cutefoxy: one pill of duloxetine

[cutefoxy]

Hello. I'm 21 y.o. male. My story with ADs. I was taking Cytalopram ~8 months in 2019, then I stopped it myself as I was not seeing any effect.

07.07.2022 I took first 30mg of prescribed duloxetine before sleep. (Also I was prescribed it with Lamotrigine, Atarax. I strated them a week or two before.)

After 2.5h of sleep I woke up with strange feeling. It was difficult to focus, it was getting dark in my eyes. Seems like my pressure got low so I even called to ambulance, but they said ti is just adverse effect and it's ok.

Then it got better, but it was a strange feeling in my head all next day. I drank a lot of water (~6 liters) to decrease this drug effect.

I was trying to sleep, but wake up every 1-2 hous.

I read about a possible PSSD, even after a few days of taking it. Fortunately, yesturday I tried and it seems like it was ok with orgasm. Also I slept today and seems I'm feeling better, but have slight kind of lightheadedness.

Of course, I wouldn't take this drugs anymore.

Maybe you can reassure me that nothing terrible will happen to my brain from one pill?

I would like advice about some lifestyle changes/supplement/diet to minimize effects of this drugs and reduce anxiety. Btw last few months I used to go to the gym and eat healthy diet. When is the best time for me to exercise?
Thank you in advance. I appreciate this community.

[cutefoxy]

Today I was able to sleep only 1h, after that I woke up with panic attack, even with calming herbs and Mg taken before night. I was forced to drink 10 drops of phenobarbital to calm my heart, as I initially thought that my heart might give out.

I only had one panic attack in my life before and it was 3 years ago before any meds.

I can't believe that 30mg changed my brain chemistry so much. Is this forever?... It is getting worse when I'm lying down. I'm still on edge to panic attack. I wan't to believe this is only due to my psychological anxiety, not brain changing.

Btw I read that duloxetine full lifetime in body is 2.5 days. If do not take into account heavy water drinking and taking absorbents on the first day, it should be completely off my body less than 2 hours.

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a volunteer-run community of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  I agree, it sounds like you had an immediate adverse reaction to your first dose of duloxetine.  It's very good that you stopped taking it right away.  We see many people come in here with adverse reactions from their drugs.  The good news is, this is not permanent, and you will heal, but it will take time.  I'm assuming when you had the panic attack and took the phenobarbital your heart was beating fast?  Or was your heart doing something else?  

 

Can you please give us specific information in your signature about your drug history for all drugs you are on and have been on, especially for the past 18-24 months?  It would be especially helpful to have the details of your drugs in a concise vertical list (no symptoms), only drug names, specific dates (as best you can say for example early March if you don't recall the day) and dosages of each medication decrease or increase.  Use this format:

 

Drug name: date, dose, date, dose, date, dose…

Drug name: date, dose, date, dose, date, dose…

Etcetera

 

Please read the link below for instructions.  This will allow us to give you the best guidance.  

 

How to List Drug History in Signature

 

Here is some important information about how these drugs actually work.  Although you were not on the duloxetine long enough for it to remodel your brain, it did destabilize your nervous system, and this will take time to recover from. More on this later. 

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

This helps you understand about recovery from a destabilized nervous system.  

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Here are links with information about recovering from an adverse reaction: 

 

Immediate Adverse Reaction to Psychiatric Drug

 

Techniques for Managing an Adverse Drug Reaction

 

But I Only Took it for a Short Time

 

Here is a link with checklists of common symptoms: 

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen Withdrawal Symptom Checklists

 

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms: 

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Stability is really important when we are recovering.  Please read the link about stability:

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

As far as lifestyle changes, here are some things that have helped me: 

 

1) stick with gentle, low intensity exercise, such as walking.  Exercise in the morning.  This helps you sleep at night.  Avoid moderate to intense exercise, as this produces adrenaline and cortisol, which will worsen anxiety and insomnia.  

 

2) get outside in nature as much as you can.  

 

3) eat whole healthy foods, avoid processed and fast foods, sugar, excess salt, caffeine, avoid MSG and aspartame, and get plenty of water.

 

4) completely avoid alcohol, beer, wine, other mind altering substances.  No THC, CBD kratom, weed, etc.  

 

5) stay around people who are positive, calm, and kind, and avoid abusive, mean, high drama people. 

 

6) reduce stress as much as possible.  

 

7) spend the last 2-3 hours before bed relaxing in a dim room so you can go to sleep. Stay away from electronic screen at this time, and avoid stimulating books, movies, music, etc at this time.  

 

- limit or avoid traveling, and major changes to your routine while you are having acute symptoms.  

 

Please keep in touch, and let us know how you are doing. 

 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by getofflex

[cutefoxy]

Yep thank you. I want to add that lamotrigine was prescribed me by dr because I was experienced something like Benign Fasciculations Syndrome over 3 years. And some slight mood swings.

And in addition to water I took a lot of absorbtion pills at first night after duloxetine.

