67 replies to this topic

[Debbie M.]

That worries me a little too. BUT thats not to say just because I did not experience "brain switch off" that its not from the Cymbalta. That being said, I hope it dosn't scare you if I suggest it sounds sorta like a mini seizure. I don't know, just a thought.

I'm at 29 beads today. At 27 beads I'll be at 3 mgs. I can't believe its so low now. Less than one month and I'll be done! I want to just stop but I have enough respect for Cymbalta. I know full well it can kick my a@@ in a matter of less than 24 hours. So one bead reduction a day.

Keep us posted on how you are feeling Cookie
Deb

[cookie]

That worries me a little too. BUT thats not to say just because I did not experience "brain switch off" that its not from the Cymbalta. That being said, I hope it dosn't scare you if I suggest it sounds sorta like a mini seizure. I don't know, just a thought.

I'm at 29 beads today. At 27 beads I'll be at 3 mgs. I can't believe its so low now. Less than one month and I'll be done! I want to just stop but I have enough respect for Cymbalta. I know full well it can kick my a@@ in a matter of less than 24 hours. So one bead reduction a day.

Keep us posted on how you are feeling Cookie
Deb

Dear Deb:
Thank you for writing, it´s so nice to know there is people out there who care and give me support.

First of all, I wanted to congratulate you on your 29 beads!!! Wow!! I can´t wait to be on such a low dosage. Keep on with the –just one bead reduction a day-

Surprisingly I didn´t have the “Brain switch off” symptom today, but I had lots of fear this morning. I had “Brain switch off” yesterday and the day before. I read what you mentioned about it possibly being a “mini seizure”. I look the description of it on the internet, and it sounds like it.

These are the interesting things I read. The first is that usually seizures are preceded by unusual sensations such as abnormal smells. (This happened to me right before the brain switch off). The other thing is that “Seizures often occur when people are sitting quietly.”. The 2 times I had the “brain switch off” was at night when I was calm watching the TV. This mini seizures have no after effects and people “resume previous activity without impairment”. The only thing that doesn´t match the symptom I had is that people with seizures have “no apparent awareness of the episode”. And I do remember what I felt.

I read that one of the causes of petit-seizures could be withdrawal from prescription drugs.

An on this site I found Guest_Mike who mentioned had seizures (25 February 2010 post)

The other thing I am experiencing is Hair Loss, big time.

I´ll keep you posted, and THANK YOU again
Hugs
Cookie

[cookie]

This is WEEK 9 since I started to taper. I dropped from 22,5mg to 20mg this week. Things are getting much harder. The first weeks I had several psychological and physical symptoms but they were manageable. Now I am not feeling well.

The 2 symptoms that bother me the most are:
1. Breathlessness/shortness of breath: It started with very strong flu like symptoms and now with a difficulty to breath which last the whole day. My lungs feel cold and soar. The previous weeks; I would usually feel well at night and bad in the morning. This week I´ve felt bad at night also.
2. Seizures. Although this symptom started last week and “only” had 2 episodes; it is something that really bothers me since I had never felt this in my life nor prior to when cymbalta was first prescribed.

I have mentioned on this site, that yoga helps me so much to improve my mood and anxiety. And that I would feel “happy” as long as I was able to do my yoga. Well yesterday in yoga class I felt dizzy many times. I hope symptoms allow me to exercise, which is the only things that makes me feel things are under control.

Other symptoms I´ve experienced:
-Depersonalization (this morning): it was really scary.
-Excessive appetite at night
-Racing heart (in the morning)
-Sensitive to noises and light
-Itchiness, needles, then numbness in one hand
-Clenching my jaw (I do it unconsciously and can´t stop).
-Hair falling (big time!)

My initial plan was to decrease again on Friday. However since I haven´t felt well this week and have some family commitments, I will stay on 20mg until I feel well.

Any comments on my symptoms and weaning plan??????? Any advice will be useful

After being on 20mg and feeling awful I wanted to say…..To all of you that are under 10mg my CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!! To the ones that are on 5mg: my RESPECT!!!! and to the ones who are on 1mg I just want you to know you are my HERO!!!!!

Hugs
Cookie

[MaureenV]

This is WEEK 9 since I started to taper. I dropped from 22,5mg to 20mg this week. Things are getting much harder. The first weeks I had several psychological and physical symptoms but they were manageable. Now I am not feeling well.

