23 replies to this topic

[mendozen]

It has been exactly 2 weeks since I began my withdrawal from Cymbalta. I am on day 2 completely Cymbalta free. The symptoms are hardly noticable, so I want to share what I did to achieve this.

Two weeks ago, my Doc told me to cut down from 90mg to 30mg overnight. I could definatly feel the change as I had all the withdrawal symptoms commonly suffered. This was a wednesday. So thursday, and friday I took 30mg then saturaday nothing. This is what she told me to do, she then told me to just take one every other day if I felt bad. After thinking about this recommendation, it occured to me that it made absolutely no sense at all. Wouldn't this just create a up-down affect? YES! So instead I decided to do this my own way. Her way didn't work, I felt horrible, and saw no light at the end of the tunnel.

Every day, I open up a new Cymbalta capsule and pour a little bit more out. It is such a miniscual amount, your body and brain cannot tell the difference. After two weeks I got down to having no more to pour out at all, hence not taking any Cymbalta at all for the past two days. So how do I feel without any of the drug in my system. Well, pretty damn good. I still have slight brain zaps, but they are sooo slight, they aren't even all that noticable. Those are the only symptoms left. I have been walking my dog, visiting with family friends, cleaning house, I feel better than I have in 3 years since I began this journey. The abilities to proform past activies feels completely normal. I have tried to wean off before where I felt the can do actions in myself, but it was more of a cracked out feeling as my body was trying to over compensate for the missing chemicals.

Over the past two weeks when I started to do it MY way, I also started taking high quality Omega-3 and b-12. The b-12 is taken sublingaly so it is directly absorbed into the bloodstream. If you are dificent in b-12 you will have: low energy, depression...http://en.wikipedia..../B12_Deficiency.
Through your withdrawal I suggest taking b-12. When you do your research on the vitamin you too will realize how important it is to take through this process.

I thought this was going to take mounths to accomplish as this is my 3rd try. The way I did it this time worked. Pour a little more out each day as you go on until you reach none. I feel good. Few hardly noticable zaps, normal energy, and no hermit like feelings. Any more advice on how I did this, please ask. I want us all to get off this stuff. We are responsible for our own health. Not a doctor, not your mom, not a drug, YOU.

I also know I am one person, but I feel that since I have tried every other way to do this and this way worked, it should be tried. When you think about it, it really does make a lot of sence to do it this way.

Take walks in the sunshine, get therapy (with a therapist or a dog).

[Sarah J]

Excellent Mendozen!!! So glad for you. You are so correct that "every other day" will give you the up/down effect. You were wise to start the weaning process yourself. It is frightening that the prescribing doctors are giving out the advice of Eli Lilly, which, from the number of people who are posting here, does not work.

I didn't find this site until I was about 3 weeks into cold turkey. I did contemplate your method, but honestly, after I made it through the first week without Cymbalta, I vowed to never put Cymbalta in my body again.

Omega 3 and Vitamin B are great to take when going through this. I also took vitamin D as well.

Pray that the third time is a charm for you. And walking the dog(s) helps also.

Please, even while you are feeling better, continue to post here, success stories are hard to find and yours could really help others.

[cstrommer]

Thank you. I started cutting down my dose too the last two days. My one friend scolded me for not calling my dr. He told me to go every other day, which I did. Then I was feeling really bad when I went 3 days. So I just cut down the dose like you. Today I haven't taken anything yet (except the omega 3). We'll see. You're encouraging. I think I can do it in 2 weeks too!

[mendozen]

I wanted to add the way I took the Cymbalta...
When you break the capsule open you will see the pellets only fills half of the capsule on the shorter end..this is the end I used to measure. When opening the capsule I would make sure all the pellets would be in the taller end. I would then pour the amount needed each day into the shorter end. This way you know you are cutting back everyday. After this I would pour it in a drink, water or sometimes V8, and stir it up. The first time I did this I noticed my tongue was numb from being in direct contact with the pellets...sounds healthy right? haha.

