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Quitting Succesfully


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#1 cookie

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    In the future I would like to stop cymbalta

Posted 13 July 2012 - 01:59 PM

I´ve taken cymb. for 6 years. I´ve had 2 attempts to quit. The first one was 2 years ago in which I tapered very slowly for a year and a half doing very small drops. When I got to zero I had to updose because I got unbearable physical and psychiatric symptoms. I updosed to 20mg and stayed at that dosage for a long time.

This second time, I was told to replace cymb. with a SSRI. I´ve been off cymb for 2 weeks and taking the new medication, and I am feeling fine, no withdrawal symptoms. The first week was a little difficult (crying spells, digestive problems) but NOTHING compared to the first time I quit without replacing it for another medication. Let´s see how it goes from now on.

#2 Lundeliz

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    I c/t'd from 60mg in 2009. Went back on and started tapering. Spent the next 4 years trying to get off. It was very difficult. Finally stopped at 17 beads on Dec.4, 2013.

Posted 13 July 2012 - 03:37 PM

Congratulations, Cookie! I'm so happy that the switch has gone well for you. Hope you continue to feel great!

#3 cookie

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Posted 20 July 2012 - 11:34 PM

I am still feeling fine

#4 Lundeliz

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    I c/t'd from 60mg in 2009. Went back on and started tapering. Spent the next 4 years trying to get off. It was very difficult. Finally stopped at 17 beads on Dec.4, 2013.

Posted 21 July 2012 - 02:26 PM

So happy to hear this Cookie. I've been wondering how you are doing.

Hope you keep feeling great!

#5 cookie

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Posted 24 July 2012 - 09:06 PM

Update: It´s been 3 weeks since I quit. I haven´t had any brain zaps, nausea, dizziness. What is bothering me now are mood swings and urges to cry. I don´t have any other symptoms beside these 2.
Do the mood swings go away???

#6 cookie

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Posted 20 August 2012 - 11:10 PM

It´s been 49 days since I quit. I am fine. I think I would never have been able to quit if I hadn´t taken another antidepressant. The only thing that bothers me are the mood swings. But the good thing is that I am having some days in which I feel very good.

#7 plezhelp

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Posted 23 August 2012 - 02:22 PM

Update: It´s been 3 weeks since I quit. I haven´t had any brain zaps, nausea, dizziness. What is bothering me now are mood swings and urges to cry. I don´t have any other symptoms beside these 2.
Do the mood swings go away???

thot this might help...it sure has for me:

"Tears are a river that take you somewhere.
Weeping creates a river around the boat that carries your life-soul.
Tears lift your boat off the rocks, off dry ground,
carrying it downriver to someplace new -
somewhere better."

#8 Shellbell

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Posted 17 September 2012 - 11:54 AM

I am on day 9 of NO cymbalta!!!! It took me 5 & 1/2 months! Had to go slow or symptoms would be really bad! I've had some (not too bad) brain shivers, vertigo & sweating (only at nite, I wake up drenched! hasn't happened lately until last nite, which i think is weird) Although nothing about this process is normal!! I do not miss bead counting! SO happy to be off this horrible drug!! Am telling anyone & everyone that will listen to me about it!

New pain mgmt doc wants me to try Lyrica for fibro, don't think I will. Did some research and it sounds as bad as the cymbalta, in terms of trying to discontinue! So no thanks! I DO NOT want to have to go thru this again!

Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have about withdrawal...I wish you all the best of luck!!

#9 navywife5

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Posted 19 September 2012 - 06:14 PM

PLEASE tell me how you weaned off! I have tried 3 times to quit and ended up taking the medicine again. I am in the process of weaning now, but I got so sick when I reached 20mgs that I went back to 30mgs. I was on 60 for 7 years. I was told to wean to a lower dose every 5 days and then start Lexapro but after these horrible withdrawal symptoms I don't want to get on any other medicine!!! Thanks!

