My Cymbalta story by lundeliz

[mammaP]

I was reading somewhere recently that withdrawal does indeed cause a need to 

empty the bladder or bowels even when there is little or nothing to come away. 

It is described as heightened sensitivity, that we are acutely sensitive to the way

our bodies are working. We feel like we are hot and flushing yet temperature remains 

normal, other things are mentioned too. I'll see if I can find it and post a link for you. 

[lundeliz]

Thank you mammaP. I'd like to see that.

[Altostrata]

Yes, dysautonomia is very common in withdrawal. It might also have played a role in your blood pressure and heart rate problems.

 

See the Symptoms and Self-care forum for suggestions about coping with various symptoms.

[lundeliz]

Thank you, Alto.  Yes, blood pressure problems did start during wd.   I'll do some more reading.

[mammaP]

Sorry I can't find the article now and can't even remember where I saw it!  

My memory isn't the best it's been. 

[Meimeiquest]

I don't know if you are able to read books with your anxiety so high. GiaK recommended one that I found helpful. It is about CFS, but it really describes how dysautonomia can be established and some non-medical help. I think the root cause is different, but the consequences of chronically elevated cortisol are the same. It is CFS Unravelled by Neuffer, available on Amazon as an ebook.

[lundeliz]

Thank you for looking, mammaP, and Meimeiquest, thank you, I'll check into that book.

[lundeliz]

I may have had a "window" , not really sure. One evening a couple of days ago,I was lying

 

in bed on my laptop, and I noticed I felt really calm. I stayed that way for the next couple

 

of hours till I fell asleep.  Actually the next day I still noticed the anxious feeling was down and

 

my husband said my voice sounded different, had a little pep to it.  I did too much yesterday,

 

visiting with out of town relatives, so today is back to not so good. 

 

I hope this was the start of having some windows.

[lundeliz]

This evening, I'm having trouble with my throat feeling like it is swelling shut. My jaws

 

hurt and my head is tight and throbbing. So I did a search on here for "swollen throat".

 

The only result that came up was my own post from a year ago when I was posting about the

 

exact same thing. Hmmmmm I guess it finally went away that time, so hopefully it will go away

 

this time. Has anyone else ever had anything like this?

[mammaP]

Sounds like a viral infection to me Liz, or allergy. Hope it is better now and you had a good sleep.

[Nikki]

Hi LL

 

When I read you apologize for whining I thought to myself why is she apologizing....we need this outlet to unload or unburden what's bugging us.  Thank you for the info about the emptying bladder issue.  I have problems in the area.  My blood pressure has risen since tapering serzone.

 

You are not alone:)

[lundeliz]

mammaP,  that is possible. Thank you for the thought. Thank you Nikki, for the support and letting me know

 

I'm not alone with some of my issues.  Some symptoms seem so odd to withdrawal, it makes you wonder

 

if something else is going on sometimes.

[lundeliz]

I went back to the dr. today, for a follow up on the uti thing. Test was still the

 

same, just slightly off, not really an infection, but I'm still dehydrated, still

 

have the frequent urination. My anxiety is sky high today, so bp was sky high.

 

He wanted to do a complete blood work up. He is testing thyroid, cortisol, lyme

 

disease test, not sure what else. I'm so scared he will want to treat something

 

I shouldn't treat. I'm so scared and confused. If cortisol is off, is that something

 

I should treat or leave alone? I'm scared to death to do something wrong. Someone

 

please help me understand. How bad can he mess up my healing from Cymbalta?

 

I feel so sick today. I had two better days on Thursday and Friday, then didn't

 

sleep on Saturday night and took a Xanax on Sunday.. Could I be having rebound anxiety

 

from the Xanax? I would so appreciate anyone talking to me about this. I truly feel

 

like I am losing my mind today and need some thoughts from anyone, especially about

 

what I should let him treat, and what I shouldn't treat.

[Altostrata]

Yes, you could be having rebound anxiety from the Xanax. If you have to take it occasionally, I would take much less, a fraction of a pill.

 

See what the doctor has to say, get a sense of how much he actually knows. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. You can discuss options with him. After that, tell him you'll consider your options and get back to him.

[lundeliz]

Ok, thanks Alto. That sounds like a good plan.

[lundeliz]

Should I be getting less functional every day?  Tomorrow marks 4 months off Cymbalta.  Is it normal that I

 

can barely get out of bed?  The anxiety and agitation are to the point of unbearable.  Is this really withdrawal?

