23 replies to this topic

[Nadine]

Hi well newbie here and so bare with me please as I am trying to learn my way around the website.

Am so tired of taking this drug and the expense is starting to be a problem as I have no job.
Anyway my doctor has me on 120mg a day.
Have not seen anyone else on such a high dosage.

[Bon Bon 54]

Hi, I would listen to how to wean from maureen and cookie. I did it the hard way but only started at 60...if you can, wean slowly. They will give you the details how. This is an excellent site. Vent here, it doesn't matter if u are sad or bitchy..just let it out. We have been there and most are still going through it. keep us posted.
hugs,. Bon

[cookie]

Dear Nadine:
Hello! I would like to know why did you take cymbalta in the first place??? (depression?? or Fibromalgya???).
From what I´ve read the therapeutic dosage of cymbalta is 60mg. Anything beyond that doesn´t bring additional benefits. I´ve taken cymbalta 60mg for 5 years. There was a period in which the doctor increase dosage to 90mg. I didn´t feel any better than taking 60mg and started experiencing side effects (Ex: itching, mania, etc).
I am not a doctor, but it seems to me that 120mg is too high.

If you are willing to quit cymbalta or reduce dosage, the best way is to go real slowly and with your doctor support in case you have to report symptoms. There is people who have quit cold turkey, I do not dare to do it!. On this site you´ll find many posts explaining how to do it.

I´ll try to summarize what I´ve learned throught this site.
-You´ll have to decide, how many miligrams you will reduce each time, and how long will you stay on each dosage.
I´ve been reducing 7mg at a time. The fist 7mg were so easy. The second 7mg have been really hard. You can choose to reduce for example 5mg at a time.
-This is a chart in which you can find the equivalence of mg and number of beads. After deciding how many miligrams you want to reduce, you´ll have to open capsule and take out the equivalent beads. 1mg is equivalent to 9beads. The rest is practice your math!! However I have read that this equivalence varies from manufacturer.

1mg=9beads
60mg=540beads
30mg=270beads
15mg=135beads
10mg=90beads
5mg=45beads

-What happens is that there are standard presentations for cymbalta (60mg, 30mg) which doctors prescribe. So if you took an standarized presentation you would have to reduce from 120mg (60mgpill+60mgpill) to 90mg (60mg pill+30mgpill). So for example if you want to reduce somewhere in between Ex: dropping to 105mg.
you´ll have to take a 60mg pill+45mg pill. Since there is no 45mg pill, you can make your own, by taking a 60mg pill and taking out 15mg (135beads) out. And reclose it.
What I do is to take a 60mg pill open it and divide it by four parts, then I count the beads in 1/4
-On this site I´ve read that people buy gel capsules, if needed.
-It is easier to count the beads that have to be taken out from the capsule, than it is counting the beads that will have to remain inside the capsule.
-I´ve read that the drops between 60 and 30mg are easier than from 30mg to zero.
If you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact.
Regards,
Cookie

[Nadine]

Thank you so much for your help, I am on cymbalta for seretoin imbalance.
Been on it for many year, dosage kept going up and up.
Hate being reliable on this drug, tried to quit before and was a real b---- husband threatend to divorce me.
I admit I was really nasty.

like to try again and it looks like this forum will really help me.
Will talk to my doctor about it just so she knows and can help me with any problems.





Dear Nadine:
Hello! I would like to know why did you take cymbalta in the first place??? (depression?? or Fibromalgya???).
From what I´ve read the therapeutic dosage of cymbalta is 60mg. Anything beyond that doesn´t bring additional benefits. I´ve taken cymbalta 60mg for 5 years. There was a period in which the doctor increase dosage to 90mg. I didn´t feel any better than taking 60mg and started experiencing side effects (Ex: itching, mania, etc).
I am not a doctor, but it seems to me that 120mg is too high.

If you are willing to quit cymbalta or reduce dosage, the best way is to go real slowly and with your doctor support in case you have to report symptoms. There is people who have quit cold turkey, I do not dare to do it!. On this site you´ll find many posts explaining how to do it.

I´ll try to summarize what I´ve learned throught this site.
-You´ll have to decide, how many miligrams you will reduce each time, and how long will you stay on each dosage.
I´ve been reducing 7mg at a time. The fist 7mg were so easy. The second 7mg have been really hard. You can choose to reduce for example 5mg at a time.
-This is a chart in which you can find the equivalence of mg and number of beads. After deciding how many miligrams you want to reduce, you´ll have to open capsule and take out the equivalent beads. 1mg is equivalent to 9beads. The rest is practice your math!! However I have read that this equivalence varies from manufacturer.