[mendozen]

Also, it takes 6 weeks are longer for you body to adjust to taking an anti depressant. For me, at least, when I first started with the pills I was so tired all the time, almost comatose. We must all think lodgically about this. If it takes 6 weeks for your body to adjust having the drug, it will most likely take 6 weeks for your natural chemicals to start functioning on their own again.
One other thing, if you do tapper off like I did, when you get down to having just a tiny bit left, take this amount for maybe 3 days before you cut it out completely. If you dont feel like you can cut down a little more, do not do it. Do not make your brain work harder than it needs to. This is a delicate process and must be treated with care. The slower you do it, the better you will feel, and the faster you will get off!

[schmb01]

I did almost the exact same thing, and on day 2 felt really good. This is day 4 at zero, and last night was horrid. I am so disappointed because I felt so wonderful on day 2 and most of day 3. I've only slept about 3 hours, because I can't seem to sleep. I want to, but the zaps literally jolt me awake! Also, I'm having a hugely emotional day, almost like my first meltdown day when I dropped from 90 to 60 to 30 then zero in a week.

I almost want to double the Omega 3 dose, but I'm sure that has some downfalls as well.

I'm so encouraged to read that it is going well for you, and when I can get my arms around "logic" I know this will take 6-8 weeks to get back to some level of normal. The scary thing is, that logic seems pretty illusive sometimes, even when I'm having my "self talks"!

[Sarah J]

I agree with both of you Mendozen and schmb01. Today when I saw my new shrink we talked about getting me off of Celexa and how to do it. s l o w l y, proceed with extreme caution.

I did question her about how long from your last dose of Cymbalta it should take for one to feel better.
She said: If the dosage is reduced slowly and correctly, you should feel slight withdrawal (never uncomfortable, like you are losing your mind) for the first week and relief by the middle of the second. Again, withdrawal should not make anybody feel like they are on the brink of insanity and if it does, a caring doctor is essential, take your doctor any and all information you can find about other peoples trials and tribulations on weaning.

Being safe and smart and taking it delicately is important. I hope that my cold turkey 45 day descent into total withdrawal too quickly will deter some people from going that route. I too felt that by the 6 week mark off I would be experiencing some sort of excellent relief, but it was not enough for me to reach out because I could not have taken feeling so much despair any longer. I can go on and on about how I did what my previous doctor said about going off Cymbalta, but that is water under the bridge now. He didn't even know there were 20mg capsules available. YIKES.

Glad to hear that you are both doing well. Take it easy - you are rock stars with your efforts. And schmb - don't be afraid to sleep tonight. Giving yourself some good rest will let you repair on a cellular level - man do we all need that right now.

[mendozen]

Thanks for your passing of advise from your doctor Sarah. It seems like you really hit the jackpot with this Doctor, and it means sooo much that your sharing the info. It really saves everyone a lot of trouble!

[That1TyGuy]

Wow, that is very inspirational for all of those people still fighting the withdrawal symtoms. Hopefully your story will effect those others that are going through the same things and help make a few others get over the symtoms.

Thank you so much for your kind story.

[registeroff]

My journey has been a long one. Back in October my physician put me on Cymbalta after having taken me off of Lexapro. I eventually got up to 90 mg (the Dr wanted me to go to 120mg) before I decided enough of this garbage. So I began to read and study withdrawal methods. I have been on reading about the Orthomolecualr method. I started taking 5-HTP at nite (300 mg total) which increases serotonin. I also took sublingual Melatonin (3 mg) along with the Klonopin (0.50 mg at nite, 0.25 mg in the morning) my doctor has me on. I began to sleep better. I then added Nicainamide 2000 mg, Omega 3 oil 2000 mg and Vitamin C 2000 mg daily. Then I started weaning myself. My capsules were 30 mg, so I would take out 1/3 of the "pellets" to get to an estimated 80 mg. I did this for 1 month. I then went down to 70 mg doing the same thing for 1 month. I kept at this process Through January until I was down to 40 mg. I spoke with my new physician and he encouraged me to reduce my reduction time to every week, I instead chose 10 days. I was doing good until I got to 20mg then 10 mg. At that point I noticed my sleep being effected, and easily getting angry and irritated. But I kept at it. Friday, 3/7/08 I took my last 10 mg and Saturday and Sunday (yesterday and today) have been very difficult. I feel like I am in a fog, and even though I am sleeping ok I feel "drugged" when I wake up. Yesterday afternoon and this afternoon I just began to cry and feel just horrible. Nausea and burning sensations in my neck and extremities. I did take a little extra Klonopin (.125 mg) this afternoon and it helps some, but my desire is to eventually get off of it as well, so I don't want to increase that if I can help it. After two days I am questioning if 10 days between reductions was enough and if I need to go back to 20 mg for 20 days, then 15 mg (est) 20 days, 10 mg (20 days) and then 5 mg (est, for 20 days). Any advice or counsel on this? Thanks

