9 replies to this topic

[KathyInFL]

Hi all and Happy New Year!

 

I'm new here and have been on many other forums (not Cymbalta related) and they usually have strict rules on where to post. I started a wean about a month ago and have questions about bead counting and want to start a new thread. 

 

I'm glad to find you all!

-Kathy

[fishinghat]

Welcome Kathy

 

We are not very strict here on protocol. Our goal is to help people get off Cymbalta with the least amount of suffering. We look forward to your questions and please be sure to include your current dose and how long you have been on it. There is no judgement here. Just people who knows what the withdrawal is like and want to help.

[KathyInFL]

Awesome~!  

 

I have been on 60mg for 10 years. I tried getting off it 5 years ago, and was completely off, but I probably tapered too fast and a few weeks after I was finished the taper, I went back on because I could not stand the brain zaps, queasiness and joint pain.

 

So I'm trying it again. I have the 60mg capsules with the 12 bigger beads in it and another group I'm on is totally against weaning with this type of bead. I didn't want to go back to my doctor to get a new prescription for a new pill with the tiny beads since I just got a 90 day refill and it again has the 12 beads. I'm happy to hear you all support weaning with this pill design!

 

My doctor is supportive of weaning, but she doesn't know all the facts about how to taper since she gave me a one month script for 30mg and another month for 20mg. She is good and will understand when I tell her that that's too fast. She said she has a lot of patients weaning (not sure what their wean schedule is) and she said no longer prescribes Cymbalta!

 

I have been taking 1 bead out of each capsule and started this mid December. The only withdrawal I have so far is slight knee pain. I was afraid to cut another bead out so that's why I was searching for another C withdrawal support group. So glad I found you all!

 

Have you personally cut the bigger bead in half? I have a pill slicer and will try it for my next cut.

 

I am going to keep on with 11 beads until the end of this month, I have other reasons (job loss, looking for a new job, etc.) why I want a slow taper. I will then go to 10.5 beads for February, and 10 in March, etc. If I feel okay, I might keep at a certain bead count for only 2 weeks instead of a month, I'll see how it goes.  

 

I wish I had never been given this pill, and I know I'm not the only one to ever say that! 

[fishinghat]

Good info Kathy.

 

I have always recommended getting back on a brand with the large number of small beads but many on here have done just what you are proposing. First of all I would recommend no faster than 1% a day which would be 30% a month and that only in the beginning. Things get tougher the farther you wean. So 12 beads means each one is 8.3%, lets just call it 8%. That would mean around 3 beads a month and be done in 4 months. Now having sad that I would also say the slower the better. If you want to drop one bead a month I think it would be less traumatic for you. As far as cutting the beads well that really depends on how they are made. Some beads have a time release coating and some don't in the generic. If you can tell me the brand I will see what I can find out tomorrow morning and post back the info. Otherwise, stay hydrates, 2000 mg of omega 3/day, 500 mg of Vit C per day are some of the things we recommended. Also diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can give some relief from the anxiety that usually develops.

[KathyInFL]

Thanks fishinghat, the brand I have is from Lupin Pharmacy. Are these coated? Can they be cut in half?

 

I take Vitamin C, D3 and Magnesium. I will look for the Omega 3 next time I'm out shopping.

 

If I have to get back to other brands that have the smaller beads, I will.

 

Thanks.

[gail]

Hi Kathy and welcome to the forum,

Fishinghat will be in later to answer your questions.

I want to add that you may switch to the Cymbalta brand but not from a generic to another.
Most doctors advise this but the pharmacists, most of them, will tell you that there is no difference. From experience, there is, specially if you are sensitive to meds.

[fishinghat]

The Lupin is a delayed release bead and should not be cut. Cutting it allows the medicine to go into the blood stream faster and create more of a swing in your circulating blood levels of Cymbalta. It is better to keep a more stable blood level thereby smoothing out the withdrawal some.

 

I can't say you couldn't be successful by dropping like you mentioned in your second post but using the tiny beads should be a lot smoother and more controllable ride.  Either way we are here for you and you have out full support.

[KathyInFL]

Hi Kathy and welcome to the forum,

Fishinghat will be in later to answer your questions.

I want to add that you may switch to the Cymbalta brand but not from a generic to another.
Most doctors advise this but the pharmacists, most of them, will tell you that there is no difference. From experience, there is, specially if you are sensitive to meds.

Thanks Gail, I am so happy to find this forum! I didn't know I can't switch to a different generic. I've done that before since the mail order I used has changed pharmacies, I believe. I will have to ask my doctor to give me a prescription for the brand name.

 

 

The Lupin is a delayed release bead and should not be cut. Cutting it allows the medicine to go into the blood stream faster and create more of a swing in your circulating blood levels of Cymbalta. It is better to keep a more stable blood level thereby smoothing out the withdrawal some.

 

I can't say you couldn't be successful by dropping like you mentioned in your second post but using the tiny beads should be a lot smoother and more controllable ride.  Either way we are here for you and you have out full support.

Thanks for researching this, I will ask my doctor to write for the brand name next time I see her at the end of the month. I will stay on the 11 of 12 big beads until after I get the brand name drug. 

 

 

The thing that scares me is 5 years ago when I weaned down, it was on the brand name, I counted (or approximated) the little beads and it took me about 6 months to do this. After a few weeks totally off, I went back on and almost immediately by side effects went away. Scary that a drug can have that much control over a person.

[Raven72]

Welcome Kathy,

 

You are in good hands here.  We have all had our ups and downs with what I fondly call Sinbalta. I was on the generic and never the brand name. Some say that it's worse when you come from the generic than it is the brand name but I am not sure.  I can tell you that if you have any questions FH is our research guru. I can find my story and link it if you would like to read it. Anyway we can help, just let us know.

 

Raven

[fishinghat]

"The thing that scares me is 5 years ago when I weaned down, it was on the brand name, I counted (or approximated) the little beads and it took me about 6 months to do this. After a few weeks totally off, I went back on and almost immediately by side effects went away. Scary that a drug can have that much control over a person."

 

Actually that is fairly common. There is several things you can do if you get in that situation again. You can get a prescription for either clonidine and or hydroxyzine to help with the symptoms. Neither have a withdrawal, like all meds they work for some and not others. Another thing you can do is get some empty capsules from your pharmacy and put about 1 to 3 mg of Cymbalta in that and take it. That usually settles things down for a day to a few days. When you need it again do the same thing. With time the doses will be smaller and farther apart in order to  get some relief. At least that way you don't have to go all the way back to full dose. This is a monster but it can be done.