13 replies to this topic

[Stepmom]

Hello, since I followed this board very closely while tapering, I wanted to post a follow up for those just beginning or looking for relief from withdrawal.

I tapered from 60mg by counting beads. It took several weeks. I am now 9 weeks completely free of Cymbalta! Woohoo!
During the 8 weeks of withdrawal after my final dose, I still experienced tummy upset, fevers, and brain zaps. But I wanted to post that almost like clockwork at the 8week mark, it all stopped. In this 9th week, I am happy to report NO fevers or brainzaps! or any other withdrawal issues.

I do still have issues with light sensitivity. However, while taking Cymbalta I had been unable to drive at night....I am now back to driving!

Unfortunately, I do not have a specific tip where I can say "this is what helped." I take several vitamins: B12, which many on here take. A Multi vitamin, magnesium. And I did gentle exercise like yoga. Also, drank Propel fitness water to keep hydrated.

I took Cymbalta for grief, and have not replaced it with any other medication. I am working one on one with a yoga instructor, and allow myself to have some 'off' days for healing.

I know we all have taken Cymbalta for different reasons. But the horrible withdrawal is our common issue. Just wanted to post that I made it! And you can do it!!!

[cookie]

Dear Stepmom:
Thank you for the follow up, it is very useful.
I also take B vitamins and do yoga. It is so great that you take off days for healing.

I am down to 8mg from 60mg. It is getting tougher.

I would like to know how was the last stage of weaning??? How big or small were your last drops?? What symptoms did you have when you were at lower dosages????

I read that you have not replaced it with any other medication. After this experience I do not want to take any other antidepressant. However I have to go down to zero and see how I feel, to let the real me come into the surface. I do not remember who I am anymore after so many years of medication, side effects and withdrawals.

Hugs
Cookie

[mmd]

ty 4 the post. just this morning i was wondering if i was EVER going to get back to square 1. now , with your post am looking 2 weeks ahead. :-)

[Elaine]

Hey Cookie, I too am at 8 mg left to go. My challenge is some anxiety and feeling a bit down. Feeling down could be due to the impending winter here in Canada. We are experiencing rainy, heavily overcast days right now and you need the lights on in the house.
I am taking fish oil, vitamin D3, magnesium, whey protein, amino acids, tart cherry supplements and B complex. I have mild anxiety but my mom is undergoing cancer tests, our cat is probably getting close to the end and the list goes on as it does for us all. I find myself becoming more aware of the problems I have experience while drugged out on cymbalta and struggling through feelings about them again. Kind of hard to describe but maybe someone knows what I mean.
Stepmom I am so glad you posted to say how you are doing. It is so important for everyone to know that people do get better. Too many quit coming once they are better and no one ever hears of success. Thanks.

My best wishes to all for a cymbalta free life,
Elaine

[cookie]

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[cookie]

Hey Cookie, I too am at 8 mg left to go. My challenge is some anxiety and feeling a bit down. Feeling down could be due to the impending winter here in Canada. We are experiencing rainy, heavily overcast days right now and you need the lights on in the house.
I am taking fish oil, vitamin D3, magnesium, whey protein, amino acids, tart cherry supplements and B complex. I have mild anxiety but my mom is undergoing cancer tests, our cat is probably getting close to the end and the list goes on as it does for us all. I find myself becoming more aware of the problems I have experience while drugged out on cymbalta and struggling through feelings about them again. Kind of hard to describe but maybe someone knows what I mean.
Stepmom I am so glad you posted to say how you are doing. It is so important for everyone to know that people do get better. Too many quit coming once they are better and no one ever hears of success. Thanks.

My best wishes to all for a cymbalta free life,
Elaine

Dear Elaine:
Yes, winter days bring down mood to some people. On the other hand I´ve noticed sunlight helps with my Depression.

Yes, Cymbalta was kind of a barrier to protect me against external factors and problems, since I started weaning, I do not have that barrier anymore and I am more vulnerable to external problems.

I hope your mom tests, turn out ok.