[Carlyn]

I am wondering now that it is few more days since you have taken any cymbalta if you are experiencing any sleep problems, dizziness or other symptom? If so do you feel they are less than they would have been? I know that I felt better and than had a relaspe. I have been told medicine can stay in your system in clumps in your blood and be released more strongly at times. I wish you all the best and really hope all keeps going well.

[BearJear]

I went down gradually taking more and more of the little beads out each dose until i had nothing left and i've felt just as bad as those who have stopped cold turkey?? what wrong with me.. I've been totally off for about 2 weeks and i'm still having terrible panic attacks.. and my ears are still ringing! HELP!

[mslilrose]

Let's see. I checked my last post. It was Feb. 28 and Day 6 into my cymbalta withdrawal. I was going through some kind of hell, with electrical shocks in my head being my worse, most unbearable, symptom. Thank you for this forum for letting me know my symptoms were typical. What I didn't like was reading how long they could last. After reading a recommendation from a pharmacologist on another site, I called my Doctor and told her I needed to take 20 mg. of prozac to help me through. Upon my second day of prozac(day 8 post cymbalta stoppage), I felt fine. I came off prozac a few years back, uneventfully. I anticipate no problems. Just want to put some time and distance from when I stopped cymbalta before I come off the prozac. It's been 18 days since I stopped taking cymbalta, and I feel quite normal.

[Sarah J]

Right On! Awesome. Love to hear the good stuff.

[mendozen]

registeroff,

It sounds like you were doing it the right way before your Dr. told you to cut down so quickly. I am glad that you went with decreasing every 10 days rather than 7, but you were doing so well month by month, maybe you should go back to doing it that way. Although your Dr. has the best intensions, the affects of withdrawal are so different for each individual. If you can, go back to tappering off the same rate as before.

I have a confession. In my first post of this topic I was doing really very well. However, I hadn't yet cut down to taking no Cymbalta at all. Last week I felt I had so little left in each capsule and was feeling so good, that I would just stop taking it. It has been about 7 days and my feeling are about the same as yours. Irritable beyond believe and cranky. Yesterday was better and today even better. Last night I went on a run, but made it a hard run to get the endorphins going. I really believe that helped my mood (my mom told me to do this good advice). Exercise, although hard to do when you are not feeling well, is the best medicine. My mom wants me to get back on the Cymbalta where I left off and only tapper down a tiny bit each week, instead of day, over the course of 6 weeks. Although this is solid advice, I feel as though I would back back tracking, as I no longer have withdrawal symptoms other than the noted irritablity and crankiness.

So, I do hope that you did not go down quicker than you were before after reading my blog. Do what is best for you. Your Dr. is a highly educated machanic and he is trying all these aproches just as you are.
Does this help?

[Sarah J]

Mendozen,

If you take even one pellet of the Cymbalta, it might possibly start your withdrawal process all over again. (this statement comes from my new doctor)

I would hate to see you negate all of your hard work and efforts, but do want for you to be safe. And yes, exercise does help.

I found this on the web and other posters have said that the Prozac thing worked for them, you may wish to discuss this with your doctor:
http://depression.ab.../withdrawal.htm

Here is the first tip from the link:
1. A Single Dose of Prozac (Fluoxetine)

According to Dr. Ivan Goldberg: "The administration of a single 20 mg capsule of fluoxetine usually does the job. The withdrawal symptoms are relieved within hours and the patient goes through a slow fluoxetine withdrawal that is usually symptomless. If the individual had been on a high dose of paroxetine or venlafaxine, a second 20 mg of of fluoxetine may be needed."

[schmb01]

registeroff,

It sounds like you were doing it the right way before your Dr. told you to cut down so quickly. I am glad that you went with decreasing every 10 days rather than 7, but you were doing so well month by month, maybe you should go back to doing it that way. Although your Dr. has the best intensions, the affects of withdrawal are so different for each individual. If you can, go back to tappering off the same rate as before.

