39 replies to this topic

[Red3000]

Hi
I started taking this medicine 3 years ago for depression(suicidal)and anxiety. My employer (who is a Dr) put me on this and told me I really needed to take this. I didn't want to take any meds but I had a lot of people telling me I needed to be on an antidepressant. Since then I was fired and denied Cobra insurance. I have gained 40 pounds, I stay extremely hot and my blood pressure has gone up to 150/90. I still unemployed and have no health insurance. I think this medicine has made things worse and I am going to get off of it. I tried to stop cold turkey before but I couldn't take the brain zaps and flu like symptoms. After reading several posts I am going to try to wean myself off. Even though I am on 60mg I am going to drop to 30mg since the major withdrawals begin from 30mg to 0. I may regret it but I want to speed up the process of getting off this medicine.

I will keep you posted.

[paradice15]

I just found this site today, and am very anxious to get feedback!

I have been on 90 mg Cymbalta for 18 months for nerve pain, with basically no side-effects,thankfully. I am a petite woman, and usually greatly effected by any meds I take.

2 days ago I decided on my own to reduce the dosage, since my other med, Neurontin (800 mg), was helping the daily head pain. I dropped from 90 to 60 mg/day.
From what I am reading, I should expect major changes, as this is a big drop in the medication.

Please let me know what side-effects I may undergo so I can be prepared. I am very good at denial, so I may ignore some that I could avoid by a change in reduction of the rx.

Thank you to anyone who can assist me!!

[MaureenV]

I just found this site today, and am very anxious to get feedback!

I have been on 90 mg Cymbalta for 18 months for nerve pain, with basically no side-effects,thankfully. I am a petite woman, and usually greatly effected by any meds I take.

2 days ago I decided on my own to reduce the dosage, since my other med, Neurontin (800 mg), was helping the daily head pain. I dropped from 90 to 60 mg/day.
From what I am reading, I should expect major changes, as this is a big drop in the medication.

Please let me know what side-effects I may undergo so I can be prepared. I am very good at denial, so I may ignore some that I could avoid by a change in reduction of the rx.

Thank you to anyone who can assist me!!

have a read of lots of posts - there's heaps of info on here.

Generally, the trend is for people on higher doses to NOT have much difficulty getting down to even 30mg, but that's not the case for everyone.

See how it goes - major problems, add half a capsule per day until you feel o.k.; no problems, wait A COUPLE OF WEEKS before dropping again.


regards, Maureen.


p.s. I wish I was good at denial and I could deny than Vanilla Slice tastes delicious. I could perhaps convince myself they tasted like Brussel Sprouts.

[paradice15]

have a read of lots of posts - there's heaps of info on here.

Generally, the trend is for people on higher doses to NOT have much difficulty getting down to even 30mg, but that's not the case for everyone.

See how it goes - major problems, add half a capsule per day until you feel o.k.; no problems, wait A COUPLE OF WEEKS before dropping again.


regards, Maureen.


p.s. I wish I was good at denial and I could deny than Vanilla Slice tastes delicious. I could perhaps convince myself they tasted like Brussel Sprouts.

[paradice15]

Thanks, Maureen. That's so good to hear, since I never even knew 90 was a high dose.These doctors have a problem explaining meds before dispensing, and of course we are desperate for relief, so...

I'll definitely try your idea. So far I have only a really "spacy" feeling - kind of like a few cocktails (or half a glass of wine for me!) - which is not such a horrible feeling! I'm waiting for the other effects to hit.... hopefully not!

Good luck with Vanilla Slice! We don't have that in NY, so I'm curious what it is.

- Marianne

[Red3000]

Paradice15

looks like we will be on this journey together in getting off this medicine. I just dropped from 60mg to 30mg today and I haven't noticed any side effects as of this evening. Let me know how you are doing with your new dose. Good luck.

[Andrea67]

I stopped my Cymbalta 60 cold turkey about a month or so ago. Besides the occasional dizziness and brain zap the real withdrawal problems did not start until much later. So don't be fooled by an easy first few weeks. What began to happen at night was heart palpitations, probably low blood pressure and an awful feeling that my lungs or heart would collapse. I stopped sleeping and so during the day I would feel like death. I also had no energy even before the nighttime horrors began. I filled my prescription yesterday and took a 60 mg pill. I actually slept last night and did not have heart palpitations.