1mg=9beads
60mg=540beads
30mg=270beads
15mg=135beads
10mg=90beads
5mg=45beads

-What happens is that there are standard presentations for cymbalta (60mg, 30mg) which doctors prescribe. So if you took an standarized presentation you would have to reduce from 120mg (60mgpill+60mgpill) to 90mg (60mg pill+30mgpill). So for example if you want to reduce somewhere in between Ex: dropping to 105mg.
you´ll have to take a 60mg pill+45mg pill. Since there is no 45mg pill, you can make your own, by taking a 60mg pill and taking out 15mg (135beads) out. And reclose it.
What I do is to take a 60mg pill open it and divide it by four parts, then I count the beads in 1/4
-On this site I´ve read that people buy gel capsules, if needed.
-It is easier to count the beads that have to be taken out from the capsule, than it is counting the beads that will have to remain inside the capsule.
-I´ve read that the drops between 60 and 30mg are easier than from 30mg to zero.
If you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact.
Regards,
Cookie

[Nadine]

Thank you very much for responding.
so glad I found this site and other people have or are going thru the same thing.
Worried because I am on such a hig dosage that it is really going to be a trip

Hi, I would listen to how to wean from maureen and cookie. I did it the hard way but only started at 60...if you can, wean slowly. They will give you the details how. This is an excellent site. Vent here, it doesn't matter if u are sad or bitchy..just let it out. We have been there and most are still going through it. keep us posted.
hugs,. Bon

[MaureenV]

Thank you very much for responding.
so glad I found this site and other people have or are going thru the same thing.
Worried because I am on such a hig dosage that it is really going to be a trip

Not necessarily - keep your hopes up - there's a lot of evidence that above 60mg there is not much benefit with Cymbalta, for MOST people. I do wonder if that's the reason most (who've posted here, anyway) so many don't have too much of a problem dropping the first 30 - 60mg, as I've suggested in another post.

Keep us posted ...

regards, Maureen.

[cookie]

Keep us posted!!!

[Nadine]

Good Morning
How long were you sad and bitchy, how long before you actually start feeling better.
Know it depends on dosage etc.
It's just kind of scary.

quote name='Bon Bon 54' date='24 May 2010 - 11:26 AM' timestamp='1274721981' post='12746']
Hi, I would listen to how to wean from maureen and cookie. I did it the hard way but only started at 60...if you can, wean slowly. They will give you the details how. This is an excellent site. Vent here, it doesn't matter if u are sad or bitchy..just let it out. We have been there and most are still going through it. keep us posted.
hugs,. Bon
[/quote]

[Johanna]

Not necessarily - keep your hopes up - there's a lot of evidence that above 60mg there is not much benefit with Cymbalta, for MOST people. I do wonder if that's the reason most (who've posted here, anyway) so many don't have too much of a problem dropping the first 30 - 60mg, as I've suggested in another post.

Keep us posted ...

regards, Maureen.

Hi Maureen,

Please visit the thread I made today. It was insane for me to drop from 40 twice a day, to just 20. I can't do it! I have also had lots of problems with moods with any other changes to this drug. I jotted down the mg capsule beads. If there's more info out there, pls post it on my thread so I can keep up.

[cookie]

Dear Nadine:
I haven´t used the gel caps, since they do not sell empty ones in my town.
What I do is use the cymbalta caps. For example I take a 30mg capsule divide it in half. Take one half, put it back in the capsule and reclose it. The other half I put it in a glass, but haven´t been able to use this remain product because I do not have extra capsules. However, this way, it is such a waste of product. This is why people buy empty capsules to poor the remaining product. I have read on this site that there is people who open the capsule, divide it in half, put one half on one of the half capsule and the other half in the other half capsule. and close them with a bit of bread. I haven´t dared to do it, since I want to make sure cymbalta gets into my digestive system properly to where is digested.
regards
cookie

[MaureenV]

Dear Nadine:
I haven´t used the gel caps, since they do not sell empty ones in my town.
What I do is use the cymbalta caps. For example I take a 30mg capsule divide it in half. Take one half, put it back in the capsule and reclose it. The other half I put it in a glass, but haven´t been able to use this remain product because I do not have extra capsules. However, this way, it is such a waste of product. This is why people buy empty capsules to poor the remaining product. I have read on this site that there is people who open the capsule, divide it in half, put one half on one of the half capsule and the other half in the other half capsule. and close them with a bit of bread. I haven´t dared to do it, since I want to make sure cymbalta gets into my digestive system properly to where is digested.
regards
cookie

Hi cookie, have no fear about using the halves of the capsules with bread.


When I first came to this site, I was continually reading that the beads shouldn't be taken 'on their own' because you would be getting the whole dose at once.

Having been on many slow release drugs in my time, I found this puzzling, as the Cymbalta external capsules were in now way slow release. I also read from someone that their doctor said not to use empty gelatine caps as the Cymbalta (external) caps were 'slow release', so I did a little experiment, using empty gel caps and an empty Cymbalta cap in a glass of body temperature water.

