[ladydi]

I weaned off Cymbalta slowly as instructed by my doctor but after reading these post obviously not the correct way. I had been taking 60mg for 3 yrs. Feeling I no longer need the medication because of changes in my life I asked to come off of it. The first Doctor and one who prescribe the Cymbalta 3yrs ago told me "just stop taking it if you don't need it" but wrote me a script for 30mg "just in-case". So after 3 days of withdrawals I started taking the 30mg. I took it for 30 days and my "New" doctor dropped me down to 20mg and told me to wean off it slowly by cutting back days and times I took it. So I once again followed doctors orders. I started having headaches the first week I reached taking the "hell pill" every two days. I pretty much suffered through them and the brain zaps the rest of the time coming off. The doctor kept telling me it would get better. I have been hell pill free for 3 weeks today and have NEVER felt so bad in my life. I missed 26hrs of work last week and I was struggling today just to make to lunch time.
For the past week and half I have been suffering with nausea!, brain zaps, headaches, diarrhea!, feelings of something crawling all over me, vivid dreams and eating habits changing.
The zaps are slowing down to only a few an hour but the nausea and diarrhea are constant with no relief what so ever. I am not suffering from depression or anxiety just a big ole case of feel like crap!

What should I do? Is there anything that helps with withdrawals? Any advice is welcomed.

[cookie]

Dear Ladydi:
I am not a doctor. What I am about to say have been things I´ve learned throught this site and through my own weaning.
From reading your weaning plan, it seems that it was too fast. It is shocking to hear that you were told to "just stop taking it if you don´t need it". Even in cymbalta´s package says not to quit cold turkey.

I also took 60mg for a long time. But my journey from 60mg to 20mg took me 2 months by doing very small drops weekly (at the beginning 7mg drops and then 2,5mg drops). My journey from 30mg to 20mg was the hardest. When I got to 19mg I found that I could no longer do the weekly drops but had to stay a month on 19mg, for symptoms to stabilize and then drop further.

From what I´ve read on this site, taking the med every other day is not that effective because of cymbalta half life in the system. That is why cymbalta users who have quit the med mention that it is less painful to take a CERTAIN dose of cymbalta EVERYDAY.

Taking into account that you are already off the med, you have to decide what to do. If to tolerate the symptoms or if it is really imposible to function at work, to go back to a certain dose of cymbalta and start weaning slowly from there.

If you decide not to take cymbalta, I am not the right person to give you advice on how to diminish the w/d symptoms because I am still on the pill. However all I can say is that during weaning these have been things that have helped me: nutrition, vitamins, exercise, yoga, meditation.

Hugs
Cookie

[ladydi]

cookie, on 02 August 2010 - 11:33 PM, said:

Dear Ladydi:
I am not a doctor. What I am about to say have been things I´ve learned throught this site and through my own weaning.
From reading your weaning plan, it seems that it was too fast. It is shocking to hear that you were told to "just stop taking it if you don´t need it". Even in cymbalta´s package says not to quit cold turkey.

I also took 60mg for a long time. But my journey from 60mg to 20mg took me 2 months by doing very small drops weekly (at the beginning 7mg drops and then 2,5mg drops). My journey from 30mg to 20mg was the hardest. When I got to 19mg I found that I could no longer do the weekly drops but had to stay a month on 19mg, for symptoms to stabilize and then drop further.

From what I´ve read on this site, taking the med every other day is not that effective because of cymbalta half life in the system. That is why cymbalta users who have quit the med mention that it is less painful to take a CERTAIN dose of cymbalta EVERYDAY.

Taking into account that you are already off the med, you have to decide what to do. If to tolerate the symptoms or if it is really imposible to function at work, to go back to a certain dose of cymbalta and start weaning slowly from there.

If you decide not to take cymbalta, I am not the right person to give you advice on how to diminish the w/d symptoms because I am still on the pill. However all I can say is that during weaning these have been things that have helped me: nutrition, vitamins, exercise, yoga, meditation.

Hugs
Cookie

Thanks for the reply! I am at a crossroads as what to do. It seems to get better and then it will hit again and I cannot cope. I am going to have to decide something and soon I just hate the thought of putting this medication back into my body.

Thanks
Ladydi

[cookie]

ladydi, on 03 August 2010 - 08:53 AM, said:

Thanks for the reply! I am at a crossroads as what to do. It seems to get better and then it will hit again and I cannot cope. I am going to have to decide something and soon I just hate the thought of putting this medication back into my body.

Thanks
Ladydi

Dear Ladydi:
That is the "tricky" thing about quitting. It had also happened to me that things seems to get better and bam, then the bad symptoms hit again. During weaning I have experienced mood swings. (thing that was unknown to me, because I suffer from severe depression and felt only the downs not the highs).

If you decide to remain off pill, make sure you find ways to treat your symptoms. If you decide to go back to cymbalta, it is important to go on a dose that is high enought to make your symptoms dissapear but low enough that the weaning doesn´t last that much time.

Hope you make the decision that is best for you.

hugs
Cookie