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Near The End Of Taper - Need Advice And Encouragement


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#1 RenW

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Posted 28 June 2021 - 10:21 PM

History: 
I was prescribed Cymbalta at 60 mg for pain likely due to Fibromyalgia.  I've been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and I likely have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) as well.  When I started taking Cymbalta in early 2016 I honestly couldn't really tell if it was working, but unaware of all the risk I continued to take it.  At some point after a couple of horrible withdrawal experiences from missing just one pill, I started doing research on Cymbalta and realized just how dangerous it was for most people. I really felt like I was a slave to Cymbalta. I finally decided to start tapering February of 2020.  

Tapering Spreadsheet https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing
1st Tab is first taper period
2nd Tab is the taper I am in right now

1st Taper:
Started tapering February 2020 by bead counting. 
60 mg to 30 mg in 4 months (End June 2020)
 

I decided to take a break from the taper for a while (2020 was a heck of a year). 

 

2nd Taper: 
Started February 4, 2021
June 28th dose - 24 beads

Honestly, I haven't been doing very well for weeks.  The main problem I have is that it is hard to differentiate between symptoms of Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS and from Cymbalta tapering symptoms.  Before I even started taking Cymbalta I was dealing with constant pain (multiple different types), extreme fatigue, digestion issues, impaired thermoregulation, and more.  My pain has been getting worse over the past couple of months. 

I was going to ask what I should do in my final weeks of the taper and stopping to carefully look at my data has made me realize part of my answer. I think I have been tapering too quickly for the past couple of months.  I've been dropping 3 beads plus a day every day for months now with no leveling off. I've just been so ready to be done with the tapering and three beads didn't seem like much, but the less I take the more of a percentage reduction that is.  Do others agree it has been too fast lately? 

If so what is the best course of action at this point?  Should I level off at 24 beads for a while and if so how long? Or should I jump dose a bit higher for a while? 

When I do start tapering again how slow should I go?

I also welcome any advice on things I should be taking to help with the taper.  I've been taking Kratom for years and will continue to do so since it has been one of the only things that has helped me with the constant significant pain I endure. I had been taking all sorts of supplements but I've been dealing with pill fatigue. I do manage to take magnesium every day.  Sporatic use of multivitamin, vitamin D, and turmeric.  I have plenty of other supplements I have and have taken, I've just haven't seen a significant improvement with the vast majority of things I've taken. 


#2 fishinghat

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Posted 29 June 2021 - 08:36 AM

Hi Ren. it has been a while. Glad to see that you have come a long way on your withdrawal.

 

The pain increasing during Cymbalta withdrawal is very common. It is called rebound pain. It should return to pre-Cymbalta levels after you have been off a couple months. 

 

I agree with you Ren, 3 beads a day is probably too fast. I would think that at this stage I would consider a 2 or 3 month pause in weaning. These last few beads can be really tough. Give your body a chance to recover some. When you feel like restarting your taper I would consider 1 bead drop evey 3rd day. The slower you proceed the better your chances of success.

 

As far as supplements are concerned I would say that the magnesium could be making things worse. If your blood magnesium levels are normal then adding magnesium can increase the anxiety. Also, while a good multivitamin seems like an obvious choice it is also one of the most common sources for ER visits due to allergic/side effect reactions. Many are very sensative to things like B vitamins, selenium, vitamin C and much more. I am not suggesting you stop your multivitamin but just giving you some food for thought. If you pause your wean then you might consider stopping your multivitamin for a week and recording how you feel. Restart your multivitamin and after a week re-evaluate your condition and see if you think stopping it helped or not.

 

As far as supplements that can help, I will post a set of supplements that seem to have the best history with members. Will be posted shortly.