In less than 60 seconds, both capsules had dissolved to the point where the inner beads would have been floating around in your stomach, which brings us to the crucial point, as I already knew: they are slow release BEADS, not slow release capsules.

It's important that they don't get significantly damaged on their way to your stomach, so no dissolving in liquid, no mixing them into food etc, or you ARE hastening the breakdown of the beads. There have been plenty of instances here where doctors (who understand this) have recommended just taking the beads off a spoon with a glass of water, making sure you don't leave any beads behind in your mouth.

Those beads you have left in the glass (I'd recommend a sealed container to prevent moisture) you can use this way when you get down to a few mg per day.

Learning what I did, I'd have had no hesitation it doing this myself, but I had a bottle of gel caps so didn't have to.


regards, Maureen.

[cookie]

Maureen:
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!.....Your information is always so useful!.....I like it because you even do little experiments!!!. Nice to now that the beads are slow release, not the capsules.´
Yes, I´ll try putting a bread on one edge of the capsule, because in my town they do not sell empty capsules, and I am wasting too much product that could be used.
Hugs
Cookie

[MaureenV]

Maureen:
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!.....Your information is always so useful!.....I like it because you even do little experiments!!!. Nice to now that the beads are slow release, not the capsules.´
Yes, I´ll try putting a bread on one edge of the capsule, because in my town they do not sell empty capsules, and I am wasting too much product that could be used.
Hugs
Cookie

ha ha I'm not really a budding scientist (if you can be 'budding' anything at 57!). It's just that when I was first on this board, I just couldn't work out why this piece of information (that taking the beads on their own, without the capsule meant you were getting the whole dose at once - you're NOT).

When I wasn't getting anywhere suggesting that they were NOT slow release capsules I did the experiment. It was only by posting that, which stopped (and it was one person repeatedly saying it) the incorrect info being put out there so often.

I must admit, too, that I only knew because I had severely high blood pressure for 20 years, and over the years had taken slow release drugs, and they were nothing like Cymbalta capsules, that's for sure.

regards, Maureen.

[cookie]

Dear Maureen:
There is something that I do not understand. Reading your quote "taking the beads on their own, without the capsule meant you were getting the whole dose at once - you're NOT". Does that mean that I can take the beads without the capsule??? based on the fact that I won´t be getting the whole dose at once? and the beads are slow release?

[MaureenV]

Dear Maureen:
There is something that I do not understand. Reading your quote "taking the beads on their own, without the capsule meant you were getting the whole dose at once - you're NOT". Does that mean that I can take the beads without the capsule??? based on the fact that I won´t be getting the whole dose at once? and the beads are slow release?

Yes, in theory, except they DO need to get to your stomach in good condition. That's why you hear anecdotal stories of 'don't open the capsules' people have just got it a bit wrong, it should be 'treat the beads with respect'.

If you crunched them up in your mouth you'd get the whole dose released at once, but not if you swallowed them with a glass of water. Within a few minutes of taking a cymbalta capsule, the little beads are floating free in your stomach - that's all you need to achieve.

It's difficult if people are taking larger doses this way NOT to get a few caught in their teeth etc, but I suspect one or two are not going to matter, but chewing them is a different matter again.

So you can keep going with your half capsules for as long as they last, then start using the beads with a glass of water!

regards, Maureen.

[cookie]

Maureen:
Thank you so much for the information. You know so much about the topic!
Hugs
Cookie

[Nadine]

Thanks again
You have been a big help
Have a safe memorial day weekend.
Let us remember those armed forces , past and present
Dee




quote name='MaureenV' date='26 May 2010 - 04:10 PM' timestamp='1274911845' post='12823']
Hi cookie, have no fear about using the halves of the capsules with bread.


When I first came to this site, I was continually reading that the beads shouldn't be taken 'on their own' because you would be getting the whole dose at once.

Having been on many slow release drugs in my time, I found this puzzling, as the Cymbalta external capsules were in now way slow release. I also read from someone that their doctor said not to use empty gelatine caps as the Cymbalta (external) caps were 'slow release', so I did a little experiment, using empty gel caps and an empty Cymbalta cap in a glass of body temperature water.

In less than 60 seconds, both capsules had dissolved to the point where the inner beads would have been floating around in your stomach, which brings us to the crucial point, as I already knew: they are slow release BEADS, not slow release capsules.

It's important that they don't get significantly damaged on their way to your stomach, so no dissolving in liquid, no mixing them into food etc, or you ARE hastening the breakdown of the beads. There have been plenty of instances here where doctors (who understand this) have recommended just taking the beads off a spoon with a glass of water, making sure you don't leave any beads behind in your mouth.

