A New Leaf

So on the heals of my last post I thought I would put peoples minds at ease by letting everyone know the PLAN. The PLAN, is how I have decided to go off my meds and what I have implemented in their place. I believe that someone like me cannot just go off meds without going on others or doing something proactive to fulfill the hole that the absence of the meds is creating. I'm not stupid, and I put a lot of research and thought into what I'm doing! By the way the answer to yesterday's quiz: 20 side effects (12 exacerbated fibro symptoms and 8 brand new cymbalta ones!) no one won too bad!!! Oh and I called my doctor and talked to the assistant and she is impressed, she will talk to the doc, who will call if there is a serious problem, but doesn't think she will. However I am also counting on you, my friends and family to watch and monitor my behavior, and keep it real, and honest!!

The PLAN

eat better (done a lot of research, incl. what foods make depression worse!)

eating only at the table

exercise (going to do the shred)

walking

meditate (made easier because I have my own pretty room now)

clean my house (basement is 3/4 of the way there)

prayer and scripture study (one needs to be balanced with their beliefs)

more sleep

vitB in the morning

vitD w/ calcium and magnesium at night (will assist sleep)

having a job doing what I like to do, and doing it out of the house helps too!

Spring helps too, the only good time to try this really!!!

purge my whole house!!!!

realize I can always watch STAR TREK over and over again!!!

Cymbalta how I hate thee, let me count the ways (contest details in red)

I have been suffering from many physical problems lately, which I find annoying, overwhelming and downright inconvenient. For some irrational reason I decided to see if one or two of these inconveniences may be a side effect of Cymbalta, the current antidepressant/fibromyalgia drug I have been taking. The fact that this winter I continued to have unmanageable depression had nothing to do with my disillusionment with it :/. What I found blew my mind! The fact that I suffer some of these ailments with my fibro does not negate the fact that the frequency, intensity and duration has increased in the last 6-12 months, or that the amount of problems actually related to the drug were staggering! I feel these findings are significant and so with a great deal of thought decided that now, it being spring, would be an optimal time to go off the cymbalta  and see what results. My side effects from going off the Cymbalta are full body electro shock therapy, general malaise, increased fatigue and nausea. For me the duration that I experience this, is important; a long period but not as intense as I wean myself off of it, or a short but intense time as I go cold turkey. I prefer short! However as I sat through the last episode of Star Trek that has been made to date, with tears streaming down my face, I wonder if this is wise or if I am a serious trek fanatic!

Here is the list of side effects, can you guess how many I have? The winner gets chocolate! and a Star Trek poster!! ( Oh and of that number there are a few side effects that are new and not simply fibro symptoms exacerbated by the cymbalta )

Common Side Effects of Cymbalta

Cymbalta has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials in which the side effects of a group of people taking the drug are documented and compared to another group not taking the drug
As a result, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.

In these studies, the most common side effects of Cymbalta included: (I did not note any effects pertaining to men)

1. Nausea -- occurring in up to 25%
2. Dry mouth -- in up to 15%
3. Headaches -- in up to 14%
4. Drowsiness -- in up to 12%
5. Fatigue -- in up to 11%
6. Dizziness -- in up to 10%
7. Insomnia -- in up to 10% 
8. Constipation -- in up to 10%
9. Diarrhea -- in up to 10%
10. Loss of appetite -- in up to 9%
11. Sweating -- in up to 7 %
12. Abdominal pain -- in up to 6 %

Other common Cymbalta side effects (occurring in 2 to 5 %of people) included:

13. Vomiting
14. Sore throat or runny nose
15. A decreased sex drive
16. Upper respiratory tract infection
17. Coughing
18. Shakiness (tremors)
19. Muscle pain
20. Sexual side effects, including a decreased sex drive (libido), and orgasm problems
21. Blurred vision
22. Anxiety or agitation
23. Weight loss or weight gain
24.  Hot flashes
25. Yawning
26. Indigestion or heartburn
27. Muscle spasms
28. The flu
29. Abnormal dreams

Cymbalta Side Effects to Report

There are a number of possible side effects with Cymbalta that you should report to your healthcare provider. These include, but are not limited to:

30. Suicidal thoughts or behavior
31. Anxiety, agitation, or panic attacks
32. Hostility or aggressiveness
33. Engaging in unusual or dangerous activities
34. Restlessness or inability to sit still
35. Extreme elation or feelings of happiness that may switch back and forth with a depressed or sad mood
36. Other unusual changes in behavior
37. Signs of serotonin syndrome (a rare but dangerous problem associated with certain medications) such as:

1. Confusion or other mental changes
2. A rapid heart rate
3. Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
4. Hallucinations
5. Blood pressure changes
6. An irregular heart rhythm
7. Overactive reflexes
8. Fever, sweating, or shivering
9. Shakiness
10. Agitation
11. Seizures
12. Coma

38. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
39. Chest palpitations
40. Difficulty passing urine
41. Signs of an allergic reaction, including an unexplained rash, hives, itching, unexplained swelling, wheezing, or difficulty breathing or swallowing.