#3 fishinghat

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Posted 29 June 2021 - 08:46 AM

Page 1

 

Pseudoephedrine/Phenylephrine containing meds
Used to treat nearly all withdrawal symptoms.
Caution - Pseudoephedrine can raise blood pressure and cause nervousness in some people.
Pseudoephedrine is an agonist at both alpha- and, to a lesser degree, beta-adrenergic receptors.
Johnnyz - earlier today I read a topic in here about pseudoephedrine and its supposed effectiveness to alleviate SSRI withdrawal symptoms. I take 12-hour sudafed (the real, behind the counter sudafed) 1-2x daily as I have persistent nasal congestion. Yesterday evening, soon after the morning sudafed tab had worn off, I had a very stressful situation which caused an emotional low that had me sitting for 10 minutes feeling very depressed. I was able to talk myself out of that stupor and continue on in a neutrally emotional state until bedtime. I took a 12-hr sudafed around 11pm and woke up at 6am this morning feeling very good physically and emotionally,
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Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
Another "home remedy" that really helped me (still does, I'm still taking it) is Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar ... it's also available in most health food stores, as well as from the internet (Amazon, and Bragg's directly) ... can be put in water, with honey, etc.... during early withdrawal, I drank it straight ... my food cravings were totally weird, and at the time it actually tasted great just like that ... blech ... there've been studies (which I now can't find, typical) that indicate it's a food that naturally increases serotonin levels ... it also cured my arthritis ... (Grandma knew more than I gave her credit for!)
The Bragg's ACV, which is unpasteurized and has what they call the "mother" in it...weird term, but that's the stuff that would otherwise be pasteurized out ....what starts to form when apple cider begins to go "hard" ....
 
Lady Nancy - I could not resist the urge to search and found several references to Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar which is an unfiltered and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. Many are unable to take it due to stomach issues in which case a good alternative is Malic Acid/Magnesium in pill form as it works the same.
Serotonin/tryptophan connection mentioned . . .
 
This is an interesting discussion about ACV from the Social Anxiety Forum....
JBhibbard - Drink lots and lots of water. Have you tried the apple cider vinegar detox? I believe it helps.
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Melatonin
FH - a research article where it was shown that taking 3 mg of melatonin under the tongue (sublingual) helps with anxiety. Place it under the tongue until dissolved and gone. In case you are not familiar with melatonin it is the chemical your body produces in the evening to make you sleepy and ready for bed.
Several other areas mention melatonin. A search of this topic for the word Melatonin yeilds much more information.
it is suggested that melatonin exerts its analgesic actions not by binding to opioid receptor subtypes but by binding to its own receptors and increasing the release of beta-endorphin.
As well as ...
and more.
 
Also....
Inhibition of dopamine release by melatonin has been demonstrated in specific areas of the mammalian central nervous system (hypothalamus, hippocampus, medulla-pons, and retina). Antidopaminergic activities of melatonin have been demonstrated in the striatum.
 
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Gatorade
 
Many members found Gatorade to be considerable help in fighting most withdrawal symptoms, especially the green gatorade.
 
watchdog - Drinks LOTS of GREEN gatorade..... don't know what the deal is, but it helps.
Gatorade Fierce Green Apple Sports Drink - This may be the "green gatorade" that members spoke of. It contains malic acid, the active ingredient in apple cider vinager which has proved so helpful to other members. Other ingredients are the same.
 
Isopure Zero Carbs - No sugar, with some calcium. Contains Malic acid
Isopure Mass - With sugar and proteins, with calcium, Contains Malic acid
Isopure zero carb with proteins - no sugar, contains proteins. With calcium Contains Malic acid
Sparkybird - I’ve found that Pur Aqua Sparkling Frost in any flavor has malic acid. I discovered it by accident. It is only 50 cents at Aldi’s. It is only 10 calories a bottle.
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NAC - N-acetylcysteine - Strong antioxidant.
NAC appears a safe and effective augmentation strategy for depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder.
the study provides only limited support for the role of NAC as a novel adjunctive therapy for MDD.
These open label data demonstrate a robust decrement in depression scores with NAC treatment
There were no significant between-group differences in recurrence or symptomatic outcomes during the maintenance phase of the trial;
The anxiolytic effects of NAC were comparable to diazepam.
 
