25 replies to this topic

[ellent]

I have taken literally months to wean off of cymbalta. I have now been on 20 mgs. for a couple of months. (down from 60). I have not had some of the really bad head zaps I got before doing it this way, but I have been fatigued, foggy brained, and somewhat depressed. My doctor wants me to stay on 20 mgs. because I appear depressed but I think it is due to withdrawal. I guess I want feedback. Should I pour out half of the tablet and go down to 10 mgs.? How long do people think I'll continue to feel this way because it has been months.

[MaureenV]

Before I found this site I was trying to drop 30mg (after having no difficulty coming from 60, but had only been on it for less than a month) by alternating days, which was awful. Once I realized what I was doing wrong I bought some clear empty capsules and divided the 30mg doses into two. The side effects went away straight away, but left me feeling very depressed instead.


Like you, I had no idea whether or not it was underlying depression or a withdrawal effect, so the only solution was to give it a bit of time. It only took a week before I started to feel better again, and now I'm dropping down at snail's pace, after trying to drop it altogether after a week of 10mg. I'm now taking 7.5mg and still have no intention of dropping more than 2.5mg at a time.

Being foggy brained (which I well recognize - happened to me even dropping 10mg) IS depressing in itself.

Quite a few people have had better success coming off Cymbalta by adding Prozac. That may be an option for you.


regards, Maureen.

[nursedeborah]

Hello ellent,
Welcome to a great support group. We are all different, but I would not go down more than half!
Again we are all so different, and you need to find out what works best for you. If you like the
rest of us here that are having a hard time getting off this awfulf drug, and maybe fear the
withdrawls being more that you can handle, that's one great thing about this place is that you
can find what works the best for you!!!

This is just my opinion, but i do think it's the Cymbalta causing your problems, loook at lots
of posts, and I think you will find that some of us were , or had what we thought was depression,
until we started to decrease this drug, and then found out in fact it was the drug, and not us!!
That is just what happened to me.

I am very sensitive to this drug, and it did a number on me the entire time I was on it, so much
of the withdrawl syndrome is like it was for me on the drug. I am doing better at being more
coherent I have been told recently, so that's a good sign that I am healing. I still had to go down
very slowly.

I am one who finally did have to go on Prozac to help with the withdrawl symptoms, and it has really helped me
very much. I started at 60 mg x's 4 years then to 50 mg, then 45 mg, then had to start the Prozac, it's been 13
days on the Prozac, and it's a really is a hughe improvement for me. When I did my next decrease it was not as difficult, and
I just felt awful a couple of days, and then started to feel great.

Just remember there is no race going on, just finding the right amount to decrease that you can deal with that
keeps you comfortable, and functioning. Well it was for me.

I know you will find your own way, and we are all here to help you, and support you the entire time your going
through all of this, and then some.

Debbie

[ellent]

Thanks so much for your support. I think I will just take out 8 grains for awhile and decrease it very slowly. I will also talk to my doctor about prozac. I had it years ago and it worked but after awhile I was a bit too "wired" on it.

[Junior]

The depressed thing isn't just from Cymbalta withdrawal. I suspect it's from all the SSRIs/ SNRI's and is an indication that we are withdrawing too quickly.

I"m back on my original Aropax (Paxil) dose of 40mg but I think I'm still withdrawing from Lexapro. Given that I was only on Cymbalta for 19 days I don't think it's that. My sleep is still an issue, my concentration isn't as sharp as it should be although it's improving, some words don't come to me easily whereas normally they would, and I'm not as relaxed as I should be. With the latter, it's the feeling I used to get when I needed to up my dose of the Aropax. If I was either too sedated or too happy, I knew it was time to drop it. I used to swing between 20-40 and I did it successfully for several years. Having said that, I've only been back on the Aropax for a little over a month so it needs more time to reach its full effect.

The good thing is: I'm doing OK at work. A number of people have said it takes at least a month before you really start being productive. Well I'm only in the 3rd week but I feel like I'm on the way. After last week, it's a big improvement :)

Junior

[nursedeborah]

ellent,
So glad you found what I said helpful. What I was saying about the depression
thing is that it is one of the withdrawl symptoms , plus after my being on it
for so many years it caused what I thought was a severe deep dark depression
symptom.

