From CHW: Cold Turkey

Cold turkey ruined my life. It will likely do the same to you.

The withdrawal is absolutely unbelievable.  17 months.
I can’t even find the hope I need anymore to keep positive.  I’m so tired of waking up everyday just to go through it again. I have improved but the depression / anxiety and mental health is becoming more than I can bare all because it’s taking way too long to get better. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. I haven’t lived in over a year and a half. Only agony. If anyone reading this is thinking about Cold Turkey, do not do it. My life stopped in December 2022 and my future is unknown.

I have been on 120mg of this since 2020. There have been a few times I’ve taken a step back from it and have experienced withdrawal – I went to the ER the first time because I thought I was dying. 

Went cold turkey. Still having withdrawal 3 years later.

Hello stopped cymbalta 3 days ago cold turkey big mistake had withdrawal symptoms that started day two i went back on it today and will taper slowly
Just wanna know when you come back to it how long will it take for withdrawal symptoms to go away ? Thnks

Please advise.  I stopped dulo 30 mg Cold Turkey 14 days ago after being on them for 28 days.  I can’t get anymore until next week at the earliest. I’ve tried everything.  I feel like I’m losing my mind. I can’t get out of bed. My mind just isn’t working. Brain zaps. Speech problems. Anger. Frustrated. Insomnia.
I’m so scared I’ve damaged my brain and body. The withdrawals are so bad but I’ve now passed the reinstatement window. TBH im not sure I could go back on them anyway as the reason I stopped was I was so anxious on them. I’m not sure I could handle a year taper of those feelings.  I’m so scared. Lost and losing the will.
Any advice please. I’m seriously considering going to A&E and pleading for help. Thanks.

Once, when I accidentally ran out, I experienced two life threatening thunderclap headaches.

I had taken 30 mg of dulo for 28 days.  Went cold turkey 4 weeks and 2 days ago.
Over the past 5-6 days I’ve tried taking 10 and 12 beads but absolutely no improvement.  Last night I took 14 but no improvement.
I’ve seen a few members state they reinstalled at 4 weeks to stop withdrawals. My question is it safe to attempt going bk on 30 mg to give it a try as I can’t cope.
Any suggestions please as I cannot stand these withdrawals they’re horrendous. Anxious. Sound sensitive. Insomnia. Blurry eye. Dizziness. Can’t stop moving.  I genuinely think I’m losing the plot. I’m going off my head. Please help.

It’s horrendous. I went CT for 54 days and wanted to ‘end things.’ I had to re-instate fully and even then, some effects remained and still do.
I eventually learnt how to taper properly (5% was too fast for me, even 2.5%), and have been tapering for 4.5 years with another 2 to go at least. On it for 18 years. I personally believe the longer you’ve been on the longer it takes to get off.  It’s so long and you obviously don’t want that but neither did I. There’s no easy way around it. It’s hell.  Fully re-instate. Give it some time then start tapering and see how you go. You still have to function. You still have to live. There’s no easy fix.  …  I can barely function. I’m so dizzy I struggle to walk. I’m so clumsy it’s like my limbs don’t know what to do. I can’t stand any noise, the pressure in my head along with the zaps is horrendous and my eyes are terrible. This is all happened since withdrawal Cold Turkey. Do you think reinstating to 30 mg is a good idea because I can’t cope like this. Thanks.

As per my Psychiatrist, I stopped C abruptly 7 days ago due to its side effects. I was on 30mg for around 6 months. The plan was to start on another antidepressant the following day. My Psychiatrist mentioned nothing to me about withdrawals/tapering down. I started the new medication the following day after stopping C. After 2-3 days I experienced terrible dizziness, nausea, tiredness, anger, insomnia which all still remain. I have since stopped the new antidepressant as I thought that was giving me all these horrid symptoms. I have basically been bed/couch ridden for 5 days now. I have been doing a lot of reading and have now realized I shouldn’t have stopped ‘cold turkey’ but was just following Drs orders. I am wondering if I continue on this path ‘cold turkey’ or need to go back on it and taper down slowly? I feel I’ve done the hard yards of a week without it now so I don’t want to go back to square one. Surely these symptoms will ease soon?? I have 4 children so I don’t have time to be bedridden. Thankfully I have a very supportive family. I do have an appointment on Wednesday with my Psychiatrist but I have lost some faith. Ideally I don’t want to be on any medication. Any advice would be appreciated.

