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Newbie - Day 3 Of Bead Counting And Questions


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#1 jules30008

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Posted 11 August 2015 - 09:18 AM

Quick introduction.  I have been on 60 mg generic Cymbalta for 2 years for joint pain and anxiety.  Last month I picked up my rx and it looked different.  4 days later I could hardly function due to brain zaps, vertigo, dropping things, forgetting words.  I realized the mfr of the Cymbalta was different, so I marched in to the pharmacy and complained.  I could hardly form sentences to complain, but I at least tried to complain...  She had to special order the drug from the prior mfr, gave me a 3 day sample, and a week later I was back to normal.  Well, two weeks later it was the first day of school for my kids and in the morning chaos, I forgot to take a pill.  I was so ill by the next morning I could not drive, I had gastrointestinal upset, brain zaps, I sweat through my t-shirt, had horrible nightmares, looking left and right was like a sci-fi movie.  SO - that brings me to this website.  I do not want to be dependent on a drug that gives me such horrible withdrawal symptoms.  Yet, I am scared to taper.  So I'm bead counting, and this website has helped so much.  Thank you.

 

I painstakingly counted 300 beads (like little grains of poisonous sand) from the help of this website (empty pill into 1 bowl, lick a finger, count, say it out loud, put in next bowl).  So there are 5 beads per mg.  Days 1 and 2 I took out 10 beads.  Day 3 I took out 15 beads.  I'm just going to reduce by 1 mg every other day. 

 

Question #1 - Does that sound reasonable?

 

Question #2 - Since I started Cymbalta I have been drinking way more than I ever have before.  Has anyone else experienced that or is that unrelated?

 

Thanks.


#2 TryinginFL

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Posted 11 August 2015 - 10:11 AM

Welcome Jules!

 

We're so happy that you have found us!  You will find valuable advice and wonderful people to help you through this.

 

I did not bead count - just jumped off of 60mg which I had been on for over 4 years.  I would not recommend this to anyone!  I was 2 weeks into the cold turkey before I found this forum.  I spent one year of hell and have now been off the poison for 19 months.  You sound quite young, since you have kids in school and that is definitely in your favor.  Those of us over 50 have had the worst withdrawal. :(

 

Due to my cold turkey approach I really can't tell you if your weaning is too fast.  It does seem so to me, but others will jump on here who have more experience with this and will be more than happy to help you.

 

As for the drinking - you mean alcohol, right?  Many of us drank like fish when on this crap but no explanation - it just was!

 

Again, welcome and I hope I could be of at least some help.

 

Please stay with us and keep us posted - if you are not experiencing any withdrawal, then what you are doing is great! :)

 

Liz


#3 jules30008

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Posted 11 August 2015 - 10:47 AM

Hi Liz, thank you.  I'm 37, and I have a 2 1/2 year old girl and an almost 4 year old girl, they go to preschool. 

 

And yes, I meant alcohol.  After the kids go down I find myself drinking a bottle of wine a night.  I have always liked wine but in the past 2 years I am just pounding it.  For those who "drank like fish" when on Cymbalta, did that urge decrease after you got off the meds?  I am certainly hoping so...  This is just not me and not a good habit.  But I'm trying to just tackle I issue at a time.  (Tackle...fish... har har.) I want to get off Cymbalta, then work on the wine consumption.

 

Jules


#4 TryinginFL

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Posted 11 August 2015 - 11:20 AM

Hi again, Jules!

 

The alcohol consumption does slow down until you realize that you are no longer drinking!  It is so weird...  I still have a drink once in a while but can go weeks without even thinking about it.  You are not the only one who has consumed a bottle of wine a night! :blink: I don't think you will have to "work" on that - it will just go away.

 

Thankfully you are young so your withdrawal might be lighter than most.  You can continue the way you are going as long as you have no symptoms of withdrawal.  Should they appear, then go back up to the dosage on which you felt stable.  Your body will tell you!  Just remember to be kind to yourself - there may come a period of time when you are extremely tired.  You will need the rest to help your body and brain heal.  Also, drink lots of water!

 

I wish you luck and hope that this is of some help.  Please feel free to come back with any questions you may have.


#5 jules30008

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Posted 11 August 2015 - 02:08 PM

Thank you Liz.  I'm so sorry for the year you suffered due to Cymbalta.  I imagine quitting cold turkey was hell.  Thank you for being so kind  and for "sponsoring" my taper.  And thanks for the reassurance on the alcohol.  I really feel more at ease.

 

Jules


#6 fishinghat

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Posted 11 August 2015 - 04:16 PM

My opinion that a 5 bead drop every other day is fine. That is often satisfactory for most but be aware. Some are so sensitive that even at 1 bead a day drop they had severe withdrawal. The key is to start around 5 beads a day. As soon as it starts to give you problems then go back up 5 beads until stabilize (your body will tell you when you are ready to drop again). Once you start dropping again then drop at 4 beads every other day. As your dosage goes slower you will have to drop slower and slower. It has been that you can drop with little or no withdrawal if you take 4 to 6 months or even longer to withdraw. Each person is different so you are of to a good start. Just listen to what your body tells you and adjust accordingly.

 

we are here to help so keep us posted and don't be afraid to ask questions. Some people have had good luck with 1000 mg omega 3/day(Cymbalta is fat soluble) and 500 mg of vitamin C/day.

 

God Bless and good luck!!


#7 Ramona80

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Posted 11 August 2015 - 04:44 PM

Hello and welcome! Sounds like you are starting off with a good taper. I'm tapering, too (down to 40 mg at this point, dropping 1 mg per day, but planning to slow down my taper as I go.) Best of luck to you!