It has only been since I have been decreasing the dose, and reading the withdrawls
that i found out it was in fact the Cymbalta causing me all these symptoms.

I don't feel anything at all like I did while on 60 mg, I even noticed the change at
40 mg. I still get real cloudy, confused as I am still on it, and withdrawing from it
but nothing close to when i was living the way I was before. I so can tell as the dose
gets smaller that I am functioning, and feeling more like my old self.

Take good care, you can do this!!

[NagNancyB]

Hi Ellen, I'm so incredibly sorry that you're going through such a hard time. Believe me, we all know what you're talking about. I was on 60mg cymbalta for 2 years, started getting side effects at 1 1/2 yrs. Under Dr's assistance, I reduced every other day as he told me and I soon was climbing the walls with withdrawl. I started opening the caps and reducing more gradually. Last Fri I saw my Dr and was in such bad shape on 20mgs that he prescribed half my original dose and told me to go back on it. For now. So I'm holding at 30 mg.

I will try again. If I had any advice, it would be to open the caps and reduce as gradually as you can stand. Be kind to yourself. comb these forums for nutritional info. Something may click with you and be helpful.

We're here. We know.

Peace- Nancy

[nursedeborah]

Ellen,
Just wondering how you are? I was looking back at how great I was doing, and then
all of a sudden hit this wall for 6 days and thought I was not going to get on the otherside.

I am finally feeling better, it's just part of this gig for me, and I hope you having a much
better time.

Please let us know what's going on with you as we do worry when we don't hear back from
our friends here.

Hope you ok,
Debbie

[snicklefritz]

I am new here as of today, and am not really stuck at 20 mgs as much as I dont know where to go from here. I am so very glad that this group is here. My doctor has had me freaking out the last few days as my blood pressure has gone up and nothing is bringing it down. It started to increase when I started Cymbalta three months ago, and stabilized, but now that I am going off of it, it is bad again. I never wanted to take Cymbalta because of the withdrawal stories I had heard. I was so depressed I decided to give it a try. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia. I was getting very confused because it all seemed so much worse the last couple of weeks (the time I have been withdrawing). Now it all seems to make sense. I hope I can keep coming back here for help. I am guessing that now I should open a capsule and empty half of it out to make 10mg? Again, Bless you all for being here.

[nursedeborah]

Hi newbie,
I just answered your other post in New Here, so look there!
Again Welcome, glad you found us!

Debbie

[nursedeborah]

snick,
Oh my goodness, I didn't realize you were doing oneday on oneday off!

This is so very hard to do as you give the brain it's fix, and then end up
in withdrawls prettty quick, only to give it back to your brain the next
day, and then it just start's to get a taste of it, and you take it away
from it again!!!

What the majority of all of us here have found is the best way to come off
this crap is to just open the caps, and dump some out, and stay there for
at least 2 weeks, more if you need it, then decrease agin.

Even this way is not that easy, and some of us still suffer from the withdrawls
so we just go back and add a few more beads until we find that place where
we are comfortable.

I am one who went ahead and added the Prozac to my withdrawl treatment, and
very glad that I found this on here that it does help! It has helped me alot.

We all have to do our own thing, and what ever you do decide, we are here for
you!!!

Debbie

[snicklefritz]

Debbie dont worry thats not what I am doing I must have confused some issue. I am going to take out the 20 beads per week and see how that goes.

Thank you so much, I am sure many people on here are very greateful for your help.
Vanessa

[nursedeborah]

Vanessa,
Your so sweet for what you said. I only know what it's like to be new, and not know
anything about this sruff. /when I got here, I had not a clue even where I was.
Talk about really being out of it.

This med had me so confused, disoriented, memory loss, to put it in other words
I was "wacked out"

Well i am so glad to here that your not doing what I thought you were, and also I
probally read it wrong, who knows. It's just when I ever see something like that
I do worry about the person, and just want them to know there is a gentler, kinder,
loving way to do this decreasing process so that you don't end up not being able to
function.