Freeme - I have been taking milk thistle to detox the liver and zertex. I put benadryl spray on my arms at night. I am taking also x3 NAC which cleanses the liver too. These both will calm down my itchy to nothing.
3 members reported a positive experience with this product.
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Lion's Mane Mushroom
(AKA Yamabushitake or H. erinaceum )
Anxiety and Depressive symptoms have also been reduced in humans fed 2g of Yamabushitake, via cookies, over the course of 4 weeks. There was a significant difference between groups on the measurements of concentration and irritability, favoring the Yamabushitake group. Nagano M, et al. Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. Biomed Res. (2010)
Dosage
Dosing of Lion’s Mane Mushroom depends on the strength of the extract. It’s available in capsule or powder form.
For Lion’s Mane 10:1 extract (30% polysaccharide), daily dosage is 500 – 1,000 mg taken 1 to 3 times per day.
Other retail extract dosage of Lion’s Mane ranges from 300 mg to 3000 mg dosed 1 – 3 times per day. Check the label and see what the manufacturer recommends. And when first using the supplement, start with the lowest dose and see how your body reacts.
Start at 500 mg per day and see how it works for you. If you don’t experience a benefit, boost Lion’s Mane in small increments of 250 mg per day until you notice an improvement.
file:///C:/Users/Neil/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/IE/K78IEYPO/solid-state-cultivation-of-hericium-erinaceus-biomass-and-erinacine-a-production-2155-9821.1000210.pdf
Erinacine A, isolated from the cultured mycelia of H. erinaceum, the main representative of this compounds group, has a strong enhancing effect on NGF synthesis, much stronger than epinephrine. Furthermore, this compound increases catecholamine and NGF content in the central nervous system of rats.
Erinacines and hericenons reduce anxiety as well as depression. For an accurate understanding of the overall mechanism of H. erinaceus diterpenoids action it requires additional clinical studies with physiological markers, such as hormones, or more profounded studies of autonomic nervous activity
Summary of the antianxiety/antidepressive effects of components of H. erinaceus.
 
BK Yang et al., “Hypolipidemic effect of an Exo-biopolymer produced from a submerged mycelial culture of Hericium erinaceus," Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, vol. 67, no. 6 (June 2003): 1292–1298.
A cell wall polysaccharide produced by a special, submerged culture of lion’s mane mushroom was found in an animal study to lower cholesterol by 32%, LDL cholesterol by 45.4%, and triglycerides by 34.3%, and to raise the “good” HDL cholesterol by 31%.9 The researchers proposed that the mushroom’s constituents helped to lower cholesterol production via the hepatic HMG-CoA reductase pathway, reducing the amount of this enzyme by 20%.
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#4 fishinghat

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Posted 29 June 2021 - 08:48 AM

Page 2

 

Ashwagandha
(Withania somnifera )
All five studies concluded that WS intervention resulted in greater score improvements (significantly in most cases) than placebo in outcomes on anxiety or stress scales.
Our results provide evidence indicating that key constituents in WS may have an important role in the development of pharmacological treatments for neurological disorders associated with GABAergic signaling dysfunction such as general anxiety disorders, sleep disturbances, muscle spasms, and seizures.
300 mg twice a day.
Final BAI scores (anxiety test) decreased by 56.5% in the Ashwagandha group. Significant differences between groups were also observed in mental health, concentration, fatigue, social functioning, vitality, and overall quality of life with the Ashwagandha group exhibiting greater clinical benefit. No serious adverse reactions were observed in either group.
 
250 mg 2x/day
 
500 mg/day for bipolar, effective.
 
Each capsule contained 300 mg of high-concentration full-spectrum extract from the root of the Ashwagandha plant. Each person took 2 capsules a day. The treatment group that was given the high-concentration full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract exhibited a significant reduction in scores on all the stress-assessment scales on Day 60, relative to the placebo group. The serum cortisol levels were substantially reduced in the Ashwagandha group, relative to the placebo group. No serious adverse events were reported.
 
W. somnifera extract is effective in treating obsessive compulsive disorder
The results suggest the protective effect of WS in the management of ethanol (alcohol)withdrawal reactions.
 
Preliminary results suggest that Withania root extract can be used in the management sleep loss and associated oxidative stress.
 
Effective for anxiety
 
WSG also exhibited an antidepressant effect, comparable with that induced by imipramine in the 'behavioural despair' and 'learned helplessness' tests. The investigations support the use of WS as a mood stabilizer in clinical conditions of anxiety and depression
 
It has a Cognition Promoting Effect and was useful in children with memory deficit and in old age people loss of memory. It was also found useful in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Huntington's and Alzeimer's diseases. It has GABA mimetic effect and was shown to promote formation of dendrites. It has anxiolytic effect and improves energy levels and mitochondrial health. It is an anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic agent and was found useful in clinical cases of Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis.
 
