/family to prove i am not a liar or faker.

[dianacwolf]

@avamakeupalot You're very welcome. But, I'm sad that your husband and family would even think that way. It's terrible that there is no blood test yet that definitely PROVES we have fibromyalgia. It is such a cruel thing that a simple blood test makes it undeniable about so many other illnesses, yet something as devastating as fibromyalgia can be so disregarded by so many. Ava, consider joining an online fibro support group so you have the support of others with fibro. You are not alone.

[chaserr120]

Boring.

[dianacwolf]

@chaserr120 Hi Chaser- I actually agree with you. I would have deleted this video a while ago, except weirdly enough, this video has received more hits than any of the other 50 videos I've posted. I have other videos where I spent hours adding music, special effects, and I recorded those when I was actually awake and alert, (rather than at 4 in the morning when I was suffering withdrawal.) Yet, this one rambling video generates 27,000 hits, and about 100 comments. I just don't get it. - Di

[ironbith]

Also the dr would not help me get off gabapentin or zoloft cause he said I believe it's a mistake for u to get off drugs...WTF!? so I did it alone each took 5 weeks of horrid withdrawal living moment to moment.............mind u Iam a single mom too! TY DR!

[dianacwolf]

@ironbith OK, now that's just wrong. If you say you want to get off of a medication, then it is your right to stop taking it. It is a terrible idea for the doctor to tell you to keep taking it against your will, because here's what will happen: the patient will simply stop taking it anyway -- which is exactly what you did. Medication is taken at the voluntary compliance of the patient. You can't MAKE THEM take something against their will. Ugh! Fire that doctor. Get another.

[misskissytina]

I hate Eli Lilly with a passion and wish that I could do something to bring them down. Cymbalta does hurt! Day 8 of withdrawals for me. Cymbalta did work for 2 months but it stopped and changed ME. I was on it for 5 months. My doctor did not want me to get off of Cymbalta, so I did it myself! I have zaps, can't sleep, grinding teeth, nausea, diarrhea, back and neck pain, and ALL kinds of other things. I am glad that you made it through the withdrawals and that you are doing good!

[goknur1977]

@misskissytina One dose....NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!! THE FREAKING BRAIN ZAPS............I feel the same. I want to bring this company down. These people are criminals. And bloody Governments that are run by these institutions. CRIMINALS. I am so happy you got off it. I am complaining against the doc who prescribed this drug for me.

[surfercouple]

@Kittencuddler Hi KittenCuddler- Couldn't agree with you more.There are some medications that have been a huge help to me. This particular one just didn't mesh well with my particular body chemistry, and apparently that of 30,266 other people, judging by the number of views this video has gotten. My 'Cymbalta sucks' video is my most popular video. Just wish docs were more up-front with info in the beginning about things like withdrawal symptoms. Don't get much in those rushed 5 minute visits.

[Kittencuddler]

Everyone reacts different to different drugs, ME I have Fibro. Severe arthritis in both feet and knees, nerve damage in both feet and legs, IBD, IC ,TMJ and other things, I am on pain meds & the patch, feel like they don't do anything anymore, been on the same dose for 6 yrs! I'm in pain 24/7 it's driving me insane! Anytime they offer me to try a anti depressant I say NO due to i have tried many in the past, horrible side effects!

But my husband suffers from severe depression & has been on Cymb

[snoogans460]

Cymbalta is EVIL. I could elaborate even further regarding my brief experience with this drug, but I'm not really in the mood at the moment. It's truly amazing how some meds get FDA approval.

[JTO500]

thanks....in future ..while talking u can show out side world or ....

[mjisonline]

Thank you for this video. My doctor prescribed me Cymbalta for chronic back pain and mild depression, but something inside me says don't take it! About every ounce of research I've done on this drug says it's bad stuff. Your testimony only confirms what I've read.

[nahtyaa]

Real Latino brides are there rockmycity.info

[ELNDJ]

you have a nice voice... so sexy lol i wish you good luck in everything :) GBU