5 replies to this topic

[edgeofsane]

Hello good people, I am a new member and have been coming off Cymbalta 60 mg for a week, and it is a real meany to come off. I am going to go get me some natural substances to help from what I have read. Not sure how long I have been on Cymbalta, I think around 2yrs. I have taken Welbutrin, Effexor, Paxil, Prozac, Lexapro and a couple of others that I can't think of in the past. Been taking anti- depressants for 10? years, and I am sick of it, they have cost me job(s) and independance for long enough. I hope I can continue to be strong and get off this garbage. I wish you all well and hope to be active in the forums to help others.

[nursedeborah]

I am about to try again to get off this crap....60 Mgs for 5 years. Has anyone heard of taking prozac during the weaning off period????

Tate,
Yes you can get Prozac 20 mg or what ever dose your doc thinks is right for you.
My case, as is everone elses is different, but I would suggest taking it daily
until you get off the Cymbalta, and then wean off of it.

Some here, about 3 have been able to take one dose, and be done with it, but this
is not at all normal, and like me you have been on this drug a very long time, and
that person was not. I am not saying that people who have been on this a month or
so don't have withdrawls, but I have just seen a difference for those who have been
on this for years.

What you do is just reduce by 10 beads every 2 weeks until your done. I started on
Aug 31, 09, and I am at 30 beads.

You can do this, if that amount is too much you can also add a few, or if you can
tolerate more that's great, but just don't try to go down too fast as you will hit
dirt.

Good Luck,
Debbie

[bcgirl45]

I am about to try again to get off this crap....60 Mgs for 5 years. Has anyone heard of taking prozac during the weaning off period????

Hi Tate, there are some of us that have had luck with using prozac for shorterm only then off of prozac. I haven't read on the forums of anyone using it for one dose of 20mg as said above, perhaps that information was taken out of context. So here we go, I took 10 mg of prozac for 10 days, it did help alleviate some of the withdrawals easier, it was still hard but it worked. If you look on the forum title "weaning off cymbalta" under title(successfully off of cymbalta-by Frisky Kitty), she had success as well shorterm use only,there are discussions under there that you can map to find people for reference. Steve, a week at 10 mg. My title "successfully off cymbalta using prozac shorterm" by bcgirl45 in the "weaning off of cymbalta" forum, shows where I got my initial reference by googling, hubpages.com weaning off cymbalta what the doctors don't tell you. The woman Byee, usid prozac for 30 days only at 10 mg. I'm starting to wonder if the length of time on cymbalta,(after reading so many discussions) dictates how hard it is to get off, re: withdrawals. And what timeline you would need if you introduced prozac, over a wk, month, etc. We're are all so different in how our body responds to the meds. and the individual tapering methods. If your are on any other medications, lot's of variables. Because of the short half life of cymbalta you have to slow wean to control daily withdrawals(so you can function daily), IF the prozac worked for you, it simply just speeds up the timeline cymbalta wean process, because the withdrawals are less, you can get off cymbalta quicker. Prozac's life is much longer, less or no withdrawals. If you have any questions, I check back. 1 women got high blood pressure on prozac etc, so once again it's different for everyone, timelines etc. But it has worked for some of us shortterm. MaureenV and Nursedeborah are very informative with specific tapering re: splitting capsuls. The support here is unbelievable. With enough information, you decide what works by monitoring your symptons. Off of cymbalta 2mos and counting used prozac for about 10 days. Was on cymbalta 13mos. Very sick on it. Good Luck, Tracy

[nursedeborah]

Thanks everyone for your help. I started my 20 mg of Prozac today and I will start my weaning process tomorrow from 60 mg to 30 mg of Cymbalta for 2 weeks and 20 for 2 weeks...see how that goes. Bynee's websites and comments give me hope that I can go down MG's that quick. Or I may have to reduce beads like you Debbie. How many are in a 60 mg capsule...360????

This is my third attempt. All other attempts lead me back to Cymbalta because I told myself I needed it and it ended relationships and I tore up my house. I get mean as a snake. This time I have a fiance, so things HAVE to be different.

Keep you posted...thanks again to all.

