2 replies to this topic

[cdw]

So I am need of some help as to what dose do I take now???


I guess I will start at the beginning. I have been taking 120 mg of Cymbalta for over 2 1/2 years for pain. The 120 mg is the recommended dose for (diabetic) neuropathic pain. I have severe chronic perineal pain from the birth of my first child (but that's another very long story ) I felt I had some improvement in my pain symptoms upon starting this med but recently felt that I was not benefiting from the drug any longer and my sex drive was severely suffering with this drug. I decided that I would discontinue the drug with 'slow' taper. I did discuss it with my pain specialist, who prescribes it, briefly. I use to be a medical professional working in Family Medicine. I have prescribed anti-depressant many many times and discontinued with tapers many many times. I personally have tapered and discontinued Zoloft years ago after an episode of postpartum depression without complications.

However, I feel like $@!* trying to taper Cymbalta. From what I am reading on this forum and others, I am having the withdrawal side-effects. Migraines, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hot/cold flashes. I took 60 mgs for at least a month but have tried to discontinue with 30 over the past 2 weeks. The worst symptoms have occurred over the past 3-4 days when I have attempted to go to 30 mgs every other day. Now, I am aware that this is not possible for a large percentage of Cymbalta users.

SO my question is do I go back to try to stabilize myself at the 30mg or 60 mgs. I have 2 small children and need to function which is not possible with these migraines and vomiting!! Either way I know now, thanks to this forum, that I will have to taper very very slowly and will be counting the balls soon.

If I ever go back to working again, I will NOT be prescribing Cymbalta and I will be having a long discussion with my neurologist!

Thanks for your help!

[MaureenV]

So I am need of some help as to what dose do I take now???


I guess I will start at the beginning. I have been taking 120 mg of Cymbalta for over 2 1/2 years for pain. The 120 mg is the recommended dose for (diabetic) neuropathic pain. I have severe chronic perineal pain from the birth of my first child (but that's another very long story ) I felt I had some improvement in my pain symptoms upon starting this med but recently felt that I was not benefiting from the drug any longer and my sex drive was severely suffering with this drug. I decided that I would discontinue the drug with 'slow' taper. I did discuss it with my pain specialist, who prescribes it, briefly. I use to be a medical professional working in Family Medicine. I have prescribed anti-depressant many many times and discontinued with tapers many many times. I personally have tapered and discontinued Zoloft years ago after an episode of postpartum depression without complications.

However, I feel like $@!* trying to taper Cymbalta. From what I am reading on this forum and others, I am having the withdrawal side-effects. Migraines, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hot/cold flashes. I took 60 mgs for at least a month but have tried to discontinue with 30 over the past 2 weeks. The worst symptoms have occurred over the past 3-4 days when I have attempted to go to 30 mgs every other day. Now, I am aware that this is not possible for a large percentage of Cymbalta users.

SO my question is do I go back to try to stabilize myself at the 30mg or 60 mgs. I have 2 small children and need to function which is not possible with these migraines and vomiting!! Either way I know now, thanks to this forum, that I will have to taper very very slowly and will be counting the balls soon.

If I ever go back to working again, I will NOT be prescribing Cymbalta and I will be having a long discussion with my neurologist!

Thanks for your help!

If the experience of others is anything to go by, you should feel much better very quickly by taking 30mg again. One(!) good thing about Cymbalta is that you know very quickly after you revert to a previous dose if it's enough for you. Some feel well within hours.

As you've discovered, the every second day thing is useless with Cymbalta. We've seen an occasional person post here who's had no problem with it, but my guess is that they're one of the one who wouldn't have had much problem whichever way they went.

regards, Maureen.

[MaureenV]

I had been on 60mg for over a year, have been on some sort of ssri for 3 to 4 years. I was told to do the 60's every other day, then went to 30's which they suggested every 2 days and then 3 days, you know the drill. I wasnt prepared for the symptoms and delt with them for about 5 weeks.
at the beginning of march i needed a change. i opened a 30 capsule and counted out about 300 beads, average. taking a pill every other day, two days or 3 days put me on such a rollercoast i knew i had to change my approach. I emptied out a whole bottle of capsules and started counting out my own dosage and took one EVERY day. at this point I was at the point where I was taking 30 mg every other day, so I counted out 100 beads, put them in an empty capsule and have been taking one every day, its about a 10 mg dose. What a difference, the symptoms have all but gone. after a month, I will cut bead count in half, and the next month do the same. You can get empty caspules online and they are cheap. Its a pain in the but to count the beads out but i am getting faster at it and it sooo beats being dizzy and nauseated all day. I hope this helps! and goodluck to everyone.

Opening the capsules and dividing the contents is the only realistic way to wean off Cymbalta and you'll find thousands of posts on this board talking about it and how it's the best way to go, so good on you for following your instincts and trying out something.

I'd be interested to where you are in the world, and where you bought the empty capsules. It's a very frequently asked question here, so I started a thread on it 'Where to buy ...'. Because I'm in Australia, that's not going to help most, so would you be kind enough to post a comment on that thread, saying where you are and where you bought them?


kind regards, Maureen.