Since this drug affects the adrenals it is far more dangerous to just stop cold turkey as I found out the hard way.

I weaned off once before under a doctors care, I can't remember the exact protocol but I think it was 60 for a week, then 30 for a week then 20 for a week, then 20 everyother day. I am not sure. While I did not suffer heart palpitations and low blood pressure back then what I did suffer from was the brain zaps and extreme agitation and sensitivity to noise. It was still pretty bad.

Some doctors use prozac to alleviate some of this but my doctor at the time said she could not prescribe Prozac to me while I was weaning off Cymbalta. Right now I am looking for a doctor to help me wean off slowly and who knows how to manage these awful withdrawal symptoms.

I will be searching this site for other things to do to alleviate withdrawal while weaning off Cymbalta under a doctors care.

[paradice15]

I stopped my Cymbalta 60 cold turkey about a month or so ago. Besides the occasional dizziness and brain zap the real withdrawal problems did not start until much later. So don't be fooled by an easy first few weeks. What began to happen at night was heart palpitations, probably low blood pressure and an awful feeling that my lungs or heart would collapse. I stopped sleeping and so during the day I would feel like death. I also had no energy even before the nighttime horrors began. I filled my prescription yesterday and took a 60 mg pill. I actually slept last night and did not have heart palpitations.

Since this drug affects the adrenals it is far more dangerous to just stop cold turkey as I found out the hard way.

I weaned off once before under a doctors care, I can't remember the exact protocol but I think it was 60 for a week, then 30 for a week then 20 for a week, then 20 everyother day. I am not sure. While I did not suffer heart palpitations and low blood pressure back then what I did suffer from was the brain zaps and extreme agitation and sensitivity to noise. It was still pretty bad.

Some doctors use prozac to alleviate some of this but my doctor at the time said she could not prescribe Prozac to me while I was weaning off Cymbalta. Right now I am looking for a doctor to help me wean off slowly and who knows how to manage these awful withdrawal symptoms.

I will be searching this site for other things to do to alleviate withdrawal while weaning off Cymbalta under a doctors care.

[paradice15]

From everything I have read about this drug, you need to wean off of it SLOWLY.
I know the cost is incredible, but if you have enough of the meds, take a few weeks to drop each time.
I'm going to give it another 3-4 weeks at 60 mg, then drop to 30 mg/day if I don't have side-effects. I may even split the pills, so I drop to 45mg instead.

Also -- check with your doctor, but I have read repeatedly that you should never skip a day, your body needs a consistent dose.

It's a shame we are not informed of the serious withdrawal symptoms of this medication. My GP was so quick to put me on it, and my neuro kept upping it each month. What a mess!

So far I'm not experiencing any ill effects, going from 90 to 60 mg.
But as Andrea 67 says, it could come at any time.

Good luck, everyone. Keep me posted!

[cookie]

From everything I have read about this drug, you need to wean off of it SLOWLY.
I know the cost is incredible, but if you have enough of the meds, take a few weeks to drop each time.
I'm going to give it another 3-4 weeks at 60 mg, then drop to 30 mg/day if I don't have side-effects. I may even split the pills, so I drop to 45mg instead.

Also -- check with your doctor, but I have read repeatedly that you should never skip a day, your body needs a consistent dose.

It's a shame we are not informed of the serious withdrawal symptoms of this medication. My GP was so quick to put me on it, and my neuro kept upping it each month. What a mess!

So far I'm not experiencing any ill effects, going from 90 to 60 mg.
But as Andrea 67 says, it could come at any time.

Good luck, everyone. Keep me posted!

