Hi All-

I've been really having a hard time. Last year, I was put on Cymbalta after trying several anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs. I've suffered from depression my whole life and anxiety most of it as well with panic attacks and such. It runs in my family. I'd been on about 9 types of medications in 8 years or so.

My doctor, who is not treating me any longer, was quick to prescribe drugs. His waiting room was like a non-stop commercial for everything under the sun. Anyway - I took myself off the Cymbalta last November because of horrible side-effects. If there's a side-effect with any drug, I'll get it. So I decided to detox my body with cleanses and go on other, natural and homeopathic supplements (which are helping very well).

Here's my problem, I've had these "brain-zaps" (which is a common occurance with the drug). I just found out that it may be permanant. I was put on the drug 2 months before I graduated with a Bachelor degree I worked on while my husband was deployed and my kids were growing up. Now that I'm off it, I can't remember any of my schooling. I can't finish sentences and I can't remember what I was saying if I get interupted.

I'm scared and frustrated and feeling very lonely. I'm stuck on my sessions because I get so overwhelmed I can't concentrate (another side effect that wouldn't go away). What should I do? I'm afraid I may never be "me" again and I hate that my memories and education have been erased from my brain.

Anyone with ideas of how to help me get my life back would be appreciated. I'm usually great at researching ideas and taking control, but can't seem to get things to come together so I can figure it out on my own.

Thanks for your help and listening. -J

Hi nspyredj,

I know kind of how it feels. I have what I call fibro fog..it's much the same symptoms as you describe and it has plagued me for 18 years now. I have a hard time in all the ways you mentioned and it is frustrating. The only advice I would like to offer is that the more we use our mind by writing, reading and talking the better it seems to be most of the time. I do have days where i just say my brain took off on vacation without me...that's how it feels. I get really upset at my lack of memory..something is there one minute and gone the next. Sometimes it will come to me later but not always.
Here's a funny, not that this is a funny topic but it's good to laugh. I was sitting having my morning coffee and thinking about Christmas and came up with the PERFECT gift for my husband...never wrote it down, can't remember what it was, it's been 2 weeks now and still I have no idea what the perfect gift was. I have gone through store flyers that carry men stuff hoping it might have the item but so far no luck. Now that's a messed up brain!! LOL

I really do hope you will just try to float with this and try to think it will get better with time...it likely will improve a little bit here and a little bit there.

It would work out great if we could forget the things we want to not ever remember!

God Bless, be good to yourself.

Hi nspyredj, I hope this helps. I suffered alot of simalar syptoms for a longtime. Changing my deit, caffeine and sugar
mostly, left me in a brain fog for years. Exercise also helps me greatly. These two things helped me rediscover my brain, it actually works. So try and detoxify your body from these substances, it may take a little while. I noticed a change in myself after a few weeks, also other poeple noticed. I can't remember having this much clarity in my mind in decades. I hope this will be of use.barryt