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Madison1: My story


Madison1

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Hi everyone,

 

I've spent some time on here today reading and thought it was time to make my first post. 

 

I was on Cymbalta for about two years starting around 2011. Prior to that I was on Paxil for a bit. All of this is for anxiety, panic attacks and health related anxiety. I had bad side effects with Paxil but at first Cymbalta worked well. In 2013, I had a sinus infection and skipped several pills on accident and the horrible downfall began! Tingling and numbness that gave me panic attacks. I went to my reg doctor who said, hey you should double your dosage to 60mg. I was nervous about doubling it so stupid me busted the capsule and poured out a few but didn't count. I did that for a couple of days so my body was bouncing around for a few days. I finally said the heck with it and took two. The next week I was even worse....crying all the time, feeling like nothing mattered, etc. I went to a neurologist the next Monday because the tingling was now in my feet and a little in my right arm. I thought I had MS and was panicked. I searched MS online day and night. I had a breakdown at the neurologist office. I had an MRI the next morning (after much begging)....my brain and cervical spine with and without contrast. They came back completely normal. I went back to my chiro and confirmed it was not a pinched nerve. I had xrays and an exam. I then went BACK to my regular doctor crying and on the verge of losing it. When I research it says that numbness and tingling are a side effect and medicine effects me to easily. 

 

I went back to my doctor again and she said that I should stop taking the Cymbalta cold turkey for one full week and then start taking Prozac 20mg. I said are you sure I should stop cold turkey? She said yes! I wasn't comfortable with that so I went and talked to my pharmacist. Two pharmacists said that was the worst thing to do. It was exactly what I felt deep down. I then started the Prozac. 

 

I did not have ANY symptoms whatsoever before the week I forgot to take the Cymbalta. 

 

In June 2014 I had some major life changing, emotional, things happen in my life and then moved across country back to where my family lives in California. During the trip I stopped taking the Prozac because I ran out. This is from my journal:

 

Moved to California June 2014 – stopped Prozac abruptly

 

 

September 2014 – first ocular migraine at football game.

 

 

Ocular migraines in Sept/Oct. Went to eye dr Oct 2nd, he said it was normal. Noticed more eye floaters. Vision not clear, hard to focus.

 

 

Week of Sept 27th I had numbness in right foot, feeling cold.

 

 

September 25, 2014 – Started B12 (I have always been deficient) 

 

 

September 27, 2014 - Left hand went numb at part

 

Sinus pressure started that week.

 

 

September 29, 2014 – Claritin and Flonase from dr who said I had rhinitis

 

Sudafed, Mucinex didn’t help. Went back to dr and got zithromax the next week.

 

 

Oct 24, 2014 – Went to dr and got Prednisone and antibiotic. Went to ENT and got CT scan of sinus – Normal results.

 

 

ER – CT scan with contrast, normal results.

 

Oct 31, 2014 – Dr gave me Prozac and Migraine med.

November  7, 2014 -  saw dr

November  7 – 11, 2014 – Went to allergist, no allergies

November 9 2014 – Started Prozac 20 mg again

 

November 13 2014 – opular migraine

November 15 2014 – ER – given Torodol and diloudin

November 16 2014 – ER – headache worse given Afrin

 

November 18 2014, Dr, given Prednison 80 mg, Abilify 2 mg, Ativan. MRI and MRA ordered – both came back normal results

 

 

A few weeks after stopping the Prozac I started getting Ocular Migraines. The only other time in my life I had these was when I stopped the Cymbalta. Then I started getting the cold feet, numbness in my foot again, my hand would go numb....all the things that happened before. For some reason I didn't put it together though. I thought it was my B12 being low so I started taking that. I can't believe I was so stupid I didn't put it together. I started feeling awful...like I was sick but didn't know why. I thought I had a sinus infection because I felt pressure in my sinuses, like behind my eyes and nose and my inner ear. For that last month and a half I went to 3 different doctors, and ENT, an allergist (I have no allergies at all) and the ER twice. I'd been given more medicine than I can explain. They ruled out sinusitis after Claritin, 2 antibiotics and nasal sprays. Then a CT Scan of my sinuses and one of my head with contrast to rule out anything serious. I was told I had a migraine but the different migraine medicines didn't touch it. 

