[angelvsdevil]

Hey guys,

So a bit of background about me... I'm 21 years old (female) and cymbalta is my 4th antidepressant (first SNRI). I have suffered from depression for about 5-6 years and have been on cymbalta for the last 2.5 years. There appears to be a bit of a pattern with medications and me - they work for a while and then they stop working. That hasn't happened quite as severely with cymbalta, but I was still getting breakthrough symptoms.

Cymbalta has overall, been the most successful so far in helping my mood, but after being on medications for the last 5+ years, I am curious to see what I am like without any medication. I feel as though I was quite young when I started taking meds and I just wonder if with all my lifestyle changes and psychological techniques that I have learnt that I might not need the medication - furthermore, the sweating on cymbalta has been awful and I really want to get fit but it's impossible with the sweating on this med! Anyway, I spoke to my pdoc and he was happy to let me see what I am like off the medication - but we are taking it slowly and have a backup plan in place if I start getting really depressed again.

So anyway, I was on 90mgs of cymbalta (3 x 30mg tablets every morning). It was decided that week 1 we would do 90/60 alternating each day... But I kind of got inpatient so I did that once and then I just stayed on the 60mgs - and OMG I have never felt so sick in my life. I have been on 60mgs since Saturday (it is now Tuesday night). When I take the 60mgs in the morning (approx 9am), I feel a bit better but I feel myself getting worse and worse throughout the day and by about 5pm, I am as sick as all hell - and then throughout the night I am really, really sick - but do get a fair bit of sleep as I'm so exhausted.

My main symptoms so far have been a really, really bad headache - including intense dizziness (especially at night). I have also been really hungry - for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING! I get intense cravings for sweet things and then I'll have something sweet and crave something savoury. And then I'll want sugar and then I'll be back to craving something sweet. It's awful! I hate eating so much but I've been so hungry! And then tonight I have been so nauseous - BUT I did have KFC tonight (which I have not had in probably 6 months). I know my body is quite sensitive to fast food (which is why I generally don't have it) and I've had really, really bad diarrhea tonight - with intense sweating. So I don't know whether the diarrhea is related to the KFC or the cymbalta withdrawals? I have been feeling nauseous on and off since going to 60mgs but have not had diarrhea until tonight.

I have a shift at work tomorrow morning so I am hoping that if I take the 60mgs about an hour before my shift, I will be able to get through my 4 hour shift at work. And then I can come home and spend the rest of the day in bed! (It's uni holidays here at the moment which is why we chose to do this now so that it wouldn't interfere with uni)

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any insight into whether the symptoms will be just as unbearable when I go down to 30mgs. I am meant to stay on 60mgs for about a week (I am hoping the symptoms will start to go away in 2-3 days and then I'll wait 5 or so days from then) and then I'll do a week of alternating between 30/60 (I am actually going to be patient this time and do it properly as I'm hoping this might help with the withdrawals?). But I had a friend tell me that the withdrawals shouldn't be as bad from 60-30 as they were 90-60 as there will be less in my system... But while I can see why this might be the case, I can also see that it mightn't be? I guess I'm just wondering how much longer I am going to have to put up with these withdrawal symptoms? They really suck and I have things that I want to do before going back to uni. It's really interfering with my life! Ugh!

Any opinions/advice/thoughts/well-wishes/sympathies would be so appreciated!

AvD.

[Jenni]

My experience – and this followed my doctor’s advice/warning – is that each reduction is harder and the symptoms are worse. He told me to think of it in terms of the percentage reduction – 90 to 60 is a 33% reduction, 60 to 30 is a 50% reduction and 30 to zero is a 100% reduction. Don’t panic though –it can all be done. The key is to manage the whole process as painlessly as possible.
One option is to talk to your doctor – who sounds sympathetic – about taking Prozac as part of the process. It can soften the Serotonin crash as it has a longer half-life than Cymbalta.
I know lots of people on this forum did not find that the alternate days method worked for them. It definitely worked for me although, as you found out, it is hard not to get impatient. I would recommend that you spend a few weeks at each level, not just a few days after symptoms have subsided. That gives you time to get organised for the next reduction – fill your freezer with wholesome food (more on that later), warn your teachers, get your laundry done! Trying to multi-task this evening so can’t remember if you are male or female. If you are female, try to avoid reducing your meds around your period. Just too many things for your body to deal with!
I know what it is like to have that ravenous hunger. Happens to me with migraines. Unfortunately, you are worsening the headache and nausea problem by eating sweet stuff or junk food. You need to force yourself to eat some slow burning food. Google low GI foods and find something you can keep to hand. I know how hard it is. I once ate ten krispie cakes in a row during a particularly bad migraine! It will help if you try to eat a small healthy snack every hour or two. You need to keep your blood sugar nice and steady to avoid nausea and headaches.
For the headaches, try draping a heat pad over your head and face while lying down. This helped me with the tension headaches. Here’s an example of what I mean.
http://www.amazon.co...28043313&sr=1-8
For the nausea and dizziness, talk to the pharmacist about an over the counter remedy – I got a really effective seasickness type thing.
I found that keeping busy helped. Read more, listen to music, go for a little walk. Don’t try to do lots but do try to keep your mind off your body’s issues!
If it helps any, I had all the symptoms you describe with each reduction. I found that the symptoms settled around day 15 of the new dose. Cymbalta was a bit of a life-saver for me, too. I was on it from 2005 until a few weeks ago. Also wanted to come off because I felt I was better and stronger after lots of counselling. And I was fed up with being the sweating.
Oh yes, don’t panic if you get a few depression symptoms during this whole process. It’s normal. Your body is just adjusting. The advice I was given was that two days crying in bed is NOT normal and is a problem.
Best of luck