After just about 18 mos., I tapered off Cymbalta the way my doctor advised me to. Although as I have read here - it was probably too fast. I went from 60 mg/day to 30 mg/day in one day. That was May 6th. On the 7th I began to experience digestive problems. By the 9th I had a headache that no OTC med would even touch. On the 10th (the day I found this site) I truly thought I was having a stroke or something.
By reading this site - I realized I wasn't having a stroke just the w/d. I have taken many different anti-depressants since 1994. The only other one that was tough to get off of was Paxil and even it wasn't this bad. My symptoms continued to get worse. To really add a little something extra to the week, my bf lost his job on Wednesday (May 12th). Now I believe that was a gift from God (or a higher power-how ever you wish to view it). My symptoms on Thursday (the first full day w/o any Cymbalta) were the worst. I became bedridden. Friday was just as bad. If my bf had been at work, I do not know how I would've survived it.
The good news - since Friday, every day has been a little better. I still get dizzy when I stand up too quickly (I had equilibrium issues before, but this is still unusual for me). My digestion is still messed up. Hey, I'll just say it - I am constipated. Not a very comfortable feeling. The horrific headaches are gone. The bad news I still cannot sleep well. At the same time my doc took me off Cymbalta we changed my sleep meds from Klonopin to Restoril. I don't know if the new sleep med isn't working because of the Cymbalta or it just isn't working with my system. I've tried Melatonin. If I get 3 hours in a row - it is a miracle!
I didn't mention the nightmares... God almighty - those are awful. One of the first docs I had that prescribed anti-depressants said that you have "vivid dreams" when you are getting on, on, and getting off of those meds. I have had vivid dreams for years. Usually they scare me, but I forget them within minutes of waking up. Not with these w/d nightmares... Those are sticking with me - if anyone has ideas on lessening those - I'm all ears.
Anyway, sorry for the long post - but I want people to know it will get better - there is hope. It seems that the amount of time it takes is different. With support here and with friends/family, we can do this.
I hope one day soon I will wake up after a good night's sleep and realize I no longer have any of these symptoms. Thanks for reading.
Good on you for hanging in there. I think I'd have been back on the 60mg within seconds of realizing it was withdrawal symptoms. Many people who nevertheless have problems getting off completely can actually get down to 30mg without too many problems, and my theory is that
they're the ones for whom the first 30mg was doing most of the 'work', ie 30mg was all they would have needed to feel o.k. and the rest wasn't doing much within their system. Just a mad theory.
Yeah, the nightmares are a huge pain. I was on Lexapro and it worked really well for me, but the nightmares were really bad. As you say, most 'bad' dreams disappear fairly quickly, but my Lexapro (and 60mg Cymbalta ones) I could remember chapter and verse for the rest of the day. Some are like me, they're a side effect and go away during weaning, others (more likely, it seems from my reading here) are like you, and they get worse during weaning, but they WILL go away eventually.
As you've suffered so much so far, don't even contemplate any further withdrawal until you're feeling perfectly well on 30mg.
You CAN come of the 30mg of Cymbalta without too many further withdrawal symptoms, but it will mean dropping by no more than 10% at a time (easy to do)and waiting until all (hopefully mild) withdrawal symptoms disappear before dropping again.
If your doctor tells you to take it every second day, beware. For anyone one here who's already suffered withdrawal symptoms this does not, ever, work. All you're doing is taking the drug one day, withdrawing the next. Cymbalta has a short half life, and you can;t 'stretch' it's effectiveness to cover 48 hours.
Read lots of posts here and you'll see how others have done it.
regards, Maureen.