1,250 mg/day × 10 days
All volunteers tolerated WS without any adverse event.
Safety and side effects
 
This product is comparative to lorazepam in its ability to control anxiety. That is impressive.
250 mg twice a day.
At 6 weeks, significantly more patients met a priori response criteria in the drug group (88.2%) as compared with the placebo group (50%). The drug was well-tolerated and did not occasion more adverse effects than did placebo. It is concluded that this ethanolic extract of Withania somnifera has useful anxiolytic potential and merits further investigation.
 
This study provides scientific validation to the anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties of ASH-WEX, which may serve as an effective dietary supplement for management of SD induced stress and associated functional impairments.
 
Members Comments
One member reported taking it during withdrawal and said it was very beneficial.
Brz - ashwagandha update:
had to stop - bummer.
definitely allergic. just like sk8ermama. i couldn't figure out why my allergies hadn't gone away even after the pollen count dropped way down. stopped the ashwagandha and my congestion and headaches subsided. not to mention i had a very tight chest feeling. very uncomfortable. my side effects are not uncommon from what i've learned. i may try again way down the road but now that i'm battling reflux, i don't want to complicate things. i've heard rhodiola is a similar adaptogen, but don't want to introduce anything new into my system right now.
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Vitamin C (ascorbic acid ) is a cofactor in at least eight enzyme reactions reactions, including several collogen synthesis reactions that, when dysfunctional, cause the most severe symptoms of scurvey. In animals, these reactions are especially important in wound-healing and in preventing bleeding from capillaries. Vitamin C may also act as an antioxidant against oxidative stress. The functions of Vitamin C include the synthesis of collogen, carnitine, and neurotransmitters (norepinephrine from dopamine) the synthesis and catabolism of tyrosine; and the metabolism of microsome. RDA is 75 to 90 mg/day with no more than 2000 mg/day maximum. The signs and symptoms of overdose is nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flushing of the face, headache, fatigue and disturbed sleep. Vitamin C's anxiolytic properties is beleived to primarily be from its ability to repair oxidative effects from stress.
Effective at 1000 mg/day
Effective
Effective
Effective and lowers cortisol levels.
Ascorbate is proposed as a neuromodulator of glutamatergic, dopaminergic, cholinergic and GABAergic transmission and related behaviors.
A paper explaining the relationship between oxidative stress and anxiety.
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L-theanine
Research
The research shows that all green tea leaves contain both L-theanine and D- theanine BUT only the special processing used by the manufacturer produces pure L-Theanine and is the choice of many of the research biologists.
 
 
Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 2004;18(3):251-6.
Analysis of derivatized and underivatized theanine enantiomers by high-performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure ionization-mass spectrometry.
Five of the six products contained significant amounts of D-theanine. Only one product, SunTheanine, appeared to contain only the L-theanine enantiomer.
 
Note - Suntheanine is the pure ingredient and that is what you want. That is the pure L-theanine. D-theanine is not absorbed by our bodies.
L-theanine is an amino acid precursor to glutamate and glutamine.
 
Key Points
It can cross the blood brain barrier. It is only produced by plants and fungi. It inhibits glutamine transporters and glutamate transporters, and thus blocks the reuptake of glutamine and glutamate. Theanine increases serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and glycine levels in various areas of the brain. Caution – Most plants that contain L-theanine also contain caffeine and it can be a significant contaminant in L-theanine supplements.Theanine has been studied for its potential ability to reduce mental and physical stress, improve cognition, and boost mood and cognitive performance in combination with caffeine. In combination with caffeine it may increase anxiety.
Scientific Information
A National Standard monograph that reviews current research on theanine reports that it is likely safe in doses of 200–250 mg up to a maximum daily dose of 1,200 mg. Theanine is used to help with anxiety, blood pressure control, mood, and cognition. Natural Standard rates the evidence to support the usage for anxiety, blood pressure control, and mood as “unclear or conflicting scientific evidence” and the evidence for cognition as “fair negative scientific evidence.” Many of the studies of theanine were done in combination with caffeine as found in tea. While the studies found that the combination had some effect on mood, the studies found that theanine alone had little effect. More sufficiently designed studies in humans are warranted to further our understanding of the effects of theanine.
 
