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Just Started Weaning Off 60Mg Taken For Fibromyalgia


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#1 Felicia

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Posted 28 January 2016 - 06:26 PM

hi all- new to site- have begun tapering using the bead counting method of 10% reduction per week- am on 60mg and have been for 6-7 years- I would love to hear how others have done weaning off that have taken it for pain- also, does anyone know where you can buy a pill bead counter?? that would make things so much easier- I am 39 and have 4 kids aged 11 to 3, so I am hoping the pain does not return with a vengeance.

 


#2 gail

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Posted 28 January 2016 - 08:02 PM

Hello Felicia and welcome,

As for the pain, I cannot help you here as I took it for anxiety and it just made it worse.

I have never heard of a bead counter since on the forum. You are surely not on the generic.

I know that many took it for pain, and I hope they chime in.

Can't really help you Felicia, but again a big Welcome!

#3 equuswoman

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Posted 28 January 2016 - 08:09 PM

Hi Felicia

Welcome to the forum. I was prescribed Cymbalta due to pain from arthritis of my lower back. I was on it for 18 months and didn't like what the side effects were. It took me 4 months to slowly wean off the poison. Even at that slow rate I still experienced a lot of withdrawal symptoms but thanks to the ppl here on this forum I was able to rid myself of this nasty, vile drug. It was very difficult but with there help and support I made it thru hell and back.

I counted the tiny little beads every day before swallowing the capsule. I was on the name brand tho and each 60mg capsule contained 200 beads.

Glad that you are here with us. Keep us updated.

Thoughts & prayers are with you from TheEquusWoman :hug:


#4 Felicia

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Posted 28 January 2016 - 08:24 PM

thanks guys- i appreciate the welcome- Equus, I am from Alabama as well- madison!


#5 lady2882Nancy

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Posted 28 January 2016 - 09:29 PM

Hi Felicia

 

I was on Crapalta for pain, chronic lower back and what my doctor said was Fibro. It did not help me much and with the side effects I decided to go off. Although I did do the bead counting I went much too fast and on top of the regular side effects had rebound pain from hell so I do advise you to not go too fast. Let your body be your guide and if you start to have any amount of pain then stop and stay at that level until you are feeling better.

Rebound pain seems to be a common complaint for many who went on it for fibro pain. The biggest thing that helped me was to keep moving as much as possible. Even a daily walk helped with the pain.

I wish you the best of luck with your tapering off.

 

Take care of you

 

Nancy


#6 Felicia

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Posted 11 February 2016 - 01:38 PM

wanted to give an update on tapering from 60mg to 30mg- really no symptoms! I'm sure going from 30mg down will be a different story- I take for fibromyalgia/osteoarthritis.

I have been working out 30 minutes daily using hand weights, which has seemed to cause a flare up within my joints. Not sure if it is related to the tapering- i have lost 11 pounds and hope to lose 20 more- jury is still out whether it has caused weight gain for me or not- 


#7 fishinghat

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Posted 11 February 2016 - 02:25 PM

Good news Felicia

 

You are doing great. It will be interesting to see how that last little bit goes.


#8 gail

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Posted 11 February 2016 - 03:19 PM

Felicia,

Yes, good news indeed. Keep us informed!

#9 Felicia

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Posted 11 February 2016 - 03:28 PM

does anyone believe that Cymbalta has caused weight gain for them? I really don't know if it has for me- i have gained weight over the 7-8 years that I have been on it, but I have also gotten older, and had children during that time as well- thoughts? If I knew my weight gain was NOT caused by cymbalta, I would probably stay on it, as it has helped with pain.


#10 TryinginFL

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Posted 11 February 2016 - 04:19 PM

Felicia,

 

I gained 30 pounds while on this poison over 4 1/2 years.  It does come off - at different rates for all.  I have lost it all now - I have been off for 25 months but it took a while to come off.

 

Great news - you are doing a wonderful job! 

 

I also have fibro and OA but don't feel that the crapalta helped at all in that area.  I now have deep tissue massage every other week and acupuncture the other weeks.  I also take CuraMed which is a Turmeric/Curcumin supplement.  Eases inflammation and available at Amazon.

 

Good luck and please keep us updated!


#11 Felicia

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Posted 11 February 2016 - 06:00 PM

TryinginFL- thanks for your input- did you have rebound pain when coming off? 


#12 TryinginFL

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Posted 11 February 2016 - 06:24 PM

Felicia,

 

Not that I remember.  This pain has come on gradually over the past 5 years or so,

and I was on the poison part of that time


#13 Felicia

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Posted 16 February 2016 - 01:38 PM

update #2: weaning from 30mg to 25mg for about a week with no symptoms! the 30mg capsules i am taking have 6 beads inside, so i first halved one with a pill cutter and took it with the remaining 5, and now I have begun taking one complete bead out as of last night. At this rate, I will be done in about 10 weeks- (6 beads, taking 1/2 less each week that are in a 30 mg capsule)- i have noticed with the reduction that i am more "awake" in the mornings, and possibly sleeping less soundly as I did before- it is also very likely that i will need to slow from 10% reduction once I near the end. I have ordered some capsule curcumin/turmeric pills that was recommended to me on this site for joint pain- it has great reviews on Amazon- thanks for all your words of encouragement and advice- this site is a god send. Any stories, advice would be welcomed


#14 fishinghat

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Posted 16 February 2016 - 02:19 PM

Your doing fine Felicia. Just hang in there. Be ready to slow down or even stop for a little bit when you get near the end. That seems to be when things really kick in. Those curcumin/turmeric pills have a great reputation among the arthritis suffers. I hope they help.


