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morrowasted
Worldwide Stepper



Registered: 10/30/09
Posts: 31,377
Loc: House of Mirrors
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Finally getting off of Cymbalta
#23722466 - 10/09/16 02:34 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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I've been taking Cymbalta (first 30mg, then 60mg, then 120mg, then back to 60mg) daily for 7 years. So Friday I forgot to pick it up from CVS before I left so I didn't take it that day. When I woke up Saturday I felt good so I decided, what the hell I just won't take it today and see how I feel. My mood actually seemed to start gradually improving rather than getting worse. However about halfway through Saturday I started getting brain zaps. They feel almost like an "electric sneeze". A sort of numb-feeling electricity builds up in the brain area head and then gets released down through the spine. Last night I couldn't sleep at all (which I found odd, I figured I'd be more sleepy than usual with a deficiency of norepinephrine) and today the brain zaps got to be near constant. My mood stayed great though. It seemed that either most of the horror stories I'd read about withdrawing from antidepressants were either blown out of proportion by people who have never experienced REAL withdrawal, or maybe the worst was still yet to come. However, I decided it might be in my best interests to use a (relatively rapid) taper to reduce the brain zaps and insomnia. So an hour ago I took 20mg. The brain zaps have gone away. I think about 5 days I'll lower that to 10mg, then 5 days later to 5mg, then stop. We'll see.
I feel like my conversations with people are so much less forced than they were on Cymbalta. I find myself thinking a lot less about what I am going to say- considering whether or not it's the right thing to say, or the right way to say it- and just speaking fluidly and more often with those around me. I feel like myself again for the first time in a long, long time.
On a side note, I feel like a fasting-acting SNRI with a shorter half-life would be a great cognitive enhancer. Phenylpiracetam comes to mind, but it also releases dopamine. I try to use dopamine-releasing stimulants as little as possible, but I do sometimes use PhenylP and it works like a charm- much better for me than adderall, which makes me feel SUPER focused- but not on what I'm ever actually supposed to be focused on.
Edited by morrowasted (10/09/16 02:37 PM)
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xbloodwhipx

Registered: 02/24/12
Posts: 12,791
Last seen: 4 years, 5 months
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Re: Finally getting off of Cymbalta [Re: morrowasted]
#23722527 - 10/09/16 02:55 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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I used to take zoloft, and the brain zaps are damn near maddening when you try to quit. Good luck though, SSRIs really zap away your personality and really aren't needed long term.
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Mescalean
Burke is love, burke is life.


Registered: 01/18/12
Posts: 6,755
Last seen: 6 years, 10 months
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Re: Finally getting off of Cymbalta [Re: xbloodwhipx]
#23722531 - 10/09/16 02:56 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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My little brother tried slitting his wrists on that shit. Good for you man
-------------------- FREE BURKE
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Repertoire89
Cat



Registered: 11/15/12
Posts: 21,773
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Re: Finally getting off of Cymbalta [Re: morrowasted]
#23722538 - 10/09/16 03:00 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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That's a good plan man, taper away
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beforethedawn
Registered: 06/19/16
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Re: Finally getting off of Cymbalta [Re: Repertoire89]
#23722566 - 10/09/16 03:07 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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Yeah brain zaps are weird. I wonder if it does anything bad to the brain to go through that.
-------------------- Hostile humankind Can't you see you're fucking blind?
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morrowasted
Worldwide Stepper



Registered: 10/30/09
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Last seen: 5 days, 1 hour
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Quote:
beforethedawn said: Yeah brain zaps are weird. I wonder if it does anything bad to the brain to go through that.
Quote:
In withdrawal from antidepressants, sleeping pills or anxiety medications, these jolts of electricity can worsen and become debilitating, although there is no current evidence that the zaps present any danger to the individual, the serotonin antidepressants appear to be linked to brain zaps, as do anxiety medications and sleeping pills that target GABA.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/creativity-way-life/201107/fireworks-or-brain-zaps
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