8 replies to this topic

[nursedeborah]

Hello once again. I posted about 6 weeks ago about weaning off Cymbalta and this forum has been very helpful.
I do have some more questions.
I was trying the bead count, taking 10 beads out per week. I went to count out beads tonight from a new bottle of pills and the beads are at least twice the size of the beads I had previously! I searched the count of beads for a 60mg capsule and everyone seems to say 540. This capsule has maybe a fourth of that and is supposedly 60mg. Any thoughts? I don't know how to continue the wean because they are SO different.
Also, I discussed with my doctor my plan to wean and she said that the bead count method was extreme and one didn't need to go that slow that I could drop to the 30mg for a week, then to 15 for a week, then bead count from there if I felt more comfortable. I noticed a difference from taking 10 beads out to the drop of 20, but 30 and 40 were fine. I think slow is good, but am curious how slow is too slow?
I appreciate your thoughts and advice!

Lexa,
First off doc's know nothing about this drug, how to get us off of it, and we are the one who have been
teaching htem for sometime now. As far as the size of the beads, don't worry about that, it's just from the machine
and how they are made.


There is a site called ssristories, and it's now saying to take a year to get off all these kinds of meds, but especially
this one.

I was on 60 mg for 3 1/ years, and it almost killed me, I just was told back in Feb that my brain no longer sends a message
for me to take a breathe in my sleep, so I have to wear a machine now.

I started Aug. 31,09 doing my slow wean, and I still have 23 beads to go. The goal is to not have horrific withdrawls, and one can
coming off this too fast!!! There is no race. My doc did that decrease from 60 mg to 30 mg, and 6 days later I was having such bad
withdrawls I thought I would die. He then said to go back to my regular dose, and in a few days it all went away.

It's been awhile sine I have been here, but my story is here, back in Aug, 09.

Just keep reading lots of posts, and you will find out it is best to just do the 10 bead every 2 weeks until done, some can't even bear the
10, others do it for 3 weeks. We all have to find our own weaning method, but it's usually the same as most.

Take Care,
Debbie

[apso lover]

Please forgive me for sounding so dumb but whatever is a "bead"? I was on cymbalta 60mg for about 6months then told the Dr. I wanted to get off. She told me to go down to 30mg for 2 weeks and then one every second day. After about 36hrs I had had awful nightmares so she said go back to having one everyday and not to worry about coming off them. I decided to give it another go and decided to have one every 2nd day. I went without on one day and then forgot to take one the next day. Today I have realised I have not had one for 4 days. Will I get symptoms now?

[Junior]

Please forgive me for sounding so dumb but whatever is a "bead"? I was on cymbalta 60mg for about 6months then told the Dr. I wanted to get off. She told me to go down to 30mg for 2 weeks and then one every second day. After about 36hrs I had had awful nightmares so she said go back to having one everyday and not to worry about coming off them. I decided to give it another go and decided to have one every 2nd day. I went without on one day and then forgot to take one the next day. Today I have realised I have not had one for 4 days. Will I get symptoms now?

Hi Apso Lover

The beads are inside the capsules.
Your nightmares would no doubt be due to the confusion the 'every other day' thing caused. I cannot believe that drs keep recommending this method to their patients! A tiny bit of research on their part and they would know that it is NOT the right way. These drugs chemically alter brain function and if you do the every other day thing, all you are doing is confusing the body. It is far better to do a slow wean. That is, reduce the dose by a small amount and stay at that dose for a while. Even drug companies themselves recommend this method.

As far as whether you will get symptoms.. everyone is wired a little differently so it's hard to say. BUT.. I went cold turkey from 60mg and didn't feel it until late on Day 4. Some people don't feel it until Day 6. Or you might be one of the lucky ones and not feel anything it all. Having said that, the fact you've had nightmares in the past suggests that you WILL feel withdrawals.

Good luck
Junior

[nursedeborah]

Please forgive me for sounding so dumb but whatever is a "bead"? I was on cymbalta 60mg for about 6months then told the Dr. I wanted to get off. She told me to go down to 30mg for 2 weeks and then one every second day. After about 36hrs I had had awful nightmares so she said go back to having one everyday and not to worry about coming off them. I decided to give it another go and decided to have one every 2nd day. I went without on one day and then forgot to take one the next day. Today I have realised I have not had one for 4 days. Will I get symptoms now?

