1 reply to this topic

[mgallo1968]

I was on Cymbalta for about two years. I have a twin sister (identical) and we have sort of been down the same road with our depression over the years. We both have bipolar in our families and though we don't meet the criteria exactly for bipolar we both have been told we meet many of the characteristics (like mild bipolar for lack of a better description). Anyway, she , like me, was on an antidepressant and was wondering if it was really helping and we both have had trouble with weight gain and also had tried lamicatl as a mood stabilizer along with the anti depressant AND we both had an allergic reaction to the lamictal (which by the way was working fabulously for both of us) and had to quit taking. SOOOO, my sister decides to get off her antidepressant to just see how she did - she has been off for about a year and is doing well and has dropped about 30 pounds without much difficulty. So I start thinking about this and am wondering the same thing - is the antidepressant helping and also I am wondering is it making things worse in terms of the whole bipolar possibility/issue. Talked to my goofy psychiatrist about getting off to see how I would do. She told me to step down over like a week and did not say anything about thewithdrawl. After one week I was totally freaking out, crying constantly, feeling so sick and I was worried about taking care of my five children. I couldn't function. At the time I thought: "Wow that Cymbalta really WAS helping me, that did not work (getting off)". So I got right back on. My doctor just called in a new RX and not a word about it. I think now that I don't really know how I would have done because I was just withdrawing from the medicine. Then I switched to a new REAL doctor. We talked about various things and ended up deciding to try Well butrin so I am transitioning from Cymbalta to Well butrin. I took 60mg AND Wellbutrin for a week, then a week of 1/2 dose of each and now am off Cymbalta and only on Wellbutrin. I am a complete freak. Now about 3 1/2 weeks. Been off Cymbalta completely for a week or so. Do I just suck it up from here ?

[QueenTimely]

I'm sorry you've gone so long without a reply. I'm not a doctor or any kind of expert, but my guess is that even with the Wellbutrin, you got off the Cymbalta too fast. What does your doctor say? How are you these seven days later? Please check in.