7 replies to this topic

[MattP]

Hello all, so happy I found this site. When I get anxious this is a good place to calm my nerves.

 

With that said, the doctor put me on Duloxetine about 4 months ago and life hasn't been the same since. I seem to have a brain fog a few hours everyday and deal with dizzyness on a semi-frequent basis. I met with my Dr about 2 weeks ago and told her I wanted to reduce the dosage. She reduced me from 30s to 20s and that has seemed to ratchet up the episodes. Lots of brain fog and waves of dizzyness makes life difficult when you work full time and have 3 kids.

 

I'm hoping for a small miracle that my symptoms will taper off soon but it sounds like I have some more time on this hell roller coaster. Any advice is appreciated...thanks.

 

MP

[fishinghat]

If you want to get off the roller coaster the best bet is bead counting. One a capsule and remove about 3 more beads each day. Most capsules have around 300 beads. If removing 3 a day is too fast then go to 1 or 2 a day. If things get too bad just pause where you are at until things level out then start reducing again. The dizziness is not only a side effect of the medicine but is one of the most common withdrawal effects and usually does not subside until you are completely off the med for 1 or 2 months. Know these are just the norms. Some take longer and some have little problem but one thing we have learned. You can't rush it or overpower it.

[MattP]

Thanks for the information. I'm two weeks into the reduction from 30s to 20s and I'm having good days and bad days. Lots of brain fog and dizziness but offset with some down time of "normal" brain function. My plan is to level out on the 20s then start the bead counting method I've been reading about in this forum. The sooner I can get this poison out of my system the better. Thanks!

[gail]

Hello Matt,

Good move! Nothing prevents you of going back on 30, get stable(if possible), then bead count.

As I can see, even the 30 was not good for you. That med is the worst s**** ever made by man, I understand when you say that you want OUT!

Just like you, I was on 30 for four months. And on the fourth month, I nearly lost it. Death would have been preferable than this nightmare. One night, I got so scared that I told my boyfriend to take all the ativan to his place, that is how spooked I was!

Enough of that, please do come by as often as you wish, we have been there. Forum is quiet, but you will be read and answered. During that s*** time, the forum remained my source of inspiration.

On that, you are not alone!

[MattP]

gail, thanks for your insight. The worst part is the daily brain fog. The dizziness comes and goes depending on what I'm doing but the brain fog is what gets me crazy. It's interesting because I can talk fine, reason reasonably well, carry a conversation, but even while I'm doing that I feel spaced out. I had to give a presentation to my leadership team yesterday and I was in orbit for half of it. It's a very confusing time but there's no going back. I will ride this out as long as I have to to get out of this cymbalta funk. 

 

Thanks again for the support!

[AgeminiNfl]

  

  Good luck MattP!      I'm so glad I found this forum!  I'm in the same boat.  Have been taking 30 mg for about 6 months now for pain.  In the beginning it helped, but I'm back to square one.  I don't like the side effects from this.  I've decided to stop taking it.  I have about a month and a half supply left.  I was going to take one every other day but after reading on here, I'm going to do the beading thing.  I'm thinking of starting that tomorrow since I take mine in the mornings.

 

  

[fishinghat]

Welcome Agemini

 

That sounds like a good plan. Can you get one more months worth incase you need to go slow?

[lady2882Nancy]

Save those little beads so that you can make your supply last longer.

You can get those caplets at pharmacies sometimes or online.