5 replies to this topic

[joecinsf]

For the last two months I have been tapering Cymbalta, 10mg per months. I was taking 120mg for two years coupled with 5mg Abilify. I finally decided the side effects were too much for me. So my doctor, a psychiatrist, told me the protocol was to drop 30mg every two weeks. He also said to stop taking the Abilify, the whole 5mg dose per day. I had read this site and others related messages boards and told him that 30mg sounded like too much to start tapering. He said it would be OK! The next day I decreased 30mg. By mid-day, I was out of my head. I was panic stricken, suicidal, and I could not sit still. I finally gave in and took the 30mg after one and a half days of tapering just the 30mgs. I had the darkest thoughts I have ever experienced. The day after, I happen to have an appointment with my GP. I was able to get it together enough to keep the appointment. I was still very depressed but not as dark as I was the day before. He was concerned because he noticed how lethargic and depressed I was. He put me back on 2mg Abilify and to call my psychiatrist as soon as possible. I can’t tell you how bad I felt and he knew it. The following week, I saw the psychiatrist and told him what had happened. He agreed that I must be extra sensitive to Cymbalta because he had never had a patient with the same problems I was having. So I proposed that I taper 10mg per month. My suggestion was influenced by what I have read on this web site and other sites having to do with Cymbalta tapering, specifically. So we agreed to taper 10mg, every month and continue with 2mg Abilify. I had already done the math on what combinations of Cymbalta doses I would need to taper at 10mg per month. Taper 10mg was definitely easier than the 30mg taper. Even reducing 10mg, I do experience some withdrawals. For the 10mg taper, I took a 60mg, 30mg & 20mg taking me from 120mg, that I have been on for two years, to 110mg. After taking that dose for a month I tapered to 60mg and two 20mg or 100mg. It seems to be working ok. I am still so tired, always a headache in the evening, extreme sweating, clammy all day, to mention a few.

 

The next month, when I saw the psychiatrist again, I told him the Abilify side effects were getting out of hand. The worst was leg weakness, jaw quivering and restless legs. Some of these side effects for Abilify can be permanent. So I purposed to him to eliminate the Abilify. It’s almost a month off the Abilify with no withdrawals that I can identify. Abilify seems easy to quit. I then purposed to add 20mg of Prozac. My next Cymbalta taper comes on November 4, 2014. At this rate, I’ll be tapering Cymbalta until next September 2015. My attachment has the calculation using percentage vs 10mg method and the different dosage combinations to do 10mg per month.

 

Does anyone see any problems with my tapering method? Most here, in the forum, recommend 10% decrease per month. I did not have the patience to measure out those capsules or counting the beads. It was torture. It took me an hour to make a 10mg capsule from a 60mg capsule and I had five more to go. Has anyone tried my method? Does anyone see any problems, down the road, as I taper 10mg a month? Using the 10% tapering method, the percentage decreases with each new dose. On the other hand, with my method, the percentage dosage increases with each 10mg taper. I’m concerned that for every 10mg I taper, the worse the withdrawals. Does anyone have any recommendations or advise? Is tapering 10mg per month too much? I’m not delusional. I know everyone is different. I am so scared though. I have trouble leaving the house everyday. I would ideally like to be off this drug sooner than next year! I also take way too Alprazolam than I should to make it through the day. I thought after a month on a 10mg reduced amount, I feel better and just move on to the new dose, essentially going through the same withdraws I experienced the prior month. But that still remains to be seen. 

 

Thanks for your time reading this. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them. I am desperate to feel “normal” again.

Attached Files

•  Cymbalta schedule.pdf   46.79KB   11 downloads

[TryinginFL]

Hi Joe!

 

I am a cold turkey survivor of over 10 months now and want to congratulate you on your bead counting!  You are definitely doing the right thing to make yourself as comfortable as possible during this horrible mess.

 

I wish I had known about the bead counting when I started coming off this crap.  The best advice I can give you is to stay where you are until you are stable (that means no feelings of withdrawal) and then again start dosing down.  There is no time line here and it will be over when it's over.  We have one member here who could only decrease by 1 extra bead a day, but she did it!  She has been poison-free for several months now!

 

As you found out, the Dr.s know nothing of this withdrawal -  I only wish that they would have to go through it.  They only know what the drug reps tell them and will give you instructions for getting off this crap by putting you in and out of cold turkey withdrawal.  You are doing well - just please don't try to rush this!  We are all different and it takes different amounts of time for each of us - this is one hell of a discontinuation!

 

Also, remember that you were on a very high dosage - I went from 60 mg to 0 in 1 day and continued on with the horrible cold turkey trip. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone!  I was 2 weeks into it when I found this forum.

 

I will say, though, that I could never have made it through this without the help of these wonderful people here!  We have one member who is a whiz at math and would be able to help you with your method.  Hopefully she will pop on here soon to help you out.

 

I wish you the best and remember to listen to your body.  It will tell you if you are going too fast!  Others have added Prozac to help with the withdrawal and I think it's a really good idea given what you are going through.

 

Please keep us updated on your progress!

[brzghoff]

looks like a great taper sched if you can handle the drop. good work! it appears your plan involves getting a compounding pharmacy to put together the lower dosages. good move if you can afford it or if insurance will cover - same with all the caps combos you'll need. many of us went cold turkey because we didn't have the coverage available to make it affordable. 

 

if you find the dosage drop is too much, perhaps you can get the assistance of the pharmacy to compound a more custom taper for you. i went cold turkey (don't do that!) so i don't know the fine art of the bead counting taper or compounded equivilant. 

[finallycomingoff]

Hi I am currently tapering -5 beads every 3 days and will adjust that if the withdrawal gets hard. Listen to your body and brain, it will tell you what you can handle - you should just go at the pace right for you. Best of luck

[FiveNotions]

FCO, how's it going for you/with you? Is the 5 beads per 3 days still working, or have you needed to adjust the schedule?

[Limbo]

Hey Hey, I experimented and found that I got into a rhythm of 5 beads/per day. I did that at the start, and that worked for a month or so. Then I started to notice some strong side effects, so I stabilized for three days, then started again in weaning. Sometimes I kept at five beads and was fine, other weeks I had to go slower. You'll get a really good feel over the months for what is a good pace. 

 

Towards the end, you may need to go slower. That will be a challenge, as I found out. When you get close to the finish line you want to make it go quicker, but, strangely, you can experience super intense withdrawal systems right up to the very last few beads if you go too quick.

 

If you listen to your body, you'll make it through the other end with very little suffering compared to what would have been if you didn't find this bead counting method! You are on the right track, and that's what counts.