Different Sized Beads!
#1
Posted 06 July 2010 - 04:43 PM
Recently I opened a 60mg capsule to count the beads and figure out how many beads will make up the next decrease- I realized that the beads in the 60mg capsule were larger than those in the 30mg capsules I'd been opening. I was glad I realized this, because I had assumed they would be the same size, and that I could follow other people's guidelines for how many beads make up a mg. There were 200 (large) beads in the 60 mg capsule! This means a lot fewer beads per mg than I'd heard were in the 30mg capsules! I figured out the strength of the bead (one bead= .3mg) and had my boyfriend recheck my math to make sure I hadn't made any mistakes... (I'm sort of foggy these days, and don't have a lot of faith in some of my basic cognitive skills...)
These 60mg capsules were from Target pharmacy, but today when I opened a 60mg capsule from a free sample from Lilly the beads were smaller- they seemed to be the same size as the beads in the 30mg capsule. (I counted 456 beads)
I don't know if anyone else has ever experienced this, but it seemed bizarre and like it could lead to some really unexpected (and bad) results if someone assumed all beads were the same size.
Ach- this whole process is getting so frustrating!
#2
Posted 06 July 2010 - 06:11 PM
I'm in the process of tapering from 60mg- I've made it down to 22.4mg over the past couple months and am taking it more slowly as the dosage decreases to help keep some of the worst discontinuation symptoms at bay...
Recently I opened a 60mg capsule to count the beads and figure out how many beads will make up the next decrease- I realized that the beads in the 60mg capsule were larger than those in the 30mg capsules I'd been opening. I was glad I realized this, because I had assumed they would be the same size, and that I could follow other people's guidelines for how many beads make up a mg. There were 200 (large) beads in the 60 mg capsule! This means a lot fewer beads per mg than I'd heard were in the 30mg capsules! I figured out the strength of the bead (one bead= .3mg) and had my boyfriend recheck my math to make sure I hadn't made any mistakes... (I'm sort of foggy these days, and don't have a lot of faith in some of my basic cognitive skills...)
These 60mg capsules were from Target pharmacy, but today when I opened a 60mg capsule from a free sample from Lilly the beads were smaller- they seemed to be the same size as the beads in the 30mg capsule. (I counted 456 beads)
I don't know if anyone else has ever experienced this, but it seemed bizarre and like it could lead to some really unexpected (and bad) results if someone assumed all beads were the same size.
Ach- this whole process is getting so frustrating!
There are a few posts here from someone not so long ago pointing this out. Thank goodness the difference is significant!! If you do a search on this site you should find the posts.
The Eli Lilly bead count should be:
30mg 270
60mg 540
cheers, Maureen.
#3
Posted 06 July 2010 - 09:56 PM
There are a few posts here from someone not so long ago pointing this out. Thank goodness the difference is significant!! If you do a search on this site you should find the posts.
The Eli Lilly bead count should be:
30mg 270
60mg 540
cheers, Maureen.
Hi Maureen,
Thanks for your reply! I am new to this forum and I tried to find if anyone had experienced the same thing with different sized beads, but I wasn't able to. I'm glad that others are aware of it, though...
I am confused about why I counted 456 beads in the Lilly 60mg capsule I got- I'll definitely double check my count to see what happened. (I was pretty shaky when I was counting- I'm guessing I just got mixed up)
Sarah
#4
Posted 06 July 2010 - 11:24 PM
Congratulations on your process!
I´ve been lucky that my beads in each capsule have always come in the same size an number.
I have been on this site since April, and I have read other posts of people counting around 200 beads (do not remember the exact number) in the 60mg capsule instead of 540 beads. I guess there are different manufacturers, and the sizes and number of beads depend on each manufacturer.
So it is important that you always check the number of beads and size in your 60mg capsule. Otherwise you won´t be weaning properly, or making mistakes, or thinking you are at a certain dose when you really are at another dosage.
The important thing is that you know how many beads are equivalent to 1mg.