Effective, 400 mg/day
Not effective on anxiety, 200 mg/day
Used to treat PTSD. It was successful in treating 8 gene problems associated with PSTD in the hippocampus and amygdala.
 
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Acupuncture
and more
Member comments and tips - 15 reviews 14 positive.
FH - Many of my friends and family members have had acupuncture over the years. I think it is a great tool BUT there are a lot more idiots doing acupuncture than experts. In fact my family has only found one so far in the states that new what he was doing (I am sure there are others though).
Traceyish - I've been trying acupuncture, and a host of natural remedies but nothing is working.
GMI - I found a lot of relief from acupuncture in the early stages of withdrawal. I’ve mentioned in prior posts that I was never one to believe in acupuncture even though so many people have told me what wonders it's done for them. These types of acupuncture facilities are all over the country and one near you can be found on this link if you’re is interested in giving it a try: https://www.pocacoop...earch-by-state/
Zeus - However, my general practitioner thought different. She uses a combination of eastern and western medicine and suggested acupuncture. Wow what an improvement. I had one treatment this morning and no nausea since. Even the fatigue is better and I feel like eating again.
considering - Check out the U.S. network of Community Acupuncture Clinics. They are a great way to get low cost acupuncture treatment.
BCH - I used acupuncture, which helped amazingly well. Over a period of about 4 months I suffered very few side effect.
ECU - the auriculotherapy (like acupuncture, only done on the ear alone) was based on a 5 point protocol designed to treat heroin addicts in withdrawal, and got rid of all the physical symptoms (temporarily) and enabled me to function while my body adjusted.
cmonk - I had been going for acupuncture treatments and yes they are wonderful
Sarahj - Oh yeah, I realized how much acupuncture was helping me after the third treatment, I went once a week. So, I hope that it provides some benefit to you. One thing that I tried during the worst of the withdrawal is acupuncture. It really made a difference in my overall outlook on everything, not in a magic bullet kind of way, but my sense of being aware and wanting to take better care of myself seem to be heightened by the experience.
Rogerwilco -Acupuncture is definitely the best way I've found to treat withdrawal discomfort from pharma drugs. The thing about acupuncture is that it has side effects too... but they're all GOOD! I mean, like, WOW :!:
Ramona - acupuncture regularly now. It doesn't take away all the withdrawal symptoms, but it balances the systems in your body to help you feel better while you're going through this. Really calms down the anxiety, quiets your mind.
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#5 fishinghat

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Posted 29 June 2021 - 08:51 AM

Page 3 

 

Deep breathing, sighs, yawns....
These activities cause an increase in the release of dopamine, endorphons and serotonin. This fact has been used by psychologists for decades to help control anxiety, depression and sleep. By causing yourself to yawn several time over a 10 or 15 minute period it will release enough of these neurotransmitters to help relax and induce sleep. Sighs work much in the same fashion bugt to a lesser degree, Breathing exercises are the most effective. A good psychologist should be used to teach the most effective techniques.
Member comments and tips -
deep breathes, breath(ing) - 22 comments all positive
Raven - Breathe it deep calming breaths and hold them for about 5 seconds before slowly letting them out.
Gail - you need to breathe, yes breathe in and out slowly.
FH - Deep breathing. Close your eyes—and try taking deep, slow breaths— making each breath even deeper than the last. If you have a psychologist who could teach you relaxation techniques, controlled breathing and heart rate, etc. These techniques really do work.
Raven - Just do you best to stay calm and use breathing techniques. My husband and FH have given me great tips on breathing when anxiety strikes. FH because he is a veteran and my husband because he has asthma.
Keys to breathing:
** Take slow deep breaths (breath in deeply and slowly)
** Hold for at least 15 secs if you can
** Exhale slowly
***repeat as needed*
 
