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Nick130420: Does Tramadol have as much SSRI in it as Zoloft?


nick130420

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Does Tramadol have as much SSRI in it as Zoloft? Does 100mg of Tramadol have as much SSRI as say 50mg of Zoloft? I am taking Tramadol while going through Zoloft withdrawal and I'm just wondering if I'm stunting the healing process of my Zoloft withdrawal. My body and mind still don't feel 100% since quitting Zoloft, but it's definitely getting better. I'm just wondering if I would heal from quitting Zoloft sooner if I don't take Tramadol.

 

My body should still be recovering back to it's normal state right? Lets say you're on 75mg of Zoloft and you cut your dose down to 25mg of Zoloft. Isn't your body still making up for that 50mg loss of Zoloft? Hence why people go through withdrawals after lowering their dose of Zoloft. Doesn't 25mg of Zoloft still have more SSRI in it than say 100mg of Tramadol? 

 

I take a maximum of 200mg of Tramadol in a day just FYI.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Nick, welcome to SA. I too take tramadol and have been trying to find answers to the same questions. I can't find out the amounts of  ssri/snri in tramadol, only that it is 'mild'.  I would not stop tramadol, it is an ssri'snri and an opiate, withdrawal can be brutal so needs tapering like most drugs. 

 

Did you cut from 75 to 25 of zoloft?  If so,  when? Or have you stopped zoloft?  

 

I recently finished my effexor taper and will be tapering the tramadol when I am ready. We deal with psychotropic drugs here and tramadol is a painkiller so we don't have any specific information on tapering it but I will be tapering more slowly that any of the sites I have seen online which recommend tapers that last just a few weeks. Can you give us more detail about the lexapro?  It would be good if you can put those details in your signature for us, you can find instructions how to do that here. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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Hi Nick, welcome to SA. I too take tramadol and have been trying to find answers to the same questions. I can't find out the amounts of  ssri/snri in tramadol, only that it is 'mild'.  I would not stop tramadol, it is an ssri'snri and an opiate, withdrawal can be brutal so needs tapering like most drugs. 

 

Did you cut from 75 to 25 of zoloft?  If so,  when? Or have you stopped zoloft?  

 

I recently finished my effexor taper and will be tapering the tramadol when I am ready. We deal with psychotropic drugs here and tramadol is a painkiller so we don't have any specific information on tapering it but I will be tapering more slowly that any of the sites I have seen online which recommend tapers that last just a few weeks. Can you give us more detail about the lexapro?  It would be good if you can put those details in your signature for us, you can find instructions how to do that here. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

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Hi mammaP and thanks for the reply.


 


I was on 50mg of Zoloft for 32 days to be exact and stopped cold turkey. It has now been around 60 days and I'm still going through slight withdrawal. I never had any idea that this drug would put me through withdrawal for so long, let alone AT ALL since I was only on it for 1 month. I guess 1 month was long enough for the chemicals in my brain to rely on the Sertraline. The reason I stopped the Zoloft was because I didn't like how it made me feel emotionless. I lost my sense of humor and my enjoyment of music which is when I realized I didn't like being on the Zoloft?


 


I wonder why there is no information out there on how much SSRI is in Tramadol, it would be useful to know. Would you say that Zoloft is probably a lot stronger?


 


I'm sorry, but what is lexapro? I was on Sertraline, not Lexapro.


 


*EDIT* 


 


Sorry I accidentally messed up this post lol


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  • Moderator Emeritus

Yes I would say it is much stronger than tramadol. I don't have any knowledge of the chemical make up of drugs, and can't understand the terms used. Maybe someone who knows about tgatcside of things will research it and make sense of it but its beyond my poor brain!. Sorry for the mix up with lexapro, it was bedtime and my brain was frazzled!

How long have you been taking tramadol?

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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MammaP,

 

I have been taking Tramadol for only 5 days actually. I take a maximum of only 200mgs a day. For the 4 months prior to taking Tramadol, I was on Norco.

 

When you went through withdrawal on whatever antidepressant you were on, did you notice your withdrawal symptoms getting better even though you are on Tramadol?

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I was taking Vicodin while I was going through Zoloft withdrawal and I'm just wondering if I stunted the healing process of my Zoloft withdrawal. My body and mind still don't feel 100% since quitting Zoloft, but it's definitely getting better gradually. I don't take Vicodin anymore, but I'm just wondering if I would have healed from quitting Zoloft sooner if I hadn't taken Vicodin earlier.

 

I'm just wondering if taking Vicodin will interfere with the recovery of my Zoloft withdrawal? Could I have done any permanent brain damage from taking Vicodin since my brain is in recovery mode?

