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[Cymbalta NE]

I have been a Cymbalta user for almost 2 years now for GADS. I tried Zoloft and Lexapro before being moved to Cymbalta. Apparently my insurance company (Blue Cross / Blue Shield requires that the less expensive drugs be tried first before we may move to the higher priced Cymbalta.

I was initially started on 30 mg once daily. I was not feeling much better so my primary care doctor sent me to a psychotherapist who bumped the dosage up to 60 mg daily.

Now after 2 years I still have not felt 100% since the onset of my anxiety. So I decided to start removing the drugs from my system. I currently also take 1 mg of Klonopin 2 times daily. So I figured I would start with the Cymbalta first.

I stepped down from 60 mg to 30 mg just about 2 months ago. I saw an almost immediate change. My head felt clearer, less dizzy and my sex drive seemed to be on the rebound. I was very hopeful that by removing the Cymbalta I would begin to feel better. Unfortunately about 2 weeks ago I suddenly took a turn for the worse. I started to again have what I can only describe as tightness in my forehead, dizzy spells, vision changes, slight body imbalance and insomnia.

Being that 2 months had gone by since I stepped down the dosage I really did not even think that this was actually withdrawls from Cymbalta. So back to the doctor's I went and was told that they were indeed withdrawls from the drug. Mind you it had been roughly 8 weeks since I stepped down. So I want to put this warning out there to everyone that Cymbalta takes time to build up in your system and also takes time to get out. These timeframes can vary widely depending on the person, how long they have been taking the drug and what dosage they have been taking.

So my quest to rid myself of Cymbalta is not going to be as easy as I planned. I caution everyone to take things slowly. I understand that most everyone here wants to get off Cymbalta. However being cautious and taking the slow road by stepping down very gradually is probably the best way to go. For some people a large step down may work, for others it may cause some serious issues. Right now I am feeling worse than I did while taking the drug. However after some online reasearch I found that the side effects of stepping down are often much worse than the original symptoms and can last for weeks, months or even years in some rare cases.

Now here is where it becomes tricky. I feel worse than I did 2 months ago. However these symptoms are caused by the withdrawl. Many doctors will suggest you step back up to the initial dosage to correct this. In some cases (very few), stepping back up may be the way to go, but from all the reasearch I have done staying put at the current dosage is what you need to do. I know the withdrawl symptoms suck (I am going through then right now) but I am holding on to hope that they will eventually subside at which point I will step further down in dosage.

I will keep this board updated as to any changes that I feel and any more information that I find on this topic. I wish every the strength to get through their weening process.