I read that you are also down to 8mg. How is your weaning plan? How long will it take you to quit completely/go down to zero and how many milligrams will you drop each time???

Are you planning on replacing cymbalta with another antidepressant? Or with a natural alternative therapy???

[I am who I am]

WOW!! Thank you so much for your post!! I'm at about the 3 week mark I would say.. and it's good to know that there IS hope. I hope mine is faster than 9 weeks, but really- just knowing that this current feeling of crappy awfulness can end.. that's so great.

Thank you for your post! It makes me so happy and hopeful!

[Elaine]

Dear Elaine:
Yes, winter days bring down mood to some people. On the other hand I´ve noticed sunlight helps with my Depression.

Yes, Cymbalta was kind of a barrier to protect me against external factors and problems, since I started weaning, I do not have that barrier anymore and I am more vulnerable to external problems.

I hope your mom tests, turn out ok.

I read that you are also down to 8mg. How is your weaning plan? How long will it take you to quit completely/go down to zero and how many milligrams will you drop each time???

Are you planning on replacing cymbalta with another antidepressant? Or with a natural alternative therapy???

Hi Cookie,
I am now 2 days off the cymbalta. At first I reduced by 10% each week until the last two weeks. My final week was to reduce from 19 beads to 15 to 11 to 7 to 5 to 2 then off. I am using the Point of Return program and everything was very mild for me except anxiety. Anxiety was my reason for getting on meds to start and it looks like it will continue to be an issue for a while. I am hoping it will settle down as I work on managing it. Tomorrow is my mom's colonoscopy and possibly surgery? Don't really know for sure. My cat had to be put down two weeks ago and today my daughter phoned and her news was a bit upsetting to me so I have been pretty worked up with the anxiety this afternoon. I am starting now to feel a little more in control.
I have had a few of the symptoms everyone complains of: diarrhea, mild nausea, burning on the top of my head and some headaches. The anxiety is the only one that I would say makes me want to pop a pill. I really want to try staying off of anything else because cymbalta was only part of my cocktail of meds that wasn't working all that great. I have found that by increasing some of the Point of Return nutrients I can feel quite comfortable again and am working on that today with the anxiety. I have found that EFT for anxiety works fairly well to manage my anxiety. I have been using it on and off for the last few weeks. I just searched on youtube.com for some videos and tried a few. You can do it as often as you like and see if it helps. It can be used for things besides anxiety too.
If I could give you any advice I would say keep taking the taper nice and slow. I am hoping I didn't rush myself too much but I really wanted to be done with it.
My best wishes to you all as we struggle to recover from this nasty med.
Elaine

[cookie]

Dear Elaine:
Sorry for my late response, I was out on a trip and didn´t have access to internet. It seems that you tapered slowly. Anxiety can be very unpleasant. Have you tried yoga??? or exercise in general? it helps me. How is your mom??? I am glad you found something that helps you (the Point of Return program that you mentioned). What kind of supplements do they give you??? I am down to 5mg.

[tracy]

Hello Everyone,
I have made the decision with taking myself off cymbalta due to occasional dizziness and discoloration of skin.
Please inform me with the counting beads method!i am on 30mg and have weened myself off of the drug to every other day for the a week and a half,due to my doctor's advice. So far I
have experienced dizziness, slight confusion, being more emotional,nausia, and shakey vision. i have stayed on the drug Wellbutron. it has been a solid 5 days now with no cybalta. i am feeling like crap with the dizziness and the nausia. i am reading the forums which are helpful. has anyone else experienced discoloration of skin while taking cybalta?

