16 replies to this topic

[brooklyngirl]

I have been on and off anti-depressants/anti-anxiety drugs most of my life. I started at about age 12 and I am now 28. I've been on Prozac and Zoloft and for the last 3 years or so I have been on Cymbalta. I am at 60mg.

I just finished my masters degree and my insurance ran out. I haven't been able to find a job since graduating in May.

I have been pretty badly depressed all spring and summer and hoping things will improve soon. However, I now have an HMO for the working poor in New York (HealthyNY) and it does NOT cover psychiatric drugs yet still costs $350 a month!

That said, I am really stressed about staying on Cymbalta, despite battling pretty severe depression. Cymbalta alone is about $200 a month out of pocket. I can't afford it.

I am totally freaked out reading what everyone is saying about getting off the drug and I wonder if because of the state of my mental health right now I should forgo something else like birth control or having a cell phone so I can afford the $200 a month until I am in an emotionally more stable place to then get off of it. Or should I ween myself off now? Or try cold turkey?

Does anyone have advice for me?

[Niema]

ween, ween, ween

[RickWC]

I can see that you are afraid and it is understandable. There are some that have quit Cymbalta cold turkey, most of whom had no other choice. It is not an easy way to go. There are others who have spent months and even years weaning. That is not the way to go either. The choice will have to be yours but we are all here to help in anyway that we can. Although the Cymbalta ads state that they have found no cases of dependence, it is a lie. If you have been on 60mg for 3 years then you are going to suffer withdrawals.

My advice is to try to do an accelerated wean before going cold turkey. You said that you have taken Prozac in the past and if you can get more of that, it does seem to help with the withdrawals. Plus you can quit Prozac later down the road without withdrawal. Nutrution and certain herbs and vitamins also help. Do a search on this forum and you will find much advice on reducing the withdrawal.

I have been Cymbalta free for 8 months now and yet can still remember what I went through. My heart goes out to you for the decision that you have to make and what you may go through. Good luck and come back here often for support.

[brooklyngirl]

Thank you for the advice. I am going to speak to my doctor about the Prozac option when I see her on Thursday. I will also check out the herbs/nutrition section of this site.

[brooklyngirl]

Is there an easier way to wean off without counting beads?

[RickWC]

I never counted beads. The way my doctor had me do it is controversial on this site. I went from 60 to 30 over several weeks and then a 2 weeks at 30. After that I went 6 days at 30mg and then 1 day at 0. I just slowly increased the time of the days off. 5 days on and 2 off and so on. When I got to 3 days on and 4 days off, I decided to just quit cold turkey. Good luck.

[brooklyngirl]

My doctor gave me a 20mg Rx for Prozac to take along side the weaning process which she has listed as: Take 1 60mg pill every other day for two weeks. Then take 1 60mg every 3rd take for 2 weeks. Then stop.

Thoughts on this process?

[RickWC]

That sounds sort of harsh. If you can afford it, see if you can get some 30mg Cymbalta. Switch from 60 to 30mg and when you feel ok, then start the every other day thing with the 30mg. As I already said, some people hate this way of weaning and prefer to take a decreased dose each day by counting beads. This works well for some but others tend to drag it out for months at a time. Good luck on however you decide to do it. Just remember that your doctor can only give you his or her opinion and is not the one going through the withdrawals.

Oh, by the way, I was at my doctors office earlier this week and saw a Cymbalta ad. It had about 4 pages of side affects and warnings. But for dependence, it had one sentence. Rats given Cymbalta did not develop any type of dependence so I guess the withdrawals are all in our heads.

[brooklyngirl]

I decided to try bead counting along with the PRozac

[RickWC]

I hope that works well for you. How are you feeling so far?

[brooklyngirl]

On day 3 of bead counting. No Prozac yet and only down 1-2mgs. But my grandfather passed away today so it has been difficult..otherwise fine. I seem to always be tired and that hasn't changed. THanks for checking in.