 

Things I have been able to do a little, I can no longer do.  I am still managing to get up and take my granddaughters

 

to school every morning but it is harder and harder every day. I wonder when the day will be that I just have to say

 

I can't do it anymore.  I always come home and spend the rest of the day in bed, sometimes I can sleep, sometimes

 

I can't. I try to do a little bit every day, at least get out and feed my dogs.  I just can't convince myself that I could be

 

this sick from withdrawal.  I have read many many success stories to try to reassure myself, but I guess I need to

 

keep reading.

[lundeliz]

Ok, I'm not coping.  Is there anything I can do?  I feel I will just fly off into pieces at any minute.

 

I'm sorry, I'm trying to hang on, but about to throw up.  My husband is here right now, but we don't

 

know what to do. 

[Altostrata]

I'm sorry, L. Hang in there. Can you take a nice warm Epsom salts bath?

[lundeliz]

Thank you for replying Alto.  I'm too agitated at the moment to sit for a bath.  I just took a little

 

crumb of klonopin.  That's not my answer to this I know.  I guess there's not an answer. I think

 

my husband wants me to try another ssri just to get some relief.  I'm really afraid of making

 

things worse. He has made me a dr. apt for this afternoon.  I think they will try to persuade me

 

to try a med.  Honestly, if I thought it would work, I would go on a low dose, then taper it later.

 

Not what I want, but I'm not sure I can hang on like this.  I'm not sure if my thinking is right, but

 

if it came down to benzos or an ssri, I would rather try a low dose ssri.

[Altostrata]

Are any of these near you

http://psychiatrists.psychologytoday.com/rms/state/Texas.html

 

Since they're advertising in Psychology Today, they might be more inclined to a humanistic approach.

[Meimeiquest]

What exactly are you doing with the BP meds the past three days?

[Meimeiquest]

This is what is scaring me...you are at the point of AD time off that anxiety and insomnia are very normal. What if the symptoms you identified as eta-blocker problems were really AD problems? If that happened, and then you started tapering the beta-blocker, you could really have pulled the rug out from under yourself. I honestly don't know how to tell the difference. But it is something to talk to the dr. About. Wishing you luck at your appt!

 

BTW, this may be a hard concept for your dr. I have to admit I worked for the manufacturer of a beta-blocker. No one called about it, no one had problems. I think this reaction when in WD is quite unusual, but still real.

[lundeliz]

Thanks, Alto. I will look them over. I appreciate it.

[lundeliz]

Meimei, I really do appreciate you taking the time to try to help me.  I have actually called a halt

 

for now on the bb tapering.  I got down to 25mg from 40mg. I haven't tapered anymore in  the

 

last few weeks.  I thought with the way I am feeling I shouldn't be messing with anything.  So

 

you make a very good point.  I don't know how to tell the difference either. ARG!  How did I

 

get myself in this mess?  Wish I could have a do-over.

[Meimeiquest]

Me too!

[Riffick]

Hello Lundeliz.  I am currently tapering benzos.  

 

I was taking the water-soluble beta blocker atenolol to deal with chronic migraines.  The characteristics of beta blockers vary according to which one you are taking and some have an unusually wide variation in absorption and consequent plasma levels between individuals. Although once a day dosing of my atenolol is considered sufficient for cardiovascular problems, I found I was experiencing interdose withdrawal after 5 or 6 hours and it truly flared up my benzo withdrawal symptoms at those times.

 

I tapered the beta blocker earlier this year and it was far tougher than I expected.  Every small cut of my beta blocker (as little as 5 or 10%) would give me insomnia and whole host of symptoms very similar to benzo withdrawal.  I suspect the beta blocker WD symptoms was probably compounding my benzo WD symptoms.  Whatever was actually happening during my beta blocker taper, I got lots of adverse benzo symptoms on account of the beta blockers plus some new ones.

 

Beta blockers are often poorly tolerated and even those people who start off with no problems can evolve intolerance.  Having said that they can be a very effective medication so I am in no way dismissing them.  For an unscientific self-selecting sample of adverse experiences you might like to look at the Askapatient site.  Here are a couple of links:

 

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=16418&name=INDERAL&PerPage=60&sort=satisfaction&order=1   

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=16418&name=INDERAL&PerPage=60&sort=satisfaction&order=1

[lundeliz]

Wow,Riffick, thank you for the info. I just switched to atenolol a few days ago. Interdose withdrawal? I had no idea. I think I need to get off this stuff. I will go slowly. What kind of symptoms did you have? I do think it is causing me problems.Thank you so much.

