fierceturtle: Cymbalta 60mg to 0mg in 4 months, ongoing WD 5 months later

[fierceturtle]

5 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Except for DHEA and vitamin D (both steroid-related), they have such short half-lives, withdrawal symptoms are unlikely.

 

Then perhaps I should not abruptly stop taking DHEA and Vitamin D?

[Altostrata]

Please stop the other supplements. Vitamin D is stored in your liver and fat, you have stored reserves, you can stop that, too. Get some sun.

 

How much DHEA and vitamin D are you taking?

[fierceturtle]

 

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

Thyroid treatment is complicated, and an area where patients need to participate. Did you have symptoms of hypothyroidism before you started thyroid medication? Or is your doctor only treating numbers? The numbers mean nothing without the symptoms.

 

I do participate and advocate for myself.

Yes, I had symptoms of hypothyroidism. That was why I asked to have my levels tested to begin with. In fact, when the results came back showing that my thyroid levels were low, I was hopeful that treating the hypothyroidism would help my depression and maybe allow me to go off antidepressants. Hypothyroidism itself is one of the conditions that masquerades as clinical depression. 

This doctor doesn't just go off numbers. She has a standard list of symptoms that she monitors and discusses with me at every visit:

• Hot flushes
• Night sweats
• Awakening 2 or more times between 1am-5am
• Brain "fog"
• Depression---new or worsening
• Anxiety/irritability---new or worsening
• Unusual level of fatigue
• Vaginal dryness or vulvar pain
• Painful intercourse
• Decreased pleasure/orgasmic response with sex
• Decreased desire to initiate sex or have sexual thoughts
• Loss of bladder control---urgency or stress incontinence
• Loss of pubic, leg, underarm hair and/or head hair
• Appearance of facial hairs, acne, or rosacea
• Increase in headaches
• Deep joint pains---hip/shoulder or generalized stiffness
• Muscle weakness or loss of muscle/skin/collagen tone
• Weight gain or loss of more than 7 lbs. in past 12 mo.
• Breast tenderness, enlargement, new self-exam finding
• Excess vaginal discharge, odor, itching, pain
• Intermittent spotting or period-like bleeding episodes
• Any other special issues you would like addressed today?

 

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

naturopaths do a lot of posturing

 

The supplements were recommended by this same hormone specialist, who is an MD -- not a naturopath. I don't believe she is careless or a quack.

 

I will take your recommendations about stopping the supplements to heart. I will also make another appointment with the doctor to discuss it and push for more information from her.

[Altostrata]

On 12/4/2018 at 9:22 PM, fierceturtle said:

Now I'm dealing with the ongoing "looks like relapse" stuff: adrenaline surges, akathisia, anhedonia, anxiety, burning or fluttering sensations in chest and solar plexus, concentration problems, crying spells,  defensiveness, hostility, insomnia, irritability, muscle spasms, rage, rumination, self-doubt, sensory intolerance/overload.

 

Do you still have these symptoms? Have they changed at all in a month?

 

They do not "look like relapse" at all -- who told you that?

 

I've expended a great deal of effort explaining to you how your remarkable drug and supplement regimen might be contributing to these symptoms -- insomnia and activation in particular. Also see https://www.verywellhealth.com/could-you-be-overmedicated-on-thyroid-drugs-3233271

 

Not sure how much more I can add. If you prefer your doctor's treatment, which so far don't seem to reduce these symptoms, please do address your questions to her. She gets paid, we don't.

 

One last word of caution: Avoid benzos.

[Carmie]

Hi fierceturtle, How are you doing?💚

[fierceturtle]

On 4/3/2019 at 3:34 AM, Carmie said:

Hi fierceturtle, How are you doing?💚

 

Hi Carmie,

Thank you for checking on me. I found a lot of Altostrata's questions/comments back in January really aggressive and questionable. Not sure this is a safe place for me to get support.

[Carmie]

Hi fierceturtle, 

 

I’m sorry you feel this site might not be a good place for you, but we would really love to know how you are doing. 

 

How are you doing? What are your symptoms like now?

 

Take care, sending hugs🤗

 

[SDOE]

Hello Fierceturtle, I just wondered how you were doing? I'm a long-term user of Cymbalta and looking for hope about if recovery is possible or if I just need to reinstate.  My primary symptom is insomnia mixed with a little bit of anxiety. I cannot seem to beat this insomnia and unsure which way to turn.  If you would like to private message me that's fine too.

Thank you

[Giulietta]

Hello SDOE,

 

I am sorry that your insomnia is still an issue.   I am another cymbalta survivor. I CT'd 2x in 2018 (both through no fault of my own). I am continuing to deal with WD - and far more than insomnia and don't honestly know when my WD will go away (including the insomnia) but I do know that my symptoms have improved over the last 12 months. 