In the 540bead capsule: 1mg equals 9 beads.
You´ll have to do the math to determine the bead-mg equivalence in the other version of 60mg capsule. For example: you´ll have to divide 200beads (or whatever number) divided by 60: that makes 3beads for 1mg.
Hope this helps
cookie
#5
Posted 07 July 2010 - 11:19 AM
Dear Sarah:
Congratulations on your process!
I´ve been lucky that my beads in each capsule have always come in the same size an number.
I have been on this site since April, and I have read other posts of people counting around 200 beads (do not remember the exact number) in the 60mg capsule instead of 540 beads. I guess there are different manufacturers, and the sizes and number of beads depend on each manufacturer.
So it is important that you always check the number of beads and size in your 60mg capsule. Otherwise you won´t be weaning properly, or making mistakes, or thinking you are at a certain dose when you really are at another dosage.
The important thing is that you know how many beads are equivalent to 1mg.
In the 540bead capsule: 1mg equals 9 beads.
You´ll have to do the math to determine the bead-mg equivalence in the other version of 60mg capsule. For example: you´ll have to divide 200beads (or whatever number) divided by 60: that makes 3beads for 1mg.
Hope this helps
cookie
Thanks, Cookie.
It's so good to find support in all of this. It means a lot from someone going through, or who has been through, the same withdrawal process... Friends and family try to be supportive but the only people who really know what this is like are those who are experiencing it themselves.
It sounds like there are just the two different sized beads, but I'll still count them for a while to be absolutely certain I know what I'm dealing with. (And it looks like I should re-count the 60mg capsule with smaller beads- my count was coming out lower than the 540 I've been seeing here...)
I'll try to do more exploring on this site, too- I'm guessing a lot of my experiences are similar to those of others, and it is good to see how other people are coping...
Sarah
#6
Posted 07 July 2010 - 01:29 PM
Thanks, Cookie.
It's so good to find support in all of this. It means a lot from someone going through, or who has been through, the same withdrawal process... Friends and family try to be supportive but the only people who really know what this is like are those who are experiencing it themselves.
It sounds like there are just the two different sized beads, but I'll still count them for a while to be absolutely certain I know what I'm dealing with. (And it looks like I should re-count the 60mg capsule with smaller beads- my count was coming out lower than the 540 I've been seeing here...)
I'll try to do more exploring on this site, too- I'm guessing a lot of my experiences are similar to those of others, and it is good to see how other people are coping...
Sarah
Keep us updated on your progress!
hugs
Cookie
#7
Posted 07 July 2010 - 05:01 PM
Hi Sarah,Thanks, Cookie.
It's so good to find support in all of this. It means a lot from someone going through, or who has been through, the same withdrawal process... Friends and family try to be supportive but the only people who really know what this is like are those who are experiencing it themselves.
It sounds like there are just the two different sized beads, but I'll still count them for a while to be absolutely certain I know what I'm dealing with. (And it looks like I should re-count the 60mg capsule with smaller beads- my count was coming out lower than the 540 I've been seeing here...)
I'll try to do more exploring on this site, too- I'm guessing a lot of my experiences are similar to those of others, and it is good to see how other people are coping...
Sarah
you don't need to count the lot - just use a dark plate and visually divide them into even groups, then count one group. Obviously there has to be some margin for error this way, but it's usually good enough to know what the overall count SHOULD be.
regards, Maureen.
#8
Posted 08 October 2014 - 08:36 AM
#9
Posted 08 October 2014 - 09:46 AM
Hi Likeable! Welcome!
By any chance do you have the generic Cymbalta, not the Lilly brand? Check your pill bottle, it should say the name of the manufacturer. Quality control in the generics can be pretty bad ...
Also, I didn't bead count, I quit cold turkey (never do that ) ... so, we'll need to wait for some of the bead counters with experience to turn up here, which they will do, soon.
So glad you found us!
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#10
Posted 08 October 2014 - 11:22 AM
I need to ask if the beads inside the capsules consisted of just 196 and 187? Or if all capsules differed between 196 and 187 inside of them?
