Is 2 weeks cold turkey enough??
#1
Posted 31 October 2009 - 08:31 PM
Ok my situation: Was on 60mg for about 6 months, decided I desperately wanted to stop meds altogether and set a deadline of the departure date of an overseas trip I'm doing (nov 16) to be completely off them. Though I didn't know anything about the extent of the symptoms of withdrawal from Cymbalta; I knew if I forgot to take it one day, it'd hurt a bit, but I've gone cold turkey from Prestiq, which had pretty much the same withdrawal symptoms for me, so I assumed I could take it. So basically I just stopped taking my 60mg dosage a couple of weeks ago, and faced the usual serious consequences or constant brain zaps, dizziness, nausea etc. After a couple of unbearable days, and after finding this website, I went back on Cymbalta on a 30mg dosage, which immediately helped hugely. 2 weeks of that and I felt stable and normal again, so, 2 days ago, I went cold turkey from my 30mg. Right now, the symptoms are very irritating, but barable. I get mild brain zaps, I feel a little dizzy and disoriented, kinda just feels like a really bad hangover, but if it means I'll be alright and drug free before I go away, I'll deal with it.
Though, after reading others' testimonials on this site, I'm getting a little worried that in 2 weeks time when I go away, I'll still be feeling like this, which will suck, badly. I'm going away on a volunteer project, so it's not exactly gonna be a relaxing holiday, it's gonna be hard work! What do people think are my chances of being alright by then, or should I just accept that I'm not gonna be ready to be off them in 2 weeks and just spend the 5 week trip on a 30mg dosage? (I'm not sure they have 20mg dosages in Australia, I've never heard of them before except on these forums)
That was kinda long huh? Probably didn't need to be that long, but at least I know you guys understand what I'm going through, unlike my (undeniably supportive) friends and family.
Long story short, I have 2 weeks to get off 30mg of Cymbalta cold turkey, is this a hopeless dream?
#2
Posted 31 October 2009 - 08:49 PM
As you've managed sorta o.k. to go down from from 60mg to 30mg you might find great relief splitting your doses and (say) taking 10mg for a week or so, so that your brain doesn't rebel on you at some stage in the future.
My story is that I went from 30, to 60 (only briefly - about 2 weeks - side effects too problematic), back to 30 no big deal as I'd been trying to 'stretch out' the 60mg to every one and a half days. Trying to do 30mg every second day though brought on all the withdrawals you see from people here. The emotional lability was the bit that was particularly hard for me to deal with.
I then read on here about buying clear gelatine capsules and opening the Cymbalta ones and splitting the dose (you can do this visually, as the gelatine capsules are transparent).
I've been tapering down slowly enough to pretty much avoid symptoms altogether, but that means slooooooow. As in 20mg, 15, 12.5, 10, 8, 6.5, 5 etc etc and I'm now down to one whole milligram.
You can buy the gelatine capsules for $15 from Chemist Warehouse.
hope that helps,
regards, Maureen.
#3
Posted 31 October 2009 - 08:57 PM
I was considering splitting them and making my own lower dosages, but I assumed that'd take me even longer to get off them, as opposed to cold turkey. Or...would it just reduce the symptoms to something so minor that they're not really of concern anymore?
#4
Posted 31 October 2009 - 09:13 PM
I should have left an hour ago - I'm looking for distractions . :))
I can only speak for myself, as this drug seems to have different effects on different people (common with anti-depressants, but this one takes the cake).
Each reduction has seen a minor re-appearance of symptoms - I tried dropping completely from 10mg, without success.
However after two days It would appear that I didn't feel any better than you do dropping from 30mg for two days.
My main problem with ANY side effects is I run a Christmas - related business almost single-handedly. If I don't want it to suffer permanently, I have to have my wits about me, and it was being in a big fog that was the biggest problem, although the brain zaps really geared up, too.
Many say their worst symptoms appear after about six days when dropping doses, that's why I think it's good that you're thinking about this now.