The 2 symptoms that bother me the most are:
1. Breathlessness/shortness of breath: It started with very strong flu like symptoms and now with a difficulty to breath which last the whole day. My lungs feel cold and soar. The previous weeks; I would usually feel well at night and bad in the morning. This week I´ve felt bad at night also.
2. Seizures. Although this symptom started last week and “only” had 2 episodes; it is something that really bothers me since I had never felt this in my life nor prior to when cymbalta was first prescribed.

I have mentioned on this site, that yoga helps me so much to improve my mood and anxiety. And that I would feel “happy” as long as I was able to do my yoga. Well yesterday in yoga class I felt dizzy many times. I hope symptoms allow me to exercise, which is the only things that makes me feel things are under control.

Other symptoms I´ve experienced:
-Depersonalization (this morning): it was really scary.
-Excessive appetite at night
-Racing heart (in the morning)
-Sensitive to noises and light
-Itchiness, needles, then numbness in one hand
-Clenching my jaw (I do it unconsciously and can´t stop).
-Hair falling (big time!)

My initial plan was to decrease again on Friday. However since I haven´t felt well this week and have some family commitments, I will stay on 20mg until I feel well.

Any comments on my symptoms and weaning plan??????? Any advice will be useful

After being on 20mg and feeling awful I wanted to say…..To all of you that are under 10mg my CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!! To the ones that are on 5mg: my RESPECT!!!! and to the ones who are on 1mg I just want you to know you are my HERO!!!!!

Hugs
Cookie

Remember that others are not necessarily suffering the way you are. There are all different degrees of withdrawal symptoms and you seem to have unfortunately drawn the short straw.

Your seizures are a real concern. Did you see another post (Lori?) saying that sea sickness patches helped her with the dizzyness? Might be worth considering.

Had the sensitive to noise in spades. So many times I told the rest of the family to pipe down only to have them tell me that they were just speaking in normal voices.

Hang in there, and perhaps consider dropping by 5% from now on?


regards, Maureen.

[Debbie M.]

This is WEEK 9 since I started to taper. I dropped from 22,5mg to 20mg this week. Things are getting much harder. The first weeks I had several psychological and physical symptoms but they were manageable. Now I am not feeling well.

The 2 symptoms that bother me the most are:
1. Breathlessness/shortness of breath: It started with very strong flu like symptoms and now with a difficulty to breath which last the whole day. My lungs feel cold and soar. The previous weeks; I would usually feel well at night and bad in the morning. This week I´ve felt bad at night also.
2. Seizures. Although this symptom started last week and “only” had 2 episodes; it is something that really bothers me since I had never felt this in my life nor prior to when cymbalta was first prescribed.

I have mentioned on this site, that yoga helps me so much to improve my mood and anxiety. And that I would feel “happy” as long as I was able to do my yoga. Well yesterday in yoga class I felt dizzy many times. I hope symptoms allow me to exercise, which is the only things that makes me feel things are under control.

Other symptoms I´ve experienced:
-Depersonalization (this morning): it was really scary.
-Excessive appetite at night
-Racing heart (in the morning)
-Sensitive to noises and light
-Itchiness, needles, then numbness in one hand
-Clenching my jaw (I do it unconsciously and can´t stop).
-Hair falling (big time!)

My initial plan was to decrease again on Friday. However since I haven´t felt well this week and have some family commitments, I will stay on 20mg until I feel well.

Any comments on my symptoms and weaning plan??????? Any advice will be useful

After being on 20mg and feeling awful I wanted to say…..To all of you that are under 10mg my CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!! To the ones that are on 5mg: my RESPECT!!!! and to the ones who are on 1mg I just want you to know you are my HERO!!!!!

Hugs
Cookie

Cookie,

When I was going too fast I felt bad all the time. I thought I was tapering ok but it was just fast enough to make me feel bad most of the time. I hope you can find your grove. I found that I couldn't do a drop of any kind at a certain point. I stabilized went I went down to a bead a day. I wanted to get off quicker because I only hd so many pills left but finally just got another script. I'd open the pill and refill thm with what I counted and put a weeks worth in a week minder. When I get down to 10beads or less I will just put them on my tonge if I run out of casuels. I have a snack size baggy of Cymbalta that will never get used. 21 grains tomorrow. Thats just over 2 mg.