It’s not worth it. And it wont get better. I was on 30mg. At some point years before I was on 60mg.  Most of my symptoms did improve once I was fully back on it. But some remained, just not to the same extreme. I’m just not the same as I was before I went cold turkey. Id hate to see that happen to anyone else. Unfortunately i’m sure it happens all the time. Or we wouldn’t end up in places like this

I stopped taking my 20mg back in April (down from 60mg) and the withdrawals were awful! Then I found this group, started the 20mg again and waited a while to get stable. I just started my first 5% drop from 20mg (counting beads) 4 days ago!

I was the same, literally dying in my basement. My brain was not working right but I managed to ask for help and it came💜💜💜. Within a week I was balanced and started to feel like myself. This group saved my life.

Reinstate! Your story is so much like mine. I didn’t reinstate and it’s been I think about 2-3 years of feeling like you do now. This damaged my health big time. I’m barely surviving.

I went cold turkey over 3.5 years ago. It took a long time for myself to resurface but i am slowly getting my life back. Different but still better than the hell i went through. Give yourself permission to heal at your brain/body’s pace. The more expectations you have the more stress you have. Stress slows down healing. I still have anxiety. and wake up with my thoughts swirling. you know the drill. but it does get better with time. Hugs.

Newbie here.
I’ve been on C for years. 60mg 2x per day for fibromyalgia and Ehlers Danlos pain. My doc wanted to switch me to Sav and told me I could just replace the C with the Sav and didn’t need to taper. I did it her way and the thoughts I had about my life I’ve NEVER had before. I lasted 4 days before I went back to C. Why is this such a horrible medication? How are doctors getting away with prescribing it? I feel like I would literally need to go inpatient to get off this so I could be watched closely if you know what I mean. I’m just so disgusted with it. It doesn’t do anything for the pain and holy moly, coming off 120mg per day, is that gonna take 20 years? I’m so frustrated right now.

I’ve done that [cold turkey and] I only got relief when I started back up. Spent about 6 months completely losing my mind. Permanent tmj and major tooth damage. Started back up to avoid leaving this world early.

I’m holding at 30, cleaning out parasites, candida & heavy metals. Improving my diet and mentally gearing up for the slow bead taper. 

This damn pill has changed me. I don’t recognize  myself .any one else lose their hair as well. not happy feel violated and angry. on 15 yrs. did not taper. did not know went cold turkey. it’s a yr later off. anger no appetite, hair loss, depression, fatigue all of it.

It was Jan 2018 when I went Cold Turkey so I dont recall the specifics but did start the tapering process some months later. (I failed twice because i tried to taper too fast). I’ve been tapering correctly since Nov. 2019.  Symptoms were

• increased anxiety/depression.
• Brain ‘zaps’ – those electric jolts through your body.
• Increased heart rate.
• Dizziness.
• Tiniitus in both ears (which I still have).
• Some sexual dysfunction.
• Despair – cant go on type feelings.
• Brain fog, which I still have.

A lot of these symptoms lessened when I re-instated and eventually stablised. Most have never really gone away but I was able to function quite normally.
Im struggling lately as I think I must have been tapering too fast. Even though it’s been 4.5 yrs.

Hello. I need to tell my story, I was prescribed Cymb last year in February, 60mg, i took it 7 weeks and got very bad neurological symptoms, my doctor made me cold turkey in 2 weeks, after that the TERROR begun….and VERY scary morning symptoms, i feel odd flush and pressure in my brain, see very weird imaginations, cartoons, odd visual stuff, electric lightballs etc. im not sleep but not awake, that continues until i get up, its been a year now and that happens EVERY MORNING!!! that med also gave me dysautonomia, small fiber neuropathy, vasculitis etc. and my adrenergic and anti-muscarin bloodtests not normal, that means i have autoimmune inflammation. then they prescribed me benzoz cause i couldn’t do nothing with the terror, now im tapering those. this is so wrong… i got also serotonin syndrome symptoms.is there anyone who have experienced something like me?

Okay I stopped cold turkey stupid I know but I’m not going back now, was on 60mg for 6 months and this is HELL! When does this get better! Dizzy bad tummy irritable and I’ve cried ALOT and the heart burn is beyond a joke! I’m coming in to my third week now and feeling a bit rubbish now! Sending love to you all xx

I found this group too late after a fast taper. I’m 8 months “clean” if there really is such a thing with this crap, but went through hell, still feeling a little off, but getting there. There is light at the end of the tunnel and what got me through are motivational podcasts, believe it or not.