FN - What helped me the most with this was yoga ...the breathing exercises ... once learned, they can be done anywhere, anytime .... the release of the built up anxiety in my body was tremendous ...
Janson - . i've learned a few breathing exercises via yoga and that helps immensely to calm down those nerves that are about to snap. even without knowledge of specific breathing exercises, just take deep full breaths with hands on your stomach and see your tummy rise on the breath in and then fully breath out. so simple, so effective.
Note - There must have been well over 100 members that had posts similar to the one below. Shortness of breath, heart pounding, skip beats, tightness in the chest or chest pain. hese are classic anxiety symptoms and are the result of elevated adrenalin e levels. Adrenaline is a vasoconstrictor and bronchiole constrictor. These shallow rapid breaths allow CO2 to build in the lungs and worsens the symotoms. Alpha-agonists (eg. clonidine) and beta blockers (atenolol) work well t o block the effets of this excess adrenaline. Breathing exercises also help considerably in breaking this Cycle. As you can see below ZA got it really right.
Snap87 - Just scared with the shortness of breath and heart palpitations more than anything.
ZA - the 'out of breath' symptom is actually shallow breathing and I had that for about 2days it is very exhausting as it causes your ozygen saturation to drop. what worked for me 'was awareness -slow deep breathing -then a little aerobics. it helped to up my b/p and neuteralize by blood gases.
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Conditioned Response -
One of the methods that can have a dramatic effect on anxiety is the development of a phrase in association with breathing exercises and relaxation techniques. This usually takes time to develop but is very effective. The process is begun by selecting a phrase...say the word "easy" for example. When you notice that you begin to get too anxious then lay down, close your eyes and begin your deep breathing exercises while also doing relaxation like 'progressive relaxatiion' all the time repeating the word 'easy' in your mind. With practice this becomes very effective and the need to lay down to acheive success is not necessary. You simply stop in place, close your eyes and say the word 'easy" to yourself while relaxing and breathing deeply. You then prodeed on with your activities. This can be further used by your spouse to help you control your anxiety. If your spouse notices you becoming anxious they can simply develop a certain place she/he touches you gently as a signal that you need to stop, breath and relax. With practise this becomes automatic and can easily be done in public without drawing attention to your state of mind. The is a conditioned response so it MUST be practised until it is a reflex action to be most helpful.
Three members report using this technique with excellant results.
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Increasing Dopamine Levels
Summary;
⦁ The cycle is: tyrosine converts to L-Dopa to dopamine to norepinephrine and then epinephrine. Therefore caution should be used when trying to raise dopamine to treat depressison. Begin with small doses until releif is obtained. Do not take larger doses as any extra unused dopamine will be changed to noradrenaline and adrenaline and the result could be anxiety.
⦁ An overabundance of bad bacteria in the GI system leaves toxic byproducts called lipopolysaccharides which destroy the brain cells that make dopamine. Therefore a good probiotic should be used.
⦁ And don’t reach for artificial sweeteners. Aspartame decreases brain levels of both dopamine and serotonin, another important mood-boosting neurotransmitter.
⦁ L-tyrosine is the first dopamine supplement to consider. L-tyrosine and phenylalanine compete with tryptophan for absorption. Tryptophan is converted to serotonin by the body so if too much L-tyrisine is present n the blood stream then serotonin levels may decrease.
Increase Dopamine with Meditation
The benefits of meditation have been proven in over 1,000 studies. Regular meditators experience an enhanced ability to learn, increased creativity, and deep relaxation. It’s been shown that meditation increases dopamine, improving focus and concentration. Creative hobbies of all kinds, including knitting, quilting, sewing, drawing, photography, woodworking, and home repair, bring the brain into a meditative state. These activities increase dopamine, ward off depression, and protect against brain aging.
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Check Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium levels as well as estrogen and testosterone levels. You would not imagine how many members found problems with one or more of these issues during withdrawal.
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#6 fishinghat

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Posted 29 June 2021 - 08:54 AM

Page 4
 
Diphenhydramine, (over the counter) also known as Benadryl, is an antihistamine and as such is not only used for allergies/colds but also as a sleep aide. It does have a mild anxiolytic effect. May lower blood pressure and cause irregular heartbeats. Your body does build up tolerance to it after a few weeks so use it off and on. This medicine has many drug interactions.
Begins working in 15 to 30 minutes
Peak levels - 2 to 2.5 hrs
Half Life – 4 to 6 hrs
Use by members for anxiety relief and to help sleep is too numerous to mention. 
Diphenhydramine should NOT be taken with hydroxyzine. Drugs.com
 
serendipity - I found Benadryl to produce hangover effects, and cause palpitations when taken long term. Even if you wake up in the middle of the night, and can't get back to sleep, even a teeny amount (say, 15mg) can induce sleep again. 
Schmb - Benadryl worked on a limited basis for me, because sometimes it makes me jittery, and that only made the zaps much worse, so just use some caution in case you are sensitive to it.
FH - One caution on benadryl. It is famous for bad reactions with other medicine so check your compatability closely. The maximum dosage of benadryl is 25 to 50 mg every 4 to 6 hours and do not surpass 300 mg in a day.
 