This will be you soon. But not too soon. Go slow and you will feel good all the time. Funny how less than 20mg is concidred not a theraputic level but it can kick your butt if you don't have it.
(((((hugs)))))
Deb

[cookie]

Dear Debbie and Maureen:
Thank you so much for your advice.

Yes I might have been dropping too fast lately. Since this week I´ve felt bad most of the time, I won´t do any drop for now, until I stabilize. When I am ready I will consider doing the 5% instead of 10% drop as suggested

Debbie, I am so glad you´re down to 2mg. That´s great! Right now it seems imposible to me to reach that dosage, if already at 20mg I am having these symptoms. But I guess going slower, will allow my brain to get used to new dosages.

Maureen; yes I saw the post about the sea sickness patches helping with the dizziness. Thank you

Hugs
Cookie

[cookie]

This is WEEK 10, since I started my weaning. Week 9 was so bad, that I decided to stay at same dosage this week. So I stayed at 20mg. I had more good days (5) than bad days (2).
It´s weird because the Breathlessness dissapeared a few days and then re-appeared, then dissapeared again.

I had just one episode of anger in which I blew up very quickly. And just one episode of stabbing nausea when waking up in the morning.

Yoga is helping me so much, to improve my mood. I can say I was -in average- in a very good mood this week.

I am ready to drop further to 18mg. The thing is that because of a planned trip, I “should” remain at that dose for 4 weeks. The initial plan was to reduce to 16mg in 2 weeks but I don´t want to feel bad while traveling.



Hugs
Cookie

GO TO PAGE (2) TO SEE THE REST OF MY JOURNEY

[cookie]

This is WEEK 11 after I started weaning. I was going to drop from 20mg to 18mg, but decided to drop only to 19mg.
The Breathlessness dissapeared. I am happy for that!!!!!!!.

I got my period, and had excessive bleeding, had never experienced this severe bleeding in the past. Probably that´s why I felt so weak this week.

I went to this birthday party, and felt social anxiety, it was super hard being around people. I am afraid that initial symptoms are coming back, because I haven´t read on this site people having social anxiety as a withdrawal symptom.
At some point at the party I also felt Depersonalization. It is a very uncomfortable and weird feeling. I was sitting with my cousin, and at some point I looked at her and felt I didn´t know her.

Other symptoms I´ve had:
Headaches,
Dizziness
Anger
Severe itchiness, needles, feeling very hot (at night)
The other day I went to get a pedicure and the woman told me that my skin in very sensible, and bleeds very easy.

Any comments?
Hugs
Cookie

[Debbie M.]

This is WEEK 11 after I started weaning. I was going to drop from 20mg to 18mg, but decided to drop only to 19mg.
The Breathlessness dissapeared. I am happy for that!!!!!!!.

I got my period, and had excessive bleeding, had never experienced this severe bleeding in the past. Probably that´s why I felt so weak this week.

I went to this birthday party, and felt social anxiety, it was super hard being around people. I am afraid that initial symptoms are coming back, because I haven´t read on this site people having social anxiety as a withdrawal symptom.
At some point at the party I also felt Depersonalization. It is a very uncomfortable and weird feeling. I was sitting with my cousin, and at some point I looked at her and felt I didn´t know her.

Other symptoms I´ve had:
Headaches,
Dizziness
Anger
Severe itchiness, needles, feeling very hot (at night)
The other day I went to get a pedicure and the woman told me that my skin in very sensible, and bleeds very easy.

Any comments?
Hugs
Cookie

I don't know if you read in my post about excessive bleeding? I got severely anemic and had to go on iron supplements. My reading was 9. I took magnesium to counter act the constipation that extra iron brings on. I know it was due to the Cymbalta withdrawal. I had such severe abdominal pain around my ribs as well as the lower abdomen that doc ordered up ultrasounds of the abdoman and pelvic regins. I even had an endometrial biopsy. And blood work. Nothing showed up. Now I have these hug bills to pay. I bled 30 out of 40 days. Thank goodness thats over and have had 2 normal cycles since then. Iron back up to 12.5 Just another horrible symptom I chalk up to SINbalta.

I wish you well Cookie (((hugs)))
Deb

[cookie]

Hello Debbie and Kate:
DEBBIE: It is shocking to hear that you got severely anemic with your iron going so low. And that you bled 30 out of 40 days. In my case, my period lasted just one week like always, the thing is that the amount of bleeding was too much. How are you? How many beads are you taking now?

