[CymUser84]

I have been using Cymbalta for major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder, and OCD since mid-2008. At the highest point, I was taking 120mg per day, but, as my husband's insurance provider has changed and now requires us to pay up front for all prescriptions and seek reimbursement, continued use of Cymbalta has been a financial burden. I have chosen to wean off of it instead. I have been weaning off from 120 to 90, then to 60, then to 30 (over the course of a few months), and for six days, I have been completely off of Cymbalta.

However, I am finding that the effects of withdrawal SUCK. So I am starting this journal to document it and hopefully receive some support and find out that I'm not alone.

Here are my withdrawal effects since stopping six days ago, with no discernible sign of improvement:

Itchiness -- I have constant itches all over my body
"Brain zaps" -- I feel "shooting" nerve sensations, very much like when I get goosebumps, behind my eyes and inside my head
"Body zaps" -- the same thing as "brain zaps" but all throughout my body
Scatterbrained -- I have trouble vocalizing what I want in every day conversation, and often forget the words for things
Insomnia -- I have an extremely irregular sleep schedule, and can only sleep when totally exhausted
Emotional irregularity and fluctuations -- I find myself crying or getting upset at the slightest things, and being unable to tell sarcasm from normal speech
Extreme Irritability -- small things make me angry; not really rage-like but definitely angry
Nightmares -- when I do sleep, I have terrible nightmares
Dizziness (during physical exertion) -- such as when I walk up stairs
Digestive troubles -- I have not suffered from nausea, because I generally do not get nauseous, but stomach has been upset since I stopped
Headaches -- I have had a constant, low-grade headache since I stopped
Heightened anxiety -- my anxiety has gone up since I stopped taking it

Has anyone else experienced these feelings? Is there anything I can take to lessen the effects? If I am still feeling anxious or my mood is too unstable should I go back on a SSRI/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor that has a generic version available, like Prozac/Zoloft/Paxil? How long should this take for the withdrawal symptoms to go away? From what I have been reading, most people that have the withdrawal effects quit cold turkey; is it normal to have them even though I gradually weaned off?

[cookie]

Hello 'CymUser84'
I had these symptoms: itchiness, trouble finding words or understanding conversations, mood swings, crying, irritability, nightmares, dizziness, nausea, vomit, and anxiety worsening.

The maximum dose I took was 60mg. I weaned slowly for a year. Cymbalta also comes in a 20mg presentation. I can tell you that in my case, it tapering got particularly difficult once I reached 20mg. So instead of dropping all the way down to zero, I have done it in steps, doing small drops. I haven´t added another medication. However I have read on this site of people that have added Prozac the last stages.

Taking into account that you were in such a high dose (120mg) your body needs time to stabilize.