7 replies to this topic

[Marmar]

All these posts start to sound alike, and I hope mine doesn't get lost in the crowd. The bottom line is, the side effects of withdrawal are so bad, we need help and guidance weaning off the drug. And each case is individual.

I don't know if anyone can help. I was at 120mg for a few years. I know, it sounds terrible. I never even thought of the ramifications of it, I just wanted my depression to go away. Right now, I don't know if I still need it or not, and the only way to tell is to go off the drug and see if I still have symptoms of depression. Plus, my psychiatrist is no longer taking Medicare, so I figured it's as good a time as any to try, since I have to stop seeing her, probably next year.

I cut my dose in half about a month ago. At the time, I did it on my own, and figured it was a no brainer. How wrong I was. I started having side effect about a week later. I'm not the kind of person who notices side effects, I'm just not that in tune with my body and it's functions. But I did notice stuff weaning off cymbalta. The major problem is the insomnia. I can go 2 days with no sleep, and then sleep for 24 hours. It's a good thing I'm on disability and don't have to get up for work.

I'm having occasional tummy troubles, and don't know if that's related. I have weird feelings in my limbs, like zaps and isolated pain areas. Again, I don't know if that's from the cymbalta. I am probably having more side effects, I just don't recognize them as side effects.

My main question is this. Where do I go from here. I'm taking 60mg in the morning, one capsule. Does the length of time I was on the drug impact the weaning off schedule? What's the next step down? How many beads? Also, how do you take the reduced dose? After you open the capsule, do you save the beads you take out, reassemble the capsule and take it? How about the extra beads? Can you take the beads that are not in a capsule?

Sorry for all the questions, I just don't know what to do at this point. I probably should call my doc, but thought I'd check here first. I had a problem with a good friend over this, and I don't know if the cymbalta caused that too. She recommended this site, so I hope I can get some answers.

Thanks for reading this long post and thanks to everyone who answers. Maryanne

[cookie]

Dear Maryanne:
No your post didn´t get lost in the crowd

I am in the same boat. I do not know if I still need cymbalta or not, and feel that the only way I am going to know if by quitting it and seeing if I still have symptoms of depression. I´ve had 2 episodes of Depression. In the first one, I took prozac for a year, and my depression went away for many years. In the second episode, I took cymbalta, and change doctors. I have taken cymbalta for 5 years, and my doctor think I will have to take antidepressants all my life.

The insomnia and tummy troubles have been withdrawal symptoms I´ve experienced.

I am not a doctor, but I think the length of time you were on the drug doesn´t impact the weaning schedule as much as the initial dose (the dose you come from: 120mg).

Each person is different, and everyone has to find, the “perfect” size of drop and time they are going to stay on each drop. I´ve read that one should decrease a máximum of 10% of actual dose. In my case I could stay only 1 week on each dose, but then things bécame harder at lower doses, and I am staying a month on my last drop dose.

Concerning your other questions. I do not have the answers, because I also have the same questions.

Hugs
Cookie

[Debbie M.]

Yes, you open the caps and count your beads, then close up the cap again. I have my extra beads in a baggy. At lower doses I just put the beads on my tongue and take a lot of water.
Today happens to be my first day without Cymbalta. I finally made it!!

At 60 mgs you could just eyeball the division. But I would start counting beads when you get to around 20 mgs. At the higher doses I divided the pills and stepped down every couple of weeks. Open your cap and pour half in each side, then take half out of the one side. Put the two halves back together. Don't forget to lable your baggies or bottles so you don't get confused. Also keep it all written down so if you feel like you are going too fast you can review and see what you have done.

[Marmar]

Thanks so much for replying, guys. It means a lot to me. I'm going to go to the next level, I guess. Starting tomorrow I'll start with 50mg for a couple of weeks and see how that goes. I still have the insomnia, but it is less frequent now. I'm anxious to get off this med, and see how I do. It's funny, on these meds you hardly ever cry. And now , I'm finding the tears are starting to come back, which is a good thing and a bad thing, since I tend to be overly emotional. The main reason for going on antidepressants in 2002 was 9/11 and the breakup of my bf of 10 yrs on 9/8/01, and I just could not stop crying. But I didn't start Cymbalta until about 2006. It's time to take control again, no more depression and no more pills!!!!!!!!! I know I can do it, thanks guys!!! Maryanne

[cookie]

Dear Maryanne:
I know you are anxious to get off the med. But I read your actual dose is 120mg. Isn´t dropping to 50mg a huge drop???...Why don´t you try just dropping to 90mg an seeing how it goes.

I´ve found that when I try to drop too much I feel bad ALL the time, and then I have to updose. It is better to do small and slow drops, and this way the suffering is less.

You mentioned 9/11 was one of the main reasons you went on antidepressants. Did you have family or friends there?

hugs
Cookie

[Marmar]

Hi Cookie, thanks for replying, and for caring. I went from 120 to 60, and was at 60mg for a month. Then, I started to take out beads. 15 beads each day so far. Man, that is hard LOL. Those suckers are tiny!!!!!

Re: 9/11, I worked in Manhattan. I worked downtown in the shadow of the towers for about 23 years, most recently at 120 Broadway. Then I moved to midtown in January 2001. So I was up on 48th street when the towers fell. I had to stay overnight in a hotel with my sister and we went home the next day with a friend of hers who had their car in Manhattan. I probably don't need to say how terrifying it was to stay in the city in a HOTEL which is high in the air. Needless to say I didn't sleep. Seeing the people walking North away from the disaster and seeing the terribly busy streets in NYC like 5th Ave and 6th Ave virtually empty of cars was surreal. The towers were very important to me, I have more than 50 pictures of me in front of them, from all the boat trips around Manhattan and the cruises I had been on that left from Manhattan. I actually worked in Tower 1 for 4 years in the 80's. I spent a lot of time in anbd around them, and know the area intimately. It was like an old friend was violated and killed. It took me a while to stop crying and get a hold of myself, because in addition to 9/11, I broke up with my bf of 10 years 3 days prior to 9/11. Then on 9/12, I found out I had rheumatoid arthritis. The triple whammy.

Sorry to be rambling like this, the memories just start to flood back. Due to the anti-d's and the cymbalta, I haven't cried much in years. I think I need a good cry, though, and when I'm off the cynmbalta, it should happen.

Thanks to all who responded! Maryanne

[cookie]

Dear Maryanne:
Oh, I see, you were at 60mg for a month, so dropping to 50mg is fine.

Thank you for sharing your story of 9/11 and the towers. I watched what happened on TV, and it was horrible already. I can´t imagine what you must have felt, living that disaster being someone who lived and worked in manhattan for so many years. I am sure breaking up with your boyfriend was also very hurtful.

Sometimes we ask ourselves why do we suffer from Depression, but if we look inside, we find things that have happened in our lives that are still there and we didn´t know. Every emotion that we live through our lives gets registered or painted in our bodies. We have to look for ways to release them....through talk therapy, exercise, talking to a good friend, etc.

I haven´t cried in 5 years, and like you I need a good cry!


Hugs
cookie

[findingheidi]

Hello there!

I was also prescribed 120mg per day. I have quit cold turkey and I am on day 5 (I think) I totally feel many of the side effects and am trying to just through day by day without taking someone's head off.

What really makes me angry is that this drug makes my body so whack-a-doo without it. Makes me wonder what it was doing while it was there.

I hope that you and everyone else can get off of this. Quitting smoking cold turkey was a walk in the park compared to this!

Hugs

Heidi