I started tapering off of 30mg of Cymbalta in June 2023 after having a bad reaction to stopping cold turkey. The medicine was not working for me and my doctor said that I was taking such a small dose that I could just stop and switch to something else without tapering. I had only been on it for just about a month. When I stopped, I was so dizzy and so ill I could not work for a week. My anxiety was through the roof. I felt nothing but doom. I started bead counting after halving my dose was still too brutal. I reduced my beads by about 10% every two weeks and then switched to reducing by 1-2 beads at a time every week starting about three months ago. I went down to one bead about three weeks ago and stopped taking anything last Tuesday. I’m extremely pleased that I have not been sick or dizzy since stopping. I’m still dealing with slightly elevated anxiety and a bit of a hand tremor, but when I started this process, I truly believed things would never improve. I was so scared when I found this group (and similar subreddits), but it was a big help. I wanted to share because I know I needed to read that there was hope. Please know that relief is possible! Be patient with the process and yourself.

I tapered off slowly at first, and then the last 10mg was sort of a cold turkey ending. Three days after I ended, I developed what feels like nystagmus. Every time I move my eyes, my vision shakes back and forth a few times. And I can HEAR this movement. The sound is like my persistent tinnitus sound, just amplified during the moving. I’ve tried videoing my eyes to see if I could capture the nystagmus that I clearly see in my vision and I think I have seen it.  It’s been two weeks of this. Is this visual shaking a common withdrawal symptom? 

[Every time I move my eyes, my vision shakes back and forth a few times]
Oh, yes my eyes did the same thing with severe vertigo for months following fast taper. I was scared out of my mind and thought I was having a stroke. One brain cat and mri they couldn’t find anything. I Finally realized it was all the withdrawal. I reinstated very slowly to 20 mg and slowly it got better. Please Reinstate right away or it will get worse and can last for months

I need advice, I cold turkey quit off cymbalta and I’m mentally in hell. It’s been a little over a week. 

Is it okay to cold turkey like this? I don’t want to take one since it’s been over a week but I don’t know how much I can take of this. I want nothing to do with this medication I almost feel as I need to go to the hospital. I don’t know what to do.

Please don’t judge. I’ve totally messed up. I’m so sorry I never heeded your advice. I was on Dulo 30 mg for 28 days. I came off cold turkey exactly 3 weeks ago.
I now cannot cope with the withdrawals. So anxious. Not slept for days. Brain fog. Muscle tightness. I’m actually losing my mind. I need this to stop. What are my options please. Is it safe to start taking 15 mg to see if the withdrawals go away. I’d appreciate your input as the way I’m feeling is absolutely horrific. Sorry once again.

Today marks 9 months since I have went cold turkey, the amount of discomfort and anxiety, sadness that I have felt within these months will never be explainable .  My vision and balance are still not subsiding, I have anxiety leaving the house so I do not, I don’t know what to do still haven’t found something that helps me, every time i go to the doctors they tell me the same thing over and over, I’m confused. I can’t afford to wait any longer to get better, I haven’t worked, been social,  been out at all, I haven’t been to the store in months. The depression is kicking in so intensely, I had just turned 21 about 3 weeks ago.  I have never felt this amount of fear and shame. I am embarrassed of my self for feeling like I cannot leave my house. I haven’t been the same since I started this medicine july 25th of 2022  and I most definitely gotten worse after I stopped this medicine cold Turkey. The amount of panic I suffer with daily is disabling me. I wish I was normal again. I am missing out so much on my life. I keep thinking about how tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, which is increasing the anxiety about not feeling strong enough to be far away from my home. I feel like I’m disappointing my self so much. And I only have my self to count on.

Is it normal for withdrawal symptoms to appear 3 months after stopping the medication and for them to appear weak and become more acute as the weeks go by?

Hello! I was on this medication for only a month and stopped cold turkey about a week ago due to severe headaches, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, worse anxiety and depression. I’ve been to the ER multiple times and I’m still experiencing nausea, vomiting, hot flashes, eye strain, migraines, and heart palpitations. Has anyone else experienced this? And if so how long does it take before you start to feel human again?