Dear Paradice:
I have taken cymbalta 60mg for 5 years. In the worst period of my depression the doctor increased to 90mg for a month. Then decreased to 60mg again. To tell you the truth the only symptoms that I had while dropping were severe itching and swollen veins. Usually to drop from 90mg to 60mg is not as bad as for example dropping from 30mg to 0mg.
This is because the therapeutic dosage for cymbalta is 60mg any miligram above that dosage, doesn´t give you any additional benefits (that´s is what I experienced).
Keep me posted on your progress
Cookie

[cookie]

Dear Paradice:
I have taken cymbalta 60mg for 5 years. In the worst period of my depression the doctor increased to 90mg for a month. Then decreased to 60mg again. To tell you the truth the only symptoms that I had while dropping from 90mg to 60mg were severe itching and swollen veins. Usually to drop from 90mg to 60mg is not as bad as for example dropping from 30mg to 0mg.
This is because the therapeutic dosage for cymbalta is 60mg any miligram above that dosage, doesn´t give you any additional benefits (that´s is what I experienced).
Keep me posted on your progress
Cookie

[Red3000]

Does anyone have any suggestions on the next dose to wean myself off? 60mg for 3yrs down to 30mg for 3 days. Could someone post the granules to milligrams conversion I don't remember where I found it before.

[paradice15]

Does anyone have any suggestions on the next dose to wean myself off? 60mg for 3yrs down to 30mg for 3 days. Could someone post the granules to milligrams conversion I don't remember where I found it before.

I found this response from Cookie on another post ...


"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."


Good luck!

[Red3000]

Thanks Paradice that is exactly the post I was referring to.

How are you doing on your drop to 60mg?

Today was my 3rd day dropping from 60mg to 30mg I feel somewhat ok. A little dizzy and slight headache. I have been wondering if I should go ahead and drop to 25mg or 20mg but I may give it a full week just to be safe.

[MaureenV]

Thanks Paradice that is exactly the post I was referring to.

How are you doing on your drop to 60mg?

Today was my 3rd day dropping from 60mg to 30mg I feel somewhat ok. A little dizzy and slight headache. I have been wondering if I should go ahead and drop to 25mg or 20mg but I may give it a full week just to be safe.

My advice would be to wait until you are perfectly well. Some people find that the worst of the withdrawal effects take a week or so to kick in. If that happens to you, you won't know if it was the first drop or the second which caused it.

Especially with the first drop, you need to wait to see what YOUR pattern is. For some it's a week, for me it was instant and gone within about four days, and that was consistent.


regards, Maureen.

[cookie]

Dear Red and Paradice:
Concerning mg/beads equivalence, yes, this was my post that I obtained summarizing what I had read on this site . However, lately I been reading about capsules that do not contain the number of beads mentioned above. Number of beads in each capsule can change depending on different manufacturers, so be careful. I´ve read posts in which people say their 60mg capsule has aprox 200 beads. So it will be smart if you count the beads in your capsule, to check.

Concerning your further drop. Maybe you want to wait a little to drop to 25mg.
In my case the first 3 drops were easy until I got to 30mg which has been harder. I plan to stay at least 2 weeks on 30mg before dropping further.


regards
Cookie

[paradice15]

Thanks Paradice that is exactly the post I was referring to.

How are you doing on your drop to 60mg?

Today was my 3rd day dropping from 60mg to 30mg I feel somewhat ok. A little dizzy and slight headache. I have been wondering if I should go ahead and drop to 25mg or 20mg but I may give it a full week just to be safe.

[paradice15]

Red3000 ---

I just spoke to my neuro today, and he recommends waiting a full week before any decreases in Cymbalta.
Once I'm at 30 mg, he wants the capsules split in half, 15 mg each day, without skipping any days.
He said if I have any side-effects when going down, to just return to the previous dose and wait another week, then try again.

It appears this process cannot be rushed, so I don't intend to.

It's my 8th day on 60 mg (from 90), and I only had 2 days of buzzing (dizziness, I guess), and no other side-effects.
So I'm going to wait for another 6 days, 2 full weeks, then try reducing to 30 mg. I'm not going to be in any hurry after reading all these problems others have had!

Good luck with whatever you decide to try!

[Red3000]

Yes you all are right, I will wait. Today I started having the withdrawal symptoms. This afternoon was difficult trying to drive home. I don't think I will be getting back out today.
Thanks for your replies.

[cookie]

Red3000 ---

I just spoke to my neuro today, and he recommends waiting a full week before any decreases in Cymbalta.
Once I'm at 30 mg, he wants the capsules split in half, 15 mg each day, without skipping any days.
He said if I have any side-effects when going down, to just return to the previous dose and wait another week, then try again.

