[marysequin]

Well after reading all the posts about long term tapering, I'm wondering if I will end up changing my weaning schedule as determined by my Dr.
I have been taking 60 mg for about a year and a half. I recently started going to a different Doc, an OD. who approaches things differently. She wants me to take a neurotransmitter test measured through saliva and urine. I will determine levels of seratonin, dopamine and other things. I decided that I would rather test the "real me" instead of the "drugged me" so she suggested the following schedule to wean off the Cymbalta.

Taking 60 mg
Reduce to 40 mg for a week (2- 20 mg caps)
Reduce to 20 mg for a week
Reduce to 20 mg every other day for a week

I guess I'll see how I feel and if I get too wack, maybe I'll end up counting beads too! I do have some 30's left from when I first started taking them so maybe I could throw another week in there. I missed my 60 dose yesterday and started on my 40 dose today. So far, nothing irregular. Just the normal brain zaps that I hate so much. I have always wondered why they are random. Some days I have 'em, some days I don't.

I like this doctor, because she tries to approach health by looking at the whole picture. She is working with me on my thyroid issues too.

If anyone has advice, let me know. I'll add updates on my progress. And I HOPE I'll lose some of the belly fat I started putting on while on Cymbalta. Please Lord, let it be so...

[wolfmoon2682]

doctors. Most doctors have no idea about cymbalta withdrawal. They judge it by what the drug companies say and their knowledge of similiar drugs. My doctor still refuses to believe i had withdrawals after 12 hours or so of missing a dose. He doesnt even believe being off for 4 or so days would cause withdrawals. Hes dead wrong! Most doctors think they know it all. A 20 mg drop from 60 might not do anything. Get down to 40 mg and take away a single mg and its hell! The only way i've been able to wean is 3 beads at a time. 3 beads equals 1 mg. Any more than that and expect withdrawal. I've tried cold turkey,i've tried it the doctors way similiar to your story. It will NOT work! It's that simple. In the end only YOU know your body, idc how long a doctor goes to school,it will not change the fact that we are all different. I am currently at 27 beads, 8 mg. And it was not easy. My suggestion is this. Open the pills divide the beads. 3 equals a mg as i stated above. Never go beyond that. And if symptoms start,hold steady at that dose for as long as it takes for you to be comfortable enough to continue. some people recomend vitamins, maybe try that. as for the fat exothermic foods before a meal! Cinnamon or pepper. I was pushing 300 lbs im a 28 yr old male!
Trust me it works. Just a piece of advice. must eat it before a meal. I eat corn or beans loaded with pepper before dinner. Im down to 235. Jobless and dont work out but 3 or so mins a day! Anyways good luck and hope this helps.

[cookie]

wolfmoon2682, on 18 July 2011 - 06:23 PM, said:

doctors. Most doctors have no idea about cymbalta withdrawal. They judge it by what the drug companies say and their knowledge of similiar drugs. My doctor still refuses to believe i had withdrawals after 12 hours or so of missing a dose. He doesnt even believe being off for 4 or so days would cause withdrawals. Hes dead wrong! Most doctors think they know it all. A 20 mg drop from 60 might not do anything. Get down to 40 mg and take away a single mg and its hell! The only way i've been able to wean is 3 beads at a time. 3 beads equals 1 mg. Any more than that and expect withdrawal. I've tried cold turkey,i've tried it the doctors way similiar to your story. It will NOT work! It's that simple. In the end only YOU know your body, idc how long a doctor goes to school,it will not change the fact that we are all different. I am currently at 27 beads, 8 mg. And it was not easy. My suggestion is this. Open the pills divide the beads. 3 equals a mg as i stated above. Never go beyond that. And if symptoms start,hold steady at that dose for as long as it takes for you to be comfortable enough to continue. some people recomend vitamins, maybe try that. as for the fat exothermic foods before a meal! Cinnamon or pepper. I was pushing 300 lbs im a 28 yr old male!
Trust me it works. Just a piece of advice. must eat it before a meal. I eat corn or beans loaded with pepper before dinner. Im down to 235. Jobless and dont work out but 3 or so mins a day! Anyways good luck and hope this helps.