Tate,
That is dropping way to fast!!! Even with the Prozac!!! It's not going
to be any different in your success rate in getting off this drug, or
the withdrawl symptoms that you had before. Also you will be so miserable.

The best method, and still the only one that I even believe in, and now am finding
it on other site's is to reduce by 10% every 2 weeks.

The new site I just was turned onto even said it takes over a year to get off
these drugs, and I now think I even went too fast for me!

The one site is http://ssristories.com, and the other is http://www.drugawareness.org

I was so amazed at what I learned there about these drugs, I am going to really give
myself a big break, and really just stay where I am for awhile. I had gotten caught
up again in trying to get off this as fast as I could, and it only made the withdrawl
symptoms come back full blown.

As for the bead count it is 540 for a 60 mg cap


30 mg = 270 beads
20 mg = 180 beads
10 mg = 90 beads
5 mg = 45 mg
1 mg = 9 beads

This is the count, and the best known way is to just reduce by 10 beads every 2 weeks,
and taking the Prozac 20 mg daily will help with the withdrawls. To what degree, it just
all depends on the person.

Let me know what your going to do, don't want anything to happen with this new relationship:)


Debbie

[tp225]

Hey Debbie,

I must say that I have not had one withdrawal symptom. They normally start around lunch time the following day. I am taking the Prozac plus Vitamin D- 10,000IU, Fish Oil Pills and Magnesium. On another site I visited some people on it have had the same results as me with Prozac. They got off Cymbalta in two weeks then off Prozac in 2 weeks. All is well for now. This is my 4th attempt so I know by now what to look out for. Thanks for your email. Maybe this could be a savior for other people.....keep you posted. Oh, my fiance is on Lexapro and trying to wean herself off that as well.

Good times.....

Tate

[edgeofsane]

Please keep us informed on what is happening tate. I can still feel vertigo in the morning before I take my stuff. I think my first post may have been misleading, I am not cold turkey, I backed down to 30mg of Cymbalta, and am trying formula that blackhawk27 put up in "THIS WORKS NOTE CONSULT a professional & at own risk"

5-HTP 200mg Time Release
L-Tyrosine 500
Vitamin B-6 200
a Multi-�B� vitamin
and Omega 3 with GLA

I do also take 80mg/12.5 mg of a blood pressure med called Diovan/HCT. I was lead to believe he was coming off cold turkey. I am doing a couple of changes though. I haven't been drinking the Detox tea cause I am still actually on the Cymbalta. I haven't done any of the alchohol suggestions (not that I won't heh heh). I didn't get the time release 5-HTP, because the regular was 1/2 off, so I am taking 100mg 5-HTP in morn and 100mg 5-HTP in evening. I am taking "Spring Valley" triple strength fish oil 1400mg for 1 pill, because I had already purchased and the lady at the health store told me just to take it before I got any other, don't see "GLA" in it anywhere that I know of. Lady also advised me that some people take a tremendous amount of fish oil, but I am still kinda scared to take to much of a good thing. However, I am taking 2 pills a day (breakfast, dinner)and have taken 3 a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner). The multivitamin I take is Up & Up brand by Target "Men's daily multivitamin w/ lycopene".

Like i said I still feel the vertigo in the morning, so I am still hesitant to back off of the 30mg of Cymbalta just yet. I have been tired on some days, but I was like that before I started weaning period, so is hard to judge. I have seemed to notice that taking the 5-HTP (I believe) makes me little tired at first, but then picks me up? I think I am going to try the "Sleepytime Tea" to help calm me for bed in the evenings. I know going from 60mg to 30mg was a jump, but I was already there before I found this place and started any other supplementals, so I just stayed the course. I hope everyone who is trying to get off this stuff can be successful, just REMEMBER, be mindful of your thoughts and feelings, your body is adjusting. I have done stupid things in the past, but had forgotten I had actually missed a dose or two of my Cymbalta. I am notorious of forgetting to take my meds.

KNOWING that you are doing this really helps to combat the feelings (physical, mental) you may experience. I hope to be successful, thanks for your thoughts, prayers, and PM's I have received. Now I must go count some beads, due to only have 60mg tablets left and I needs 30's