If the worst comes to the worst, you can at least have doses prepared before you go away.
It WILL probably take you longer this way, but you can also be virtually symptom free. As you found when you went back on to 30mg after being off 60 for a few days, you'll probably find now that if you take 15mg you'll feel a lot better.
It may be six of one and half a dozen of another for you.
Certainly the reactions I've had when dropping now that I'm at this ridiculously low level are trivial - I just figure I've come this far I might as well keep taking a tiny bit for a bit longer and avoid any consequences. I got a bit of a resurgence of zaps even going from 3mg to 2mg, so waited there for several days.
No one can tell you whether or not you'll still get symptoms in two weeks, unfortunately.
keep us posted with whatever you decide to do. The more info on the board the better,
kind regards, and now I really must be off!
Maureen.
#5
Posted 01 November 2009 - 01:37 AM
I actually went to the Chemist Warehouse today and asked if they sold packets of empty capsules, they kinda looked at me like I was some kind of drug dealer and told me they didn't sell that sort of thing, despite (after checking afterwards) that they sell it on their website, great.
I would like to continue dropping my dosage, but thinking about it now, if I'm going overseas in a couple of weeks, I somehow don't think they'll let me travel carrying a large batch of homemade drugs with me, so...maybe not the best idea.
I've been toying with the idea of moving onto a low dosage of another med with a longer half life, like say Prozac. I used to take that, and went from about 2 months of taking 40mg per day of that, to just completely stopping cold turkey, with no apparent side effects at all (I spent about 2 weeks off meds before I decided to find another one). And also doing that would be useful for travelling, as opposed to my homemade Cymbalta capsules. I'm really against going back to taking 30mg of Cymbalta for 5 weeks simply because I'll be able to travel with it without suspicion.
What do you think?
-Steve
#6
Posted 01 November 2009 - 01:47 AM
Sorry, I should have mentioned that I got a blank look, too, when I went to buy them, and only got them after insisting that they were on their website, could they please have a look and let me know the nearest store that had them.
The bottle I bought was pretty dusty, too! I actually changed to Chemist Warehouse a year or two ago for prescriptions. Despite the fact that their pharmacists look about 15, I've found them to be excellent. They check on things, though, which overall is a good thing. When I went from 60mg Cymbalta to 30 they double checked, and were genuinely interested to know why. They ALWAYS ask if I have any questions about the prescriptions, or if I'm having any problems.
I wondered if they'd ask about the empty capsules, and decided that I was just going to fib and say it was for my daughter's school project, rather than get into the detail of what I was doing and why.
Have to confess I did have fleeting thoughts about the drug runner bit too. Might be even more interesting depending where you're headed, given the laws of some nearby lands. (You'd be o.k. obviously - IN THE END!)
I was too far down the track to consider Prozac when I first saw it suggested here, but sounds like it could be a goer for you. It certainly seems to have helped others.
I can sure understand you not wanting to go back to a larger dose of Cymbalta for the duration.
Let us know how you go.
cheers, Maureen.
#7
Posted 01 November 2009 - 12:44 PM
Why not just fix up your 30 mg caps with the right dose you want to take
and that way no one will be the wiser:)
I did go on the Prozac, but it still has been for me a slow process. I just
would hate to see you get over where your going, and have the withdrawls
hit you bad, and you not be able to function.Just remember it is a goal to
get off this crap, not a race.
I think Maureene has done it the best of all of us! I got so damaged by this
med after 3 years of just being on it, so all of this has been harder for me.
Debbie
#8
Posted 01 November 2009 - 05:31 PM
I could also do that, and just bring all the half-filled 30mg ones with me, it's certainly an option. I was just considering the Prozac cause I used to take it, with no withdrawal effects at all, and the 40mg is the equivalent dose of 60mg of Cymbalta. I'm beginning to lose hope in the idea of being drug free in 2 weeks time, hence now I'm comparing options of a med i could take with me. Call me naive, but I just assumed that after a little while of taking a med in place of another one, your body would eventually simply forget about the first one, or does it just create some freaky hybrid of the two? Cymzac?