Those beads you have left in the glass (I'd recommend a sealed container to prevent moisture) you can use this way when you get down to a few mg per day.

Learning what I did, I'd have had no hesitation it doing this myself, but I had a bottle of gel caps so didn't have to.


regards, Maureen.
[/quote]

[Brandie]

Thanks for all the advice! I have been on 30mg of Cymbalta for 4 yrs now. Gained 30 lbs and feel terrible from it. I was taking it due to depression and anxiety. Now, I am in a better place in my life and can "cope" with things better then I could 4 yrs ago. My doctor told me I need to see a psyciatrist so they can help me wean off Cymbalta. It's so expensive to see someone on my insurance. I may try Cookie's way first and see how it goes.

[MaureenV]

Thanks for all the advice! I have been on 30mg of Cymbalta for 4 yrs now. Gained 30 lbs and feel terrible from it. I was taking it due to depression and anxiety. Now, I am in a better place in my life and can "cope" with things better then I could 4 yrs ago. My doctor told me I need to see a psyciatrist so they can help me wean off Cymbalta. It's so expensive to see someone on my insurance. I may try Cookie's way first and see how it goes.

Hi Brandie,


doctors often recommend a weaning process which is too fast for SOME anyway. If you do it our way, you'll be able to judge for yourself how fast you can do it. You may be one who has little problem, or you may be one who has to go very slowly in order to avoid the worst of the symptoms - no one knows that beforehand.

Stay in touch here, regards, Maureen.

[cookie]

Dear Brandie:
I was on 60mg for 5 years. I also gained a lot of weight (32lbs) while on cymbalta. And was able to drop some lbs through exercise and diet.
I am not a doctor, just someone who suffers from Depression and took cymbalta for many years. What I posted here, is a summary from what I´ve learned through this site. It has been very useful to read all these stories about how to reduce dosage. The IDEAL thing would be that you have psychiatric support through weaning process, to report your withdrawal symptoms.
Dropping little by little (7mg each time) has been better than if I had dropped from 60mg straight to 30mg. After 5 years I reduced to 52mg first week, then to 45mg second week, then to 37mg this week and plan to reduce to 30mg next week. I´ve had several w/d symptoms, some days are hard, but in general symptoms have been manageable. I think it is because I am trying to exercise, do yoga, eat healthy and get omega 3 from flaxseed and soy milk.
Keep us posted on your decision!
Cookie

[Brandie]

Hi Maureen,

I think I am gonna try it your way. I will have better control over what I take and when. Plus, I will save $$ from not seeing a shrink. Lord knows I have seen enough of them for a lifetime LOL! I will keep you posted. Gonna take 23mgs tonight instead of my 30mg and see how that works. I will try that for a week then cut the dose another 7mgs the following week. I know the side effects will probably be rough, but I have to do this. I can't stand having this extra weight any longer.

Thanks again!!
Brandie

[cookie]

Hi Maureen,

I think I am gonna try it your way. I will have better control over what I take and when. Plus, I will save $$ from not seeing a shrink. Lord knows I have seen enough of them for a lifetime LOL! I will keep you posted. Gonna take 23mgs tonight instead of my 30mg and see how that works. I will try that for a week then cut the dose another 7mgs the following week. I know the side effects will probably be rough, but I have to do this. I can't stand having this extra weight any longer.

Thanks again!!
Brandie

Dear Brandie

I´ve read that one should drop 10% each time. (in my case since I was starting from 60mg, each drop was 7mg). However in your case, since you are starting from 30mg the drop should be less (10% of 30mg= 3mg) 3mg should be the drop. I read that dropping from 60 to 30mg is easier than it is dropping from 30mg to zero. So be careful deciding how many miligrams you are going to drop and for how long. For me a week was enough for each dosage, but check if you need more than 1 week. The ideal thing is to wait withdrawal symptoms to stop and then do further drops
Cookie

[Jennifer Scared]

Hi well newbie here and so bare with me please as I am trying to learn my way around the website.

Am so tired of taking this drug and the expense is starting to be a problem as I have no job.
Anyway my doctor has me on 120mg a day.
Have not seen anyone else on such a high dosage.

[shesacharmer]

Hi well newbie here and so bare with me please as I am trying to learn my way around the website.

Am so tired of taking this drug and the expense is starting to be a problem as I have no job.
Anyway my doctor has me on 120mg a day.
Have not seen anyone else on such a high dosage.

I started at 30 mg, then 60 mg, and ended up at 90 mg. The increase definitely helped with the joint pain I was experiencing. Unfortunately, I lost my insurance and went cold turkey for a couple of weeks...please avoid this at all costs...it's extremely dangerous! I tapered down over the course of two months but have decided not to try the alternating days approach. Cymbalta free for two weeks now and still having side effects. Good luck.