Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.
I have been taking Cymbalta since 2004, ending up at 60 mg. I have been very careful to not run out since missing even one day can be torture. I was recently approved for Medicaid Disability (YAAAAAY! I think...) and cannot get samples from the county organization I used to get them through. I had to go to the local hospital's family clinic temporarily and, at my last visit (March 20) the doc faxed a script for a refill. The pharmacy needed a prior authorization from the doc and Medicaid, so they faxed it to the doc the 20th. They faxed another the 23rd. I called again the 24th. The doc's office kept saying they didn't get a fax. The pharmacy said they don't really NEED the fax, they just need to call Medicaid to give the authorization. I called again the 25th and was told the doc faxed the paper to Medicaid "yesterday".
I have been calling every day because I ran out and have not had the med since Monday. Every day the pain gets worse, I have become increasingly agitated. Now I get these wierd feelings in my head (kinda like when your heart flutters when you have palpitations) and I feel like my lights are going out and I get really dizzy and have bad headaches. Having a heard time staying oriented--sometimes things feel a little surreal. Being increasingly miserable, to put it mildly, I called the doc on call for the office last night and asked what I can do. She said (ahem...) Cymbalta stays in your system for a long enough period that there is no danger at this time. And anyway, she continued, the withdrawal and it's symptoms are not life threatening, so I will be ok. I told her I AM NOT OK AND WHAT DO I DO WITH MYSELF IN THE MEANTIME! Mind you, I am crying and half yelling at the same time because of how I feel, and she just says they will follow up tomorrow (today) and there's nothing they can do to hurry Medicaid along. I asked if I just need to go to the ER and she almost guffawed and said I have no reason to be seen in the ER, to just wait it out. I think I read somewhere that stopping Cymbalta suddenly can be dangerous and should only be discontinued gradually under a doc's care. Right about now, I want to meet this doc and let her know just how THIS IS NOT EFFECTING ME!!! Sorry, the agitation just kicked in again. Geeez...
I have been calling every day because I ran out and have not had the med since Monday. Every day the pain gets worse, I have become increasingly agitated. Now I get these wierd feelings in my head (kinda like when your heart flutters when you have palpitations) and I feel like my lights are going out and I get really dizzy and have bad headaches. Having a heard time staying oriented--sometimes things feel a little surreal. Being increasingly miserable, to put it mildly, I called the doc on call for the office last night and asked what I can do. She said (ahem...) Cymbalta stays in your system for a long enough period that there is no danger at this time. And anyway, she continued, the withdrawal and it's symptoms are not life threatening, so I will be ok. I told her I AM NOT OK AND WHAT DO I DO WITH MYSELF IN THE MEANTIME! Mind you, I am crying and half yelling at the same time because of how I feel, and she just says they will follow up tomorrow (today) and there's nothing they can do to hurry Medicaid along. I asked if I just need to go to the ER and she almost guffawed and said I have no reason to be seen in the ER, to just wait it out. I think I read somewhere that stopping Cymbalta suddenly can be dangerous and should only be discontinued gradually under a doc's care. Right about now, I want to meet this doc and let her know just how THIS IS NOT EFFECTING ME!!! Sorry, the agitation just kicked in again. Geeez...
Further information: SSRI discontinuation syndrome
During marketing of other SSRIs and SNRIs, there have been spontaneous reports of adverse events occurring upon discontinuation of these drugs, particularly when abrupt, including the following: dysphoric mood, irritability, agitation, dizziness, sensory disturbances (e.g., paresthesias such as electric shock sensations), anxiety, confusion, headache, lethargy, emotional lability, insomnia, hypomania, tinnitus, and seizures. Although these events are generally self-limiting, some have been reported to be severe. The withdrawal syndrome from duloxetine resembles the SSRI discontinuation syndrome.
When discontinuing treatment with Cymbalta, the manufacturer recommends a gradual reduction in the dose, rather than abrupt cessation, whenever possible. If intolerable symptoms occur following a decrease in the dose or upon discontinuation of treatment, then resuming the previously prescribed dose may be considered. Subsequently, the physician may continue decreasing the dose but at a more gradual rate."[44] This tapering process may be ineffective for some patients.[citation needed]
In MDD placebo-controlled clinical trials of up to nine weeks' duration, systematically evaluating discontinuation symptoms in patients taking duloxetine following abrupt discontinuation found the following symptoms occurring at a rate greater than or equal to 2% and at a significantly higher rate in Cymbalta-treated patients compared to those discontinuing from placebo: dizziness, nausea, headache, paresthesia, vomiting, irritability, and nightmare.[45]
If it were me and I felt the need to go to ER I would go.