 

During my time cymbalta I couldn't sleep - and since I have made sleep hygeine changes my sleep has improved. This may be concidental or a reduction in WD symptoms. I have many other WD symptoms 12 months out.

 

Insomnia is worse some nights than others. I have some nights (a few but I"ll take them) when I sleep through without interruption. Some I awaken only once (those are also happy). Some mornings are cortisol spikes at 3 or 4 and sleep that night is quite compromised. Some nights I wake up 2 or 3 times a night.  All in all - I am moving more to 1x wake up.

 

Things that help me -

Using a weighted blanket. Amazon sells them. I wish I had purchased one years ago. I've been an insomniac since 2014 or 2015.

Using a black out mask.

Not using the computer, phone, pad etc after 7 pm.

Wearing blue screen glasses to watch the TV after 7

POsitiver thoughts, gratitude lists, mindfulness andmeditation after 7. Our brains remember what we are thinking about 3 hours before sleep!

No caffeine after 1

 

I don' tknow if a partial reintstatement may help you or not. Iwould ask a moderator for help on this.

 

I did a tiny partical reinstatement - to .4 mg - and it hasn't affected my WD symptoms.

 

 

Giuiletta

[SDOE]

3 hours ago, Guilietta said:

Hello SDOE,

 

I am sorry that your insomnia is still an issue.   I am another cymbalta survivor. I CT'd 2x in 2018 (both through no fault of my own). I am continuing to deal with WD - and far more than insomnia and don't honestly know when my WD will go away (including the insomnia) but I do know that my symptoms have improved over the last 12 months. 

 

During my time cymbalta I couldn't sleep - and since I have made sleep hygeine changes my sleep has improved. This may be concidental or a reduction in WD symptoms. I have many other WD symptoms 12 months out.

 

Insomnia is worse some nights than others. I have some nights (a few but I"ll take them) when I sleep through without interruption. Some I awaken only once (those are also happy). Some mornings are cortisol spikes at 3 or 4 and sleep that night is quite compromised. Some nights I wake up 2 or 3 times a night.  All in all - I am moving more to 1x wake up.

 

Things that help me -

Using a weighted blanket. Amazon sells them. I wish I had purchased one years ago. I've been an insomniac since 2014 or 2015.

Using a black out mask.

Not using the computer, phone, pad etc after 7 pm.

Wearing blue screen glasses to watch the TV after 7

POsitiver thoughts, gratitude lists, mindfulness andmeditation after 7. Our brains remember what we are thinking about 3 hours before sleep!

No caffeine after 1

 

I don' tknow if a partial reintstatement may help you or not. Iwould ask a moderator for help on this.

 

I did a tiny partical reinstatement - to .4 mg - and it hasn't affected my WD symptoms.

 

 

Giuiletta

Thanks for your support and comments Guilietta.  I don't want to hijack Fierceturtle's thread but I will say that I already use a number of the sleep hygiene tips. I don't have a weighted blanket but have a heavy yarn blanket I put across my shoulders (I live in a warm climate.)  I could be more positive 3 hours before I sleep and don't meditate very often.

I didn't realize you had reinstated a small amount after being off of Cymbalta for a year. Essentially, that is what I'm considering. It is unfortunate your reinstatement hasn't helped yet. If I do reinstate, I'm thinking of doing a very small amount by getting pills with capsules this time.  I've got an upcoming appointment to just speak with a doctor.  I feel my options are limited. I'm still scared of Cymbalta and afraid of Z-drugs but it has been so long since I felt normal. I know I've improved but the whole sleep thing seems out of my control.

Initially, when I started Cymbalta I had trouble sleeping but once I  began taking 3mg of melatonin I went back to my usual solid 7 to 8 hours sleep without interruption. Now my regular sleep pattern is to sleep 3 to 4 hours, up for 2 to 3 hours, then fall back asleep for 2 to 4 hours (sometimes with or without the help of more supplements or benadryl.) 

I think some of my discouragement is not reading recovery stories of people that have been on Cymbalta 10+ years. This is part of the reason I'm trying to reach out to other current or former Cymbalta users.  I'm scared this will go on for years or forever...

[Giulietta]

Apologies to @fierceturtle - I didn't mean to hijack either.

 

2 hours ago, SDOE said:

Thanks for your support and comments Guilietta.  I don't want to hijack Fierceturtle's thread

 

I will respond on your thread SDOE

[arbor]

Hello @fierceturtle

I'm wondering how you are.  Hoping you are feeling better🕊️

Arbor