When I reached lower dosages I had to do smaller drops. Right now I am not even able to reduce 1 mg. I have to reduce half miligram. Otherwise, I start to experience withdrawls

[cookie]

marysequin, on 17 July 2011 - 10:33 PM, said:

Well after reading all the posts about long term tapering, I'm wondering if I will end up changing my weaning schedule as determined by my Dr.
I have been taking 60 mg for about a year and a half. I recently started going to a different Doc, an OD. who approaches things differently. She wants me to take a neurotransmitter test measured through saliva and urine. I will determine levels of seratonin, dopamine and other things. I decided that I would rather test the "real me" instead of the "drugged me" so she suggested the following schedule to wean off the Cymbalta.

Taking 60 mg
Reduce to 40 mg for a week (2- 20 mg caps)
Reduce to 20 mg for a week
Reduce to 20 mg every other day for a week

I guess I'll see how I feel and if I get too wack, maybe I'll end up counting beads too! I do have some 30's left from when I first started taking them so maybe I could throw another week in there. I missed my 60 dose yesterday and started on my 40 dose today. So far, nothing irregular. Just the normal brain zaps that I hate so much. I have always wondered why they are random. Some days I have 'em, some days I don't.

I like this doctor, because she tries to approach health by looking at the whole picture. She is working with me on my thyroid issues too.

If anyone has advice, let me know. I'll add updates on my progress. And I HOPE I'll lose some of the belly fat I started putting on while on Cymbalta. Please Lord, let it be so...

I have tapered slowly for a whole year. Everytime I tried to rush things (decrease rapidly) I would start to feel bad. One has to wait until symptoms go away (stabilize) before making further drops. I have a suggestion (I am not a doctor though). Take 60mg, then 50mg, then, 40mg, then, 30mg, then 20mg, then 10mg and so on.
50mg can be made out of a 30mg pill and a 20mg pill. My taper got specifically difficult when I reached 20mg. Then I started making very small drops. I never alternated days, as I read on this site it was better to take a certain dosage everyday. So instead of taking 20mg every other day. I would take 10mg everyday.

[marysequin]

Well I have been taking the 40 mg for three days now and I have not had any real withdrawal symptoms. In fact, I have had less brain zaps than usual...
Cookie, I just read most of your posts regarding your wean. I seriously do not want to take that long. In general, I have a high tolerance to medications and generally have to take more than most people to fell the effects. I guess I can hope that the cymbalta did not affect me as much as it has others. I could seriously stand to lose a bit of my stomach, but I don't want to be sick to have to do that!

[cookie]

marysequin, on 19 July 2011 - 06:47 PM, said:

Well I have been taking the 40 mg for three days now and I have not had any real withdrawal symptoms. In fact, I have had less brain zaps than usual...
Cookie, I just read most of your posts regarding your wean. I seriously do not want to take that long. In general, I have a high tolerance to medications and generally have to take more than most people to fell the effects. I guess I can hope that the cymbalta did not affect me as much as it has others. I could seriously stand to lose a bit of my stomach, but I don't want to be sick to have to do that!

Yes, I know, it has taken me a long time. You can do it faster as long as you wait for symptoms to go away (stabilize) before making any further drops.

[marysequin]

Monday - Thurs this week I took the 40mg and have been fine. So today I decided to go ahead and try the 20mg. I usually take my pill at lunch, sometimes earlier if I'm getting the zaps. I took the pill a little later today and had a few more brain zaps than usual. Other than that, I've been fine the rest of today. Guess I'll see tomorrow what day two brings! 60mg to 20mg in 5 days...

[marysequin]

Day eight I've been taking the 20mg for three days now and so far I'm doing fine. I have noticed one thing , but not sure if it's related. For years I had foot pain in the balls of my feet. It was difficult to put weight on them in the mornings and by night they would just throb and buzz/hum. Almost like a constant brain zaps in my feet with pain too. That problem went away, but has come back in the last few days. I'm wondering if the cymbalta had an effect on the pain or nerves that affect my feet.

[marysequin]

Day 12
I have been taking 20 mg for 6 days and have done well. It was late afternoon when I got a free minute at work to take my pill. At that point, I decided to see what would happen if I went ahead and started my next level: every other day @ 20mg, so I didn't take a pill today. Early evening I had a lot of brain zaps (I hate those things). Otherwise I'm still ok. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. If I'm doing ok I might just try cold turkey instead of every other day