Even with 20 beads per week, that almost 1mg per week, and from what I am hearing
from you, and your symptoms, it sounds like it is to fast. If if were not to fast them
you wouldn't be having any of the withdrawl symptoms, not like your having anyway.

Just always know this is not a race, and you can make it 10 beads a week, and see what
a difference that makes, or even 15. Try the 15 first for a few days, and if no symptoms
then you would kow to just stay there until it's time for the next decrease.

The point is to do this with the least amount of withdrawl symptoms as one can tolerate,
and still function on in what feels like more your old self. Even then we still will have
times when it will all of a sudden just come up, and bite you in the arse, just when you thought
it was finally over.

Hang in there! We can do this!

Debbie

[ellent]

Hi, how is everyone? I am better, I think...I am taking out, trying to anyway, about 15 of the things in the capsule, but it is hard so sometimes I do more. I think that I will start just approximating a half. I am sleeping better, and don't feel so depressed. However, we'll see with my cutting it down to about ten mg. what happens. I hope everyone else is doing ok!!!

[nursedeborah]

Hi, how is everyone? I am better, I think...I am taking out, trying to anyway, about 15 of the things in the capsule, but it is hard so sometimes I do more. I think that I will start just approximating a half. I am sleeping better, and don't feel so depressed. However, we'll see with my cutting it down to about ten mg. what happens. I hope everyone else is doing ok!!!

Hi Ellen,
Glad your doing better. So your on 20 mg minus 15 or so beads, and then you want to drop it down to 10 mg.
That is a big jump. Just remember that there are 180 beads in a 20 mg cap, so that means your taking
160 beads right now. Then to cut it down to 10 mg = only 90 beads, that is a hughe decrease all at once, and
sure to give you lots of withdrawl symptoms from what I have seen for myself, and so many others who drop
that much.

It is just a better idea to reduce by 2.5mg or 5 mg, and stay there for about 2 weeks, or until you stablized
from the last drop, and then do another decrease. With each decrease one can still have withdrawl symptoms
but also can even stop this by adding a few beads until they stop.

We all have to do it our own way, but being that it's hard enough to do, no need to add any more suffering to
what we already go through.

Good luck with what ever you do decide. Keep letting us know how you are!

Debbie

[snicklefritz]

Debbie have not heard from you, wondering if you are ok? On some days I actually think I will survive, but days like today, I think its the end of the world. Well isnt that what depression is all about? I was wondering if you are able to work? If not what do you do to be able to interact with people? I am not able to work, and after working for 30+ years its is driving me insane not to be able to interact with people.

Hope you are doing well. Please keep in touch.
Vanessa

[Junior]

Vanessa

It is definitely NOT the end of the world...... not until Dec 23, 2012 anyway =D

[nursedeborah]

Vanessa,
Funny I was just thinking about you last night! No I can't work since my back was
screwed up 4 years ago, and had PTSD really bad.

The only way I get to interact with people is that I go to AA meetings, and Alanon
meetinmgs.

This took me forever to even be able to do so, due to my not being able to walk for
so long, and then the Cymbalta thing happened, and that really did a number on me.

I couldn't get out of the house, it is one of the withdrawl symptoms of Cymbalta, but
I did get lots of those while on it.

It was only in June that I started getting out of the house everyday, and I will tell
you it was very hard for me to even be around people, or to be gone for very long.

It is stilll ssomething I am working on, as I don't go anywhere after I do go to my
meeting at 12:00, or talk to anyone once I get home. I have always been a people
person.

I really hate not being able to work doing something in the nursing area even if it
was private duty, but I just can't life anything at all. It would be so good for me!
Alos the money would be so wondeful.

I had 6 horrible day in a row, and couldn't do anything, that's where I had been.
I am finally coming out of it, but boy after going down like that it made me so
tired, and fearful of when will it happen again????


How are you doing? I actually got out of the house yesterday, and did get to a
meeting, and did a few errands too! I was really suprised at how much I did do.
I was even able to sweep all my hardwood floors too!! I am usually so low I don't
so anything at all.

Keep the Faith, we will someday see a glimmer at the end of the tunnel!

