HELP..Effexor/Cymbalta/Tramadol = Seratonin Syndrome

Hi all....
All your posts have helped me so much...i log on every day to just read the hell everyone is going thru FOREVER just to make sure i'm not crazy and doing something further (pill-wise) to screw me up!

My question is:  Is there anyone on this site going thru both Cymbalta and Tramadol withdrawal???  My situation is thus:  For the last couple of years i was on oxycodone's for chronic pain  (those i quit about 3 months ago so not an issue here)..but, I mention them because at the beginning of this year I was extremely depressed from taking them (my brain was just too shut down), I was also on tramadol's at the same time.  My doctor then put me on Effexor to deal with the depression (that was in January).  Luckily, I could not take the full dose of effexor due to my dystonia (tremor stuff), so i was taking 75 mg.  (along with all my dystonia med's - which are all CNS depressants!.  As you can imagine, i've been a frickin zombie all year!  But due to the fact that my brain was so fuzzed out, i just kept taking the effexor thinking the depression would lift 'tommorrow'.  Finally pulled part of my head out of my __ss and realized that the oxy's were what were causing the depression the most (and to begin with!), I quit the oxy's no problem (which is amazing due to my addictive personality)....have not even thought about the oxy's once since quitting .. that withdrawal was EASY compared to what's going on now!

Speed forward in time to two months ago (one month after quitting the oxy's).  After the oxy's, i thought i would begin to feel better mentally and physically (still taking the effexor and tramadol), still felt crappy...still lethargic, depressed, and physically 'sicky' every day.  Decided to go to a therapist to deal with depression and get support.   She has been great in every way (EXCEPT), she has had the same fairy tales from the drug rep's about all these wonderful drugs such as the new WONDER drug Cymbalta!  One month ago, she takes me off of the Effexor and puts me on Cymbalta (still taking the tramadol).....then the real fun starts....get really sick from stopping the effexor (thinking that the effexor withdrawal is what is making me so sick...which it is in part)..however, after over two weeks of having never-ending symptoms of mental and physical yucky sick sick sick from insomnia / lethargy / nausea / itching /  just pretty much total brain collapse, i realize that the effexor withdrawal is no longer the problem and that i am getting sicker and dizzier by the day.  SO, i go online to research Cymbalta (should have done this to begin with!!!), find out about Cymbalta and Tramadol together create "seratonin syndrome" which can be fatal!!!  and that this EXPLAINS why i've been so sick, out-of-it, and mentally deranged  ALL year!!  

Immediately I stop the Cymbalta ... this is day five ... have had all the horrific withdrawal as set out on the net as to the cymbalta withdrawal.  Am trying to hang in there, but am scared about the tramadol part.  I'm still taking the tramadol (i've done the tramadol withdrawal about three years ago and know how nasty it is), I know i need to also stop the tramadol, but am too scared to at this time.

HAS anyone gone thru both of these withdrawals at the same time?  and is it safe?  i'm just realizing i'm just still so sick because of the damn tram's.........

just need some support i guess....

i want to see/feel/love myself again...i miss me !!

roxytoxy

[avisg]

I have warned people many times that this can happen ...I am glad you figured out what was going on before it was to late ... I know you are going threw hell right now . How much tramadol are you on. I can help  taper off if you would like