Until all tests have been completed and the neuro has looked at the results, I don’t want to start taking Cymbalta yet.
Actually, the truth is I refuse to start taking it until the results are in.
I'm reading too much evidence that Cymbalta causes weight gain, diminishes sex drive to nothing and is HELL to get off of once started - and sometimes the withdrawal lasts long after the drug has been taken.
This sounds like the Prednisone hell I just got out of. I don’t EVER want to go through that again.
I am not in much pain at this time. In fact, the tingling feels like when something is coming back ‘alive’ after being asleep. It’s annoying. I don’t need any serious pain management.
I want to know if I have nerve inflammation or damage. If that’s the case, then the inflammation can hopefully be managed without extreme medication choices. What can be done about damage to stop it from progressing?
I am hyper-sensitive to drugs now and Cymbalta scares me shitless. I cannot afford to gain the weight back, especially if the pain I’m currently feeling is minimal and mostly irritating. Most of the people on the different depression boards initially lose a little weight then gain a lot. Many say they gain it around the belly in rolls like multiple spare tires and one said this affected their back, something I canNOT let happen. I am not in enough pain at this time to risk this.
When they start tapering off it, they get brain zaps, dizziness, "floaty" feeling in head, lack of concentration, monster headaches, etc. and mood swings. One person fought this with huge amounts of B Vitamins and Vitamin C, and have flushed her body out with fluids for two weeks but that's the only success story from withdrawal I've found on any of these boards.
What other, more gentle and maybe non-chemical alternatives do I have for this? How about acupuncture or Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation?
After the test results come in and if we decide to go ahead with Cymbalta, I'm requestig we do 20mg once a day for a month to see if that works. I want to go slow with this and see if I get the side effects I DON'T want. I am VERY afraid of this and naturally this hasn't helped my already frazzled stress levels.
I do NOT want to be on anything like this permanently. If I get better on this lower dose and it looks like I may not need it anymore, how do I wean myself off this without going through the the worse of the withdrawal symptoms, especially since 20mg is the lowest dose available?
I’ve found a website call the Road Back (http://www.theroadback.org/) and it has info on supplements and ways to taper away from antidepressants.
I've gotten an eBook called Lose the Weight Gain Caused by Antidepressants and it has a list of supplements to take to get rid of the extra weight.
Thanks: --> to Lia, my sensei, who has inspired me to draw again. I
wouldn't be doing this without your support, Domo Arigato!
--> to Talon, for sending me her fabulous fics, inspiring me with her writing to draw my first
illustration for a story and actually liking what I drew.
--> to Dasia, for her words of encouragement when drawing her original chara.
--> to Joules, a wonderful epic fic writer, for liking my art enough to want to post them with Talon's
and her own stories.
--> to Lutra, the other half of the epic team, for being so supportive.
--> to Jacque' & Becca Raddittzu, we met on eBay as bidder and sellers and now we are face-to-face
friends. You showed us the real DBZ with your fansubs. It's all your fault the house is full of
doujinshi! *LOL*
:: welcome to bakayaro onna's mindless ramblings, rants & raves :: 