#10 cookie

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Posted 20 September 2012 - 09:59 AM

PLEASE tell me how you weaned off! I have tried 3 times to quit and ended up taking the medicine again. I am in the process of weaning now, but I got so sick when I reached 20mgs that I went back to 30mgs. I was on 60 for 7 years. I was told to wean to a lower dose every 5 days and then start Lexapro but after these horrible withdrawal symptoms I don't want to get on any other medicine!!! Thanks!


I was on 60mg for 4 years.
I weaned very slowly for almost 1 year and a half. I would do very small decreases every week. (The decrease wasn´t greater than 10% of actual dose). If I decreased and felt bad, I would go back to previous dose until the symptoms went away. When I stabilized I would make the decrease.

I didn´t want to get on another medication, but when I got to lower dosages the withdrawal symptoms were unbearable. I think I even got a relapse that included worsening of initial symptoms of the illness and new symptoms. I had to updose and waited until I stabilized. Then my 20mg dosage was replaced with Lexapro. I didn´t have any withdrawal symptoms the second time.

I just accepted I have to take antidepressants for the rest of my life.

#11 navywife5

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Posted 20 September 2012 - 10:41 AM

I was on 60mg for 4 years.
I weaned very slowly for almost 1 year and a half. I would do very small decreases every week. (The decrease wasn´t greater than 10% of actual dose). If I decreased and felt bad, I would go back to previous dose until the symptoms went away. When I stabilized I would make the decrease.

I didn´t want to get on another medication, but when I got to lower dosages the withdrawal symptoms were unbearable. I think I even got a relapse that included worsening of initial symptoms of the illness and new symptoms. I had to updose and waited until I stabilized. Then my 20mg dosage was replaced with Lexapro. I didn´t have any withdrawal symptoms the second time.

I just accepted I have to take antidepressants for the rest of my life.




I guess I should think twice about starting the Lexapro. I have a prescription for Lexapro 10mgs. I have heard good things about Lexapro. How long did you take 20mgs before you started the Lexapro?

#12 cookie

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Posted 20 September 2012 - 07:20 PM

I guess I should think twice about starting the Lexapro. I have a prescription for Lexapro 10mgs. I have heard good things about Lexapro. How long did you take 20mgs before you started the Lexapro?


navywife5:
Meds work differently in different people. A medicine that works for one person could not work for the other. For me all antidepressants are more or less the same (they all have pros and cons). My initial question was wether or not take antidepressants (not which brand of antidepressant to take), until life showed me that I had to take antidepressants for the rest of my life. In my case cymbalta was making me sleepy and wasn´t working anymore (after 7 years) so my doctor changed it to lexapro. You should ask yourself and your doctor what is best for you. If you decide to take Lexapro, ask your doctor about side effects and withdrawal effects before taking it so you would know what to expect. But remember I didn´t experience withdrawal because I tapered very slowly before switching antidepressants.

I weaned slowly for a year and a half. Then I had to updose because symptoms were unbearable. Then I stayed at 20mg for 6 months then I was told to switch to lexapro. I didn´t experience withdrawal effects like I did the first time I tapered (when I quit cymb without replacing it with another antidepressant)

#13 navywife5

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Posted 21 September 2012 - 07:25 AM

navywife5:
Meds work differently in different people. A medicine that works for one person could not work for the other. For me all antidepressants are more or less the same (they all have pros and cons). My initial question was wether or not take antidepressants (not which brand of antidepressant to take), until life showed me that I had to take antidepressants for the rest of my life. In my case cymbalta was making me sleepy and wasn´t working anymore (after 7 years) so my doctor changed it to lexapro. You should ask yourself and your doctor what is best for you. If you decide to take Lexapro, ask your doctor about side effects and withdrawal effects before taking it so you would know what to expect. But remember I didn´t experience withdrawal because I tapered very slowly before switching antidepressants.