 

 

I was laying in bed praying to God to make this go away and to help me figure this out. In the middle of the night I woke up and thought CYMBALTA & PROZAC!!! The next day I started taking Prozac again. It was one of the many medicines I was given but didn't take so I had it. I think the Prozac was masking the Cymbalta withdrawal. 

 

2015

 

September 22, 2015 – head pressure started

 

September 23, 2015 – Naproxen and chiropractor, no help

 

September 24, 2015 – Ibuprofen no help

 

September 25, 2015 – ER, given Reglan and Benedryl

 

September 26, 2015 – got massage

 

September 27, 2015 – took Reglan, not much relief

 

September 28, 2015 – nothing

 

September 29, 2015 – dr gave Fiorinal, Chiro

 

September 30, 2015 – Fiorinal, caused major heartburn; Started Prozac 20 mg

 

October 1, 2015 – Took Butterbur, took 2 Vitamin D and 3 Vitamin B12

 

October 2, 2015 – mild in morning, took Prozac

 

October 3, 2015 – went to harvest festival and chuck e cheese

 

October 4, 2015 – head hurt more

 

October 5, 2015 – Head mild during the day/hurt worse at night

 

October 6, 2015 – Chiro appt; mild all day. Even at 7:00pm started in temples

 

October 7, 2015 – went to cool hand lukes, got haircut, head hurt worse in evening

 

October 8, 2015 – Hurt in evening

 

October 9, 2015 – Hurt more during day

 

The pain I had mostly was pressure in my head, like a tension headache, a vise on my temples and forehead, a lot more eye floaters and an almost buzzed feeling like when you've had a little to drink. 

 

So....you would've thought I'd learned my lesson and stayed on Prozac but no, I thought that I would eventually be fine without it. I tapered off it but eventually stopped taking it again. Stupid me!! In about the same time frame as the year before, I started having the head pressure again!! This time though I knew it wasn't a sinus infection or anything. I not only had the head symptoms but I would get SO mad and upset about things that I couldn't deal. I'd cry and get so mad I wanted to punch something which wasn't like me. Instead of last time, I started my B12 again (I'm deficient) and Vit D (my level was 18!!!) and my Prozac. Well not right away....I thought for a bit that it was tension headaches and went to get a massage and to my chiropractor. This didn't and doesn't help though. My doctor said to try Butterbur for my headaches. That gave me horrible heartburn. I then started the Prozac. I still have the head pressure across my forehead and sinus area, sometimes in my temples. My eyes do weird things like if I move my head fast it seems to take half a second to catch up. The light kind of bothers me too. 

 

September 28, 2016 – Head pressure started again a week ago.

 

 

Eye strain feeling, facial tingling. Monday when very hot head pressure was very bad until I went to the park to cool off. Took 3 Ibuprofen that day

 

 

October 3, 2016 – Over the weekend head hurt in the afternoon. Facial tingling gone, 2:30 pm pressure starting

 

 

October 4, 2016 – 12:20 pm – mild pressure, not bad. Pretty strong in afternoon after burning candle.

 

 

October 5, 2016 – Less Pressure than day before

 

 

October 6, 2016 – less pressure than I’ve felt in weeks

 

 

Part of me thought it was seasonal, something to do with the change of the weather or humidity...I tracked it and there was no significant change in the barometric pressure. Maybe humidity and temp but not sure that was the cause. I again started thinking, could this STILL be from Cymbalta and Prozac and serotonin? Turns out low serotonin causes tension headaches, craving carbs and sweets and always being tired even after a good night's sleep. I really think that the doctor that had me go from 30mg to 60mg in one week and then stop cold turkey, messed me up. It's been about three years and I'm still having these lingering problems. The 20mg prozac helps but then I skipped a day here and there so it was messing up my body too even though there is a long half life. 

 

March 1, 2017 – Had blood work done for Vitamin deficiency.

 

March 2, 2017 – Test results came back. Vitamin B in the 1000s, Vitamin D was 22.