Once you post us further on these differences, we will take it from there and help you adjust properly.
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#12
Posted 08 October 2014 - 11:37 AM
Here's a topic thread I started on bead counting yesterday ... we're trying to put into this one central location links to all the other good bead counting threads and individual posts we've had over time in the forum ...
Start here ...
https://www.cymbalta...g-how-to-do-it/
Then, the other's who've done it will need to weigh in. As I said, I don't dare advise, as I haven't done it.
Just hang in there! Don't drop any further in dose until we help you get a system sorted out.
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#13
Posted 08 October 2014 - 11:40 AM
#14
Posted 08 October 2014 - 12:08 PM
Please do not hesitate to keep asking us any questions you may have, and as often as you like, as this will be a bit confusing at first and a bit to remember.
Best of luck to you....
#16
Posted 08 October 2014 - 01:13 PM
likeable, I forgot to mention once 187 +196 =383 then you would divide this by 2 and this is where the average of 191 or 192 comes from......Likeable, I've read through older posts, and found this is not uncommon. I believe what you need to do is take the average of the beads....In your case you would add 196 plus 187...this will equal about 191 or 192. From there you could start using the bead counting method provided in this forum under the bead counting thread. Of course, you will need to count all the beads and them place them back into the capsules once your reduction is made. If this sounds confusing, it should be classified once you read the bead counting method.
Please do not hesitate to keep asking us any questions you may have, and as often as you like, as this will be a bit confusing at first and a bit to remember.
Best of luck to you....
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#17
Posted 08 October 2014 - 01:15 PM
#18
Posted 08 October 2014 - 02:22 PM
Tried looking through old posts, although unsuccessful with your question. Therefore sticking with the 60 mg till you are done bead counting would be the best way to go. You could always tell your physician you want to stay on the 60 mg for now, or explain the bead counting method (if he/she accepts this) and the need for them.
Please keep us posted.....
#20
Posted 08 October 2014 - 07:21 PM
Likeable, just tell your doc you've decided she's right ... that you don't want to get off, and would like to go back up to the 60 mg. Ask her to write / send in an Rx for the 60 .... then, go right ahead with your bead counting. Once you're off the shit, tell her then.
She's freakin' clueless about how to get you off it, so why bother telling her about the bead counting?
#21
Posted 08 October 2014 - 07:45 PM
Likeable, just tell your doc you've decided she's right ... that you don't want to get off, and would like to go back up to the 60 mg. Ask her to write / send in an Rx for the 60 .... then, go right ahead with your bead counting. Once you're off the shit, tell her then.
She's freakin' clueless about how to get you off it, so why bother telling her about the bead counting?
Yes. Choose your battles. Sound advice FN.
#22
Posted 08 October 2014 - 08:36 PM
Likeable, I would only be guessing if I told you when you would be down to half of the 60mg which would indicate it was 30mg. Truthfully, its just a guess and I wouldn't go with my guess. The safest way to do this is to ask your doctor for the 60mg again, and indicate to her/him that you don't want to get off Cymbalta just yet. From there you could just continue to remove the beads as you are doing. The doctor does not have to know about the bead counting anyway. Then once you are off and doing ok, you may want to let your physician know.
I believe this to be the best way to approach this and keep you as stabilized as possible.
Please keep us informed.....
#26
Posted 09 October 2014 - 02:03 PM
Keep us posted, we will need your posts to help guide others, you are a big asset to this forum. We love having you aboard....
Anymore concerns, just shoot out a post.
#27
Posted 09 October 2014 - 04:03 PM
#28
Posted 09 October 2014 - 04:11 PM
#30
Posted 09 October 2014 - 06:54 PM
FiveNotions, I believe she was able to get the prescription for 60mgs. Although curious to what you said about using 2 of the 30mgs.. wouldn't she run short?Likeable, you can still use the 30 mg. Just take two of them to make the 60. And then, when you bead count, remove the beads from just one of them.
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