Benadryl Total
Medicinal ingredients:
•Acetaminophen, 500 mg
•Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride, 25 mg
•Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride, 30 mg
 
It contains diphenhydramine which is the active ingredient in regular Benadryl and also pseudoephedrine which is common in most cold medicines. The Diphenhydramine helps with sleep and anxiety and the pseudoephedrine helps block the action of adrenaline which produces a calming effect. 
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Dos and Don'ts
 
DON'T ...
take PPIs, acid reducers or antacids with an antidepressant as it will effect absorption of the antidepressant.
 
take St. John's Wort, 5HTP, tryptophan, SAMe, Dextromethorphan (a cough syrup/cold medicine) with an antidepressant - Serotonin Syndrome.
 
Don't take Stimulants (Make anxiety worse)
Caffeine 
Over-the-counter cold preparations contain phenylpropylamine and pseudoephedrine*
Sleep deprivation
Marijuana*
Magnesium*
MSG
Alcohol
Stress
amphetamines
ecstasy
nicotine
Ginseng
L-Tyrosine 
B Vitamins*
aspartame
Coconut Oil 
Taurine 
DHEA 
Ginkgo 
Iodine 
Arginine
Sugar
Kava
* - Only some people have this reaction.
 
Things containing caffeine..
List of energy drinks with caffiene. (over 100)
 
take Depressants (Make depression worse)
Oxalic acid is a depressant found in members of the spinach family and cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, chives and lamb's quarters are high in oxalates, as are sorrel and parsley. Rhubarb leaves contain about 0.5% oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can cause depression, lack of minerals, kidney stones, and more. Cooking does not affect oxalic acid. People with kidney disease, a history of kidney stones or suffer from depression should avoid these foods. 
 
other depressants:
Aspartame
Gluten
High Fat Dairy
Sugar 
alcohol
Trans fats
Sodium 
Caffeine
Pesticide residue on foods
GHB
exposure to organic solvents (paint, varnish, stains, cleaning solvents, paint thinner, etc).
 
Do mot take any calcium or magnesium products within 2 hours of a medication as it can effect absorption of the medication. 
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Do
take 500 mg of vitamin C per day or 300 mg of NAC - (N-acetyl cysteine) an antioxidant
learn Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Mindfulness
sleep as much as possible
Keeping a Journal  - Don't trust your memory during withdrawal.
Stay hydrated
 

#7 fishinghat

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Posted 29 June 2021 - 08:57 AM

Ren, you are doing great. Be patient and give your body a break for a while.  Hang in there.


#8 RenW

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Posted 30 June 2021 - 01:29 PM

Thank you all so much for the support. It really helps to talk to people that have been through (or are going through) cymbalta tapering.  It is especially important that we help each other since medical professionals seem so misinformed about the full effect of cymbalta withdrawal and fast tapering.

I've decided to just level off for at least a couple of weeks taking 24 beads which is about 2MG for the pills I have. 

Thankfully I've not had any problems with magnesium. It is one of the most recommended supplement for Fibromyalgia since it has been shown to help with muscle, nerve pain, and inflammation. There have been studies where the majority of Fibromyalgia patients have been lower in magnesium than controls.  It is interesting that you mention it can increase anxiety since there are some studies that have indicated it is good for depression and anxiety.  But we are all individuals and react to things differently. 

Another reason I take magnesium is that it helps with constipation. If I don't take it every day that become an issue for me. The forms of magnesium that help more with constipation are the ones that absorb less to work on other symptoms so I try to find a balance with the forms I take.  

Some people have problems with taking magnesium orally, but find pain relief from topical forms such as sprays ("oils"), lotions and magnesium bath soaks.  Epsom salt is actually a form of magnesium. 


#9 fishinghat

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Posted 30 June 2021 - 03:18 PM

Well said and true Ren. That 10% who have problems seem to be a side effect and occurs in those people even if their blood levels are normal. Like you say we all are different.  Keep us posted.





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