2 replies to this topic

[Jasminepearls]

Hi there,

I started tapering off 20 mgs of Cymbalta 4 days ago and I am feeling very sick. I started on 60 2 years ago for post-partum depression and though it helped at the time, it is doing nothing for me now, except not letting me lose any weight and taking my sex drive away. I take Wellbutrin 400 mgs a day, and also xanax and ativan which have been helpful these past few days. Mainly I feel like I have the flu, my limbs feel heavy and achy, I cannot concentrate on any one thing to save my life. It is hard to take care of my 2 year old because I am short tempered and afraid I will snap at him. I am having the occasional zap (I am familiar with these from getting off of other meds in the past) but nothing too bad yet.
My therapist is telling me to take the 20's every other day, then next week one every 3 days, and so on. I am not sure that this is the best way to be getting off of it.
Any words of advice/support would be extremely helpful. I am feeling pretty down but trying to put on a strong front for my family. :0

[Joh]

Hi there, sorry you are having such a difficult time. Taking Cymbalta every other day is making your symptoms worse. You need to take it every day as you taper. Everyone is a little different in how they need to taper,but the one guideline that most doctors don't understand is you have to take some every day.

It has taken me 4 1/2 months to go from 50 mgs to 1.5 mgs, for some people the smaller the dose the harder it gets.
I am going to stay at 1.5 mgs until Wednesday, and then go down one bead at a time........14 beads.....14 days.

I would read alot more on this site about what other people have done.

If it was me I would go back on the 20mgs and stabilize, then do the tapering as fast as you can tolerate with out getting withdrawl symptoms. You will have to count beads in the capsules, and buy empty gelatin capsules at the pharmacy or coop.

I would go back on the 20 mgs, do some reading here about how people to the tapering. Good Luck to you.....hang in there.

Joh

[Jasminepearls]

Joh, you are so right, taking it every other day was making things worse. I am taking 15 mgs a day right now, and having some vomiting and fatigue issues, and just about an hour ago I started sobbing and couldn't stop. I am looking towards "the end of the rainbow" when I emerge from this withdrawal period. Thank you for the advice, it helps a lot to read this forum because I am scared, actually SCARED right now. My brain is foggy and I kept wishing my boyfriend a happy 35th birthday today. (He turned 32) Though I do not like taking benzos I am thankful for the Ativan and Xanax today...and to know I am not alone in this.