[nursedeborah]

Laurita, on 09 February 2010 - 07:21 PM, said:

I just reduced my cymbalta from 90 ml to 60 a day. I started this 4 days ago and I am now starting to have pressure in my head and also feel a little disoriented. Kind of like I should not be driving because I am really not in the present moment. My mind is wondering. I have been on anti depressants for 20 years and I think it is time to come off because it will cost me 600 a month to be on a 90 ml pill a day. What a racket.
Will my mind go back to making endorphines and dopamine????? I am concerned I need the drug to be normal. However even on the high dose I still get a little depressed.

Laurita,
Your going way tooooo FAST! You can't drop this medication that quickly!
This is what I learned from this site was that I needed to do a slow wean
and that that way the only way to do this if I didn't want to go through
such brutal withdrawls as one will go through unless doing a slow wean.

The brain has become addicted to this drug, and what your feeling is the
withdrawls just like any addict would that needed a fix.


What I would suggest you do is to go back to at least the 90 mg, and just
start taking 10 beads out every 2 weeks like we learn how to do here.

One of the best things about this method is that your in control, and if
your symptoms are to great you can do something about it.

Let me know if you want the bead count, and I will give it to you, and any
thing you need answered just ask.

Here to support you!

Debbie

[Junior]

Laurita, on 09 February 2010 - 07:21 PM, said:

I just reduced my cymbalta from 90 ml to 60 a day. I started this 4 days ago and I am now starting to have pressure in my head and also feel a little disoriented. Kind of like I should not be driving because I am really not in the present moment. My mind is wondering. I have been on anti depressants for 20 years and I think it is time to come off because it will cost me 600 a month to be on a 90 ml pill a day. What a racket.
Will my mind go back to making endorphines and dopamine????? I am concerned I need the drug to be normal. However even on the high dose I still get a little depressed.

Hi Laurita

Debbie is right. You are withdrawing way too fast. Anti-depressants change the way the brain functions (in the case of Cymbalta it blocks the reuptake -recycling if you like - of both serotonin and norepinephrine in the sending neuron. This effectively makes more of these neurochemicals available for the receiving neuron to accept) and it takes time for the brain to return to its natural way of functioning. This is what causes withdrawal effects. Basically the brain needs to rewire itself.

What many people find is that they need to reduce by no more than 60% of their dose, wait until the withdrawal effects subside (3-6 weeks), then reduce again. Some people can go faster, some have to go slower. Everyone is different. But it seems that by doing it slowly, people can maintain a reasonable quality of life, and heal slowly.

As far as you getting a little depressed at times, just be mindful that feeling down is normal, suffering major depression is not. If you are a sufferer of depression, you will know that the 2 are poles apart. You might just need to get used to feeling your emotions more intensely again.

Hope that helps
Junior