It appears this process cannot be rushed, so I don't intend to.

It's my 8th day on 60 mg (from 90), and I only had 2 days of buzzing (dizziness, I guess), and no other side-effects.
So I'm going to wait for another 6 days, 2 full weeks, then try reducing to 30 mg. I'm not going to be in any hurry after reading all these problems others have had!

Good luck with whatever you decide to try!

Dear Paradice:

It seems that dropping from 60mg straight to 30mg is a huge drop. It took me 1 month to do this making 7mg drops each time. I took 60mg for 5 years, then came down to 52mg for a week, then 45mg for another week, then dropped to 37mg for a week and then finally got to 30mg this week. The first drops were easy, but the last drop from 37mg to 30mg has been harder (extreme sleepiness, sadness, nausea).
The good thing is that you have your doctor advice and support to make these 50% drops (from 60 to 30mg) and (from 30 to 15mg). It´s your decision wether to go fast or slow.
regards
Cookie

[MaureenV]

Red3000 ---

I just spoke to my neuro today, and he recommends waiting a full week before any decreases in Cymbalta.
Once I'm at 30 mg, he wants the capsules split in half, 15 mg each day, without skipping any days.
He said if I have any side-effects when going down, to just return to the previous dose and wait another week, then try again.

It appears this process cannot be rushed, so I don't intend to.

It's my 8th day on 60 mg (from 90), and I only had 2 days of buzzing (dizziness, I guess), and no other side-effects.
So I'm going to wait for another 6 days, 2 full weeks, then try reducing to 30 mg. I'm not going to be in any hurry after reading all these problems others have had!

Good luck with whatever you decide to try!

whoo hoo, a doctor out there who knows that the 'official' info on how to withdraw from Cymbalta is rubbish (for some).

You can, of course, do the same thing with dropping to 30mg - i.e. open the capsules and divide and take 45mg if you find the drop to 30 is causing too much of a problem. You don't want to be back where you started. Most people find once they've been off for MORE THAN several days, they do NOT need the dose they were previously on, but something in between.

Much as I'm a fan of taking it slow, you don't want to backtrack too far. Most seem to find the drop from 120/90 down to 60 not too much of a problem. Many can go from 60 to 30 without major problems, but then find the fun starts, so PLEASE keep an open mind about how far you drop after stabilizing at 30mg.

You can make whatever dose you want by opening the capsules, using clear gelatin capsules if needed.

SOOO pleased to hear you have a supportive doctor; I did too and it makes all the difference.


regards, Maureen.

[Junior]

Hi all

Just to clarify:

From several years of experience, Paxil Progress recommends doing drops of no more than 10% of the current dose and waiting 3-6 weeks before dropping again. My naturopath, who has had quite a bit of experience in helping people to get off anti-depressants, agree with the 10% reductions but says to wait 6-8 waits before doing another reduction.

The bottom line is that these drugs alter brain function and it can take a while for 'normal' function to resume. So it's not about getting the drug out of your system, it's about allowing your system the time it needs to heal.

Hope that helps
Junior

[Red3000]

Today is the 5th day on 30mg (prob a little bit less since I am trying to successfully count beads) The symptoms started on the 4th day with dizziness and nausea. I notice that if I turn my head too quickly I have to give my brain time to catch up and figure out where I am. I know it could be worse if I was doing it cold turkey.

[paradice15]

whoo hoo, a doctor out there who knows that the 'official' info on how to withdraw from Cymbalta is rubbish (for some).

You can, of course, do the same thing with dropping to 30mg - i.e. open the capsules and divide and take 45mg if you find the drop to 30 is causing too much of a problem. You don't want to be back where you started. Most people find once they've been off for MORE THAN several days, they do NOT need the dose they were previously on, but something in between.

Much as I'm a fan of taking it slow, you don't want to backtrack too far. Most seem to find the drop from 120/90 down to 60 not too much of a problem. Many can go from 60 to 30 without major problems, but then find the fun starts, so PLEASE keep an open mind about how far you drop after stabilizing at 30mg.

You can make whatever dose you want by opening the capsules, using clear gelatin capsules if needed.

SOOO pleased to hear you have a supportive doctor; I did too and it makes all the difference.


regards, Maureen.