[RickWC]

So very sorry to hear about the loss of your Grandfather. A loss like that affects all of us. Counting beads may work well for you if you are going slowly and haven't experienced any withdrawal yet. I imagine there will be a cutoff point where your body starts to crave Cymbalta and the withdrawals will get worse. But with the decreased Cymblata your body and mind will also experience some good things as well. Hang in there.

[brooklyngirl]

Thanks so much. Did just fine in Week 1 decreasing to 59mg (very small decrease). Down to 56mg starting today.

[RickWC]

Glad it is going well. Speaking from my experience, I never really noticed much until I got down to about 30 but I didn't count capsules. I just went from 60 to 30. The prozac did help but I had a lot of anxiety. I know that the 4 days that I went cold turkey from 60mg were horrible so take it as slow as you need.

[crysinpink]

I have been coming off 60mg myself over the past 5 weeks, during this time i have HAD to wean! I saw my doctor about it and he gave me the following advise in which i have followed.

WEEK ONE and TWO of coming off Cymbalta.

Have one tablet at the same time every SECOND DAY instead of daily.
During this time i experienced the following
- head spins
- heart palpitation ( nearly all day every day)
- helium head i called it, the feeling of your brain being filled with helium is the only way to describe the feeling
- confusion of what i was doing and bad train of thought
- bottom lip quivers
- accelerated emotions up / down / down / down / up

The first two weeks was hard but i had depended on this chemical for the last 18months of my life and it has terrible long term side affects.

ok WEEK THREE

Have one tablet at the same time every THIRD day.
During this time i experienced the following
- Head spasms still but not so severe
- I was a hundred miles an hour! Spoke extremely fast, couldn't sit down, super hyperactive
- Body waves, whole body would feel as though it had been on a gravitation festival ride and all my central gravity was off balance. only every now and then though
- Dry mouth happens again, just like when i first started.
- became more hungry more often
- DO NOT DRINK WHILE COMING OFF CYMBALTA! you end up with very mixed emotions and get severely intoxicated with a very small amount of alcohol
- SEX IS SO MUCH BETTER - I had trouble having orgasms while on cymbalta, no that there is not so much in my system i can experience them quicker and harder.

WEEK FOUR AND FIVE
During this time i experienced the following

- Not so much feeling like im on speed anymore, still have moments of hyper activity but not as often - more settled and normal feeling
- I did have a very depressing day on Saturday where i was at home depressed laying on my floor for hours and then needed a cuddle so badly i cuddled a wall corner, this lasted 1/2 a day then i had to have a shower and push through it, feeling empty can be a friend because you are so use to it, but i pushed myself out of it and put on some music and got a friend to come around.
- still a little giddy in the brain area but im kind of use to it now
- heart palpitations perhaps 3 - 4 times a week but not scary ones


During Cymbalta i really needed it and it was a great anti depressant for me, my chemical imbalance was leveled out and now coming off it we just need to be patient enough for our bodies to start producing the serotonin itself. Alot of positive affirmations, exercise and good company is the best advice i can give to anyone that is about to , or is coming off this drug. It is something i would compare to a drug addict coming off of a heavy drug, it is very similar, we have the same brain altering chemicals everyday for months, years etc, then eventually we try and get off it so we too go through withdrawals. This is the hardest thing i have ever had to do and you WILL experience horrible depressive days, sad days , lonely days, but just stick to your weaning system and eventually you will not need them anymore.

It has been about a week since i have had my 60mg Cymbalta and I am going to try and stop them all together now.

If any drastic changes happen i will let you all know.


Thanks and I hope this helped. xo

[crysinpink]

I have been on and off anti-depressants/anti-anxiety drugs most of my life. I started at about age 12 and I am now 28. I've been on Prozac and Zoloft and for the last 3 years or so I have been on Cymbalta. I am at 60mg.