I have a confession. In my first post of this topic I was doing really very well. However, I hadn't yet cut down to taking no Cymbalta at all. Last week I felt I had so little left in each capsule and was feeling so good, that I would just stop taking it. It has been about 7 days and my feeling are about the same as yours. Irritable beyond believe and cranky. Yesterday was better and today even better. Last night I went on a run, but made it a hard run to get the endorphins going. I really believe that helped my mood (my mom told me to do this good advice). Exercise, although hard to do when you are not feeling well, is the best medicine. My mom wants me to get back on the Cymbalta where I left off and only tapper down a tiny bit each week, instead of day, over the course of 6 weeks. Although this is solid advice, I feel as though I would back back tracking, as I no longer have withdrawal symptoms other than the noted irritablity and crankiness.

So, I do hope that you did not go down quicker than you were before after reading my blog. Do what is best for you. Your Dr. is a highly educated machanic and he is trying all these aproches just as you are.
Does this help?

I think you are right to not go back on any Cymbalta at this point, you would just start over with the nasties again. Just tell yourself while you are cranky that it is the drug, and it will pass. LOL, I have to say that to myself constantly, because as of day 10 without any of that poison, I'm stuck in "bitch" mode! The worst of it is, I have actually smacked my dog a few times when she has done something wrong, then I want to cry because I feel so guilty! Ughhh, I hate these mood swings!

[greeneyedlady]

i have been on only 20mg for the past 2 years. what is also not disclosed about Cymbalta is hypertension. If you are predisposed to it like I am (that's why I had to stop Effexor XR) then be careful. My doc took me off cold turkey. Today is day 4. It's just as bad as getting off Effexor but thankfully I am not nauseus just really bad headaches and dizziness, blurry vision. Today seems to be worse than yesterday. I know it will get worse before better but I have GOT to get off this stuff. I've tried almost everything. This was recommended by my therapist. What a mistake. I have never felt great on this stuff. Always sleepy, loss of energy and interest.

But how you did your withdrawal is pretty smart. I would never have thought about that. I am on the lowest dose so this would have worked had I found this post sooner. But I didn't and I figure another 4-5 days it should hopefully be out of my system.

I am so surprised to see how many people have had problems with Cymbalta and the over 50 withdrawal side effects that can happen, some quite severe. It makes me angry that the FDA would approve such a pill and that Eli Lilly is making a bundle off of it. It's not a cheap drug either.

So, unless I really have no recourse but meds, I do not ever want to be on any antiD again...I started taking kickboxing classes and drinking more water because I am also very dehydrated which is also a withdrawal symptom. Glad to know I am not alone and thank you for sharing.
8-)

[jessess]

I would like to suggest that many distributions, i.e., the range at which people display symptoms of something, can be estimated by a bell shaped curve. Many distributions in life end up looking like a bell shaped curve when plotted.

And everyone is different. In so many ways. Some have just depression, no life and sit around a lot. Others have depression, 3 kids, fybromyalgia and a jog. Some just have fybromyalgia.

So for me it is easy to see why some (will we ever really know the true percentage, although I believe it to be a relatively low number) have AD withdrawals and others do not. As stated elsewhere around here, we are not hearing from the patients who had no problems quitting AD's.

Each of us must deal as best we can with our situation. I am going to see how I feel tomorrow and reevaluate/review my options, as I am going to do the next day. Day by day.

[mendozen]

Prior to writing this, I failed to check and see when my first post was describing my issues coming off of this drug, and when it was I had began to wean. My guess would be mid Jan, so around 2.5 months. It has been over two months sense I have had any anti-depressants in my body; I was on Cymbalta for a year, and other antidepressants since 2005. I knew it was time to get off when I realized they just weren't helping me get back to my regular self before I was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder. I by no means should have been placed on drugs for this condition and should have been referred to a counselor to help me through my issues. The anti-depressants I was put on, caused me to fall into an actual depression.

