Cymbalta Hurts Worse Mission - My Thoughts What We Are About

By Toni Samanie on Monday, September 21, 2015 at 1:29 PM

If you are reading this then you are a admin/moderator for the group Cymbalta Hurts Worse. Thank you, thank you thank you!!! In my opinion, this kind of work is one of the most rewarding that can ever be done. The pay is lousy, the hours can be long, the stress might be there, however, there is no better return than to help save a life. You not only save the life of the member but there is a trickle down effect; you also save marriages and relationships. How many children are spared from having a parent clearly not able to function or full of rage? What can be better than that?

Whatever you can do to participate is greatly appreciated. It is a real danger to burn out. Do not be afraid to take a break or lots of breaks. It is can be overwhelming and sometimes it can chew up so much time trying to help others your own personal life might suffer. That is not a good thing. I take comfort in the fact that we have a lot of reference materials in the files tab. Maybe not as personal as one on one but many answers can be found there. Also, some may not be able to post and help as much as others. That is okay too. Just helping a little on occasion when you can still helps a lot.

Feel free to skip some threads if you find other mods already posting. Although it is good to show support on a thread with the numbers of people joining the group we might consider more of a divide and conquer approach if you are limited with time. Go find a person who has had little response to their questions. This will hopefully cover more ground and save time.

Regarding legal disclaimers: you have to find your own comfort zone. I have no problem stating my opinion. We often say we are not doctors. I often say, "in my opinion I would reinstate and this is how I would do it". This is my right under the first amendment of freedom of speech.  Over time we may have pharma people looking for ways to get at us. And Facebook is probably going to cave to  any outside challenge to shut us down. I am not afraid and I will continue on this mission of helping people. You have to figure out what you are comfortable saying or not saying.

As you all know many doctors do not fully appreciate all the negative aspects of Cymbalta and very few know how to taper slowly enough or the bead method. I encourage people if they can to educate their doctors and take them some of the articles we have in our files tab. I get frustrated some times and yes, some doctors are idiots, but I would refrain from doctor bashing as a whole because some doctors are actually great people, well intended but victims themselves of the pharma propaganda. We save lives with our information, there is no greater feeling, but second to that is turning a doctor around in his/her thinking where they are receptive to learning about slow, safer tapers and how destructive this drug is. Some people who join get really defensive of their doctors. The trick is to show them how their doctor failed them but to also explain that the doc probably didn't know that much themselves about the drug.

I am a big believer in the first amendment. I speak my thoughts. I often say I am not a doctor. I don't like the phrase "ask your doctor"...."or don't do ..... until you talk to your doctor".  As you know many doctors don't know squat about safe tapering practices and I will say your doctor is wrong about skipping or alternating days. Can't count on my hands how many folks have come into this group going out of their mind with migraines, zaps, horrible doubling over stomach pain, etc. and once we suggest to stop skipping days they feel so much better.

So, I don't think any of us can get into trouble by pointing people to what other doctors who are knowledgeable say, such as Dr. Breggin, Dr. Brogan or experts such as Ann Blake Tracy and former pharmaceutical rep. Gwen Olsen. The second thing that cannot be refuted is ones personal experience.

I think that is all I have to say at the moment...:)

I really love each and every one of you for your selfless participation.  - Toni S.