HI,
JUNIOR IS RIGHT, BUT I WILL ADD FOR MYSELF I GOT THE NIGHTMARES ON THE 6 TH DAY AFTER MY DOC
CUT MY DOSE IN HALF, THEN HE SAID IT WAS NOT THE CYMBALTA, AND TO GO BACK TO THE 60 MG, AND IN A FEW DAYS
I STOPPED HAVING ALL THE WITHDRAWLS.

DOC'S HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GET YOU OFF THIS DRUG, AND IF IT WERE NOT FOR THIS PLACE I NEVER WOULD HAVE FOUND
A WAY OUT OF THE BIGGEST NIGHTMAR OF A LIFE ONE COULD EVER HAVE.

ALSO WE ARE GETTING SOME DOC'S TO LISTEN, AND WE ARE TAKING INFORMATION INTO THEM, SO SLOWLY SOME ARE GETTING
THAT IT'S NOT US BEING NUT'S, BUT THE WITHDRAWLS. SIDE EFFECTS OF THIS DRUG. YOUR BRAIN IS ADDICTED TO IT, AND IT NEDDS
TO COME OF VERY SLOWLY SO YOU DON'T HAVE SUCH HORRIBLE WITHDRAWLS. tHEY COMPARE THEM TO THAT OF GETTING OFF OXYCOTIN OR
HERION, BUT NO DETOX MEDICATIONS ARE BEING USED AT THIS POINT IN TIME, HOW SAD!!!

pLEASE CONSIDER A SLOW WEAN OF DECREASING 10 BEADS EVERY 2 WEEKS, UNTIL YOUR FINISHED, IT NOT A RACE, BUT A GOAL TO GET OFF
THIS NOXIOUS SUBSTANCE. tHIS IS MY OPINION ON THIS DRUG, IT'S LEFT ME WITH A SLEEPING DISORDER WHERE MY BRAIN DOES NOT SEND
A SIGNAL FOR ME TO BREATHE IN MY SLEEP. IT IS NOT OBSTRUCTIVE APNEA, BUT "CENTRAL APNEA" NOT TREATMENT, BUT I STILL HAVE TO
WEAR A MACHINE AT NIGHT TO GIVE ME OXYGEN.

GOOD LUCK, AND IF YOU NEED QNY HELP, JUST ASK!

DEBBIE

[apso lover]

Still trying to find my way arounds this Site. Thankyou Junior and NurseDeborah. Are you saying I should start taking Cymbalta again? I may have had a withdrawal symptom this arvo. I suddenly felt as if I had a fever, I was a bit shivery and my skin was prickly and I had some nausea. I didn't want my Dinner but after a tomato sandwich am feeling back to normal. Now I am feeling a bit nervous that tonight I will start have the nightmares. Unless I hear from anyone I will wait and see and if something happens I will take a capsule.
I have opened a 30mg capsule and the 'beads' are really tiny. If I was to remove 10 every fortnight I would think it could take years to get off Cymbalta. I would like to hear from you again.










HI,
JUNIOR IS RIGHT, BUT I WILL ADD FOR MYSELF I GOT THE NIGHTMARES ON THE 6 TH DAY AFTER MY DOC
CUT MY DOSE IN HALF, THEN HE SAID IT WAS NOT THE CYMBALTA, AND TO GO BACK TO THE 60 MG, AND IN A FEW DAYS
I STOPPED HAVING ALL THE WITHDRAWLS.

DOC'S HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GET YOU OFF THIS DRUG, AND IF IT WERE NOT FOR THIS PLACE I NEVER WOULD HAVE FOUND
A WAY OUT OF THE BIGGEST NIGHTMARE OF A LIFE ONE COULD EVER HAVE.

ALSO WE ARE GETTING SOME DOC'S TO LISTEN, AND WE ARE TAKING INFORMATION INTO THEM, SO SLOWLY SOME ARE GETTING
THAT IT'S NOT US BEING NUT'S, BUT THE WITHDRAWLS, AND SIDE EFFECTS OF THIS DRUG. YOUR BRAIN IS ADDICTED TO IT, AND IT NEDDS
TO COME OF VERY SLOWLY SO YOU DON'T HAVE SUCH HORRIBLE WITHDRAWLS. THEY COMPARE THEM TO THAT OF GETTING OFF OXYCOTIN OR
HERION, BUT NO DETOX MEDICATIONS ARE BEING USED AT THIS POINT IN TIME, HOW SAD!!!