Just researching at this point,
Steve
#9
Posted 02 November 2009 - 02:50 AM
I just happened to find this site at the perfect time for changing to the tapering method, and was already down to a level where 20mg was enough to keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay. Getting from 20mg to none (TODAY!!) took approx 12 weeks.
If I'd been a bit further along with coming off, rather than doing the every second day with 30mg, I probably would have done what others have done too, and not taken it again, and had a shorter and sharper withdrawal. I just figured that given I had enough Cymbalta, and had the gelatine capsules, that I might as well be (mostly) symptom free, esp given my work schedule at this time of the year.
I had also only been only Cymbalta for a few months, although going straight from Lexapro I'm guessing it was a 'combined' withdrawal - Lexapro withdrawal sites mention all the same stuff, but looking at the figures for' Cymbalta withdrawal' searches I'm fairly sure they wouldn't have been as bad, so that no doubt has something to do with it. Even WITH lexapro, though, it was only a total of ten months, PLUS, given how I feel now I don't think I have any underlying depression any more. I shudder to think of how I felt this time last year.
I also have to acknowledge that having the total support of my GP for what I was doing made a HUGE difference. If I'd had to comply with some so-called superior knowledge, despite the evidence to the contrary, I think I'd have found it much more difficult.
I've said before that whatever dose your body wants of this stuff - it wants - regardless of the dose.
Believe it or not, after taking 1mg for several days, today was the day, I decided. zap zap zap. Have to say, they're extremely mild,, so no complaints, but there's obviously a reaction from my body to the lack of: ten, A WHOLE TEN!!! beads. Unbelievable.
Hope you're starting to feel a little better. Did you see my comment about the minestrone recipe?
Maureen.
#10
Posted 02 November 2009 - 03:40 AM
After maybe a week, I'll go down to half a Prozac, maybe do that for another few days, then stop altogether. I got enough to take with me on my trip in case I do need it though, hopefully I wont need to take it by then though.
I'll keep in touch about how it's all coming along.
Thanks heaps for the advice and support (both of you, you're amazing)!
-Steve
#11
Posted 02 November 2009 - 04:24 AM
good to hear you're feeling better with the Prozac. :))
Sorry to send you on a wild goose chase with the clear capsules. :((
VERY good to hear that although your doctor wasn't sure about your motivations, he respected the fact that you've done your research and know what you're talking about. One important sign of a good doctor is one who's prepared to learn from their patients. When you report back to him, he may then keep that knowledge handy for the next patient he has coming off Cymbalta.
Please DO keep in touch with how you're doing.
Maureen.
#12
Posted 02 November 2009 - 12:46 PM
This site is great. It explains so much. I had the itching and vision problems too. Funny the itching is so much better and I can actually see better but being so dizzy that does not seem to be such a thrill at the moment. I have a few moments when I feel like the person I use to be but they are moments soon taken over by brain zaps that cause me to be nauseated and then I vomit.
This is a horrible medicine and I am upset that the US is so far behind in studying this drug and getting it off the market.
I wish everyone the best....
#14
Posted 02 November 2009 - 02:48 PM
Don't worry about where you post, we'll find you, although if you want to make sure everyone sees you you could copy and paste into a new thread with your own heading.
It's not just in the US that Cymbalta is a problem, I'm in Australia - several of us here are and have the same problem with doctors not being given adequate (read: correct) information from the drug company.
Interesting what you say about blood sugars: I had a significant problem with Lexapro - I don't actually know what was going on, but for someone who doesn't normally have too much of a problem losing excess weight, it was a new experience.
I was slowly stacking on weight, but when I tried to cut back, I would end up feeling sick and dizzy like I hadn't eaten for 24 hours. My GP DID explain what might have been happening, but it went over my head. I didn't have the same problem with Cymbalta, but if it had the same effect that Lexapro had on me I can well understand.
