Hi. I've been a member on here since 2006, but haven't been around in a while. I had a tick bite in 2004, developed the bullseye rash. I was treated by my doctor for ten days with 100mg doxy. I was fine, but I did get sick for three months in summer of 2005, but never knew what was wrong.
In 2006,I found a doctor to test me through Igenex, and she agreed I had lyme. She started me on Doxy and Cymbalta although I was symptom free at the time.
I deeply regret taking the Cymbalta. I felt well during most of my treatment through 2009. She kept treating me because my CD57 would never budge from about 26.
I stopped treatment in 2009 mostly because I couldn't afford it anymore. The only symptoms I had at the time were from the Cymbalta. Now,I have spent the last four years trying to get off the Cymbalta. It has been a horrible nightmare. I am very sick now after stopping it ten weeks ago.
I wonder constantly if this is all withdrawal, or if the stress of this has triggered a lyme relapse. I'm not feeling any better at all, and I was wondering if there is any test that shows not only that you have lyme, but is there any way to know if the lyme is active at this time?
Does anyone have an llmd who addresses your whole health, not just the lyme? Do they check your thyroid? Just trying to figure out what to do to figure out what is going on. I would like to see someone who would look at the whole picture. It's probably time for me to find a good llmd. I will post in the doctor forum. Thanks! c
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
Yes, agree with you about looking at the whole picture - like doctors should do bloodtesting to see what your various levels are and treat accordingly. For example, my T3 thyroid low was low and I'm taking Armour thyroid and feeling much better.
When you say you are feeling sick now, it might be helpful if you could list some of your symptoms so folks here can comment.
Posted by lundeliz (Member # 10806) on :
Thanks Robin. My symptoms are all consistent with Cymbalta withdrawal, but I just worry, because the summer I was sick before lyme treatment, my symptoms were similar. Then and now, I have anxiety, headaches, nausea, exhaustion, brain fog. I'm pretty sure it's just the withdrawal, but not sure how I would even know. Thanks for the response.
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
lundeliz, I was on Cymbalta for maybe 5-6 yrs. When I decided to come of it I did a slow withdrawl. I was already down to only 30mg.
I had been up to as high as 90mg. 90mg was way to much, 60mg then leveled me out for awhile then I decided to cut back to 30mg.
My gut just told me I was no longer fighting true depression. I believe my doc had me cut in half and taper down over just 6 weeks, I was off of it.
Sure enough, my body never missed it. Yes, I've seen writings by others that had a very hard time getting off of it. Many also failed to get off, just down to much lower doses.
10 weeks sounds awfully long to me to be feeling these effects from withdrawl, but I'm not one of those folks that has a hard time weaning myself off from any meds. Others do. What dose were you on?
Robin, could be right that something else is going on and it's not withdrawl but Cymbalta made those sx not so severe. Maybe it something as simple as thyroid meds.
I still have anxiety issues. But that's not depression. I just can't handle stress, outside interference stressors can really throw me to the floor. My immune system then collapses with me.
It's hard to avoid stress in your life when other people can cause stress to you. Keep a daily chart and see if you see any patterns to your now and then symptoms.
Pam
Posted by Lymedin2010 (Member # 34322) on :
Have you considered this as a possibility?
Cymbalta is given for nerve pain & for some people it is a "game changer" as they have described for the fibromyalgia & the Lyme pain.
Perhaps you had Lyme all along & you even had the symptoms, but Cymbalta did what it was supposed to do, i.e. suppress the pain.
I am sure you are also experiencing withdrawal symptoms, but some of it may be due to Lyme. I just recently had a similar experience with Klonopin. I was taking it for about a year & when I came off it I developed very bad pains & fibromyalgia.
I am months off of Klonopin & so no withdrawals. The pains only got worst & worst with time. Months later.
It was as if Klonopin had also suppressed the bacteria as well. It calms your nerves & it might just as well make borrelia more sluggish and not as actively pathogenic. Sort of living in a suspended state.
Just food for thought based upon my experience.
Posted by lundeliz (Member # 10806) on :
Thanks for the replies. I was on 60mg. I had no anxiety or depression or even pain when I was put on the med. It's possible it could have suppressed symptoms I would have had during treatment. I tapered off the med slowly, it took me four years to work my way off of it. It has been a nightmare. I guess if things don't get better in the next few weeks, I will start looking for a llmd to get checked out. I appreciate the responses and the help.