 

 

March 7, 2017 – Yesterday head pain was low. Today it has been more. I’ve been taking 2-3 2000IUs of Vitamin D daily. There seems to be some improvement except for today so far. I’ve been researching that it can cause shoulder/neck/muscle pain, tension headaches, vision issues. 

 

 

 

 

 

So that is my history....I've thought it was the weather and Vitamin D deficiency, which could be making it worse. However, I really believe in my heart my issues are from antidepressants. I'm so glad to have found this forum. 

 

2009 - Took Paxil, first antidepressant every. Horrible shocking feelings and depression

2010 - Switched to Cymbalta 30 mg

2013 - upped to 60mg at the horrible advice of a doctor who then said quit cold turkey

2013 - Started prozac 20mg

 

*I have always been low in Vitamin B and around this time learned of Vitamin D deficiency

 

2014 - Horrible withdrawal symptoms....shocking feelings, pressure in head/tension headache almost

Had multiple tests and scans (MRI MRA CT - all normal)

Between end of 2014 to present off an on I still have symptoms. Mostly head pressure, pins and needles, sometimes shocking feelings. 

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Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you went through quite a lot. Glad you finally figured out what was causing all your symptoms. Prayer helps a lot, and sounds like God heard your prayers... 

200 Zoloft; 10 mg Zyprexa; 4 mg valium as of May 2021;  Valium taper: July 16: 3.5 valium; July 30: 3 mg (paused valium taper); Aug. 23: 2.5 mg
Zyprexa: July 26: 8.75 mg; Aug. 9: 7.5 mg; Aug. 30: 7.1 mg

-------
Dec 1, 2016. 10 mg zyprexa for 1.5 month. Started taper mid-Jan. 2017. Cut 1.25 mg every 2 weeks; smaller cuts 2.5 mg down. Stopped at .6 mg. May 7, 2017: zyprexa free. 
Zoloft: Dec1, 2016, 200 mg. Started taper: Jun12, 2017: 197.5 mg; Jun19,:195 mg; July 2:185mg; July 9,:180 mg; July16,: 175; July 23: 170; July 30: 165; Aug6: 160; Aug13: 155; Aug. 20: 150; Aug.27: 146 mg; Sept3: 145 mg; Sept10:143 mg; Sept17:140 mg....Nov5: 122 mg...Dec3:112.5 mg; Jan14, 2018: 95 mg...Jan28: 90 mg; Feb21:80 mg; Mar11: 75 mg; May2:70 mg; May15: 68 mg; May28: 65 mg; Jun9: 62 mg;Jun25: 60 mg:July22: 55 mg; Aug25: 45 mg. Aug28: 50 mg...Oct 28: 38 mg; Dec.4: 30 mg; Jan8,2019: 25mg; Feb6: 23.5 mg; Apr1:17.5mg; May1:1 mg; May 5: 18;  May 18:15mg; June 16:12.5mg; Sept 10:11 mg; Sept.16:10 mg; Oct. 1: 9mg; Nov. 27: 8mg; Dec.5: 7mg; Jan.1,2020, 6 mg; Feb1: 5 mg; May 1: 2.5 mg; Jn 1: 2 mg; Jy 1: 1.5 mg

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Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you went through quite a lot. Glad you finally figured out what was causing all your symptoms. Prayer helps a lot, and sounds like God heard your prayers... 

I pray every night for him to lead me to answers and heal me so that I can be the best mom I can be for my children. Thank you for your reply. It means so much. 

2009 - Took Paxil, first antidepressant every. Horrible shocking feelings and depression

2010 - Switched to Cymbalta 30 mg

2013 - upped to 60mg at the horrible advice of a doctor who then said quit cold turkey

2013 - Started prozac 20mg

 

*I have always been low in Vitamin B and around this time learned of Vitamin D deficiency

 

2014 - Horrible withdrawal symptoms....shocking feelings, pressure in head/tension headache almost

Had multiple tests and scans (MRI MRA CT - all normal)

Between end of 2014 to present off an on I still have symptoms. Mostly head pressure, pins and needles, sometimes shocking feelings. 

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