I almost quit my job today after trying to wean myself off cold turkey today (~5 days without taking it) and have a coworker tell me this morning that my good morning reply was “too aggressive” and I “really need to tone it down”. I never sent the email, but I left work saying I had a family emergency. My whole body was shaking I was hysterical and I threw up. Then I found this group and I took my pill, but I made an appt to see my doctor. I’ve been on it for almost 3 years. My best friend took her life in Nov 2020 and I became catatonic. This pill helped me through that dark time but trying to come off it by myself is causing me to almost blow up my life! I’m so glad that I found this group. Thank you!

Hi, I hate posting on things like this but I have slowly been coming off “C” and been fully cold turkey for 18 days now. Eventually 20mg every other day, then every third day then nothing. 

I was on it for 8 years and the withdrawal is horrendous I feel sick all the time, hot and cold sweats, jaw/mouth pain one side, sore throat etc. The effects are similar to being pregnant, feel sick, gagging, sensitive to food, tired. Doctors said I shouldn’t find it this ‘physical’ and advised me to come off it much faster than I did, is this normal?  Thanks

Hi. I had to cold turkey get off this poison. As soon as my insurance found out that I was starting to taper off it, they cut me off. I was forced off in 2018 and I still get ‘brain zaps’ and have a dizzy sensation occasionally. I lost all of the weight I gained from being on pain medication and Cymbalta and then some. I am not wound as tight as I was when I was taking it, but it caused my divorce for the most part. When I was cut off, I started having feelings of worthlessness and I thought I was going crazy. I am better now, I look a lot younger, and I’m happy as I was before I got hurt (2008). I hope I wasn’t damaged in some way by the way I got off it. I noticed in the comments that could happen.

My husband was only on 40 mg for 2 months when the dr took him off cold turkey. He’s now been in severe Protracted Withdrawal for over 8 years! He DID end up in hospital where they only gave him more drugs. The best way to get out of the hell you are I, is to reinstate, and follow the slow taper guidelines of the group. It’s the only way to avoid the horrendous withdrawals.

90 mg.. close to 10 years. 3 years in from cold turkey. i still experience anxiety when alone and social anxiety. My mind still races. I dream every night but thankfully they are no longer nightmares. And i remember the dreams upon awakening then they are gone. If i physically overdo things i seem to deplete my nervous system and then i have no patience and even a bit of rage will creep in. I get sensory overload quite easily. I just don’t deal with stress very well at all. i get jittery and that is so annoying. All of these symptoms were magnified x 10 at the beginning. Plus many more. I have gotten much better but not who i use to be.

I started tapering in January [8 months ago, way too short for a proper Gradual Taper], starting at 150mg. Got down to 15 mg and Dr said stop as 15 mg does nothing. Dumb me listened. Wasn’t going to bad but my moods were bad, really angry. Dr put me on a SNRR medication … told me it was new but found out later this was not the case. Stopped taking them 10 days in. I am feeling so nauseous, depressed. Cannot sleep so Dr put me on Melatonin. Have been on for a month, realised too long so stopped and now feeling worse than before. I have had enough … I am so emotional, my pain from fibro has returned and I don’t know what to do

Hey guys, today marks 1 year since I stopped cold turkey off 90 mg of Cymbalta that I had taken for only 2 and a half months. I wanna say thanks to all the kind words and helpful things throughout this whole entire year of me posting continuously in this group! I’ve had almost every symptom you could imagine. I am left with visual issues such as jumping jiggling shakes blurry dry irritated vision, 24/7 not one single break. Things looks weird and feel weird consistently. I’m also left with balance issues as if the ground was moving or shaking every-time I stand up or walk, feeling like falling over also as well as the drop of an elevator feeling. I struggle with leaving the house everyday and being far away from it due to generalized anxiety and panic and experiences from C and after C. I also suffer with sinus issues, stuffy 24/7 mucus everyday and every now and then miragines from eyes and sinuses .  I’ve been to every doctor you could imagine and still no help no answers.. I’m literally weak in my knees .I have symptoms everyday 24/7 and praying that I wake up one day better than yesterday. I understand my nervous system is dis regulated I also understand it takes time to heal, I try for my self everyday. But the shame and guilt I feel for not being enough for my self or people around me really is getting to me, I have missed 1 whole year of work, friends, occasions, fun, being there for my family and partner etc etc. I did not enjoy one day of my year. But this too shall pass !. It is hard for me to exercise or even find any motivation to do so because my body and mind are in so much discomfort ! It’s hard to face the music and realize this is what my life has been for the last year. I miss my self, my independence my confidence. I miss the world, oh how I miss all the little things I never thought id ever have to miss. I just need some kind words of encouragement today on my very difficult day.