KATE: Thank you for the info, I hadn´t read about the excessive bleeding being a side effect. I will be careful when I shave.

Hugs
Cookie

[MaureenV]

Hello Debbie and Kate:
DEBBIE: It is shocking to hear that you got severely anemic with your iron going so low. And that you bled 30 out of 40 days. In my case, my period lasted just one week like always, the thing is that the amount of bleeding was too much. How are you? How many beads are you taking now?

KATE: Thank you for the info, I hadn´t read about the excessive bleeding being a side effect. I will be careful when I shave.

Hugs
Cookie

How are you doing, cookie?


Some HRT can cause excessive bleeding - the ones that are designed for women who have had a period in the last 12 months.

I'm on one called Trisequens, and a few months ago, had the most painful, but not overly heave period I've had in decades.

I continued to take an anti-inflammatory while taking Cymbalta, but I'm not on a high dose. Would have trouble getting out of bed without it. With it, I can run.

regards, Maureen.

[Debbie M.]

Hello Debbie and Kate:
DEBBIE: It is shocking to hear that you got severely anemic with your iron going so low. And that you bled 30 out of 40 days. In my case, my period lasted just one week like always, the thing is that the amount of bleeding was too much. How are you? How many beads are you taking now?

KATE: Thank you for the info, I hadn´t read about the excessive bleeding being a side effect. I will be careful when I shave.

Hugs
Cookie

I'll be taking 3 beads today! Almost done. My mood has been a little low. I'll continue praying about that. But mostly all is well. My bleeding was shocking. But I am better now and have had 2 normal cycles since.
Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.
Debbie

[cookie]

Dear Debbie & Maureen:
Thank you for your responses.

This is the end of WEEK 11.These are additional symptoms I´ve had this week:
-Hearing sounds at night: door closing, cellular phone or bells ringing. (when there is no door or cell in reality).
-Neck itchiness, coughing, hard to breath.
-Electrical shocks in the body
-Extreme fatigue, sleepiness (today I slept from 2:00 in the afternoon until 6:00pm)woke up tired!
-Emotionally I am more vulnerable. I realize cymbalta was kind of a “barrier”. Now I feel I don´t have protection.
-A word (which I don´t know what it means) and a song, keep on playing in my mind all day.
I think I will stay at 19mg for a few weeks.

MAUREEN: I read what you wrote about HRT causing excessive bleeding. The thing is that I am not taking anything else than cymbalta and diabetic pill.

DEBBIE: Wow 3 beads! That is practically nothing!. I wonder if those 3 tiny beads do have a real effect??? Or it is just psychological?
Hope your mood improves. I´ll try to keep on swimming.

Hugs
Cookie

[cookie]

This is WEEK 12 these have been my symptoms. I decided to stay on 19mg for a few weeks.

External factors/environment are starting to bother me. The other day I had an anger outburst with a family member. The anger was based on something real, but usually I do not react this agressive. It is like I ran out of patience.

-Went to meditation and previous life traumas –that were blocked- started to come out to the surface in a set of non-stop images. It was scary to feel again the things that I didn´t know I had inside.

-Today I have felt very depressed, helpless, anguish and extremely tired. Do not feel like doing anything.

-Yoga was one of the things that was helping me the most during this process. The other day I did a bad movement and the next day my neck hurt. But also the back of my left leg. This makes me so sad, because I am not sure if I will have to stop yoga until my neck gets better. Yoga was my only escape

Hugs
Cookie

[cookie]

Cookie

I hope you had a better day today and that your neck is feeling better. I know how much you enjoy doing yoga and hope you won't have to stop for very long. Hang in there.

Karen

Thank you for being there Karen.
hugs
Cookie

[cookie]

Hi, Cookie

You're welcome, and thank you for being there for me too. You've given me so much good advice. Do you go to yoga classes or do it at home? Is your neck and leg better, so you can do it?