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  • Moderator Emeritus

How long were you taking vicodin? If you have only been taking tramadol for a few days I would cut it down and get off it asap as it is addictive and because of the SNRI component will be difficult to stop. I haven't heard anything that suggests it may help with withdrawal. 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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MammaP,

 

I was taking the Vicodin for 4 months, and that covers the time I was on Zoloft and i was taking the Vicodin about a month and a half after stopping Zoloft.

 

Do you think taking Vicodin during Zoloft withdrawal slows it down or interferes with the Zoloft withdrawal recovery in any way? The only reason I'm anxious about this is because they both affect the chemicals in your brain and idk if there is any interference.

 

I actually stopped taking the Tramadol the day I posted this question. I read up on Tramadol and people were saying the withdrawal off it is AWFUL.

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MammaP,

 

What I meant was, did you feel that your antidepressant withdrawal symptoms were getting better EVEN though you were taking Tramadol since it has SSRI in it?

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Yes Nick, I got better as I tapered even when taking tramadol.

 

Try not to worry, you are doing fine if you are coping and symptoms are mild. It takes time for the nervous system to recover and heal.There were 3 drugs, zyprexa, vicodin and tramadol all stopped within a short time of each other. What doses of vicodin were you taking? Some people find it very addictive but others find it easy to quit and that could be adding to the symptoms. 

 

You will get your brain back and will be fine, some take longer than others but you were only on zyprexa a short time and are doing well so it's looking good. 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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MammaP,

 

By Zyprexa I'm guessing you mean Zoloft right?

 

I was on 40-80mg of Vicodin a day during the 4 month period. But believe me, the Vicodin withdrawals are LONG gone.

 

Also, I don't think I've been experiencing any Tramadol withdrawals since I was on it for such a short period of time.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Oh dear, I'm making a mess of this aren't I? Yes I mean zoloft! I spend so much time on different threads and the names get jumbled up, plus there are several names for each drug to complicate things and my poor brain gets addled  :blush: I need to concentrate more! 

 

I'm sure you will be fine in that case Nick, you will get back to normal but please don't be tempted to take any psychotropic drugs in the future. Some people can start and stop them and be fine but you obviously are not one of them and suffered withdrawal.  My son was taking an AD for 3 weeks and had side effects so stopped. He too had withdrawal symptoms, and we have had people affected after just a few days!  

 

You will get better and be back to yourself and hopefully it will be soon. 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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Thanks a lot for all your help mammaP. I had no idea that they could possibly affect me this way before i started taking them, my doctor is obviously completely ignorant about this drug. What i learned from all this is ANYTHING that is not natural is not good for your body at all, it can only cause an imbalance. My body is VERY healthy when I'm not on an AD.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Nick, it's not unusual for people to have withdrawal symptoms for months even after using an AD (or other psych drug) for only a month, so you don't need to worry or look for explanations. It sounds like you're recovering and I'm confident you will recover completely.

 

I agree with mammaP, if you can avoid the tramadol do so, because it can be tricky to get off, worse than regular opiates like Vicodin. 

 

It sounds to me like you dodged a bullet by getting off the Zoloft right away. Good for you!

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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Rhiannon,

 

So you don't think taking opiates like Vicodin or Percocet (in my case Vicodin) can interfere with Zoloft withdrawal recovery?

 

I have no idea how these drugs work in the brain, all i know is they both affect the brain.

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  • Administrator

Welcome, Nick.

 

Any drug that acts on the nervous system may cause odd reactions in people whose nervous systems have been sensitized by withdrawal. The amount of SSRI any such drug contains is not relevant. It's best to keep those drugs to an absolute minimum.

 

If you've been taking any neuroactive drug, including tramadol, regularly, you should plan on making dosage changes very cautiously, tapering to go off.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Altostrata,

 

Hi. So you're telling me taking Vicodin CAN slow down or stop my recovery from my Zoloft withdrawal? Can taking Vicodin cause PERMANENT DAMAGE to any part of my body/brain since my nervous system has been sensitized by Zoloft withdrawal? Please answer my questions specifically because now I'm anxious about it.

 

Thank you for any advice in advance.

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  • Administrator

No, what I'm saying is adding any neuroactive substance, even an herbal supplement such as St. John's Wort, can cause a rough patch.

 

Your nervous system will continue to try to fix itself. You can help by avoiding any chemical upsets.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Altostrata,

 

Oh so like my body will still heal but it won't be a very smooth healing if i add other chemicals into the mix, right?

 

So NO permanent damage to my brain or my body right?

 

I appreciate the help.

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So just one final question everybody. Is it perfectly safe and ok for me to take Vicodin or Percocet while I'm in Zoloft withdrawal? There's no permanent damage to my brain or body i have to worry about?

