Quitting Cymbalta (so far, so good)…

UPDATE: Today is one week since my last dose of Cymbalta, and actually feeling REALLY good. Mood swings are pretty much gone (although I do keep joking about “not killing” anyone LOL). Hubby said that yes, the past several days I seem really good. I’m still only taking the 10mg Flexeril at night like I had been. I’ve had no other painkillers, OTC or prescription, and I’ve had no alcohol (and I don’t do drugs or smoke).

I feel better, mentally and emotionally, than I have since I started taking Cymbalta in 10/2010. I feel like I can think far more clearly, like the mental equivalent of having cataracts removed, if that makes sense?

Physically – the “not jittery” feeling is gone. Still having vivid dreams (not nightmares) but when I look back, BEFORE I started taking Cymbalta, I used to have fairly vivid dreams on a regular basis. Not every single night like I am now, so maybe it’s my brain playing catch-up? LOL And as a writer, a vivid imagination is a good thing.

One sensation I have noticed that’s returned that I hadn’t noticed had stopped happening since I started Cymbalta was I used to get little micro incidents of vertigo. Not while driving, but while as a passenger, or like at the gym or something, just literally a flash that I could close my eyes and it went away. Today, I noticed that feeling is back. (Weird how I never realized it was gone.)

That’s NOT new, that’s something I’ve had all my life, even as a kid. Nothing that was ever debilitating or anything, just a minor annoyance like having to sneeze and you can’t.

Also, no more constipation! WOOT! (Sorry if that’s TMI. LOL) Whether that’s because the medicine’s flushing out of my system or because I’m drinking a lot more water consistently or what, I don’t care. BONUS!

Pain levels, seriously? Down to a 3. Meaning a hangnail for most people. I literally have not felt THIS good in a long while. Some occasional headaches, not bad, and possibly due to letting myself get a little under-hydrated while working out today (the pool was closed due to an electrical issue — BOOH — so I did an hour on the stationary cycle and some free weights and leg machines). Upping my fluids and using peppermint oil topically makes them go away. (Plus, I used to get headaches around the time of my period, so again, these could be tied in with genuine PMS.)

Here’s my theory – The medicine HAD stopped working for me. Had it not, my body wouldn’t be adapting so easily. Yes, I’m still cautiously optimistic because some have reported they felt great for the first few days and then crashed in some sort of rebound, but I’m still thinking had the medication still been working for me, I would have felt worse than I did in the early days after stopping.

Again, this is my freaky body. I have a looooong history of my body growing used to medications, making them ineffective.

Also, here’s a list of the herbal teas I’m currently using as supplements. I was careful to select ones that didn’t have St. John’s Wort in them because I know you’re not supposed to stack that on top of Cymbalta, and I didn’t want to take any chances. I’m also limiting my caffeine intake to just my morning cup of coffee. (And as I write that, perhaps that is also a reason for the headaches, because I’ve cut waaaay back on the caffeine.)

Morning:

Traditional Medicinals Organic Lemon EveryDay Detox

During the day:

Yogi Relaxed Mind
Organic India Tulsi (Holy Basil) Red Mango (Note: This stuff tastes like bubblegum! It’s great!)

Evening:

Traditional Medicinals Organic Nighty Night

We’ve also cut back on processed food. Hubby’s been AMAZING in the kitchen the past several days, although we did go out to eat with my parents last night. (No, you can’t have him. He’s mine. LOL)

I’ve also been using my rosemary oil topically on my wrists and neck (I love the stuff!) as well as two blends of essential oils by Aura Cacia, one called Creative Juice and one called Relaxation.

So that’s my latest update. I hope the information is helpful to anyone. Just remember I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV. LOL I’ll also keep posting updates, at least until I hit the one-month mark. Who knows WHY I’m faring so well. Honestly? I expected FAR worse side effects based on my research. But it’s still early. And I’ve also made pretty big changes by upping my exercise and drastically cutting most processed foods from my diet. The things could all be working in combination to help minimize the side effects.