6 replies to this topic

[Joh]

Hi,

I started weaning off Cymbalta about three months ago, was taking 50 mgs, for 5 years. Took 30mgs for weeks, then 20mgs for weeks, then 10mgs for a couple weeks presently. Found this website 10days ago. It has been hard. At the same time I have switched over to supplements to address depression along with still taking stuff like Trazadone for sleep, Prometrium (Bioidentical hormone, and synthroid....going to switch over to Armour.....ughhh. Also am on other supplements...ughh.

Anywho...it has been hard, spaced out alot etc. etc. Yesterday I got very sloppy and split a 30mg capsule, thinking it was 20mg capsule......just halved it with out counting it out. I had started counting beads when I found this website....but not yesterday....bummer! I probably ended up with taking around 15 mgs yesterday...darn!

So my doctor says I can go off the Cymabalta, because I am sleeping better most of the time......no biggy, in her book. In my book.......what other bizzare adventures am I in for? I just want off of this stuff.......trazadone next.
I suppose there is Trazadone Withdrawl website too!!

I am using 30mg capsules, that I am counting out of. What is the optimal way to get off of the rest, taking into
account I took "about" 15 mgs yesterday......but went back to and counted out 10mgs today. I am pretty "goofy" today, but that could be from some extra Trazadone I had to take to go to sleep last night. Sometimes it is very hard to be clear what is going on with all the variables involved!

I have been most concerned about driving ability and irritablity at times. I use a "very flexible" catfood can cover to count out the beads....it's plastic. It is flexible enough that it helps me scoop the beads into gelatin capsules, I bought at the coop.

Any input about getting completely off of Cymbalta would be appreciated. How do I do the last 10mgs in the least painful, but quickest way? Do I need to factor in the "approximately" 15mgs I took instead of 10mgs yesterday?

Thank-you for this website!!!

[MaureenV]

Hi,

I started weaning off Cymbalta about three months ago, was taking 50 mgs, for 5 years. Took 30mgs for weeks, then 20mgs for weeks, then 10mgs for a couple weeks presently. Found this website 10days ago. It has been hard. At the same time I have switched over to supplements to address depression along with still taking stuff like Trazadone for sleep, Prometrium (Bioidentical hormone, and synthroid....going to switch over to Armour.....ughhh. Also am on other supplements...ughh.

Anywho...it has been hard, spaced out alot etc. etc. Yesterday I got very sloppy and split a 30mg capsule, thinking it was 20mg capsule......just halved it with out counting it out. I had started counting beads when I found this website....but not yesterday....bummer! I probably ended up with taking around 15 mgs yesterday...darn!

So my doctor says I can go off the Cymabalta, because I am sleeping better most of the time......no biggy, in her book. In my book.......what other bizzare adventures am I in for? I just want off of this stuff.......trazadone next.
I suppose there is Trazadone Withdrawl website too!!

I am using 30mg capsules, that I am counting out of. What is the optimal way to get off of the rest, taking into
account I took "about" 15 mgs yesterday......but went back to and counted out 10mgs today. I am pretty "goofy" today, but that could be from some extra Trazadone I had to take to go to sleep last night. Sometimes it is very hard to be clear what is going on with all the variables involved!

I have been most concerned about driving ability and irritablity at times. I use a "very flexible" catfood can cover to count out the beads....it's plastic. It is flexible enough that it helps me scoop the beads into gelatin capsules, I bought at the coop.

Any input about getting completely off of Cymbalta would be appreciated. How do I do the last 10mgs in the least painful, but quickest way? Do I need to factor in the "approximately" 15mgs I took instead of 10mgs yesterday?

Thank-you for this website!!!

My main suggestion would be to forget about the 'quick' bit - your objective is to get off Cymbalta having had a life during the withdrawal process.

The general idea with withdrawal is that it's a percentage thing. Some can drop easily from 60m to 30mg but then have to go slowly. The amount you decrease each time shouldn't be more than about 10%. I took 10 weeks to go from 20mg to zero, stopping completely at 1mg. If I had my time over again I'd drop the last mg over nine days, too, dropping one bead every few days.

Bummer about the 15mg yesterday!!

cheers, Maureen.

[Joh]

Hi Maureen,

I agree the quick part is not important....but maybe due to imapairment of some sort......I am not totally following you? So would it be 5 weeks....for 10 mgs? I did not follow the 1mg part? Sorry for my lack of understanding.

Joh

[MaureenV]

Hi Maureen,

I agree the quick part is not important....but maybe due to imapairment of some sort......I am not totally following you? So would it be 5 weeks....for 10 mgs? I did not follow the 1mg part? Sorry for my lack of understanding.

Joh

Don't worry about not understanding, probably me!

It wasn't an 'even' drop, until I got to the really low doses and counted beads, I was dividing up the capsules visually (eg: 30mg = 3 x 10mg; 60mg = 5 x 12mg) so my drops were not necessarily 'even' and sometimes I had to go up a little bit. I just went by how I felt, then waited each time for the symptoms to disappear (even though they were very mild with the weaning) before doing another drop.

It's best not to have plans, and just respond to your body. If that takes more or less time, so be it.


cheers, Maureen.

[Debbie M.]

1st question:
How were you taking 50 mg? Did you take a 30 and a 20?

OK, I experimented with doing what I saw some others do on here. At the beginning just eyeballing it. Then 4 or 5 bead reduction every few days. That was ok for a while but at the lower doses like you are at I couldnt get free of withdrawl symptoms until I started doing what I'm doing now. Thats taking out one bead a day. At 9 beads per mg you should count out 90 beads if you wanted to reduce from 10 mg., and reduce from there. Your cat food lid is perfect.

Forget about the 15 you took and start counting beads. Count out 90. If you take one out everyday you will be off this stuff painlessly in 3 months.

Get a piece of paper and write down the date, day of the week and the number of beads you are on. Write your new dose everyday. Get a pill box that has the days of the week on it. Count out a weeks worth of pills at a time and put them in the appropriate day of the week.
90 today, 89 tomorrow, 88 the next, you get it.

I'm down to 23 beads as of today. Thats lass than 3 mgs and I feel great doing it this way.
Hope this helps. Deb

[MaureenV]

1st question:
How were you taking 50 mg? Did you take a 30 and a 20?

OK, I experimented with doing what I saw some others do on here. At the beginning just eyeballing it. Then 4 or 5 bead reduction every few days. That was ok for a while but at the lower doses like you are at I couldnt get free of withdrawl symptoms until I started doing what I'm doing now. Thats taking out one bead a day. At 9 beads per mg you should count out 90 beads if you wanted to reduce from 10 mg., and reduce from there. Your cat food lid is perfect.

Forget about the 15 you took and start counting beads. Count out 90. If you take one out everyday you will be off this stuff painlessly in 3 months.

Get a piece of paper and write down the date, day of the week and the number of beads you are on. Write your new dose everyday. Get a pill box that has the days of the week on it. Count out a weeks worth of pills at a time and put them in the appropriate day of the week.
90 today, 89 tomorrow, 88 the next, you get it.

I'm down to 23 beads as of today. Thats lass than 3 mgs and I feel great doing it this way.
Hope this helps. Deb

woo hoo. the final countdown.


Maureen.

[Debbie M.]

woo hoo. the final countdown.


Maureen.

The end is near! Its taking so long but worth it.