 

Sorry to be annoying everyone, but this is my last question i promise!

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  • Member

You would probably be better served in asking for an ironclad guarantee from the manufacturer of the specific drug. Alto gave her best answer above.

What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878

 

July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site.

 

Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey.

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I was just asking if it was safe. I don't want an "ironclad guarantee" i just want an opinion. I'm sure people on here know if something is safe meaning that it is VERY unlikely that something bad can happen. I didn't ask for your input cymbaltawithdrawal5600. No offense.

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  • Member

 

So just one final question everybody

 

I am sorry, I did not realize I was not included in the everybody. Mods please delete my comment. Thank you.

What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878

 

July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site.

 

Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey.

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@cymbalta- Yeah, one last QUESTION that i wanted ANSWERED. I didn't ask for an OPINION on whether or not Alto gave me her best answer, he/she can tell me that. Also when i said everybody i was reffering to the people in THIS thread.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Vicodin and perocet are both neuroactive and best avoided while your nervous system is healing. Damage isn't permanent but you will need to take care of yourself while you heal. 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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  • Administrator

I always give my best answer.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • Administrator

You're welcome. Please look around the site and do some more reading, particularly What is withdrawal syndrome?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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The worst Zoloft withdrawal symptoms I experienced were:

 

1) Confusion/Concentration issues. Man i could NOT maintain my train of though, and had memory problems. It's a lot better now, but it still has room to improve.

 

2) Physical weakness. I had little energy and felt weak. I did not like this at all

 

3) Bad stomach cramps if i didn't eat a low amount of food.

 

4) NO sex drive. Girls i use to go crazy over didn't do a thing for me.

 

5) decreased appetite.

 

6) Depersonalization. Didn't feel like my self personality wise.

 

That's all the symptoms i had. I never had brain zaps or headaches. Then again I've never had a headache in my life.

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Hi Nick, I don't think anything gives you permanent damage. I took Norco for 3 years for back pain. Went to detox and only took a couple of rescue doses after gallbladder surgery. Who knows what it did to my nervous system, but I haven't taken any meds since November 8, 2014 and am having a pretty rough go of it now, which I'm assuming is due to the gabapentin cold turkey. Rescue doses are temporary fixes. Just try to not take them often. You don't know what they'll do when your nerves are highly sensitized. The couple I took in the days recuperating after surgery didn't do anything to me but take the pain away temporarily. Listen to your body. Don't take another one if you have a bad reaction. You know what's best for you. I don't believe anything is permanently damaging if we take care of ourselves and give our brains time to heal from the med use. Good luck!

January 2012 - Prescribed 900mg gabapentin and 30mg Norco for lower lumber spinal stenosis pain.

September 2013 - Spinal fusion surgery, 6 levels. Hospital ramped up meds 1500mg gabapentin, 100mg Norco, 80mg Oxycontin, 25mg Fentanyl patch.

January 2014 - Sever nausea daily and with back pain every 4 hours. 2 trips to ER. First endoscopy found ulcer. Treated with Sucralfate and PPI. Second endo in May found no ulcers. Doctors said it was the opiates causing the nausea. CT'd Oxycontin, Fentanyl patch.

July 2014 - Lost 48 lbs. due to not eating because of severe nausea. GP prescribed Prozac 20mg and Ativan 2mg prn. Tried for 4 days, quit. Two week followup GP said keep taking Prozac. 4 days, quit again. Ativan taken rarely prn for anxiety and appetite.

August 2014 - Went to detox. Off opiates. Still nauseous, helmet head, drugged feeling. Doctor CT'd gabapentin. Ended up in ER. Found 2 gallstones. Gabapentin reinstated at 900mg. Tried botched up and down taper to get off Gabapentin. No tapering advice from doctor. Said to just CT again.

September 2014 - Coded on table during gallbladder surgery. Developed liver biloma due to CPR by doctor. Had bile bulb inserted for 2 wks to drain.

October 2014 - Gallbladder removed. Still nauseous, 3am cortisol surging, drugged helmet head, vertigo, breathlessness, whooshing head, heart palps.

November 8th, 2014 - CT'd gabapentin suggested by family and 4 different doctors. Was told no withdrawal is associated with gabapentin. Have been in hell ever since. No windows, just one big tsunami every day with same symptoms for 4 months.

December 26, 2014 - Found SA. At least I know I'm not insane. My family thinks I'm doing this to myself. Akathesia has become unbearable.

March 10, 2015 - In absolute daily hell with no relief. Currently taking magnesium 200mg before bedtime.

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  • 1 year later...