You can pretty much avoid the worst of the withdrawal symptoms by tapering - not in a way most doctors, and certainly not Eli Lilly suggest, but much more slowly. I've spent over two months slowly tapering off 30mg. At each 'drop' I would get a little reminder of what was in store if I dropped further; I tried to drop completely at 10mg, but had to start taking it again, not because the symptoms were unbearable, but the brain fog was incompatible with running a business at the pointy end of the year.
keep in touch and let us know how you're doing.
Maureen.
#15
Posted 02 November 2009 - 03:40 PM
I have been adamant about not wanting to take Cymbalta. My doctor called and told me to take just one and it would relieve the symptoms. I said and then what? I start all over again? She said she does not believe that any vitamins or supplements will work with my withdrawals because they do not work on the Serotonin level. She also refuses to do a serotonin level. I have to go see her tomorrow because she wants to put me on Prozac... isn't that just trading one for the other? She also thinks I should quit reading these posts.... Now what? I have to get functional. Thank you for replying!
Wynter
#16
Posted 02 November 2009 - 04:39 PM
yeah I'll bet your doctor wants you to stop reading these posts. Mind doesn't. Why? Because she and I BOTH know that amongst the crap on the internet, there's also gold. Ask you doctor to credit you with the intelligence to be able to make up your own mind about what you can trust and what you can't. (Rant over!)
I would agree with your doctor that you will suffer much less if you do NOT stop taking Cymbalta suddenly, however, I disagree COMPLETELY that the way to resolve your situation is to again take the dose you were taking before.
I forgot to ask you what dose you were on ????
I'd agree with your doctor than a lot of the nutritional stuff is not going to cancel out the effects, BUT (and it's a BIG but), we all have flow-on effects from withdrawal. Think of the physical tension that all of these symptoms then create. Some people have found the nutritional things help in this way - stopping things becoming a tidal wave.
Personally I didn't find the Omega3 made the slightest jot of difference to the brain zaps, but others have had a different experience. No harm in trying.
Also, many people may be a bit low on some vitamins etc naturally, or because their diet and exercise routine have been severely disrupted by Cybalta / Cymbalta withdrawal. The supplements may therefore 'take the edge' off some symptoms.
Regarding the Prozac, if you have a look through some of the posts, you'll find the answer to that. If, IF, you choose to not take Cymbalta again it may help a lot. I'll leave someone more capable than me to explain it, but the two work in different ways, and Prozac is reputedly easier to withdraw from than Cymbalta.
Hopefully Debbie or Junior will see you post about Prozac and explain why it works for some.
cheers, Maureen.
#17
Posted 02 November 2009 - 07:03 PM
Just quickly.. Cymbalta works on two chemical messengers, serotonin and norepinephrine. Prozac only works on serotonin. I think the theory is that by relieving the serotonin withdrawal it makes the process easier. Also, Prozac stays in the body longer than most of the anti-depressants and is therefore (generally speaking) easier to withdraw from. Hope that makes sense???????????
Gotta run =D
Junior
PS - For us Melburnians... go Alcopop!
#20
Posted 03 November 2009 - 02:08 PM
How's it going today? How are you feeling. Just hope your ok.
Just know if it becomes unmanageable you can always start
the weaning process at anytime!!! This new person who is
now telling how it work for her, that's great, but have never
ever heard of it, and it too is cold turkey.
Debbie
#21
Posted 03 November 2009 - 02:13 PM
Have your dr. prescribe you Prozac 20 mg. I got off of 60 mg. of Cymbalta by replacing it with Prozac 20 mg. for 4 days. I heard it can be done in 2, but I wanted to be on the safe side because I have experienced severe withdrawal when trying to quit cold turkey. It has to do with the longer life of Prozac which somehow combats the withdrawals of Cymbalta. It works!!!!! I have had no withdrawal. Been off Prozac and Cymbalta for 2 1/2 weeks.
haleyanne,
I am really jealous that that didn't work for so many thousands of us who have
had to join this place, and continue to suffer through some of the most horrible
side effects, and withdrawls no matter what we do, and yes some of us have done
the Prozac thing, and it didn't work. Also be aware that one can have the withdrawls
hit them further down the line.