I have had no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever for 1.5 months, meaning it took approximately 6 weeks for symptoms to completely disappear. No more brain zaps, nausea, depression...nothing. I was lucky, however, to spend 1 week of the 6 week hell at home with my parents. I had spring break and with the support I had, and the push I had from my family and friends I kept with it, and potentially helped me ignore the symptoms which at this point it had been off the drugs for 3 weeks so the symptoms were lighter.

I wanted to comment on a statement from Jessess:
"And everyone is different. In so many ways. Some have just depression, no life and sit around a lot. Others have depression, 3 kids, fybromyalgia and a jog. Some just have fybromyalgia."

.... My mom was diagnosed with fibromyalgia probably 6 or 7 years ago and lived with the diagnosis for a couple years. She did not want to settle with this diagnosis so she found another Dr. Guess what her ACTUAL diagnosis was????? VITAMIN D deficiency! She started to take prescription vitamin D and she is completely better. She also suffers from depression and has begun to wean from her meds as well. The diagnosis of fibromyalgia is VERY commonly a misdiagnosis. If you haven’t had Vitamin D deficiency ruled out yet, please see your DR. it could be life changing.

Aside from that, I did think your comment was a little hurtful, being so judgmental to people out there. I don’t have kids, but I do have a full-time job and I am a full-time student. I am sure that people with depression and that are on this site do have a life, and work, otherwise they would be homeless people living on the streets!

[schmb01]

My hope is that we are here to support each other, not judge or assume the circumstances.

That is interesting about the vitamin D deficiency. I think many of us would be surprised at what deficiencies in many nutrients can do to us. What a blessing for your Mom!!! She probably feels like a new woman, doesn't she? That is amazing.

I, like you, felt MORE depressed when on anti depressants. I feel normal waves of sadness now and then, but the key is "normal". I wish most doctors would take more time in determining the best course of treatment for people. I will never let someone just shove a pill at me again. I will do my research first for sure.

[samantha]

So my doctor told me to go to 30's for two weeks and then stop completely. When seemed insane but I did it. Today is the second day and nothing and I can't walk and am dizzy and feel tingly all over. I just dumped out most of a 60 and took that, hopefully it will help, I can't go all day like this and tomorrow I have to go to work! (I'm a lawyer so must be coherent at work). I'm trying to get pregnant and my doctor told me Cymbalta wasn't safe. Now I'm wondering if I should have ever been on it. They said not to stop suddenly but they made it sound like there was a way to stop without feeling like your head is going to fall off at any minute! I think my doctor should have warned me stronger. I've been on Cymbalta for two years and it did help considerably. I have chronic pain from a surgery I had in 1987 and it leads to fatigue and depression.

[samantha]

Thanks, I'm glad I found this website. I still have a bottle of 60's so I can try the weaning down for a while by pouring out a little a day. I did that this morning after I found this website. I still feel my heartbeat very strongly though and am very dizzy. Hopefully that will fade soon. The funny thing is that my doctor had me do that when I went on them by pouring out a little less every day until I got up to 60 so I don't know why she didn't suggest it for going off of them. I am taking Omega 3's and a prenatal vitamin already (they told me to do that 3 months before trying to get pregnant) so maybe that will help since some people here have talked about Omega 3's and B-12 (prenatal vitamins are high in all the B vitamins). Thanks for posting a reply, I will check in tomorrow.

[mendozen]

Samantha,

Keep up the good work with your weaning. Since experiencing this turmoil I have found that slower is better. I am sure you are already anxious over the fact that you are trying to get pregnant, so just take it day by day and know that in the [u]near[u] future, this will be over. I suggest pouring out a pellets every other day, in small amounts, as well as taking the omega-3's, B's (especially B-12, it gives you natural energy), 15-20 min a day of sunshine (sit on a park bench and enjoy the relaxation of nature, it is regenerating and useful for the stressful life you may be leading as a lawyer), and a short walk after dinner. If you do ALL of these I promise you will get better faster than if you don’t. Also, eat fruits and vegetables (I drank greens I got from a vitamin store). A well balanced diet truly helps with fogginess and fatigue (I am a lover of junk food so this one was tough) because it gives you cellular energy.

As I said before, it took me approximately 3 months to be completely free of withdrawal symptoms, and I had them bad. Keep up with your regular life, as sleeping and watching TV contribute to depression and allow you to be more aware of your withdrawal. You have got to make yourself get out into that sunshine!

Naomi