Ok so I've been off of Cymbalta for 5 freakin months and my brain still feels fried. I don't know if this is coincidence, but the first 2 months i was off of Cymbalta I ALSO abstained from opiates and i noticed improvements in my energy levels from those 2 months of being off everything. However, I've went back to using opiates and haven't noticed any improvement in my Cymbalta withdrawal since starting opiates BUT i also haven't lost the progress I've made. So it's been 3 months since I've started using opiates again and I feel like my body isn't making any improvements from being off of Cymbalta. I want my emotions back SO bad as well as my very quick wit and sharp brain, but I've lost it all :( I literally want to blow my brains out.

 

My main concern and question: Can using opiates HALT my brain from recovering from the SNRI withdrawal? BTW i strongly feel that the part that is messing with my body so bad is Norepinephrine down-regulation. I came here about a year and a half ago asking about Zoloft withdrawal (as you can see in my bio) and the serotonin withdrawal from that is NOTHING compared to the hell of coming off of an SNRI.

 

I seriously believe that my brain lost it's ability to ever recover those key chemicals again. Please read this guy's account of what Cymbalta withdrawal was like for him, because this is EXACTLY how I'm feeling: http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2014/04/22/cymbalta-duloxetine-withdrawal-symptoms-my-personal-experience/

 

 

I was using 30mgs a day for 3 months BTW

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  • Member

Nick, please put questions such as this in your topic, which is here:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8564-nick130420-does-tramadol-have-as-much-ssri-in-it-as-zoloft/

 

There is only one topic to a member in the Introductions forum. A mod will move this post there, you will be able to see if any members respond.

 

My guess is that what you REALLY want to know is how it is going to last for YOU. This is an unknown and depends on how long you were on it and how fast you came off it. And what you are doing to take care of yourself presently and in the future.

 

I am still having some issues and I am 3 1/2 years off. There's a link in my sig if you want to read my story. I am guessing you are feeling too bad to read such long stories, though... but they are highly informative (as are the rest of the cymbalta sufferer's stories).

What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878

 

July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site.

 

Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey.

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How long does SNRI withdrawal last?


 


Ok so I've been off of Cymbalta for 5 freakin months and my brain still feels fried. I don't know if this is coincidence, but the first 2 months i was off of Cymbalta I ALSO abstained from opiates and i noticed improvements in my energy levels from those 2 months of being off everything. However, I've went back to using opiates and haven't noticed any improvement in my Cymbalta withdrawal since starting opiates BUT i also haven't lost the progress I've made. So it's been 3 months since I've started using opiates again and I feel like my body isn't making any improvements from being off of Cymbalta. I want my emotions back SO bad as well as my very quick wit and sharp brain, but I've lost it all  :( I literally want to blow my brains out.


 


My main concern and question: Can using opiates HALT my brain from recovering from the SNRI withdrawal? BTW i strongly feel that the part that is messing with my body so bad is Norepinephrine down-regulation. I came here about a year and a half ago asking about Zoloft withdrawal (as you can see in my bio) and the serotonin withdrawal from that is NOTHING compared to the hell of coming off of an SNRI.


 


I seriously believe that my brain lost it's ability to ever recover those key chemicals again. Please read this guy's account of what Cymbalta withdrawal was like for him, because this is EXACTLY how I'm feeling: http://mentalhealthd...nal-experience/


 


 


I was using 30mgs a day for 3 months BTW


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The SNRI's are tricky and nasty little cusses.  They have such short half-lives that they're mostly gone within 1 day. Effexor is the worst with a 4 hour half-life - down to 25% after 8 hours!
 
People have experienced withdrawal symptoms well after taking their last dose of a psych drug. This is true for virtually every psych drug. For better or worse, you're not alone in this.  There's a name for it: "Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome" aka PAWS.
 
Our bodies are very powerful at maintaining and restoring status quo. After the perturbation of psych drugs, our central nervous system has to "reregulate":  shut down receptors upregulated in presence of the drug and/or restore receptors that were downregulated.  I think (my non-medically educated, person-on-the-internet opinion) is that withdrawal symptoms are the result of the receptor change that continues long after our last dose, as the CNS adapts to a drug-free state.
 
You were on Cymbalta for 3 months and stopped 5 months ago, so the timeline looks like this?

  • started 30 mg/day October 2015,
  • continued at 30mg/day through the end of December
  • stopped 30 mg at the end of December '15/early January '16

In the link you posted, the blogger discusses factors affecting withdrawal: length of time taking drug; dose; individual physiology; discontinuation method, cold-turkey vs. taper. Your individual physiology is revealing its response to the absence of Cymbalta now. The w/d symptoms he lists are the same as what we have experienced and is documented here: What is withdrawal syndrome
 
How did you stop the Cymbalta? Abruptly/"cold turkey" or with a taper? If a taper, what amounts and how long at each dose?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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