I went cold turkey almost 3 years ago. It was a nightmare and I understand what you are going through. It will get better slowly over time. I am now back to more days that are good. I see myself again, anxiety is occasional, laughter comes easily now. There is hope, stay the course.

Just thought I’d share my story with you quickly. I’ve been posting about fast heart rate and palpitations after starting the medication. I’m a fairly healthy person, but I started Cym towards the end of last month for fibromyalgia pain. On the 10th day I started getting palpitations, I kept taking the meds for another 2 days and my heart rate continued going up and palpitations getting worse. I stopped the meds cold turkey and yet nothing was improving. On the 5th of Feb I went to urgent care where they ran an EKG. They told me I had PVCs with tachycardia but didn’t really do much for me because my other bloodwork looked fairly normal. So the fast heart rate and palpitations continued, so I saw my primary care doctor on the 10th. She ran additional blood work, ordered a tilt test and a holter monitor. Bloodwork came back that night and showed that my kidneys were severely damaged, which leads me to believe that’s what affected my heart rate and rhythm. Spend the last few days in the ER with more testing EKGs, echocardiogram, holter monitor, medicine, now on a beta blocker for my heart rhythm etc. I’ll see if my heart is OK once the results from the holter come back, but yes. My kidneys were damaged… So please reconsider taking this medication if you can. Who knows… it may not have been the Cym, but that would have been quite the coincidence for me.

Was on it for 3 weeks. At 90mg started getting multiple seizures and/or night terrors. Reduced to 60. Still happened. I stopped and went back to my old antidepressant Pax. Still lots of anxiety, vomiting, gastric symptoms and needing to sleep like 20 hrs a day. Could this still be from stopping it? Its been about 9 days since stopping it.

My spouse (not on FB) had been taking 60mg for a few years. She tapered for a week or two before quitting cold turkey a week ago right before our honeymoon, unaware of how aggressive the withdrawal symptoms can be. She’s been pretty acutely sick for several days now. We have 6 days left on our honeymoon. I was able to get some OTC in the country we’re visiting in an attempt relieve the symptoms. She took one today but so far hasn’t noticed any relief. 

Does anyone have any experiences/advice they can share regarding restarting after going cold turkey?

I am new here and I have read a lot of the older posts…. but I have a killer headache and I just want to type my situation out here to ideally be able to move forward with your help. I just recently found this group through reddit after worry googling my symptoms after going “cold turkey” 6 days ago. I am preparing for a trip to Japan/Korea next month that I may have to cancel because the C Med made my anxiety levels so much worse (was only taking it for panic disorder and anxiety) and it made me feel like I was going crazy. I am now having VERY intense thoughts- I am crying at literally everything, my head hurts, the NAUSEA, the vomiting, the insomnia, the random fatigue, the brain fog, and the mood swings are INSANE.
I am also on X (B-ZO) to help me through the anxiety but I am SUFFERING. The mood swings are unbearable. If I have to take this stupid pill just to hop on my flights to Korea and Japan next month then so be it… but if I keep heading down this road I am afraid for my safety and I will definitely be canceling my flights! I have already canceled this trip back in 2022 due to my panic disorder. Please help me fight this! Should I reinstate? Can i open my original capsules? How do I measure them out the same everyday? Can I close them back? I will be so eternally thankful for your help ❤ I am MISERABLE!
For reference: I was only on 20mg for 2 months.

I did the same [stopping almost cold turkey]. Yes, as told to by my psychiatrist. I was a bit irritable for a couple weeks and thought that was the end of it. True withdrawal didn’t kick in for a couple months. I’m slowly getting better with supplements. It’s been since April I got off and I’m still struggling. Had no idea it would be this bad. Psychiatrist says it is a return of symptoms and not withdrawal, but I disagree. The depression and anxiety I had before didn’t feel like this. Of course everything changed when my daughter died but that was grief and not depression.