Love,
Debbie

[snicklefritz]

Debbie I hear you, it really does suck. Just know that someone is out here thinking about you and wondering how you are doing. Now that we have made contact, you are stuck with a new friend ok!!!!!! I had to go today to pre register for my surgery and do an orientation for living with a knee replacement. I am slightly anemic and my iron level not where it needed to be for surgery. THey told me how to bring with up with diet, but they also suggested a shot that apparently can cause a spike in bp ( oh I need that) can caused blood clots, or can contribute to causing cancer. So - I declined. I do risk needing a blood transfusion, so it was not an easy decision. Actually any thoughts from you as a nurse would be welcome. Or just give me your two cents worth! I totally admire your strength and will to get well, you have been through a lot, and you will one day see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Much love
Vanessa

[nursedeborah]

Vanessa,
Your so sweet, and I love being stuck to you for life as a friend.
As for your surgery, I would either have someone donate blood for
you, just in case you do need a transfusion. That way you know
where it came from. I am not that way as I know just how safe
they are today with evcen who they will take blood from! and I
didn't give any blood before my surgery.

I will be praying for you. It will be weird at first to have to learn
to walk, but then you will get the hang of it. The pain will be well
managed as well, so don't stress about that!!!!

How are you doing Cymbalta wise today, depression? I am finally
coming out of a 6 day down time, it was so much like how I
lived the entire time on the crap.

Take care.

Love,
Debbie

[snicklefritz]

Thanks sweet friend. It is hard for me to know which drug is doing what because I take so many. I am just this morning coming up from a two day down time, which probably is not too bad, except that I was in horrendous fibro pain at the same time. My desire to continue to live like this was not very strong, but I laid in bed and hung on, and this morning the first thing I did was look for a message from you! See you have made an impact.

I am going to get this butt out of bed and go and shower and then decide what the rest of the day might hold.
Take care Debbie, and keep feeling better.
Vanessa

[nursedeborah]

Vanessa,
That's where we have so much in common is having the disability, and what that does
to us mentally. That's why for me when they put me on this crap, well I was already a
mental mess, and this drug I do believe does more damage to people that are already
emotionally upset, depressed, or whatever. Or it just does severe damage to some,
more that others, and looks like we are two of them

So grateful that I gave you something to look forward to in you am, boy do I know what
that's like! Oh do me a favor, and do not ever get involved in a group called "Invisible
Disabilities Advocate" or IDA for short. It's all a scam, and they are taking everyone's
money, and living high off the hoag from it. There are some very nice people there, but
that's hard to find as when you get there, this certain amout of women will all great you
and they are the one's that run the place, and they are just awful.

Anyway, that great your getting into the shower, I so need to do the samething, and also
dye my hair!! I just look like a child that has no mother right now.

It will get better than it is right now, so don't give up. I know only to well about those days
and not knowing if I really want to go on, but I just don't do anthing about it, and get up
and try my hardest to find something good in the new day. No it's something I have really
had to loook for.

Well you take care my Dear Friend,

Love,
Debbie

[MaureenV]

Vanessa,


how is your blood pressure going?


I can't remember now, do you have your own machine?


If not, I can't recommend it more highly.


One of the big advantages is that, as I did, you can take it before each and every doctor's appointment and see if there's a pattern of it leaping a bit when they take it. Most doctor's tend to assume there's some 'white coat hypertension' in the figure they get, and if that's NOT the case, it can be misleading.

Because 99% of my blood pressure was caused by the adrenal tumour, mine used to often go down at the doctor's compared with my home ones (which were not 'resting' ones) and they took that seriously.

Just curious - do you take Salazopyrin? I have a friend with RA and it's one of the drugs she takes. I need it for periods of ulcerative colitis, which are thankfully rare.

regards, Maureen.

