my husbands cymbalta journey (ending?)

[NoRx4me]

Originally Posted by jasminecourt

dose reduction affected him this week. He is having severe headaches.
yesterday he was a bit better, but today is a bad day.
Hope it will pass next week. My plan was to keep this dose till the end of march and reduce again.
He got up at noon today, was in a good mood, in afternoon he told me that there is a tingling feeling in his head it changed into a headache(6/10 in severity). Now he is sleeping.

Maybe it is better that he is not working for a month. I do not feel good about it but keeping it to myself trying to be patient..
It looks like that he does not want to work anytime soon! What to do about it. I keep telling myself "just wait , be patient" . we'll see.

Jasmine,

You are doing the right thing. It's obvious that withdrawal is effecting him and its not all in his head because you didn't tell him when you reduced.
Withdrawaling from these meds can be traumatic (physically, mentally, emotionally...). I believe your husband knows he can't stay home forever. I don't think thats what he wants. If he wasn't going through this, he would probably have a new job before quitting, like the others did. He just needs time to heal.

Please don't think that everyone else is stronger than your husband. I quit my job during withdrawal, as did many others. Some people don't have to do that. Some people have jobs that are more flexible, or they have a lot of time there, etc. Some people had no choice but to go to work and who knows how that effected their healing.

[jasminecourt]

NoRx4Me,
thanks for support ! I should keep this in mind. I actually asked him if he do not want to work anymore-i could be pushy sometimes, cannot help it!- He told me that it not that he does not want to, but that he feels like he could not...
very much in line with your comments.
we need time...

[jasminecourt]

I admire you all here, trying to get rid of these drugs. we failed. he started to take keppra, an epilepsy drug. and the neurologist also prescribed maxalt -n anticonvulsant-5-HT1 agonist triptan wikipedia says-.
he thinks he is going to die soon, and actually advises me to marry soon after his death and not mourn him!!!
i wonder what should be said about it. it is like a bad joke.
i lost my credibility for him, saying each time he suffer that it will pass. it is not passing and i also lost my faith .

he found a job, and is going to start on this monday. new set up nightmares is coming. and i started to call to god "why", "why aren't you stopping this?" we had our share now. why let us have a breath from all this pain

it is nonsense I know. but I wanted to share. it is hard to share in it real life. here in this forum I feel like you can understand as all here is suffering or suffered from the same this

he stopped taking cymbalta on april 20th. this is the second month and now we have new drugs. I created a scene when I learned that he wanted to start using keppra, but he said that I am not acting for him, and just waiting for god to fix things. I said that this is what I believe in his case. If it were something like cancer-god forbid- I would have looked for doctors & medications and all treathments that could be used. But this is something about brain and now the only cure I think for brain if to wait and live a good life.

[medsrnot4me]

Hi Jasminecourt,

I am so sorry you are going through such a tough time with your husband. I am worried about both of you. Is he seeing a therapist? Do you feel you have any support where you are?

Please don't look at your situation as a failure because your husband started new medication. It sounds like he successfully stopped Cymbalta - that is huge! And that is great he found a new job! Maybe his new job will bring him some new found hope.

It sounds like the meds that were prescribed are for his headache situation? How have his headaches been since discontinuing Cymbalta?

I recall you saying that you think his headache is a result of withdrawal (cold turkey?) from Zoloft and Zyprexa (?). So he did not have this headache prior to going off of those meds? I am trying to get off of Zoloft and have developed a constant headache that I believe could be related to this medication. I am hopeful it will get better after tapering slowly off of it but have to admit part of me is scared it a) it will get much worse as I taper down and b) it will be there forever. I am working on not thinking this way but I have to be honest that it is hard not to sometimes when you are in pain.

I am thinking about you,
Michele

[NoRx4me]

he stopped taking cymbalta on april 20th. this is the second month and now we have new drugs. I created a scene when I learned that he wanted to start using keppra, but he said that I am not acting for him, and just waiting for god to fix things. I said that this is what I believe in his case. If it were something like cancer-god forbid- I would have looked for doctors & medications and all treathments that could be used. But this is something about brain and now the only cure I think for brain if to wait and live a good life.

jasminecourt,

I'm so sorry this has happened. I agree with you 100%. At my 2nd month off meds I was a complete mess. I thought I was going to end up on disability because my brain was not functioning right. I couldn't remember how to get to the store I'd gone to for 10 years. I couldn't concentrate enough to make cool-aid, It took hours just to get dressed... I could go on.

The difference between me and your husband was I no longer trusted doctors or any of their prescriptions. All I can suggest is having him read the label. Since he's not listening to you, just ask him to get fully informed. Keppra carries a warning for "Suicidal Behavior and Ideation". Anticonvulsants slow down brain activity, is that what he really wants before starting a new job?

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsa...021s024lbl.pdf

If he'll read anything on the internet, you could try askapatient.com and see what others who took/take Keppra are saying.

[jasminecourt]

I spend the last 3 days praying , just to see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Thank God yesterday was it.
Thanks both of you for supporting me. I read your post at that time but had to postpone replying because of how things go on at home.