Karen

Dear Karen:
My neck is a little better, but I think I won´t be able to do yoga for a few weeks. I am walking on a treadmill to keep exercising, although the effect on anxiety and mood is not the same.
I go to yoga classes, it is more fun to see other people and have a teacher to guide me.
hugs
Cookie

[cookie]

Hello!
I am back from my trip! I had the greatest week in years.
I am very lucky I felt fine and happy during the trip. I didn´t want to lower dose, so I stayed on 19mg during the trip, to stabilize. I went to the beach... sunlight and the ocean are great for depression. Sunlight provides vitamin D, and getting into the sea is great because marine salt works on getting rid of bad energies. I ate a lot, but always very healthy, lots of fish, veggies and fruits. I exercised everyday on the treadmill. It was weird, because one night I was having dinner with my family and the cymbalta withdrawal "subject" appeared in the conversation. It was the first time that I got the chance to talk with my mother and sister about cymbalta withdrawal. I am so glad I did.

Now that I am back, "renewed", and full of good energies I decided it is time to drop further. (I had stayed at 19mg for 5 weeks). So I decided to drop to 17mg last night. Today I woke up "early" (which is so NOT ME), full of energy and feel that my sex drive is coming back. At lunch time I felt like crying but then I felt better again. My mind feels more clear. I walked for 40 minutes and went to yoga class. My neck still hurts a little so I didn´t do the upside-down positions.

hugs to you all

cookie

[cookie]

This is WEEK 14 since I started weaning. On monday I reduced to 17mg. It´s amazing, I´ve had the best week in the longest time. I have felt happy, energized, and calm. I even feel better than when I was taking 60mg. That makes me think that one should not only rely on a pill, but should take care of one´s health. I have been exercising and doing yoga everyday. I am still eating super healthy.
I do not know how long this feeling will last, I know that the journey ahead can be difficult, but since I am feeling well I am planning to lower my dose to 15mg next monday.

[Debbie M.]

Hello!
I am back from my trip! I had the greatest week in years.
I am very lucky I felt fine and happy during the trip. I didn´t want to lower dose, so I stayed on 19mg during the trip, to stabilize. I went to the beach... sunlight and the ocean are great for depression. Sunlight provides vitamin D, and getting into the sea is great because marine salt works on getting rid of bad energies. I ate a lot, but always very healthy, lots of fish, veggies and fruits. I exercised everyday on the treadmill. It was weird, because one night I was having dinner with my family and the cymbalta withdrawal "subject" appeared in the conversation. It was the first time that I got the chance to talk with my mother and sister about cymbalta withdrawal. I am so glad I did.

Now that I am back, "renewed", and full of good energies I decided it is time to drop further. (I had stayed at 19mg for 5 weeks). So I decided to drop to 17mg last night. Today I woke up "early" (which is so NOT ME), full of energy and feel that my sex drive is coming back. At lunch time I felt like crying but then I felt better again. My mind feels more clear. I walked for 40 minutes and went to yoga class. My neck still hurts a little so I didn´t do the upside-down positions.

hugs to you all

cookie




Super great news!

Debbie M.

[cookie]

After a super happy and energetic week, I had some bad days on WEEK 15.
5 days after I reduced to 17mg.. I had mood swings, some downs, needles on my head, itchiness, high blood pressure, wanting to cry, nausea. One day I went out to drink a fruit juice and felt "drugged" and extremely anxious and couldn´t get off my mind, that someone had put something in my juice.

After the bad days, things got better. I am socializing more and feel more secure about myself, my mind is more clear. I still forget people´s and place´s names. This week, WEEK 16 I reduced to 15mg, it is been 2 days, and I feel considerably well. Yoga is still helping me lots.

[cookie]

WEEK 16, took 15mg of cymbalta. Emotionally I´ve felt incredibly well, my mind is more clear, I am more sociable, I feel that things are flowing (and they actually are), I am laughing and enjoying more.

The other day, I had a "spark of light" in my life. I was on the computer and felt a moment of happiness, energy. Everything was very bright, clear and happy. I felt the same energies I felt when I was a kid. I guess that sense I had, is what normal people feel most of the time. I just had forgotten what it felt like.

Physically I´ve had several symptoms which do not last a long time, they appear and last only minutes. Itchiness at night, nausea sometimes, wanting to vomit at moments (although I haven´t). Mild headaches at times
Around 5am I wake up with high blood pressure/anxiety and extremely thirsty. Last night I drank a whole jar of water.
Sometimes I feel weak as if the body I eat is not enough or the nutrients are not getting where they have to properly, hard to explain.

I have lost additional weight, with no effort. Just by reducing the med

I am still having problems remembering people´s and places names.

Exercise, has helped me lots to be able to minimize withdrawals and prevent depression from emerging.