Fortunately, I was able to sleep today 9 hours, but first 2 hours I was just lying in bed, and then woke up two times with strange feelings and fear.

  

15 hours ago, getofflex said:

 I'm assuming when you had the panic attack and took the phenobarbital your heart was beating fast?  Or was your heart doing something else?  

Maybe not fast, but it was unstable and heavy, I had fear that my anxiety could lead me to heart failure so I decided to took phenobarbital.

 

Seems like I got better today. It is interesting that yesterday, despite the sleepless night and anxiety, my head and memory worked pretty well.

Another strange symptom that has been appearing since yesterday is the feeling that my knees are knocked out from the inside. Apparently, this is due to anxiety intensified reflexes.

Also the day before yesterday I tried to cry, and I succeeded. In general, I reassure myself that the basic things of my brain are working, such as crying, laughing, memory, orgasm. I also did some simple algebra tasks and played dota. I conclude that there was no significant damage to my brain.
Today I feel a little derealized and I don't seem to enjoy music, and before that I was a strong music lover. However, these days I had a very strong anxiety and panic, I did not sleep well, so it is difficult for me to draw objective conclusions now, I need to calm a bit, reduce anxiety and sleep well for a week.
Thanks to your forum, I started taking Omega-3 on the first day after taking it. Also, now it is very important to sleep a lot and well, it's good that today turned out, I hope I will not have problems with this anymore.

And in general, do I understand correctly that it should not be worse? Will it only get better?

[getofflex]

3 hours ago, cutefoxy said:

And in general, do I understand correctly that it should not be worse? Will it only get better?

You may still have windows and waves in your recovery, and your symptoms may morph and change in the future.  However, since you only had 1 tablet of duloxetine, I think in all probability, your recovery may be shorter and easier than many in here who were on psych meds for years.  Try to take things day at a time, and not worry about the future.  Keep in touch with us.  In the long run it will get better, as long as you take proper care of yourself, and stay off the drug merry go round, and stay consistent and stable in your medication dosing.  

[cutefoxy]

Last 3 days I was able to sleep ~9 hours. But waking up with heaviness in the head. I believe my brain is restoring itself.

Endogenous anxiety before sleep and when lying down 90% reduced. Yesturday, before sleep I noticed that I have a desire for certain foods, it made me happy.
However, I'm still feeling like the hemispheres in my head are gears. And sometimes they try to spin in different directions. Weird comparison...

Slight lightheadness. Seems like I'm hearing music quieter than before.

Also sometimes my eyes jump from the text that I read.

But I hope I will get better soon.

 

I'm thinking about taking nootropic therapy. I have DMAE, glycine, Semax. Will try something of these.

 

[ChessieCat]

Altostrata is SA's founder.  Please see her comment below about nootropics

 

And note the "experiment at your own risk". 

 

 

 

[cutefoxy]

So it's been about a month since adr. I'm feeling mostly okay and even better, because I went to nature, started go to bed earlier. I had to do it instead of going to neuro and taking this drugs.

Also I'm using ~6mg of melaxen, Mg, Glycine, it helps me to sleep better. And was getting Sulbutiamine, but stopped today because of slight headache. In this 3 weeks I woke up with anxiety an night only once, however, I don't think it's related to adr.

It seems like It mostly okay, maybe rare lightheadedness while in cognitive load and minor dp/dr. My fasciculations and other stuff is the same as usual, but it started way before any drugs anyway.

 

However, this forum made me think about my prev. usage of cipramil in 2019 for 20mg 5 months. The problem is - my gf left me ~nov. 2019, that was with me for >4 years, it was like one month since I stopped cipramil myself. And she was on medication too at that time... ssris, neuroleptics like because of of eat habits.
If only I knew at the time what these drugs do... I've read this forum and understood that drugs probably affected me so I started to be indifferent to my gf and she too.
Another things I remembered - one time in 2019 I failed to get erection when was with her. I can't exactly remember when it happened, while I have been taking drug or after. Or even before I started it.

But there were succesfull times. But, again, I can't remember, if it has happened before/after I started or stopped cipramil. By the way I believe nothing really has changed much.
As you can see I have slight health anxiety, so can you assure me that it doesn't sound like PSSD? 😅

Also, I see some people tappering lamictal... I thought it shouldn't cause addiction and WD. I was eating myself it for ~5 weeks at the end of 2021 and I didn't notice any effect.

 

So I'm planning to continue live healthy as I can. I hope if this drugs have affected me, then it has either already fixed or will fix soon.

[getofflex]

7 minutes ago, cutefoxy said:

So it's been about a month since adr. I'm feeling mostly okay and even better, because I went to nature, started go to bed earlier.

I'm so glad to hear that you are improving!  That's great.  

 

9 minutes ago, cutefoxy said:

As you can see I have slight health anxiety, so can you assure me that it doesn't sound like PSSD?

No, this is not PSSD.  All men have an occasional bout with inability to get an erection, even ones who've never been on drugs.  

 

Lamictal is psychoactive, and can cause brain dependency and require tapering.  

 

Thanks for letting us know how you are doing.