I’m new to this group, I didn’t know it existed! I have been on this drug for 10+ years, the first time I wanted to go off my doc at the time told me I could go cold turkey and wouldn’t be an issues. That was a horrible mistake. I have learned since then to taper slowly and listen to what my body is saying. I was on 60mg daily, this last summer I started going down to 30mg, alternating every few days. I didn’t realize there was a way to count the beads and go even slower. Luckily, I did it slow enough that I didn’t have much side effects and as of the beginning of November I have been on 30mg daily. I just now over Christmas started having side effects of dizziness and a little bit of anxiety. I didn’t know till joining this group that side effects can come and go. I thought maybe something else was wrong. 

Just wanted to share my story and I appreciate everyone sharing theirs, I’m learning a lot reading all the posts and comments!

Tapered down off Cym. by uneducated Doctor. Then cold turkey off & was also on Welbu. them back on the wrong way while not doing well obviously. I didn’t do the safe hyperbolic taper that this group goes by. I’m holding at 30mg. was originally on 120mg. I have been on many antidepres. 47yrs. off Welbu. only on 30mg. Cym and life is extremely difficult. I can not function normally.

Hello all! It took me four years of tapering, plus one year of no Cym and I feel great! 5 years ago I went off cold turkey, and within five days I really thought I was losing it. I couldn’t stop crying and I had brain zaps, which for me feel like vertigo. That’s when I found this group. Thank goodness for the moderators and everyone here ?? I used the spreadsheet and slowly tapered down, sometimes stopping for months at a time. I was nervous about going off the last bead, but I did it, and I’m here to tell the tale. 

I thought I was in the clear before I found this group. Stopped cold turkey. About 4-5 mos later the withdrawal hit and I didn’t want to be alive it was so awful. I reinstated… against advice given here but i was desperate and without any hope. Please reinstate the cymb and do a slow taper would be my advice …the admins here really know how to help and I trust them more than any clueless doctor about this poison.

Now being off Cymbalta for 9 1/2 months,  I started having severe back pain in the last two weeks. Had an MRI and no change in my back since my last MRI in Jan 2023 because I had lumbar fusion surgery in 2019.  Now I’m also having shakiness, weakness, heart palpitations and lower back pain. Will these symptoms ever subside?   It seems these symptoms have piled up more as time goes on. I was told I could go off cold turkey taking 20 mg every other day. I took it for 11 months.

Is it normal to cry and cry and cry when you get off [cold turkey] after only 14 days [of taking it]?

I had so many side effect like hearing people talk downstairs or coming upstairs when I lay in bed, or a weird gate and getting hot in my face, but being cold and can’t collect my thoughts, fast heartbeat. I got scared and didn’t take it yesterday and not today so far. 

It’s only been 14 days no help with my nerve pain nor back pain.

I don’t know what to do tired of crying over everything ??????

Been off for 2 yrs  went cold turkey. Still get waves of anger. Help. What helps with  anger comes in waves.

I’ve been through hell because of d*loxetine, last dose cold turkey (before I found this group) in 2020. Changed me forever. I’m disabled, but so glad to have the worst of it in my rear view mirror. I never had anxiety issues before. Now I mostly hold steady with 1 mg of l*rezepam morning and evening. Makes me so mad that my brain chemistry was altered permanently by the poison. My brother too. We call it the devil drug.

Hi everyone 3 weeks ago I posted that I was going thru horrible withdrawals that hit me months after coming off cym (stopped in June) I didn’t do a slow taper ??.. (DONT do this) … withdrawals have been really bad some have been getting slightly better by the recommendations of supplements and nutrition also some exercise when I’m able to do it.

But the one symptom I cannot get better from is dissociation/ brain fog/ floating/depersonalization feeling in my mind and cognitive/memory issues.

My brain feels like it’s not working properly or fast enough if that makes sense …

I quit C cold turkey years ago per my doctors advice, they are so ignorant and have no clue, that was the worst year of my life but I made it through… my doctor put me on another medication when I quit C thinking that would help…

[posted 04/2024]

