For a while now (almost 6 years) I have been dealing with a hernieated disc in my neck and the resultant pain and suffering. I have tried accupuncture, massage, narcotics, chiropractic, you name it for pain. Then my doc prescribed what, at the time, seemed to be a wonder drug for me. It took away the pain and *hey* I lost a couple of pounds too. What could be better.
Except then I started having some wicked side effects from said wonder drug. I will spare you the details, suffice it to say, my GI tract hated me.
So I decided that neck pain was better than feeling like I was dying in the abdominal area all the time and I started tapering off the medication (on the advice of my MD). The taper went well, I started feeling better in the tummy area and finally I was human again (except for my neck). This lasted about a week.
Suddenly I woke up one morning about 4 days ago and I felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland when she eats some of the good drugs. My body was all disconnected from my brain in ways I cannot even explain. The literature calls it "brain zaps". The best way I can explain it is that it feels like my nerve endings are fried and not connecting to each other, a sort of shocking feeling and my vision is all stuttery. Add to this a constant migraine (oh yes, this is also a known withdrawal side effect). I.HATE.THIS.DRUG. This can all go on for WEEKS. Even though I tapered off very slowly, the side effects too a week after my last dose to even show up.
Dear friends, I will admit. I woke up this morning and took one of my Cymbalta pills, and then called my MD and asked for a lower dose, slower taper. This is unbearable. And unconcionable. How this med made it past the FDA is beyond me. It should be banned.
I am not a happy nurse right now. :(
Except then I started having some wicked side effects from said wonder drug. I will spare you the details, suffice it to say, my GI tract hated me.
So I decided that neck pain was better than feeling like I was dying in the abdominal area all the time and I started tapering off the medication (on the advice of my MD). The taper went well, I started feeling better in the tummy area and finally I was human again (except for my neck). This lasted about a week.
Suddenly I woke up one morning about 4 days ago and I felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland when she eats some of the good drugs. My body was all disconnected from my brain in ways I cannot even explain. The literature calls it "brain zaps". The best way I can explain it is that it feels like my nerve endings are fried and not connecting to each other, a sort of shocking feeling and my vision is all stuttery. Add to this a constant migraine (oh yes, this is also a known withdrawal side effect). I.HATE.THIS.DRUG. This can all go on for WEEKS. Even though I tapered off very slowly, the side effects too a week after my last dose to even show up.
Dear friends, I will admit. I woke up this morning and took one of my Cymbalta pills, and then called my MD and asked for a lower dose, slower taper. This is unbearable. And unconcionable. How this med made it past the FDA is beyond me. It should be banned.
I am not a happy nurse right now. :(
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