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Misc Quitting tramadol and starting Cymbalta (urgent)

TheTwighlight

TheTwighlight

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Joined
Feb 2, 2006
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Beyond the beyond.
Okay, i need to ask an important question. I am going to quit taking tramadol and start taking Cymbalta. I need to know if, since tramadol is an SNRI, if the Cymbalta will start working faster because i already have an SNRI (tramadol) in my system?

I can handle the opioid w/d symptoms, but the SNRI w/d is a whole other beast. This is awful but im posting this from rehab, i want off tramadol because it has become a problem. Thank you to anyone in advance.
 
They both share a similar mechanism of action for reuptake inhibition I don't see why it wouldn't.

I understand you want a well reasoned answer quickly, but using the term 'urgent' in the title is typically something we discourage.

How long have you been taking the tramadol?
 
I don't know the answer to this question but beware of taking both together. Duloxetine (Cymbalta) inhibits CYP2D6, the enzyme which metabolises Tramadol into O-desmethyl-tramadol. I started taking Duloxetine (without knowing this) while taking Tramadol for analgesia and suddenly found I was in a great deal more pain.
 
I have been on tramadol for over 5 yrs with a short break. I tend to take dangerously high doses and considering im in rehab, i need to end this. Ive quit everything else but this is damn near impossible. But if my theory with the Cymbalta is more than just hypothetical, that would be awesome.
 
TheTwighlight said:
Okay, i need to ask an important question. I am going to quit taking tramadol and start taking Cymbalta. I need to know if, since tramadol is an SNRI, if the Cymbalta will start working faster because i already have an SNRI (tramadol) in my system?

I can handle the opioid w/d symptoms, but the SNRI w/d is a whole other beast. This is awful but im posting this from rehab, i want off tramadol because it has become a problem. Thank you to anyone in advance.
Click to expand...

I really think it should basically continue the SNRI effects of the Tramadol. Antidepressants actually increase neurotransmitter levels quickly, it just takes takes weeks to months for the actual brain structure to change and for the person to really start feeling less depressed when you are starting on an antidepressant and were taking nothing similar before. If you were previously taking a drug with SNRI effects then switching from one to another should cut out that wait time, and at the very least alleviate the SNRI portion of the withdrawal symptoms from Tramadol.

Remember that if you stop taking the Cymbalta you will get withdrawal symptoms as well. I got scary withdrawal symptoms from it after only taking it for a couple months. But - for me - I did find it a lot easier to bear because I didn't have a mental addiction to Cymbalta, whereas with Tramadol what makes it extremely hard is that you have that mental addiction plus you have all the symptoms of opioid withdrawal on top. Also it should be much easier to taper Cymbalta (compared to Tramadol) if/when you decide to stop taking it in the future.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828084056.htm
http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/195/2/102.full.pdf
 
Since you're posting from rehab, I'm really hoping you have a medical professional working through these med changes with you...
Last year I went from Effexor to Cymbalta, and my doctor said there was no need for a washout (getting one out of my system before starting the other), since they are both so similar. I've only taken Tramadol a few times for TMJ pain and migraines, so I don't have any experience with it, really.
I feel your pain on SNRI withdrawl - it is a beast. But, when switching from Effexor to Cymbalta, I had very little trouble. Just a few days of minor discomfort. The first day or so I was kind of nauseous and maybe had really minor 'brain shocks', but NOTHING compared to even taking Effexor a few hours too late. And I find Cymbalta doesn't have nearly as bad withdrawl if I'm a bit late in the day taking it. Good luck with it all, man.
 
going cold turkey off venlafaxine caused the worst depressive episode of my life. borderline suicidal. only got better once i went on mirtazapine.

i should mention that i've been diagnosed with major depressive disorder with comorbid anxiety/panic disorder. the venlafaxine helped a little with the depression and not at all with the anxiety. i find only GABAergic drugs lessen it.
 
I appreciate all of the responses from everyone. Thank you all very much.

Yes, i have a PCP as well as a psychiatrist. I am also very knowledgable as far as drugs and their effects on the neurotransmitters are concerned. The only reason i posted thjs is because i want to be as careful as possible with my situation. I have never switched from one SNRI to another. I can pull off being a little sick for a few days bc of the opioid w/d, but if i went through the tram SNRI w/d as well, theu would know there was a serious problem. They dont know that im a tramadol addict. Its fucked that im going through this shit in a rehab, especially a Christian rehab lol. This is a good place and i sincerely want to get my shit together once and for all.

Ive been through Cymbalta w/d once before, and it was one of the worst thigs ive ever been through in my entire life. It led to my losing my job, becoming homeless, multiple arrests, psych ward, and overdosing bc no amount of drugs could make the NIGHTMARISH depression from the Cymbalta w/d go away. In a 4 month period of time I od'd 5 times and woke up in the hospital, was arrested 5 times and caught 12 charges total, spent a total of 6 weeks in jail, and spent 2 weeks in a psych ward. I attribute this to the Cymbalta w/d, so im sure you guys can understand my fear of this whole situation. Im afraid of ever feeling that suicidally hopeless ever again.

Once again, thank you guys for all your help. Any other advice or experience is much appreciated, or support of any kind.

Much love,
TheTwighlight
 
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I have been addicted to tramadol for like 5 years started taking due to back pain from exercising. Then i tried two and it made me feel amazing and its non "narcotic" supposedly. I quit it cold turkey was almost impossible the worst was of course the SNRI withdrawal so i went on celexa... its not doing much my doctor is trying to put me on cymbalta now that i told her about the tramadol and how I was addicted to it etc. I am still young i feel 26 i need all this crap out of my body but but after the tramadol my personality is changed i get depressed which i never did before and lash out sometimes. I always had anxiety etc and im afraid of taking cymbalta at all i used to take adderol as well i don't know what it does to your dopamine levels but its probably not good . Before i quit tramadol i wheened down to 2 a day from about 11. I was going to ask if i should touch this cymbalta stuff or keep tying to take celexa, honestly if i did not have opiets to keep me from withdrawing very bad from tramadol i don't know if i would ever have been able to quit its been about 3 or 4 months now. I was thinking if i can handle another snri withdrawl i also lost my job when i quit but i have a wonderful family that helped me. I was taking tramadol just to not get a withdrawal since after 5 years it stopped working and giving me that amazing i can do anything high feeling. So if you say cymbalta did not help you maybe i should not take it and tell my doctor i feel like shit on it.

My question again is what do u think i should do my doctor seems to think i should take cymbalta not only am i worried about the insane sexual side effects but im worried about it as a whole... don;t know if i should switch from 40mg celexa to 30mg cymbalta or even try it for a week... to see how it goes i dont wanna feel even worse right now im OK not too bad but lack motivation completely as soon as the tramadol stopped workign this si why i think im missing the N in SNRI the neuropenephrin in my body thats why im trying this but now im worried as hell... especially reading your last post. A big thing for me is also sexual side effects, im a male and right now i am in my prime i don't want to ruin it by not having sex because from what i remember SNRIs have much worse sexual side effects. Effexor killed my sex drive completely compared to the other stuff and cymbalta seems like its the same thing but newer, tramadol did too but for a day instead of what this will probably do (destroy it). I just want to get better but this is no a lasting solution i don't think.
 
Hi everyone,
I just started taking Cymbalta and I am becoming worried reading about the withdrawals it can cause. What are the withdrawals from Cymbalta like compared to opiates??
Thanks, Cat
 
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