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Olle: Severe muscular pain


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After over 20 years of taking different SSRI and SNRI medications for anxiety and depression, in average or low doses I am since 6 months down to 15 mg of Cymbalta. I would really like to come off it but I have not been stable in my mood and have had plenty of problems with sleep (waking up early), stomach (diarrhea) and now the last couple of months with persistent muscular tension and increasing pain in my left shoulder (nothing is mechanically wrong with it, I have checked). I wonder so much if others have had the same problem when withdrawing, especially the muscular pain, which makes me think I have to increase my intake of SNRI if it does not get better soon. I feel really handicapped. What to do about it?

Edited by Gridley

Started SSRI (Fluoxetine) 1999 for general anxiety and depression. 

1999-2002 Fluoxetine 20 mg .2002-2005 oct. Citalopram 20 mg. Quit cold turkey from 10 mg. Depression after 6 months. 2006 March. Escitalopram instated, up to 10 mg. 2009 Jan. Quit Escitalopram cold turkey from 5 mg. Depression after 8 months that gradually got worse. Suicidal thoughts. 2010 Jan. Reinstated on Escitalopram 10 mg and Mirtazapin 15 mg. 2013 - 2019 Escitalopram 5 mg and Mirtazapin 7,5 mg. Also added Voxra, Seroquel and Wellbutrin in periods. No positive effect of those. 2019 June - Aug. Escitalopram 10 mg Mirtazapin 7,5 mg.

2019 aug- 2020 Jan. Escitalopram 5 mg Mirtazapin 15 mg. 2020 Jan - April. Escitalopram 5 mg, Mirtazapin 22,5 mg. 2020 April - June. Escitalopram 5 mg, Mirtazapin 15 mg. Depression coming back.

2020 June. Switched to Duloxetine 30 mg on Doctor's advice. Raised mood but harsh side effects - sleep problems, tinnitus, brain fog (withdrawal?) 2020 Aug. Dropped to 18 mg and from there 10 % taper down to 14 mg in Nov. Severe diarrhea and weight loss made me up the dose back to 15 mg. 2020 Nov- 2021 June. Staying on Duloxetine 15 mg. Feel depression coming back and severe muscle pain (shoulder)

  

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Welcome to SA, Olle.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

Muscle pain is an extremely common symptom of antidepressant withdrawal.

 

 

Many other members on this site have experienced withdrawal-caused muscle pain, myself included.  While tapering Lexapro I had severe muscle pain in the back of my neck that continued for quite a while.  It eventually went away and hasn't returned.  Here are some members' experiences:

 

Muscle and joint stiffness, aches, pain, or weakness ...

 

For more links on the topic of withdrawal-caused muscle pain, please Google SurvivingAntidepressants.org muscle pain.

 

What was your starting dose and how fast are you tapering Cymbalta over the last 6 months?  We recommend tapering by by no more than 10% of your current dose every 4 months.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

This link is specifically about tapering Cymbalta, including how to take the non-standard doses needed for a 10% taper.

 

Tips for tapering off duloxetine (Cymbalta)

 

5 hours ago, Olle said:

which makes me think I have to increase my intake of SNRI if it does not get better soon.

 

If you decide to increase your dose of Cymbalta, I suggest updosing a very small amount, perhaps one bead to start with.  Over the 6 months you've been tapering Cymbalta, your system has become accustomed to the smaller dose and too much can overwhelm your system, destabilizing you further.  Please read:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms. -- at least the first page of the topic

 

It takes 4 days for an updose to reach full strength in your blood stream and a few days longer for the change to register in your brain.  So be patient and give the updose time to work.

 

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. Get supplements that are single ingredient (not mixed with other types of supplements).

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can complete your drug signature, ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gridley Introduction

 

Lexapro 20 mg since 2004.  Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017.   

End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg 

End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg

End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg  

Oct. 30, 2020  Jump to zero from 0.025mg.  Current dose: 0.000mg

3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete.

 

Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements

Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium

Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium 

End 2021  year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg

End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg 

End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg

Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper.

Taper is 95% complete.

 

Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986.  Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg  

March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper

Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper

Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper.  Current dose as of Feb. 22: 7.6mg

Taper is 90% complete.  

  

Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, anti-candida, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase


I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs.