I just finished my masters degree and my insurance ran out. I haven't been able to find a job since graduating in May.

I have been pretty badly depressed all spring and summer and hoping things will improve soon. However, I now have an HMO for the working poor in New York (HealthyNY) and it does NOT cover psychiatric drugs yet still costs $350 a month!

That said, I am really stressed about staying on Cymbalta, despite battling pretty severe depression. Cymbalta alone is about $200 a month out of pocket. I can't afford it.

I am totally freaked out reading what everyone is saying about getting off the drug and I wonder if because of the state of my mental health right now I should forgo something else like birth control or having a cell phone so I can afford the $200 a month until I am in an emotionally more stable place to then get off of it. Or should I ween myself off now? Or try cold turkey?

Does anyone have advice for me?

Im 27 live in Brisbane and would love to help anyone cause i had no one to help me xo

I have been coming off 60mg myself over the past 5 weeks, during this time i have HAD to wean! I saw my doctor about it and he gave me the following advise in which i have followed.

WEEK ONE and TWO of coming off Cymbalta.

Have one tablet at the same time every SECOND DAY instead of daily.
During this time i experienced the following
- head spins
- heart palpitation ( nearly all day every day)
- helium head i called it, the feeling of your brain being filled with helium is the only way to describe the feeling
- confusion of what i was doing and bad train of thought
- bottom lip quivers
- accelerated emotions up / down / down / down / up

The first two weeks was hard but i had depended on this chemical for the last 18months of my life and it has terrible long term side affects.

ok WEEK THREE

Have one tablet at the same time every THIRD day.
During this time i experienced the following
- Head spasms still but not so severe
- I was a hundred miles an hour! Spoke extremely fast, couldn't sit down, super hyperactive
- Body waves, whole body would feel as though it had been on a gravitation festival ride and all my central gravity was off balance. only every now and then though
- Dry mouth happens again, just like when i first started.
- became more hungry more often
- DO NOT DRINK WHILE COMING OFF CYMBALTA! you end up with very mixed emotions and get severely intoxicated with a very small amount of alcohol
- SEX IS SO MUCH BETTER - I had trouble having orgasms while on cymbalta, no that there is not so much in my system i can experience them quicker and harder.

WEEK FOUR AND FIVE
During this time i experienced the following

- Not so much feeling like im on speed anymore, still have moments of hyper activity but not as often - more settled and normal feeling
- I did have a very depressing day on Saturday where i was at home depressed laying on my floor for hours and then needed a cuddle so badly i cuddled a wall corner, this lasted 1/2 a day then i had to have a shower and push through it, feeling empty can be a friend because you are so use to it, but i pushed myself out of it and put on some music and got a friend to come around.
- still a little giddy in the brain area but im kind of use to it now
- heart palpitations perhaps 3 - 4 times a week but not scary ones


During Cymbalta i really needed it and it was a great anti depressant for me, my chemical imbalance was leveled out and now coming off it we just need to be patient enough for our bodies to start producing the serotonin itself. Alot of positive affirmations, exercise and good company is the best advice i can give to anyone that is about to , or is coming off this drug. It is something i would compare to a drug addict coming off of a heavy drug, it is very similar, we have the same brain altering chemicals everyday for months, years etc, then eventually we try and get off it so we too go through withdrawals. This is the hardest thing i have ever had to do and you WILL experience horrible depressive days, sad days , lonely days, but just stick to your weaning system and eventually you will not need them anymore.

It has been about a week since i have had my 60mg Cymbalta and I am going to try and stop them all together now.

If any drastic changes happen i will let you all know.

If you have any questions, and i am not afraid to share , please email me websterjadecrystal@hotmail.com.

Thanks and I hope this helped. xo

[brooklyngirl]

Thanks so much for this crysinpink! I am half way through my weaning process, down to 30mg as of today. I was at 60mg and have been weaning just under 10mg a week. I have had no side effects so far.