#15 TryinginFL

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Posted 16 February 2016 - 02:24 PM

Hi Felicia!

 

I am one of the CuraMed users and it definitely helps!  I found out about it here on the site last year 

 

Good luck on your reduction - you're doing great!! :)


#16 Felicia

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Posted 20 February 2016 - 08:35 PM

update #3- tapered down to 20 mg with no noticeable side effects- went to doctor the other day, and she told me she hasn't seen much bad response to tapering off cymbalta- told me to just stop taking it.....think I will continue to taper- I think i am noticing less of an appetite as I have come down in dose- maybe just my imagination- off topic, my white cell count is very low-2.8! could be from a virus doc said, as I have been sick. i am excited about saving money, not having to pay for cymbalta anymore. will update in a week or so-


#17 fishinghat

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Posted 21 February 2016 - 08:58 AM

You are being smart Felecia. I was able to taper off the Cymbalta all the way down to around 3 mg before it hit me. Not a bad idea to be careful.


#18 gail

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Posted 21 February 2016 - 10:49 AM

Thanks for updating Felicia. Doing good here.

Fisherman, you serious? No side effects in between?

#19 fishinghat

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Posted 21 February 2016 - 05:45 PM

Nothing Gail until the very end then the roof fall in.  lol


#20 Felicia

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Posted 22 February 2016 - 11:20 AM

Fishinghat- so once side effects started, how long till they were over?


#21 TryinginFL

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Posted 22 February 2016 - 11:27 AM

Felicia,

 

Obviously I am not FH, but I just want to say that the withdrawal has no timeline.  We are all different and much depends on how long you were on it, as well as your age.  The younger you are, the easier it seems to be.

 

If you continue to reduce slowly, you should not be too uncomfortable.  I am a cold turkey survivor and sure wish I had known about bead counting - you are fortunate to have found this forum when you did!  It was too late for me...

 

I wish you the best and please keep us updated!


#22 fishinghat

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Posted 22 February 2016 - 11:46 AM

TFL is right. it depends on how long you were on it, the dose, your age and weight and several other things. I know of one person who dropped 1 bead a day for a year BUT they did make it. For many long-term users it is usually around 3 months before you start getting breaks. Other, well some just a couple weeks.


#23 Felicia

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Posted 27 February 2016 - 09:27 AM

update #4- well.....for the past couple days,I have been taking 10mg of cymblata- and this morning I feel pretty blah- joint pain, anger, agitation, really angry at my husband and children for no reason!- hopefully this will pass, you know I am never really sure the causes of side effects, because there is always something else at the time going on that could explain it! my white cell counts are continuing to be low which is worrisome, so maybe my stress is from that....who knows, my blood tests showed I have had mono in the past, but do not currently have it...i know having mono can cause night sweats, which I have been having....but so can taking cymbalta- this to shall pass.....


#24 gail

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Posted 27 February 2016 - 10:50 AM

Hi Felicia,

Thanks for updating.

The million dollar question, What is doing what? Or which is which? You may never find out!

Yes, that too will pass! Don't forget to get as stable as possible before going down.♥

#25 Felicia

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Posted 29 February 2016 - 06:52 PM

update #5- still on 20mg- I am still experiencing agitation and anger that is difficult to suppress- especially toward my children, its like I don't even want to be in the same room with them, much less talk to them- that is terrible! lot of negative thoughts, self loathing....I really hope this is all temporary. So main side effects are irritability, maybe depression?...anyone else experienced this coming off? thanks to you all-


#26 fishinghat

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Posted 29 February 2016 - 07:34 PM

Oh yea Felecia. Those are classic symptoms. Emotional swings, seems like it will last forever, any little noise or wrong word can set you off in an instant. Normally this will be followed by developing uncontrolled crying for no apparent reason. Just stay at the 20 until things settle down. If you want you can go back up a few beads until stable then start weaning again.


#27 Felicia

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Posted 01 March 2016 - 11:34 AM

thanks so much FH- I meant to say 10mg- i am better today, but also alone and not around anyone right now- ha! but jeesh, this anger!


#28 fishinghat

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Posted 01 March 2016 - 04:59 PM

Hang in there girl. You will make it.


#29 Felicia

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Posted 09 March 2016 - 03:23 PM

well I am now officially off Cymbalta :D- i got down to 5 mg and just quit taking it all together- all in all the withdrawals for me were mild to none- if anything there was 1-2 weeks of mild irritability. Hopefully others who are discouraged will find this thread helpful. thanks for all the advice and information given to me.


#30 gail

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Posted 09 March 2016 - 04:31 PM

Felicia,

Success story here, good for you. A rare thing here. I hope it stays this way, you are a lucky girl with a lucky Star shining on you!

All those updating were sooo very nice of you!

You sure will be a reference in the times to come for other newbies.
And there is the other side of the medal, which we are used to hear.

As Fishinghat says, we just cannot know what the outcome will be.

I am sooo happy for you!♥ please come back for another update!



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