[cookie]

WEEK 17,since I started weaning. Last sunday I felt severe anxiety that lasted almost all day (with agitation, racing thoughts, high blood pressure). I got so dissapointed, and thought that will never be cured.
Monday I did 2 hours of exercise, and felt so much better. Decreased dosage to 13mg.
I am waking up in the middle of the night extremely thirsty.
My appetite is weird, sometimes I do not have breakfast at all, or wake up at 5 in the morning extremely hungry. At lunch I do not have much appetite and then at night I eat too much.
I have been very sleepy during afternoon.
Concerning my emotions I am more vulnerable.
I do not know if these is what you call zaps, but I had electric sensations all over my body (head, arms, neck, legs).
My neck hurts, so I think I won´t be able to exercise next week. (I am sad because exercise helps me so much improving my mood and decreasing my anxiety).
Other symptoms: crying, nausea, diarrea, worthlessness, chills, mood swings.

[cookie]

WEEK 18,since I started weaning. I decided not to drop this week but to stay on 13mg. I have felt lightheaded (like my brain is weightless, disconnected feeling). I have been very lazy with no motivation to do anything. Extremely sleepy during the day. My mood shifts, sometimes I feel extremely down and dark and at another moments I feel calm. Today I wanted so much to cry. I get horrible stomach stabbing pain.

[cookie]

WEEK 19,since I started weaning. Dropped to 12mg. I had 2 weird NEW symptoms.

One night I was watching I TV program that I watch everyday. At some point my mind went blank, I didn´t know who the actor was, didn´t know where I was, it was very scary feeling.

The other weird symptom is that one day I woke up super energized, and started organizing things I hadn´t done in a long time. I kept organizing and organizing, could´nt stop. I do not know if this is good or bad (kind of mania).

I keep on forgetting words (names of people and places). Speaking becomes hard, because I am very slow remembering words. It takes me a long time to remember everyday use words

Other symptoms include:
Mood swings
Extreme apetite: at night
Headaches: at night
High blood pressure: when waking up
Stabbing nausea (that lasted longer than other times). Surprinsingly I also feel good things. In general I feel calmness, and happiness.

[carolpno]

Cookie

The pharmacy I get my Cymbalta from sends me a thick envelope of info listing all its side affects every three weeks a few days before I'm due for a refill and tells me how important it is to get my refills and not run out.

In that info, it shows excessive bleediing as a side affect. I know it says it shouldn't be taken with NSAIDS or aspirin, because it can cause excessive bleeding. I quit my anti-inflammatory for that reason, but I kept taking the baby aspirin I'm supposed to take.

I will say this. I don't normally have a problem cutting myself when I shave my legs, but since on Cymbalta, I end up with 3 or 4 cuts every time I shave. They bleed forever, and I end up putting band-aids on. I also have a lot of unexplained bruises.

Anyway, it may not be so much that you're going through withdrawal, but that you're taking Cymbalta in the first place. Being menopausal, I haven't experienced that bleeding.

Karen

Hi Karen,
I was reading through your posts and was interested in your comments about shaving and bleeding. I too did not realize that Cymbalta thins the blood, and only just found out after taking it for over 3 years (60mg doseage), that shouldn't take asprin. It never ceases to amaze me how bit by bit, reading everyones stories, the bigger and more scarey picture of this drug eventuates. I am currently going cold turkey and this is day 2 - I am sitting at computer with weird fuzzy head, so may try cutting down dose if my 'cold turkey' doesnt work.

[cookie]

WEEK 20, since I started weaning. Dropped to 11mg. At the beginning of the week I felt horrible, but then at the middle and end of the week I felt fine.
These were my symptoms:
-Extreme mood swings. I would feel very depressed and dark like when depression hit initially. Dark image came into my mind (a skull). At the middle and end of the week I felt great and calm. My mind feels more clear. I am laughing more
-Strong electric sensations through my spinal cord, and my right back.
-Problems with my right ear. I would hear my own voice internally. Hard to explain
-Feeling disconnected and anxious
-Nausea, stomach discomfort
-High blood pressure
-Flu like symptoms
-Headache
-Hair loss

[*Serendipity*]

I am new here, yet have been reading this board for a while. Karen and Cookie, I have followed your journey with great admiration for you both. I have wanted to come off 60mg cymbalta, having quit alcohol and smoking earlier this year and wanting to be 'pure'. When I read all your experiences it really was an insight. I know I will experience bad withdrawals because if I am late taking the drug by just 2 hours, I certainly know about it.