#8 jules30008

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Posted 17 August 2015 - 09:25 AM

Taper update: going pretty well so far.  Here is my taper schedule and possible side effects in case this helps anyone else.  Cymbalta 60 mg has 300 beads.

8/9: removed 10 beads

8/10:10

8/11:15

8/12:15

8/13: 15.  Experienced all-day migraine, took rx migraine meds every 4 hours

8/14:18.  What I call a "migraine hangover"

8/15: 19

8/16: 25

8/17:25

 

Not sure if the migraine is related to tapering.  I get them 2 or 3 times a year.  I feel like 25 beads is a milestone, but I'm only down 5 mg!  It is going to take forever at this rate. 

 

Take care,

 

Julia


#9 TryinginFL

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Posted 17 August 2015 - 09:58 AM

Julia,

 

You are doing great!

 

I just want to mention that I had the headache from hell for 2 solid weeks - of course going cold turkey was not the right choice.  I used to wake up crying because the pain was so bad.

 

Congratulations on your slow tapering - if you are not having any symptoms (thinking that your headache has left you!) you might want to up the number of beads slightly to see if everything remains ok.  If not, go back up a little until you feel stable and then remove a few again.

 

Good luck!  I wish I had done it your way :)

 

Liz


#10 gail

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Posted 17 August 2015 - 04:02 PM

Hi Julia,

At this rate, it will take three months, I am sure that you calculated that. We all calculate like crazy!

Liz is right about upping the beads if there is no adverse symptoms.

Three months of smooth withdrawal is better than a cold turkey one that can take up to one year more or less with severe reactions.

I understand you wanting to end it as fast as you can, three months is only three months. Best of luck and keep posting anytime you feel like it.



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#11 jules30008

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Posted 30 August 2015 - 10:31 AM

Having some troubles.  I am now removing 65 out of 300 beads, so I'm at 47 mg, down from 60 mg.  I have been here for 4 days.  I am not having the typical withdrawal symptoms because of my slow taper.  But, the reasons why I started taking Cymbalta reintroduced themselves on Friday.

 

I started taking Cymbalta because of negative obsessive thinking, anxiety, and joint pain.  All after having my second child, so kind of lumped into "post pardum" issues.  I had been feeling really good the last 3 months and thought I had gotten over the hump, and thought I could wean off the Cymbalta.

 

Well on Friday the negative obsessive thinking kicked in.  My joints have been aching.  Yesterday I had a really bad day, with anxiety all day, crazy sweating, and bursting in to tears and giving up on making zoodles for dinner (kind of funny/sad in hindsight).  I don't really have bad side effects while I'm on Cymbalta unless I forget a dose or take it late, which I rarely do.  But as you all know that sucks.

 

I'm just wondering if I should abort Mission: Taper.  I had been doing great.  Should I just leave well enough alone?  I don't want to go back to the negative thinking. My husband supports me either way.  He said I've only had 1 bad day so far so maybe just stay at 47 mg for a while and see what happens. 

 

Need some expert advice please.


#12 fishinghat

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Posted 30 August 2015 - 01:46 PM

Jules, the symptoms you mention are all fairly common with Cymbalta withdrawal. There is really no way to know if it is the withdrawal or return of your symptoms. My suggestion is to stay at your current dosage for a while and see if things stabilize or get better. By a while, I mean 2 to 4 weeks, Patience.


#13 FiveNotions

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Posted 30 August 2015 - 04:40 PM

Jules, I agree with FH.... In fact, you could even go back up...just a few beads....either way, stop removing beads and stay at one level until you're good and stable and not feeling the symptoms....

It's very, very common to have this happen...and it pases...it's the brain, doing its best to rewire itself.... And, it's at points like this that people freak out and go back on the drug and give up getting off of it ....

That's great for the drug cos, cuz it means customers (essentially we're addicts) for life ....it is not good for us ...

Do you have a good therapist? You need to let yourself work through all the issues you mentioned the old fashioned way....by facing them, CBT is a great method.... drugs are the easy way out...

Spoil yourself, praise yourself....you are doing something wonderful...for yourself, your husband, and your children !
Keep us posted on how it's going!

#14 jules30008

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Posted 31 August 2015 - 08:09 AM

Thanks guys.  This is why I asked.   I will stay at 47 mg for a while and try to level myself. I was in individual therapy for a long time and was in group therapy for 5 years.  I feel like I know my patterns and know great coping skills, I just need to re-engage them.  Thank you again.


#15 FiveNotions

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Posted 31 August 2015 - 08:56 AM

I like that ... "Re-engage" your coping skills ! The drugs made me lazy about using my skills to cope.... but now that I'm off crapalta, for over a year, going on two, I feel like I'm finally getting my "coping muscles" strong again...like you, I'd done a lot of work in therapy....and. When I had a tough spell at the ending of my marriage years ago, I went back for more therapy to work through it .... But, by this time the magic pills had become available /common...instead of therapy I was just handed an rx and sent on my way .... I was desperate, and back then I still trusted the med profs implicitly....and so, I spent 10 years taking pills I never really needed....

Bravo to you for getting off this stuff and back to really living!

#16 jules30008

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Posted 01 September 2015 - 09:18 AM

Thanks for the support.  On a side note, today I poured out exactly 65 beads into my hand.  I felt like it was a little nod from the universe that I'm doing it right.  lol.

 

Jules


#17 FiveNotions

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Posted 01 September 2015 - 05:08 PM

Too bad "Cymbalta bead counting expert" isn't something we can add to our resumes   :P


#18 fishinghat

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Posted 01 September 2015 - 05:11 PM

It depends on who you are giving your resume' to FN.





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