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  • Gridley changed the title to Olle: Severe muscular pain

Yup the exactly same shoulder rigidity and pain - had an X-ray and they found nothing. Got dx-Ed with ‘frozen shoulder” 

2009-2017 - 40mg Prozac, 2mg Risperdal, 200mg Seroquel, 7.5mg Zopiclone, 1.5mg Lorazepam, 50mg Setraline, 6mg Valium, 1mg Clonzepam, 7.5mg Zopiclone 7.5mg, - Adderall 20mg, 20mg Ritalin, 1mg Clonazepam, 7.5mg Zopiclone ,50mg Trazadone  40mg Citalopram, 40mg Strattera - 5mg Abilify, 250mg Trazadone, 40mg Testosterone (pills) - 100mg Seroqual, 50mg Remeron- 150mg Wellbutrin XL - Clonazepam 1mg > 5-6mg (and Bridge to Valium 40mg), Pregabalin - 300mg > 600mg, Ritalin 40mg,  0.25m>0.5mll Testosterone Entate, Adderall 30mg, Oxycodone 10mg, Loxapine 40mg, Seroquel 100mg, Lamitical 75mg, Cyclobenzaprine 15mg, Tramadol 200mg, Codeine 120mg, October - 2017 - Begin Valium taper at 40mg - 2mg every two weeks June 2018 - Rapid Detox in rehab from 200mg Tramadol, 600mg Pregabalin, 4mg Valium over 3 weeks. August 2018 Cold Turkey 70mg Lisdexamfetamine  October 2018 - 30mg Cymbalta, Feburary 2019 reinstate 70mg Lisdexamfetamine March 2019 Cold turkey Cymbalta&Lisdexamfetamine July 2019 - Reinstate 30mg Cymbalta and 70mg Lisdexamfetamine. October 2019  start taper 5-10% Cymbalta every 2-4 weeks  February 2021 2.42mg Cymbalta (15 beads) 0.4ml Testosterone Enantate IM biweekly Discontinued CT - Lisdexamfetamine 70mg
March 2021-March 2022- remove 1 bead Cymbalta per month-6 weeks - switch to Testogel 50mg then back to Enatate 0.4ml
March 2022 - Switch to Nebido 1000mg (every 12 weeks) - 2 beads Cymbalta (0.3mg)

April 2022 - 1 bead Cymbalta (0.15mg)

May 18th 2022 - 0 Beads (0.00mg) - 100% PSYCH DRUG FREE!
Supplements - Magnesium Malate, (half teaspoon) Glycinate, L-theronate (quater teaspoon) dissolved in water 2mg Melotonin, 1000mg Omega-3 Fish Oil x3 daily

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What did you do about it? Did it go away? Mine is quite crippling and I absolutely don’t want it to be permanent. 

Started SSRI (Fluoxetine) 1999 for general anxiety and depression. 

1999-2002 Fluoxetine 20 mg .2002-2005 oct. Citalopram 20 mg. Quit cold turkey from 10 mg. Depression after 6 months. 2006 March. Escitalopram instated, up to 10 mg. 2009 Jan. Quit Escitalopram cold turkey from 5 mg. Depression after 8 months that gradually got worse. Suicidal thoughts. 2010 Jan. Reinstated on Escitalopram 10 mg and Mirtazapin 15 mg. 2013 - 2019 Escitalopram 5 mg and Mirtazapin 7,5 mg. Also added Voxra, Seroquel and Wellbutrin in periods. No positive effect of those. 2019 June - Aug. Escitalopram 10 mg Mirtazapin 7,5 mg.

2019 aug- 2020 Jan. Escitalopram 5 mg Mirtazapin 15 mg. 2020 Jan - April. Escitalopram 5 mg, Mirtazapin 22,5 mg. 2020 April - June. Escitalopram 5 mg, Mirtazapin 15 mg. Depression coming back.

2020 June. Switched to Duloxetine 30 mg on Doctor's advice. Raised mood but harsh side effects - sleep problems, tinnitus, brain fog (withdrawal?) 2020 Aug. Dropped to 18 mg and from there 10 % taper down to 14 mg in Nov. Severe diarrhea and weight loss made me up the dose back to 15 mg. 2020 Nov- 2021 June. Staying on Duloxetine 15 mg. Feel depression coming back and severe muscle pain (shoulder)

  

 

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