You just got very luck that this drug didn't ruin your life like it did to so many of us.
Debbie
#23
Posted 03 November 2009 - 03:53 PM
Or that they would just come here, and maybe it was just the wording, and I took it wrong
but for me it did really startle me when I say this new repsonse saying to "Stop the waening
and just take prozac" Oh I thought what if thatt was all that was there when I got here, and
that was the only tool I had.
I only know that this place saved my life in so many ways, and so yes I am very protectice of
it, and might not be very tactful right now, which I don't want to hirt anyone feelings, but
I just want to make sure the the same information that was here for me is always what is
here for everypne else.
Of course we support you no matter how you dicide to come off this noxious crap, we have
been, and will continue to support everyone!!!! I know one persons statement won't do that
much damage, and that others here know everything about how to get off this drug the
bast way, well a much softer gentler way, that going cold turkey.
I am always grateful when a person can do something like that, I think it fantastic to not have
to go through what some of us have had to go through.
I just want everyone to get the same input that I did when I got here. If I offended you I am
sorry.
Debbie
#24
Posted 03 November 2009 - 06:53 PM
I have posted what worked for me. I hope someone finds it useful. I will stop wasting my "breath" for the person who dominates the forum. Good luck to all. Health and happiness.
haleyanne,
Debbie doesn't 'dominate' the forum in any way, shape or form.
She and I actually manage to disagree on some of the issues without any angst between us. People are entitled to different opinions, but please be careful with the way you express yourself.
As I said on the other 'Wean system .. ' thread, your first words were 'you don't need to do this wean ...'
It's fine to post your own experience, but many, many, many people have still had huge difficulty getting of Cymbalta even with the aid of Prozac, so 'telling' them they 'don't need to wean' is naturally going to get them offside.
Please let's all start again, because your input can be useful to those in the US who often have to stump up staggering amounts of money if they're not insured. Some have had little choice but to go cold turkey, and your advice to take Prozac is certainly valuable and can help.
Just try to write more from personal experience PERSPECTIVE, rather than treating your experience as fact.
I'm very glad there are people out there who don't have as much difficulty as some of us.
Take care, Maureen.
#25
Posted 03 November 2009 - 09:41 PM
I did write a long letter somewhere, and said that I was sorry. I even mentioned that it might have
been the wording.
Yes you, and I don't always agree, but I have never come up with anything like this before, and I
just kept finding thing writen by this person that had nothing to back it up, she had no web sites
to give to support her remarks.
My biggest thing is that I want this place like it wa when I got here,and not to start having people
just come in, and say "oh just stop weaning" and do ...........
It's like this things works as is, as far as people having to go cold turkey, and get their hopes up
that one dose of Prozac 20 mg will quit all their symptoms just frightens me. I just don't buy it.
We can all be kind, and supportive, and not agree with oneanother too! I just know that what I
have learned in 3 months being here is something not even the doctors know. That is was a
person who came up with this awesome detox process for alll of us that I am getting to see
actually work for so many.
Starting over, Peace,
Debbie
#26
Posted 04 November 2009 - 12:59 PM
#27
Posted 04 November 2009 - 01:19 PM
If you want to see where we all got this information, go back into the post to about Aug as when
I got here there was so much information here at that time.
There are posts that even have the beads counted down to 1 mg. People have been doing this here
for a very long time, one lady started in 2007, amnd just now took her last dose, she learned it all
from here, her name is redhead, read some of her posts.
It seems that you want us all to be open to your idea, but that you don't believe us in what we are
doing. I guess that's because you never had this drug do anything to you like it did to so many.
I am really grateful that you got so lucky, you really are. I would love had that worked for me, but
it didn't. That's proballly another rreason why I responded to the words that you wrote like I did, and
not you as a person.