Hope you feel better soon.
Sending Hugs and Prayers
Go to the ER. It's too late to do anything else.
Get some relief - no one should have to go through this because of bureaucratic crap!
V
I won't take any of these drugs anymore. The ones where you could have seizures or withdrawal if you have to suddenly stop them. Because I never know if my LTD will continue to pay every month.
Maryca gave you some good info. Give it to your doc to make sure this doesn't happen again and what the consequence could be if you run out.
These are serious drugs with really bad side effects. I hope you got this worked out before the weekend.
I also take amitryptilene to help with sleep, and I forgot to refill it once and had to go three days while the pharmacy and the doctor's office got their stuff straight. I had three nasty migraines in those three days, and each day had to come home early from work.
So...I hoard and store a few away...just in case.
This very scenario is why I'm trying to find alternative methods to deal with FM. Until the medical community gets their shit together concerning FM, I'm not buying into any more drugs.
It's too hard to keep myself together as it is without some jackass second guessing my needs.
I also changed pharmacies from Walgreens to Rite Aid. So far, Rite Aid is working to keep my business. Walgreens screwed me over at LEAST once a month. I won't even go there to buy toothpaste anymore.
Fast Forward about 7 Years...her Husband Lost his Job, due to Health Reasons...so then Of course they Lost their Insurance...she begged her Dr. to give her Samples...Nope...she was Forced Off...Cold Turkey...
Found her wandering down on mainstreet...nothing but a Pair of Pants on...people were staring, but no one was helping...
I Managed to get her in my car...got her to the ER...she was having a Major ANXIETY Attack...Seems after Years of Being NUMB...she could Not handle Feelings anymore...they Called it "Hysterical Blindness...she had No Idea she had been topless on mainstreet...she was in the Psych Ward for almost 2 weeks...
her Husband Died shortly after that...the state THEN said they would Pay for her meds...she had been Tapered Off...so she declined...
she is Now Known as the Resident "Crazy Lady"...tho she is Not...people just would Not give her a Chance after that...she was an Aspiring Artist, had her own tatoo shop for awhile...
but, they had her on a Pill that she did NOT even Need to be On...Hiugh Dosages...and then Forced her off..
the Dr.s TRIED to say she simply had a "Psychotic Break"...that it had NOTHING to do with the med Withdrawal...BS.
Now she is just biding her time til her son Graduates {This year}...she walks everywhere for her Errands...she holds her head up...she is only 38...she has Plans...
So Any Damn Dr. that says Forced withdrwal does Not have an effect on LIFE itself...has NO Flippin Idea !!
How can we hold doctors accountable? What options do we have when doctors cause us emotional turmoil and physical suffering through their negligence or apathy?
Maybe if we all took action when we are treated like this they would be more inclined to follow their Hippocratic Oath. I know I'm afraid of getting even worse treatment by doctors, but at this point for some of us, it can't get much worse.
Does anyone know what we can or should do in situations like what Sandy is being put through?
Dakota, so sorry to hear about your friend. I think docs are way too quick to put people on AD's. When I was diagnosed, my doc at the time argued with me for almost a year about Cymbalta until I did some reading about it's use in diabetic neuropathy. Anyway, I hope she finds her way all the way back.
Rhayne, I wonder sometimes if new docs are trained to re-interpret the Hippocratic Oath. Really, how else would we end up with so many insensitive medical practitioners?
I actually did have a reserve. That's what got me through the week the doc didn't bother to do anything.
Anyway, thanks again everyone, and big, gentle hugs of thanks!!!
I am increasingly worried when a doc put's me on a new med. They just hand out a script but I've never had a doctor ask if I'm having any problems with it, nor tell me what side effects to look out for.
I didn't know that Cymbalta was making me want to drive into oncoming traffic until I went off it. I didn't know that Nortryptiline caused that horrible sweating until I went off it.
In this day where you only get 10 min with a doc that you wait a month to see, we are almost forced to be our own doc.
I think Peace's idea of hording is a great idea.