In December 2022, a new doc I saw took me off 120mg C (Which I was on and going up because of a lot of deaths in my family) and 20mg Mirtaz to put me on 10 mg lexa.
Unknowingly I started withdrawal symptoms.
I stopped the lexa because I thought that I was having a bad reaction. So a week goes by and it gets worse and I have a major panic attack. A bunch of horrific symptoms started. I went back and he put me on 20mg proZ then upped it to 30 two weeks later. Trying to correct it. I been on that ever since.  (17 months) now… 
I was crazy from withdrawal and dropped it half to 300mg last May. I think it made thing worse. I’m still on it. I tried to wait it out because of everyone telling me it will get better, it will pass, just give it time…
I’m just not seeing an end. Psychological is the biggest issue.  And any more years of this will be devastating psychologically.  My question is that would you think weaning down on the proZ and reinstating a lower lose C would stop the withdrawal? And taper off later?  Or has to much time passed? I’m desperate to get relief. I’m real tired. I am entertaining anything that may help me. Thank you so much 🙏🏻

Just had a visit with my internal medicine doctor who did not believe me that I’ve had withdrawal symptoms from just 20mg. I told him about the support I’ve had from this group and how many of us there are.  He’s trying to convince me that my symptoms are not withdrawal but my “fibromyalgia “ and I should just stay on it.  I’m so frustrated and discouraged.  In the mean time my gynecologist who specializes in menopause states I should have not been put in it to begin with and I need to come off if it. I told him to call her so he can get on the same page.  Ugh!!

I quit C cold turkey years ago per my doctors advice, they are so ignorant and have no clue, that was the worst year of my life but I made it through… my doctor put me on another medication when I quit C thinking that would help that I tapered down from, am I allowed to ask questions about other medications on here? Having some withdrawal symptoms yet again from this one as well????.

I was on 60 mg C.  I had little to no withdrawal symptoms coming off of it. I have been off of it going on 3 months now. Two weeks ago I started having severe body aches to the point I feel like I am dying. Along with cold sweats that feel like a fever all night long every night and day. I am so scared for my life. I feel as if I am actually dying. I’ve been to the doctor 3 times in the past week trying to figure out what is going on. They have tested me for infection, and also any sickness or viral thing going around. They said everything came back normal. And I just wonder if this is related to the c.  If it’s the c causing this. Because nobody can seem to tell me what is going on. And I am literally in so much pain that I am terrified I’m not going to make it.  [ed.  Serotonin Syndrome?]

i went completely cold turkey in dec for 3 weeks. Had a bad time and went back on to regular dose. Last week of december. March i decided to try again. a quick taper, taking my last dose first week of april, so i think it was almost 2 months of a quick taper. It was very haphazard and i was estimating microbeads, eating them straight.

[Ed.  Long story, but typical, worth the read]

I had my internal medicine/neuro appointment today. I had my friend with me to keep me on track so I don’t lose track or start to cry. I stopped 30mg cold turkey back in February after being on this poison for 8 years for neuropathic pain, which never worked. I couldn’t get off the 30mg so my doctor kept me on it, supposedly for mood since chronic pain can cause depression.

I have basically stopped functioning as a human being and slept in my cold room in the basement with two fans on as the heat was unbearable, and the light and the crying, rage etc.  April 1st I realized that this is not normal, Anita Krukas [CHW Mod], you most likely saved my life ?? thank you. I reinstated in a low low dose slowly over 4-5 days, now holding on 24 evil beads.

My liver enzymes are very high…

Back to the appointment. First a nice female resident comes in, I read off my list of symptoms and tell her I have an idea what it is but I would like them to figure it out first. I also tell her with no disrespect I would like to see if anyone actually reads the patient’s chart. Not many do ??

The doctor comes in and the first thing he says is: when was your last period?  So I took a deep cleansing breath and said, well since I had a partial hysterectomy in 2015, last period would have been sometime prior to that ??

After he asked me some questions I told him everything, my friend even jumped in and told him not to treat this lightly, the symptoms a few days ago were very serious, I honestly wanted to die.  I showed him diagrams of fluctuations in my tests that I have saved on my phone, the constant elevation of liver enzymes, not due to my diet as he suggested. 

At the very end, I asked him to check my adrenals, he offered a sleep study which I declined. I don’t really sleep like a normal human being, and don’t want to permanently lose my driving privileges.  I also asked him how he was taught to taper antidepressants, and yes he would do it way too fast over a month.  I then explained to him that this is a very irresponsible practice and he was just uninformed. I am holding on 24 beads, somewhat functional but have a long road ahead.

Sorry for the long post, hope this makes sense.  Do not let anyone tell you you’re crazy or menopausal. Because menopause doesn’t cause one to want to end their life.  I am on the estrogen patch, which helps but this C withdrawal is a whole another beast! 

Grateful member of this group, a warrior and a survivor ??