[snicklefritz]

Maureen I did send you a quick e mail.
I have a home bp machine but it went belly up. Cant afford a new one right now.
I wanted to talk to both you and Debbie because I am so upset and ashamed. Last night my daughter and I were going to go to a movie and we got into an argument and I wound up saying I would not go. I totally lost it I was like a crazy woman, I slammed my bedroom door and pounded on it as hard as I could. SHe could not have cared less and said that before I was done the neighbors would have the police here. Please understand that type of temper is not me. I crawled into bed and the mail came. In it was her acceptance letter to the University of Washington. We were all so excited, but I was so wiped out and upset still. She took one look at me and said that she rrefused to stay home with us that she would go to her friends house where people would be happy for her. I cant even begin to tell you how much that has hurt my feelings. I tried to explain about the Cymbalta but she just cant fathom that a med would do that. I am a very sensitive person and my heart is absolutely breaking. I feel as if I have jsut lost her forever. This is not something that is going to happen again, its a once in lifetime event, and she celebrated with her friends. What a crappy mother I am being. Please help me and tell me if I will ever feel normal again.
Vanessa

[nursedeborah]

Vanessa,
Oh Sweet Heart I am so sorry, but I totally understand about no one understanding
anything about what this drug is doing to us, or has done to us, what is like going
through the withdrawls.

I too have just not been like myself in so long, and have said, and done things that
I wonder where in the hell they even came from.

Yes you will get better!!!! This will not be how our lives will be forever, like I told
you I do think that you, and I reaaly got it worse that others, and why I so related
to you!

I know the thing with your daughter is the hardest to deal with, and my daughter
and I, well it was her, after my back surgery, and she just wouldn't accept that
I was this bad off, wouldn't talk to me that often, and also was snotty when she
did. What it really was is that she was scared! As I no longer was the mom she
knew. I never realized how hard it all was on her too!

So I am sure everything will be fine with your daughter. Also you have that other
thing coming up in a few days, and that's got to be causing you some stress, aand
her too.

It will all be ok, just remember it's this drug. I just tell them I am sorry, even if
they don't get it.

God I do wish I was there, and could do more to help. All I can do is pray for you
as I know how painful this is for you right now.

Love,
Debbie

[MaureenV]

Hi Vanessa,



It really upsets me to see what's happening to you, because I can so readily identify with the situation.

I AM a bit of a short-fuse person, to the extent that I did an Anger Management course several years ago, which helped a bit. On Lexapro/Cymbalta I was o.k. most of the time. Coming off Cymbalta I was Not A Nice Person To Be Around quite often.

After nearly failing her (supposedly) best subject half way through the year, my daughter got an A for her design portfolio (a pretty important achievement as in this subject she's doing the final year level, although she's only in the second last year of secondary). When she wanted to show me he finalized folio I was obnoxious to her. She wasn't behaving well, but hey, they're 17, behaving like a 17 yo. Although not to the same extent at your daughter's achievements I can actually put myself in your shoes and imagine how bad you feel. (That wasn't a one-off for me, it's happened dozens of times between August and now.)

Can I suggest showing your daughter these posts? Is that an option?

I was once on a solid dose of a powerful steroid, dexamethasone, for two weeks (only, thank goodness). (I've been on prednisolone before, but my medical BIL who takes pred for joint issues said that dexa made pred look like a lolly.)
The rages that would hit me over that time meant I can truly identify with what's meant by 'roid rage. The outbursts I've had in recent weeks I would put on the same par as those - just completely and utterly irrational.

I've sometimes wondered if the same parts of our body are being affected.

It would be easy to say to work out some strategies to prevent it happening again, but I did that and it didn't matter - it seemed that it had all happened when a different me was in charge - not the one who recognized the consequences.

What is your daughter's personality like? Is she one to quickly move on, or is this likely to have an ongoing effect.

We always like to say 'such and such is a tricky age' but 17 is no longer child but not yet adult, so it really depends on the person. My daughter has seen me throw so many stupid tantrums (mostly years ago and in the past few months), but in between we do well. Fortunately she has her father's personality, rather than mine. :) If she does try to throw a teenage tantrum I can always make her smile, so a lot depends on your relationship the rest of the time.

If it's o.k. the rest of the time I'm sure it will recover. She DOES need to understand though, that it wasn't really YOU 90behaving that way. How about printing out that FDA report, which mentions the emotional lability?? Tricky, because you'd have to be careful not to make it come across as 'I have good reason for my behaviour'. I know it's a hard thing to convey. I have a fried I turned to, and said at one stage that 'I wish I could condense all the stories of others - you would see what I'm saying is repeated time and time again'.

Take care, and let us know how you get on.

Maureen.