PLEASE CONSIDER A SLOW WEAN OF DECREASING 10 BEADS EVERY 2 WEEKS, UNTIL YOUR FINISHED. IT'S NOT A RACE, BUT A GOAL TO GET OFF
THIS NOXIOUS SUBSTANCE. THIS IS MY OPINION ON THIS DRUG. IT'S LEFT ME WITH A SLEEPING DISORDER WHERE MY BRAIN DOES NOT SEND
A SIGNAL FOR ME TO BREATHE IN MY SLEEP. IT IS NOT OBSTRUCTIVE APNEA, BUT "CENTRAL APNEA" NO TREATMENT, BUT I STILL HAVE TO
WEAR A MACHINE AT NIGHT TO GIVE ME OXYGEN.

i STARTED MY SLOW WEAN IN AUG. 31,09 AFTER BEING ON 60 MG FOR OVER 3 YEARS, AND NOW AM AT 23 BEADS FOR ABOUT ONE WEEK. I HAVE HEARD OTHERS TALK ABOUT THIS DOSE, AND IT'S BEING HARD TO GET OFF THE LAST FEW, SO I REALLY AM GOING SLOWER THAN EVER RIGHT NOW

GOOD LUCK, AND IF YOU NEED ANY HELP, JUST ASK!

DEBBIE

[Junior]

Hi Apso Lover

The choice is yours. We can't tell you what to do, especially since we are not medical practitioners. What we can do is tell you what we have learned from months of talking to people - in my case both here and at PaxilProgress, another forum - about the most successful way of getting off anti-depressants. Some people have few problems, some people have major ones.

What we know is that people have a lot more success by weaning slowly. Those who have gone cold turkey often say that their recovery is a lot longer. But I don't know what percentage of the overall a/d population this applies to. Just the ones I see at the forums.

Cymbalta does seem to be one of the harder ones to get off so my recommendation would be to go back on it and wean more slowly. Your body is already getting used to a reduced dose so 30mg would probably be ok. As far as how quickly to reduce, if you don't get much more in the way of side effects, you will probably we able to drop fairly quickly - say 10mg at a time. But the only way you will know is to try.

Good luck
Junior

[nursedeborah]

APSO,
Yes it's does take a long time to get off this drug. There is a site that even says to take a year to get off this one, and several others
It's ssristories, I was so glad to have found that one.

Again you have to find out what works for you, some can do this quicker, but most can't, and have to just do the slow wean of taking out 10 beads
every 2 weeks, not everyother day!!! Do not skip a dose it only makes it worse!!!! You must keep a level of this drug in your blood stream coming
off of it!!!!

How did you do last night??

Debbie?

[apso lover]

APSO,
Yes it's does take a long time to get off this drug. There is a site that even says to take a year to get off this one, and several others
It's ssristories, I was so glad to have found that one.

Again you have to find out what works for you, some can do this quicker, but most can't, and have to just do the slow wean of taking out 10 beads
every 2 weeks, not everyother day!!! Do not skip a dose it only makes it worse!!!! You must keep a level of this drug in your blood stream coming
off of it!!!!

How did you do last night??

Debbie?

Thanks Debbie,
No problems last night but this afternoon a bit of nausea and again the funny feeling like I had a fever. Unless I have really uncomfortable symptoms I have decided to stay off Cymbalta. A few years ago I took Zoloft and my withdrawal symptoms were a couple of nights of most unpleasant technicolour nightmares.
Out of interest what are these "Brain Zaps" or whatever. Sounds pretty frightening.

I must say that although Cymbalata has helped me with a lessening of symptoms of anxiety and depression I am a long way from being my old self. Now I would be very reluctant to try anti=depressants again.

[apso lover]

Hi Apso Lover

The choice is yours. We can't tell you what to do, especially since we are not medical practitioners. What we can do is tell you what we have learned from months of talking to people - in my case both here and at PaxilProgress, another forum - about the most successful way of getting off anti-depressants. Some people have few problems, some people have major ones.

What we know is that people have a lot more success by weaning slowly. Those who have gone cold turkey often say that their recovery is a lot longer. But I don't know what percentage of the overall a/d population this applies to. Just the ones I see at the forums.

Cymbalta does seem to be one of the harder ones to get off so my recommendation would be to go back on it and wean more slowly. Your body is already getting used to a reduced dose so 30mg would probably be ok. As far as how quickly to reduce, if you don't get much more in the way of side effects, you will probably we able to drop fairly quickly - say 10mg at a time. But the only way you will know is to try.

Good luck
Junior

Thankyou Junior,
I wish you all the best. I have decided to stay off Cymbalta and only go back on if I have very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
I saw the New Zealand questionaire on the Paxil site. Have you answered it yet?
I took Zoloft to help when I was quiting smoking and only had a couple of bad withdrawal days so keeping my fingers crossed that Cymbalta won't be hard either.