Debbie
#28
Posted 04 November 2009 - 02:00 PM
#29
Posted 05 November 2009 - 02:52 AM
One of the truly awful things about Cymbalta is that it affects everyone so differently; the drug company is in denial about the number of people affected by the withdrawal (because if they had to provide 10mg, 5mg and 1mg capsules for those who need it no doctor would ever risk prescribing it).
I was pretty cranky myself yesterday two days out from taking my last dose.
If I'd known about the prozac option when i first started weaning I suspect I would have tried it. I was already a fair way along the slow weaning process by then. I actually found out on here about safely opening and splitting the doses.
Can you remember exactly what your doctor/pharmacist said about Cymbalta - did they said it was a slow release DRUG (correct) or a slow release CAPSULE (incorrect)??
The difference is huge. All over the place, including here until a week or so ago you'll find comments about taking the beads on their own meaning 'you've had the whole dose all at once', which didn't make sense to me, ONLY because I've actually been on a slow release drug, and the capsule is like a rock. I knew that the Cymbalta/gelatine capsule would dissolve in your stomach, which mean there was little difference in taking it that way, or swallowing the beads whole, so I did a little experiment.
I dropped both empty capsules into blood warm water (the stomach's normal contents would dissolve it even faster), I couldn't even turn around to turn the timer on before they'd dissolved - about 30 seconds, so I realized then that there was no way the beads were going to get beyond your stomach. I did a bit of googling and found it was referred to as a slow release drug - that the beads were slow release, which is what I'd expected.
So if someone's desperate, they CAN just take half of a capsule's contents, PROVIDED they take great care not to damage any of them.
Again, I'm glad you've come back, we all accept that Prozac can be of benefit with withdrawals, but for many it just takes the edge off them. I'm very glad for you that it worked so well. You must have been particularly pleased given your previous experience.
kind regards, Maureen.
#30
Posted 05 November 2009 - 08:26 AM
Wow... some interesting posts. One thing I have learned from reading so many of these posts is that we are all different. I have jumped around and read old posts and then even older posts. One thing we all concur on... Cymbalta is hell to come off of. I appreciate everyone's honesty and quite frankly I welcomed all the opinions. The prozac thing is a tough choice. I have to say I finally tried it. I think I was at the point of trying something that made a little sense to me ( not that I have sense). I feel like an invalid. No driving... hardly functioning... super sensitivity to noise and lights. My doctor gave me a prescription for prozac... 30 days worth of 20mg. She was kind of harsh on me the day before that visit. I think she read the information and also read the posts that night and when I saw her in the office the next day she could not have been more caring and understanding. The seratonin is what is affected and stopping Cymbalta depletes the amount your brain was used to. Prozac can help. Maybe not everyone. No promises. She said it was up to me how I did it. I could try the one dose plan or the 5 dose. Some people have luck with one dose. Some do 5 every other day. She gave me examples and a lot of support. The biggest support I got was from here. First of all knowing that I was not alone in my hell. Everything I am doing I picked and pieced together from you wonderful people. I am drinking lots of fluids, taking vitamins, paying closer attention to my blood sugar and forcing myself to MOVE my body. I have taken two doses of the Prozac. The brain zaps have dimished by 80%. I have more moments of feeling normal now. Thank you!
I think it is great advice to read through as many posts as you are able to... jump around. Gather your information and form your plan. It doesn't matter if you read it from another person or you read a medical article. The important thing for me was seeing what people were saying. What helped them and what didn't. I am so glad that I had so many options, theories and stories to go by. It all came from this site and you super people. Thank you. Good luck to everyone. I will keep you posted on my recovery....
Day 9 no Cymbalta
Day 2 of Prozac
Minimal brain zaps - still dizzy - still tired but sleeping so much better. Able to watch TV. Still sensitive to noise and light. Still battling headaches.
I plan to skip today's prozac... so we will see.
Thank you to all of you...
Wynter
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users