6 replies to this topic

[kimb76]

I have been on Cymbalta for almost 2 years. I started out with Effexor and that did nothing for me so I went to a psychiatrist and got the script for Cymbalta and thought that all my prayers for relief had been answered...I couldn't have been more wrong!

I have decided to taper off Cymbalta in order to have a baby. All of my friends think that my withdrawal is just my depression coming back, but after reading your posts I see that it is WITHDRAWAL that I am experiencing. Tonight I left class early because I just had to cry. My fiancee doesn't know what to think when I cry for no reason and the "brain zaps" and dizziness are about to drive me out of my head!!!!!! I'm beginning to think that depression before Cymbalta was so much better than dealing with this crap!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dr. had me drop from 60mg a day to 30 for 1 week and then 30 every other day. I have been without for 3 days now and it is the most horrible feeling I have ever had. The later in the day it gets, the worse the symptoms get. Right now it is the "brain zaps", dizziness and crying that I'm experiencing. Today at work and tonight at school I was just walking down the hall and would start to fall over. I'm afraid this is going to affect my job. I work in healthcare so it is a giant concern.

I've read posts about 15 ,10, and even 5mg. How are these doses achieved? I would like to discuss this with my dr. but, I don't want to run the risk of birth defects. I guess I just need to tough it out and hang on for the ride of my life!

[Junior]

Hi Kimb76

Sorry to hear that you are going through such a horrible time but rest assured, you are not alone!
I was able to C/t from 60mg but wouldn't recommend it to anyone - it took a good 2 weeks to get over the withdrawal and it wasn't pretty. I understand that people who taper more slowly actually open the capsule and count out the little beads that are in there. They buy empty gelatin or vitamin capsules and use those, as a coating is needed in order to take Cymbalta.

Just be aware that 60-30mg is a huge drop and that others here have found that taking C on alternate days just doesn't work. It's like you are withdrawing then reintroducing the drug on a regular basis. Talk about throwing the body into confusion!

Good luck in whatever you decide to do. It IS worth it
Junior

[nursedeborah]

Hi Kim,
Like junior said that is a hughe drop in your Cymbalta, also in alternating the doses.
As for harming the baby it is in the 3 trimester that you need to worry about.

The amout of sttress that the withdrawls will put you through willl due the same to
the baby. This is not medical advice, just something that you can look up yourself
or ask your OBGYN.

We open the caps, and dump out a smal portion, and stay on that amount for awhile
then do another decrease, wait until we are ready to do another ect. Most take
about a couple of weeks to allow their bodies to get used to the decrease.

Even when slowly weaning you still will have withdrawl symptoms, but then you also
can add just a few beads to help with that too!

Doctors are not at all aware of the side effects, or about the withdrawls!! The Pharm
Rep's don't tell them about any of this crap.

Please read lot's of posts, and read, and print out for you doc the FDA report that is here
somewhere.

Here is the one I always give to everyone http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm

How ever you do this we are beside you, and here to support you!

Debbie

[NagNancyB]

Hello Kimb76, I am so very sorry that you are having such a horrible time. I also was on 60mg for 2 yrs and started side effects after 1 1/2 yrs. When I decided to come off, my Dr recommended something similiar to what you are doing. After a few days of that I found this site and have been opening the capsules and dividing the little white balls. I was down to 20mgs/day after 4 weeks and was doing so poorly that my Dr put me back on 30mgs of Cymbalta. I feel somewhat better, but boy, I can really relate to some of your reactions and withdrawls. Extreme emotions seem to be a fairly common theme around here. Just this morning I was loading the dishwasher and burst into tears. I didn't even know why. It's been an awful journey.

Please know that what you are doing is almost going cold turkey and that is the absolute worst. You are not crazy. Brain zaps, dizziness, vertigo, leg cramps, uncontrolled emotions and outbursts, horrible sweats... you name it.
Here's a website you may want to check out... it lists the withdrawl symptoms.
http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm

On this site is also a pdf file from the fda and how they're looking into the withdrawl realities of cymbalta, which eli lilly has withheld from drs and patients. So unwitting people like you and me are in for a surprise once we're on it.

Read posts here. There are recommendations on how many grains = mg, vitamins and supplements that help some symptoms, prescription drugs that help some with the withdrawl.
Good luck
-Nancy

[NagNancyB]

Hi Debbie, Good to see you. Hope you're doing well. I'm doing well enough. I think about you and worry some, but I know that you and I are fighters, we'll be ok eventually.
In the mean time, thanks for being around here...

Love, Nancy

[kimb76]

Thanks for the information about opening the capsules. I will keep reading the posts about that and other things I can do to help with the symptoms.

I was having a good day until about 3 pm and the dizziness and brain zaps have started up again. I was at work cleaning surgical instruments and just started hating my job and wondering what all of this is for. Of course, I was crying. I'm so ready for a break from this.

[MaureenV]

Hi Kimb86,

I've been desperately trying to catch up with all the work I didn't do when I was first trying to get to Cymbalta, so sorry to take so long to reply to you.


I'm one who tried to get off 30mg by taking it on alternate days, which is when I found this site.


Agree with the previous comments about Cymbalta and pregnancy -from my reading, the main danger is NOT birth defects, which is why the drug is NOT so problematic in the first months.

Once I realized what I was doing wrong, I changed to 15mg per day (because by that time I'd been taking 30mg on alternate days for a week or so); all the withdrawal symptoms disappeared, but I felt extremely depressed for about a week. Increased the dose to 20mg. Didn't know of course if it was underlying depression or withdrawal effect. After about 5 days I started to feel better, and after about a week, felt good.

It's taken me about two months since then to taper down to 5mg, in order to almost completely avoid the withdrawal symptoms. After trying and failing to stop altogether at 10mg, I've been on 5mg now for two weeks. Each time I drop I get some brain zaps - perhaps only 100 per day, and fairly mild. Once they stop completely, I go down to the next dose.

Just yesterday instead of taking 5mg (45 dear little balls) I dropped to 40 which I did again today. Tomorrow will be 35 balls unless I get any zaps, in which case I'll stay on 40 until I don't get them.

If you wish to start taking some again (and to be honest I'm not sure I'd even check with the doctor unless you're sure they'll support you, and listen to what YOU want, and most importantly of all, not just tell you you're depressed and should be back on them) you can buy empty gelatine capsules to split the doses.

Depends a bit on how many capsules you have left.

Keep in touch, Maureen.