[cookie]

Dear Tracy:
What do you mean by discoloration of skin??? is the discoloration white spots on your skin or is your skin discolorated overall. I´ve noticed that my skin is more pale and dry in general but never attributed it to weaning from the med

[cookie]

Dear Tracy:
What do you mean by discoloration of skin??? is the discoloration white spots on your skin or is your skin discolorated overall. I´ve noticed that my skin is more pale and dry in general but never attributed it to weaning from the med

[Nannyfor3]

I have just completed my 7th week of being completely off it. For me it was week 5 that I had that "instant" feeling that everything stopped. The oppressive anxiety lefted. For the most part my major withdrawal symptoms are gone or have lessened so much that they aren't a problem. My blood pressure seems for the most part to have gone down...though when I am having anixety, even a little bit, it goes up. The one thing that is still kinda bad is my asthma. I hadn't had to use my inhaler for two years until I went off cymbalta. The first couple weeks off Cym I had to use it alot...then not so much until last week...I am unsure if this is still related to the Cymbalta or not.
I have read alot on this forum of people swearing they will never go on any other anti depressent. I find this rather sad because I think that some people really really need them. I have been on MANY trying to find the right one...and I was actually on Cymbalta for both depression and fibromyalgia. It actually was working quite well but I had started to notice I was having easy bruising and I was getting ready to go in for a minor surgery...and I didn't want bleeding complications....so that was why I weaned and eventually stopped cold turkey. Anyway as I was saying I have been on many antidepressents and had to come off them because they weren't working or the side effects were worse than the depression...and I have NEVER had withdrawal like this. And I'd say that the 6 mos on Cymbalta was about the average of the time I was on the other ones....other than Lexapro which I was on for almost 3 years...it was the best one for me but I had gone as high with the dose as I had wanted and I had hit a plataeu.
I know that coming off this cymbalta is wicked...but I'd really encourage anyone who still needs an antidepressent to not swear them off completely. They really can help improve your life. If you are able to control your depression with other means (vitamins, yoga, exercise, light therapy) that is awesome but alot of people can't. I just don't want to see anyone stay in that dark place that depression can be...if there are ways to get out of it.

[pamela]

I have just completed my 7th week of being completely off it. For me it was week 5 that I had that "instant" feeling that everything stopped. The oppressive anxiety lefted. For the most part my major withdrawal symptoms are gone or have lessened so much that they aren't a problem. My blood pressure seems for the most part to have gone down...though when I am having anixety, even a little bit, it goes up. The one thing that is still kinda bad is my asthma. I hadn't had to use my inhaler for two years until I went off cymbalta. The first couple weeks off Cym I had to use it alot...then not so much until last week...I am unsure if this is still related to the Cymbalta or not.
I have read alot on this forum of people swearing they will never go on any other anti depressent. I find this rather sad because I think that some people really really need them. I have been on MANY trying to find the right one...and I was actually on Cymbalta for both depression and fibromyalgia. It actually was working quite well but I had started to notice I was having easy bruising and I was getting ready to go in for a minor surgery...and I didn't want bleeding complications....so that was why I weaned and eventually stopped cold turkey. Anyway as I was saying I have been on many antidepressents and had to come off them because they weren't working or the side effects were worse than the depression...and I have NEVER had withdrawal like this. And I'd say that the 6 mos on Cymbalta was about the average of the time I was on the other ones....other than Lexapro which I was on for almost 3 years...it was the best one for me but I had gone as high with the dose as I had wanted and I had hit a plataeu.
I know that coming off this cymbalta is wicked...but I'd really encourage anyone who still needs an antidepressent to not swear them off completely. They really can help improve your life. If you are able to control your depression with other means (vitamins, yoga, exercise, light therapy) that is awesome but alot of people can't. I just don't want to see anyone stay in that dark place that depression can be...if there are ways to get out of it.

I agree. I don't feel that ALL antidepressants are bad.....just getting off of this particular one has been terrible. If it's working for people then it's a great drug. Sometimes depression can't be fully controlled with exercise, therapy and nutrition, often a little help is needed. That's not a weakness.....it's a sign of strength that you are able to ask for help. I am down pretty low on mgs now. I have been able to drop pretty quickly these past few weeks with the help of prozac. I am on Wellbutrin as well. I have no problem staying on a drug as long as it's working and the side effects don't outweigh the positives. I just want to live my life and feel as 'normal' as I am able to feel. Obviously everyone's 'normal' varies but I know that my normal will return soon.....and my new life Cymbalta free is waiting.
We can all do this..............it's a sign of strength that we have all reached out and supported one another during this journey!