[paradice15]

Maureen ---
Glad to hear your doctor helped you thru this.
Is there any reason a gelatin capsule is needed when the doses are split?
Can I just swallow the appropriate beads without a capsule, or by using half the capsule?

Red3000 - I'm doing fine at 60 mg now - thank you for asking.

Funny story - I had 2 days of "spaciness" several days after I first dropped from 90 to 60, without realizing it could be due to withdrawal.
I accidently backed into a guard rail at the post office in the morning, then hit a curb in a parking lot that same evening.

Good thing my husband has a good sense of humor, and the damage was minor in either case. This was after a clean driving record for over 25 years!

So at my next drop, trust me -- I will be sure to stay off the road and keep everyone safe!

[Red3000]

Paradice
That is a funny story. I know, trying to drive has been very difficult. I tried to run a few errands today and I had to really concentrate on driving. If anyone ever gets a class action law suit maybe you could throw in the damage to your car as well. Thank goodness I am not working while trying to get off this medicine I don't see how people do it.


Andrea

I was wondering after stopping cold turkey did you decide to go back on Cymbalta because the symptoms were too bad?

[MaureenV]

Maureen ---
Glad to hear your doctor helped you thru this.
Is there any reason a gelatin capsule is needed when the doses are split?
Can I just swallow the appropriate beads without a capsule, or by using half the capsule?

Red3000 - I'm doing fine at 60 mg now - thank you for asking.

Funny story - I had 2 days of "spaciness" several days after I first dropped from 90 to 60, without realizing it could be due to withdrawal.
I accidently backed into a guard rail at the post office in the morning, then hit a curb in a parking lot that same evening.

Good thing my husband has a good sense of humor, and the damage was minor in either case. This was after a clean driving record for over 25 years!

So at my next drop, trust me -- I will be sure to stay off the road and keep everyone safe!

Morning!


My doctor was astonished at the severity of the withdrawal, but has been through a lot with me. She didn't doubt my word and was more than happy for me to follow what I'd seen recommended on here. She even had a look at the site herself to see what some people were going through.

Although she knows it's only a percentage (and who knows WHAT the percentage IS) of people who suffer badly, she won't be prescribing Cymbalta again.

Yes, you can use half the capsule with a bit of bread stuffed in each end to divide the dose.

You CAN take the beads without a capsule but you DO have to be careful. They're slow release beads, so if you're taking them on their own, just make sure you wash them down well.

Completely identify with the brain fog / spaciness etc.


regards, Maureen.

[paradice15]

Morning!


My doctor was astonished at the severity of the withdrawal, but has been through a lot with me. She didn't doubt my word and was more than happy for me to follow what I'd seen recommended on here. She even had a look at the site herself to see what some people were going through.

Although she knows it's only a percentage (and who knows WHAT the percentage IS) of people who suffer badly, she won't be prescribing Cymbalta again.

Yes, you can use half the capsule with a bit of bread stuffed in each end to divide the dose.

You CAN take the beads without a capsule but you DO have to be careful. They're slow release beads, so if you're taking them on their own, just make sure you wash them down well.

Completely identify with the brain fog / spaciness etc.


regards, Maureen.

[paradice15]

Maureen ---
Thank you for putting a name to it - brain fog. Perfect!
It's such a relief to know I'm not imagining these symptoms - and will be much easier to deal with them now.

And also, thanks for the tip about the bread - I will def go that route when I'm ready to ramp down again.
Regards,
Marianne

[MaureenV]

Maureen ---
Thank you for putting a name to it - brain fog. Perfect!
It's such a relief to know I'm not imagining these symptoms - and will be much easier to deal with them now.

And also, thanks for the tip about the bread - I will def go that route when I'm ready to ramp down again.
Regards,
Marianne

Hi Marianne,



funny, isn't it, how knowing we're not alone makes it so much easier to tolerate. I felt soooo much better just finding this site and discovering ways I could minimize the consequences of withdrawal.


By the way, a vanilla slice is thick, rich firm vanilla custard between two pieces of flaky pastry, with either icing or icing sugar on top. Deliciously decadent. It's so popular here that places will be 'known' for their vanilla slice.

regards, Maureen.