10 replies to this topic

[royalone]

Hello, I've been taking Cymbalta 20 mg for around 4 years and the 60mg for 2 years. Im taking the meds foe back problems, not depression not that it really matters. I've just had my fourth back surgery, the the results of me not having any more leg pain. I hVe stopped taking all of my other meds and now I want to stop with the cymbalta. I've read a lot of the post on this forum, and I have to say thst im very scared. Ive tried to stop a couple of times before which wasnt good at all. I had several symptoms thst really scared m. Please I really need help with this. Anymore info on the matter would be grateful.

[clearglass]

Good Morning Royalone,  Welcome.

I am sorry you're in so much pain. I came here for support not long ago and took my last cymbalte capsule Friday by bead counting. I've had some withdrawal symptoms, but they were/are more tolerable. I am luck to have a good Dr. who suggested bead counting. There are other ways and very smart people on this site who will reach out to you shortly with more information. In the meantime, get as much rest as you can and hang in there.

clearglass

[royalone]

Thanks for the reply. I will look more into the bead counting.

[GinnyKim61]

Hi Royalone, The bead counting is, to me, the best way to go off of Cymbalta. I counted my beads that were in my capsule, which I have 300 in mine, so it takes a bit of time. I then took 1 bead out the first day, 2 the 2nd and now I'm up to 16 beads out. It's a nice slow way to do it and the side affects are much less than going off cold turkey. Some of the people on here drop two beads per day and that adds up faster for them, some even more each day. If you have a bad day then the next day only drop the beads that you dropped the day before. Give yourself a rest from going further until you are ready to move on. 

 

This is a great site for help and support and lot's of love. God Bless you on your journey, GinnyKim61

[fishinghat]

Welcome Royalone. I have tried to include some options on how to come off the cymbalta, with bead counting definitely the best option. And alsosome infor on how long the withdrawal lasts.

 

OPTIONS

There are three ways to do it. Cold Turkey, swapping meds and bead counting.

I don’t recommend cold turkey unless there is no choice. The cold turkey withdrawal can be quite severe and usually lasts longer. With swapping meds you lower your dose of cymbalta over a 2 or 3 week level to zero and at the same time go on a different ssri with a lot less severe withdrawal, say zoloft, lexapro or prozac. Once you make the switch you slowly come off the new ssri. Very slowly. The third choice, bead counting, is where you open the cymbalta capsule each day and remove a few beads, usually 2 or 3. So the first day you remove 3 beads, the next day 6 beads, the next 9 beads etc. This provides for a slow steady withdrawal. If symptoms get to bad you just hold at that dosage for a while until you stabilize. Then start dropping again. Be aware that for most the last few beads give the worse withdrawal. Be prepared to slow down when you get to the very end. Now this is just an example. Some can only remove 1 bead a day and others 7 or 8 beads a day. You will have to play with it a little bit to find what works for you. This doesn't mean you won't have withdrawal but it will be lighter and you will have some control over it.

 

DURATION OF WITHDRAWAL

The first 3 or 4 weeks of withdrawal are the worse with some slow, and I mean slow improvements. By the 8th to 12th week usually see signs of good days followed by bad days but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel. Now that is the average. I have known people who actually quit cold turkey without a symptom. And others where the withdrawal last 6 months to over a year but these are rare. Research says between 30 to 80% of people do not experience withdrawal while other research shows that around 7% experience withdrawal of 6 months or more.

[royalone]

Looks like the bead counting is the way to go. I've tried cold turkey, not very fun at all. I couldn't even close my eyes without feeling like I was going to fall out, not fun!!!!! I would like to thank you all for your responses. It's going to be a hard road.

[fishinghat]

Just remember that royalone is actually roywithfreinds now. We are here to help, listen or support in anyway we can.

 

God Bless and keep us posted.

[FiveNotions]

Hi Roy, welcome! What Fishinghat says is true, you are not alone in this!

I quit cold turkey early last December, because I lost my insurance...yes, it was hard...downright horrible at times.....but it was sooooo worth it....I'm getting my life, and my real self, back again..... I thank God that I found this website ....the people in this community helped me each step of the way....and I would not have made it this far without them....we share info, encouragement and humor ..... And more than a few tears and expressions of anger....

So, you've come to the right place! You can do this!

[xman]

Welcome Royalone (AKA not alone anymore ) ! Have to smile a little to get thru this, but you can do it. Fishinghat gives a concise picture of your options. It is sound advice. We are here for you. 

[Wagtail]

Just remember that royalone is actually roywithfreinds now. We are here to help, listen or support in anyway we can.
 
God Bless and keep us posted.

What a great way to put it " roywithfriends " ha ha love it ..:-)

[equuswoman]

Hello, I've been taking Cymbalta 20 mg for around 4 years and the 60mg for 2 years. Im taking the meds foe back problems, not depression not that it really matters. I've just had my fourth back surgery, the the results of me not having any more leg pain. I hVe stopped taking all of my other meds and now I want to stop with the cymbalta. I've read a lot of the post on this forum, and I have to say thst im very scared. Ive tried to stop a couple of times before which wasnt good at all. I had several symptoms thst really scared m. Please I really need help with this. Anymore info on the matter would be grateful.

Hi and welcome to the forum. I was on the nasty drug for pain of my lower back due to osteoarthritis. I also had undergone lumbar surgery with fusion. Wanted off as I didn't want to deal with the SE of this drug any longer. I did a slow wean utilizing the bead counting method. It took over 4 months to wean off this crap and I did have some w/d symptoms along the way. But I am done with it. Forever done.  Glad that you're here and please let us know how you're doing. God bless...TheEquusWoman