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[Genna13]

I have been on ADs for 16 years. I no longer believe in pharmaceuticals for treating depression. Or a whole lot else either. I am doing a slow wean off Cymbalta and am currently down to 30 from 60 after six months. I am doing a lot of holistic things to not only combat the withdrawal but to prepare my brain and body and being for stability and dare I even say happiness without the assistance of the pharmaceutical industry thank you very much. Among the things I am doing are: Vitamin, mineral and amino acid supplementation, acupuncture, acupressure, reiki, and massage.

I know that everyone is different, but when I tried to wean off of Cymbalta before at a much faster rate and without supplementation (not to mention support-- I am fortunate to have several people in my life who offer a lot of support and respect for this decision.) I didn't last very long. The extreme emotional, physical and spiritual toll that the withdrawal process had on me led me to stay on the wicked stuff. Until now. Six out of twelve months in, and I will say that although it still sucks in many ways there is just no comparison to when I went off quickly and without the proper nutritional and personal support. What I DO experience are flulike symptoms, slight headaches, feeling more emotional than usual with a diminished ability to cope as well as sadness that is sometimes explained, sometimes not (however I AM dealing with a couple of personal crises including a fatal illness in the family) and sometimes a feeling of being slightly uncomfortably energized. What I DO NOT experience is any of the GI stuff or anything that feels really debilitating. It just feels like a softer landing I guess. Also, I am still able to function in my relationships, go to work, not sleep 18 hours a day, not get hospitalized because I feel like I'm going insane, etc. My last time trying to wean from Cymbalta led to a relationship breakup, a job loss and a hospitalization for a suicide attempt. Not to frighten anyone, it's just what my experience was...

I also feel it is relevant to mention that this is all on a very limited budget. I live in the SF bay area and support myself and my boyfriend on less than $300 a week so I'm not rich by any means! Just highly motivated to get off this shit and find emotional stability and a joyful way of life without pharmaceuticals!!

I would love to hear from others about what they are experiencing in this realm.

Thank you!

Genna