[Riffick]

Wow,Riffick, thank you for the info. I just switched to atenolol a few days ago. Interdose withdrawal? I had no idea. I think I need to get off this stuff. I will go slowly. What kind of symptoms did you have? I do think it is causing me problems.Thank you so much.

 

Hello Lundeliz.  You may metabolize atenolol more slowly than I do so there is no certainty that you'll also get interdose withdrawal.  

 

Atenolol tends to have fewer side effects but you will probably be washing out your previous beta blocker so you may experience withdrawal from that one while you cross over to atenolol.  I wonder if it may be easier for you to stabilize on your previous beta blockers and then withdraw from that.

 

It might be an idea to put any other taper on hold in order to make sure you regulate the speed of the beta blocker withdrawal based on symptoms caused by the beta blocker rather than symptoms caused by withdrawing other meds.

 

I found that it took about a month to withdraw from 125 mg atenolol.  It was hard work.  I found I experienced the worst of a cut about 24 hours later and then after another 24 hours it was better but I would wait for a third (or even fourth) 24 hours before cutting again.  I took 3 doses a day.  Your times may be different because you are used to a different beta blocker.

 

I had all sorts of symptoms but, as I said before, a surprising number of them seemed to be amplified benzo withdrawal symptoms.  I did notice a few others:  I would wake in the night for several hours and be very alert and not seem unduly sleep deprived the next day.  I was dizzy in a different way to benzos and couldn't place my feet properly on the ground.

[lundeliz]

Thank you Riffick. So far, the switch to Atenolol hasn't caused me any

 

problems. I think I will stabilize on it for a while then start a taper. I am taking

 

a 25mg tablet once a day. Is it ok to cut the Atenolol tablet? It is not scored to be

 

cut. I appreciate all the info you have given me.

[Altostrata]

Riffick, that is extremely helpful. Would you consider starting a topic in Symptoms about beta blockers and atenolol?

 

Many people are taking beta blockers to deal with withdrawal symptoms, this is an important topic.

[lundeliz]

Well, it seems the switch from nadolol to atenolol wasn't a good move. Only

 

one thing has improved and that is a good thing. The agitation I felt constantly

 

is pretty much gone. Not sure if it was a good trade or not. Now I am so weak

 

and shaky feeling. It is affecting my sleep, waking up too early, feel sicker in

 

general and feel depressed, still have the nausea. I am going to continue to taper,

 

but plan to do it slowly. This is the hardest thing I have ever encountered in my

 

lifetime, this wd and all the mess that comes with it. I hope I will not switch

 

or add anymore meds along the way, when will I ever learn.

[Altostrata]

Perhaps you need to hold on drug changes for a bit and give your system a chance to settle down, L.

 

Good to hear the agitation is gone. That was a big one.

[lundeliz]

Yes, I'm sure you are right, Alto. And I don't miss the agitation one bit.

[lundeliz]

Well, I've been on the atenolol for one week today, after switching from nadolol.

 

The first few days were better, with less nausea and anxiety. Gradually, over

 

the next few days, side effects kicked in. Today I have been very weak, and getting

 

the agitation back, not severe yet. My vision is very blurry, just feel very sick.

 

I still have the symptoms of a bladder infection, but have been checked three times,

 

and no infection. My dosage has been cut in half now from where it was a few weeks

 

ago. My blood pressure and heart rate haven't been affected too much, but I'm still on

 

25mg. I have increased my magnesium and that doesn't seem to be bothering me so far,

 

and may be helping. I am so ready to be off the beta blocker, but I plan to be overly

 

cautious in tapering. I hope that pays off when I get off it completely.

[lundeliz]

It's 3a.m. I stayed up very late, and took my beta blocker just a little while

 

ago. I take it at the last minute before going to sleep or it keeps me awake.

 

After I took it, I got very weak and shaky, my chest got tight, and my blood

 

pressure is 189/93. I'm afraid to take it anymore, and I'm afraid to just stop

 

it. I came on here to keep my mind off how I feel. I may take a piece of a Xanax

 

to get to sleep. It has been two weeks since I had a piece of one. My body feels

 

very tense so I know I can't get to sleep. I think I'm having a paradoxical reaction

 

to this med. Does anyone know what I need to do? Do I continue to taper, but maybe

 

speed up the taper? I know that nobody is probably on here at this time of night,

 

but I'm glad I could come here and calm myself down. I feel a little better now. I

 

took 1/4 of a .25mg tablet of Xanax. Will probably need a little more to sleep, but

 

it helped.

[Meimeiquest]

Your story is getting so complicated! I am still getting. Lot of help from the theanine in green tea, but I don't know what is right for you.