3 replies to this topic

[gwendollyn]

A tiny bit of history: i was on Cymbalta for five years when i realized it had just stopped working. My doc recommended Prozac and Xanax for my particular depression and anxieties. i took Prozac for a year, and it worked really well for me, except that i gained almost 30 lbs.... So, i had a stroke of genius! Why don't i go back on Cymbalta?!i decided to do this right before i moved to a different state with my significant others. The last three months have been awful.. i have been withdrawn, paranoid, anxious, have unexplained crying bouts, won't come out of my room, extreme mood swings and anger, incapable of having serious conversations, inability to focus on my job, insomnia... and two people telling me they can't handle, and don't want to live with, this new person i suddenly am...

It all came to head for me this week, i had the most suicidal thoughts that i've ever had. Cut to me going to my doctor today and going back on Prozac. He suggested that i take Cymbalta every other day for a couple days, then every third day, etc. Which is what i did the last time i went off Cym.. i'm scared to death that this won't work. i don't know this person i am right now.. i'm not surprised that my partners don't want to be around me or don't have the strength to deal with my anger and depression.

i guess i'm just looking for anyone else who's transitioned from Cymbalta to Prozac. The pharmacist didn't think that i would have any issues, but... fear, fear! Lots of fear!!!

Thanks for reading...

[TimC97124]

My doc said that for many people Prozac works well to help them get off of Cymbalta. Then hopefully you can stabilize and move on from there. As for other advice, read, read, read. You will learn so much from other people here.

Best wishes! Fight on!
TimC

[gwendollyn]

Thank you, Tim, for your reply. i have been reading, reading, reading! It's a sad relief to feel that i'm not alone....

[LindaMexico]

Hi there,
I just did the cymbalta ===> prozac weaning process. I tried to just get off cymbalta by pouring out some beads every day but it make me amazingly sick.. So I went to my doctor and she said I should cut the cymbalta with the prozac. I started at 60 mg of cymbalta so then I switched to both 30 mgs cymbalta and 20 mg of prozac for ten days then I switched over after 10 days of that to 40 mg of only the prozac. Then I did prozac for a month and after the months pills just stopped (you can stop cold turkey with prozac there are no withdrawal effects).

Now I would not recommend taking cymbalta every other day and then every two days, etc. since most people including myself would get sick even skipping one day of cymbalta. I highly reccomend you just half your dose of cymbalta and do the other half prozac for atleast 10 days then switch to full prozac. You still need that little bit of cymbalta in your system everyday, skipping days definitely does not work! I just finished the month of prozac and I'm off all depression meds and I feel so much better!
If you have any questions or anything my email is Vrubens@hotmail.com
-Veronica

Did you take both drugs at the same time or one in the morning and one at night? I just starting the weaning process last night and was very conservative. I took out 20 of the beads inside the 60mg of Cymbalta capsule and took the rest of them. Then this morning I took 5 mg of Prozac. So far I feel fine. I plan on doing this for a week and then reducing by another 20 beads, etc. I am worried I would be really sick the way you are doing it, Veronica, since I get drastically sick within 24 hours is I miss a dose of my Cymbalta. Thanks.

Linda