Originally Posted by medsrnot4me

Hi Jasminecourt,

I am so sorry you are going through such a tough time with your husband. I am worried about both of you. Is he seeing a therapist? Do you feel you have any support where you are?

Please don't look at your situation as a failure because your husband started new medication. It sounds like he successfully stopped Cymbalta - that is huge! And that is great he found a new job! Maybe his new job will bring him some new found hope.

It sounds like the meds that were prescribed are for his headache situation? How have his headaches been since discontinuing Cymbalta?

I recall you saying that you think his headache is a result of withdrawal (cold turkey?) from Zoloft and Zyprexa (?). So he did not have this headache prior to going off of those meds? I am trying to get off of Zoloft and have developed a constant headache that I believe could be related to this medication. I am hopeful it will get better after tapering slowly off of it but have to admit part of me is scared it a) it will get much worse as I taper down and b) it will be there forever. I am working on not thinking this way but I have to be honest that it is hard not to sometimes when you are in pain.

I am thinking about you,
Michele

Michele,
This forum is my sole support other than 2 of my friends who know the situation. Actually nobody from his or my family knows anything. Nothing about his medications or his problems or his being fired from his job and quitted the other after it. Nor that he now got a new one This is ironic as our families are keen to love and support. But we do not want them become upset & confused as we are, and their worries could become a burden with their constant nagging.

After this long explaination, here are my answers. I believe it is related to Zoloft as it was the ssri that he stopped cold turkey after using a few months (more 3-4 ı am not sure). But do not think it will happen to you as his doctor had him change his medication several times (starting from depakine chrono to multipe drugs and the last one was zoloft along with a antiphycotic). And he was a long time (10 years) aurorix user (its a king of MAOI)

That said I believe he could have been better if he had a view on withdrawal and weaning at that time.

He did not have headaches before these drugs changes etc began, he was healthy (altHough he goes on/off aurorix) with no headache or weight problems. My his family has an affinity to headaches. One of his brothers has cluster headache. And others have other episodes. That may have effected his withdrawal symthoms. In this forums I read many different problems related with withdrawal and you know "everyone is different" is the general rule here.

Please do not let your fears take over. It is hard I understand but even if it takes 1 year still the years after that will be yours to live. But with these drugs living is only abstract.

Praying for all of us

[jasminecourt]

Originally Posted by NoRx4me

jasminecourt,

I'm so sorry this has happened. I agree with you 100%. At my 2nd month off meds I was a complete mess. I thought I was going to end up on disability because my brain was not functioning right. I couldn't remember how to get to the store I'd gone to for 10 years. I couldn't concentrate enough to make cool-aid, It took hours just to get dressed... I could go on.

The difference between me and your husband was I no longer trusted doctors or any of their prescriptions. All I can suggest is having him read the label. Since he's not listening to you, just ask him to get fully informed. Keppra carries a warning for "Suicidal Behavior and Ideation". Anticonvulsants slow down brain activity, is that what he really wants before starting a new job?

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsa...021s024lbl.pdf

If he'll read anything on the internet, you could try askapatient.com and see what others who took/take Keppra are saying.

My mistake was to start crying and and asking him to stop taking keppra the moment he told me. I should have behaved more rationally by asking if he researched about the drug, what outcome he expects from it etc. I left things to cool down for 1-2 days and now started to give bits and pieces of information about keppra, what kind of drug it is, side effects. maybe ı could persuade him to stop in a month or two.

But thank you for your post, I mentioned what you experienced in your 2nd month off drugs and it helped a bit. Not only to him, to me as well; so many times I heard him saying "I ll die soon, I can feel it" I had started to believe that I'll lose him.

[jasminecourt]

the first 2 days in work;

He had been suffering from headaches as you know and he was stressed worrying about the first day. he could barely sleep (3-4 hours at most) and I dropped him to work. When I return home in afternoon he was lying on the bed , half sleeping and told me that it is a mistake to start work when he is not himself, that he could not do it.

He keep saying " my life is over" , and said it was a very bad day. He had not answered any question I asked, pushing me. He just wanted to be alone. I left him alone and have a 1 hour sleep. When I woke up I found him sleeping on the couch and could not wake him up. I decided it is best if he could sleep away till morning.
Not possible and he just slept till 2 am. But still it was something for him.

In morning we wake up together and he apologized for being rude and he was feeling good when he returned home!! he told me that something happened and he is feeling better. I attributed the improvement to omega 3 that he took in morning, and now it looks like he will start to take it again.
Funny but I had to advertise these kind of things to persuade him.
Today is again an average , but at least he has the energy to send mails and tell jokes.

[NoRx4me]

Originally Posted by jasminecourt

I should have behaved more rationally by asking if he researched about the drug, what outcome he expects from it etc.

...so many times I heard him saying "I ll die soon, I can feel it" I had started to believe that I'll lose him.

Don't be hard on yourself; we can't always behave rationally especially under such crazy/scary circumstances.