So I have decided to wean myself off slowly, taking out 5mg of beads per week (I counted the amount of beads in my capsule, there were 540, so this week I took out 45 beads). I am on the first week, and on day 3. Sunday was the first day of cutting down, and I felt really happy, quite in control. Yesterday was fine, and then I started to hit a brick wall around 4pm. I got home from work and felt quite spaced and fuzzy headed. I had a weird nights sleep, clenching jaw - quite similiar symptons to when I first started taking cymbalta actually. I had weird dreams. But I managed to get up for work ok today, and am just going to see how it goes this week.

If the symptons are 'stablised' then I will take out 90 beads for the next week and cut down to 50mg. I plan to cut down 5mg every week, so will wean myself off the drug over 12 weeks, If the symptons are bad then I will stay on that dose for 2 weeks instead of one. I am just going to take this ride gently.

I am taking care of my health by eating well
drinking lots of water
I take vitamin B12 and Omega 3 1000mg per day
I walk to and from work each day
I do 15 minutes every morning of core exercises which involves yoga

So I believe I can do this. I will update my experience here as often as I can

[cookie]

I am new here, yet have been reading this board for a while. Karen and Cookie, I have followed your journey with great admiration for you both. I have wanted to come off 60mg cymbalta, having quit alcohol and smoking earlier this year and wanting to be 'pure'. When I read all your experiences it really was an insight. I know I will experience bad withdrawals because if I am late taking the drug by just 2 hours, I certainly know about it.

So I have decided to wean myself off slowly, taking out 5mg of beads per week (I counted the amount of beads in my capsule, there were 540, so this week I took out 45 beads). I am on the first week, and on day 3. Sunday was the first day of cutting down, and I felt really happy, quite in control. Yesterday was fine, and then I started to hit a brick wall around 4pm. I got home from work and felt quite spaced and fuzzy headed. I had a weird nights sleep, clenching jaw - quite similiar symptons to when I first started taking cymbalta actually. I had weird dreams. But I managed to get up for work ok today, and am just going to see how it goes this week.

If the symptons are 'stablised' then I will take out 90 beads for the next week and cut down to 50mg. I plan to cut down 5mg every week, so will wean myself off the drug over 12 weeks, If the symptons are bad then I will stay on that dose for 2 weeks instead of one. I am just going to take this ride gently.

I am taking care of my health by eating well
drinking lots of water
I take vitamin B12 and Omega 3 1000mg per day
I walk to and from work each day
I do 15 minutes every morning of core exercises which involves yoga

So I believe I can do this. I will update my experience here as often as I can

Dear Serendipity:
It is nice to know my journey may be helpful to others. I think it is great that you quit alcohol and smoking. I also quit cigarrettes this year. I think it is all about being healthy.

I am not a doctor, but from what I´ve read on this site, one should drop a maximum of 10% of actual dosage each time. So for now it is ok that you drop 5mg, but when you get to smaller dosages, you might want to drop less. At the beginning of my weaning I was also able to drop 5mg each time, but now that I am at lower dosages I just drop 1mg at a time. Sometimes even less than that. I´ve read about people that drop 1 tiny bead at a time.

Everybody is different, so the way withdrawals hit vary from person to person.

When I decided to wean, I made my initial weaning plan, but it has been hard to accomplish it exactly like I planned it. It has taken me more time and some weeks I haven´t been able to drop, or I´ve had to do a smaller drop. Sometimes rushing things, maximize withdrawals, so I rather go very slow.

Hugs
Cookie

[*Serendipity*]

Hey Cookie
Thanks so much for your reply. I will take on your advice for sure, regarding the last few weeks of taking minimum amounts of Cymbalta. So far, so good though. I am down to 50mg, and may even cut down to 40 this weekend. I don't have any particular withdraw symptons. I am very positive I can do this, as long as I continue to take care of myself and carry on the regime of exercise and healthy eating etc.

There is something I worry about though and it is something you mentioned too, about Cymbalta being a 'barrier'. I often wonder am I happy, confident, etc because of the Cymbalta or is it really me being 'me'? I guess that is a question that will be answered the less of the drug I take.

How are you going Cookie?

[cookie]

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