I thought I was dying in those first 6 months (probably longer) too. I thought the drugs had caused some crazy disease that I would never figure out. I can't remember all the thoughts and what was exactly wrong with my body to make me think that now.

Hopefully your husband won't like the way Keppra makes him feel and he'll quit soon and give up the search for a pharma cure. *fingers crossed*

Hang in there.

[medsrnot4me]

Thanks so much for your reply, Jasmine. I am so glad your husband had a good day after the bad one. He is very very lucky to have you by his side. It is understandable you reacted the way you did when you found out about the medication as it sounds like his medication changes have greatly impacted his life and yours.

I really appreciated your words of encouragement - I feel badly that I even said anything about my situation as you have your own concerns.

Please keep us apprised as to how things are going.

Michele

[jasminecourt]

It's been 2 months since my last update. too long !!
And I realized I tend to come here whn things are getting worse, this time is an exception. I believe today afternoon I will find him in a good mood

since june what happenned;
He had bad weeks and good ones, as many of you know this journey is like a sinus chart going +1 to -1 periodically... Anyways in his low moods he said he want to quit his work, he want to move to his mothers house to another city. To look after himself and get support. He sometimes blamed me for not searching for cures. Now we came to some sort of understanding and he is not commenting about new cures etc. If he wants it he should search for himself as I do not believe in quick fixes on this.

I was so exhausted that I took a week leave from my job and went to my parent's house. They are leaving in a small town by the sea. I swiam for hours !! lay under the sun and I feel renewed now
He was with his brother during this time so I was not stressed out about him being alone..
Came back to find him in a depressed mode again, and now after 1 week (nearly 6 days) depression he is improving.
He is still on keppra though we first decreased the dose to 250 mg (125 morning, and 125 in afternoon) , and now on 125 mg only. Actually his mad doc was saying that he is on baby dose wanted to increase the dose to 1000 mg, but we went to the opposite way , oley Decreasing the dose was his idea , he said that he felt some negative effects (like keppra shutting down his brain). Now he is saying that he still feels this effect but it's very mild.

Another update is that he started to take gingko biloba. He is using 300 mg per day. He says it is helping. He actually start to talk more after taking it. It is said to help blood circulation and he believes his headaches are partially because of a problem in his veins. I am not sure, but at least it is not a drug...

So that is all. I am reading the forum still, but do not want to comment. There are really experienced people here. Just one comment to anyone who reads this; if you think it is getting worse, that you are damaged or that nothing is improving ; do not let your brain convince you about these !!! It will pass. Always it will pass...

Good luck

[jasminecourt]

not ending
cymbalta ended
then keppra, he stopped keppra now. but uses lyrica for 3 weeks
fun everyday

[jasminecourt]

wanted to post an update...
my husband quitted his job on nov 2011. still unemployed and with motivation to search for a job. he says he wanted to recover from this before starting to work again.
I am at a loss sometimes, and I have lost most of my patience, but we carry on .. His doctor upped his Lyrica dose to 75mgX2 to 150mg X2 and new dose made him depressive, and headaches actually worsened. then he decided to take 150 mg on evenings only. we switched to 100-120 mg since march I guess.
It is hard to go on this journey. It has many up and downs and each time I get a hope that it ended. I start dreaming, planning till the next downturn. I considered divorse many times, but not even had a heart to open this to him.
I still love him, and wanted him to recover.
I want to have a baby now, for at least 1-2 years, but after test it turned that there is morphology problems with this semen. even though I know it is wrong I had dreamed to have a baby to hold on to. to base my hope on , but this has also crushed with this problem.
anyways we go on.

[jasminecourt]

wanted to post an update...
my husband quitted his job on nov 2011. still unemployed and with no motivation to search for a job. he says he wanted to recover from this before starting to work again.
I am at a loss sometimes, and I have lost most of my patience, but we carry on .. His doctor upped his Lyrica dose to 75mgX2 to 150mg X2 and new dose made him depressive, and headaches actually worsened. then he decided to take 150 mg on evenings only. we switched to 100-120 mg since march I guess.
It is hard to go on this journey. It has many up and downs and each time I get a hope that it ended. I start dreaming, planning till the next downturn. I considered divorse many times, but not even had a heart to open this to him.
I still love him, and wanted him to recover.
I want to have a baby now, for at least 1-2 years, but after tests it turned that there is morphology problems with his semen. even though I know it is wrong I had dreamed to have a baby to hold on to. to base my hope on , but this has also crushed with this problem.
anyways we go on.

[jasminecourt]

For anyone who looks for information(and for my my future reference). facts are;
my husband has a 15 year history of aurorix with no problems.
got mild depression prescribled several ads and antipshicotics.
CTed zoloft and got severe headaches.
Test and MRs do not result with anything and he is prescribed cymbalta and rexapin(zyprexa).
8 months on 60mg dose with many additional problems and side effects.
2 years withdrawal from cymbalta.
All of them happened during our marriage and we have been married for 3 years now. My marriage life is a withdrawal story!!!!