I weaned slowly for a year and a half. Then I had to updose because symptoms were unbearable. Then I stayed at 20mg for 6 months then I was told to switch to lexapro. I didn´t experience withdrawal effects like I did the first time I tapered (when I quit cymb without replacing it with another antidepressant)



My doctor prescribed Lexapro for me because Cymbalta wasn't working anymore. I was so sleepy all the time and I had bad anxiety (which is why I was prescribed cymbalta). I was supposed to start Lexapro after I was on 20mg cymbalta for 4 days. I was so sick after I dropped to 20mgs that he put me back to 30mgs. I want to get off this medicine so bad, but I am going through some life changes in the next 3 weeks and I can't be sick! I was so upset when I had to go back to 30mgs and I still have some withdrawals but not as intense! My pharmacist thinks that I was weaning too fast. It amazes me how doctors and pharmacist really don't agree on how to wean off this stuff!!!!

#14 Shellbell

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Posted 22 September 2012 - 07:08 PM

PLEASE tell me how you weaned off! I have tried 3 times to quit and ended up taking the medicine again. I am in the process of weaning now, but I got so sick when I reached 20mgs that I went back to 30mgs. I was on 60 for 7 years. I was told to wean to a lower dose every 5 days and then start Lexapro but after these horrible withdrawal symptoms I don't want to get on any other medicine!!! Thanks!


Pretty much how Cookie said, very very slowly!! Had to count beads, would decrease according to how I felt. Wrote down everything! Went faster toward the end for two reasons: 1) was running out of (empty)capsules and it took forever to get my 20mg Rx (I was actually done by the time it arrived in the mail!) And 2) I was just so tired of counting beads! So far so good, every day is a little better, thank God! I am working on writing a paper to give health care professionals, friends and family. Hoping to prevent anyone else from going thru Cymbalta WD HELL!!

Hope you're doing ok :)

Shellbell

#15 DonMH

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Posted 23 September 2012 - 02:02 AM

I´ve taken cymb. for 6 years. I´ve had 2 attempts to quit. The first one was 2 years ago in which I tapered very slowly for a year and a half doing very small drops. When I got to zero I had to updose because I got unbearable physical and psychiatric symptoms. I updosed to 20mg and stayed at that dosage for a long time.

This second time, I was told to replace cymb. with a SSRI. I´ve been off cymb for 2 weeks and taking the new medication, and I am feeling fine, no withdrawal symptoms. The first week was a little difficult (crying spells, digestive problems) but NOTHING compared to the first time I quit without replacing it for another medication. Let´s see how it goes from now on.


Hi Cookie
Very helpful post. Which SSRI are you on at present??
many thanks
Don M.H.

#16 cookie

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Posted 02 October 2012 - 10:34 PM

Hi Cookie
Very helpful post. Which SSRI are you on at present??
many thanks
Don M.H.





Sorry for my late response. I am currently on Lexapro.

#17 cookie

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Posted 02 October 2012 - 10:36 PM

My doctor prescribed Lexapro for me because Cymbalta wasn't working anymore. I was so sleepy all the time and I had bad anxiety (which is why I was prescribed cymbalta). I was supposed to start Lexapro after I was on 20mg cymbalta for 4 days. I was so sick after I dropped to 20mgs that he put me back to 30mgs. I want to get off this medicine so bad, but I am going through some life changes in the next 3 weeks and I can't be sick! I was so upset when I had to go back to 30mgs and I still have some withdrawals but not as intense! My pharmacist thinks that I was weaning too fast. It amazes me how doctors and pharmacist really don't agree on how to wean off this stuff!!!!



Maybe you are going too fast on your weaning.

#18 DonMH

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Posted 03 October 2012 - 12:51 AM

Hi Cookie
No problem. Thank you for telling me. You can imagine how my wife felt coming off 180mg in one week! Although I am a Christian, I would dearly love to force feed her psychiatrist 180mg/day for a month and then wean her off in one week and see how she reacts!! You are so right - Pharmacists are far more knowledgeable than Medics. I have known doctors who have started writing a prescription as soon as I started coming through the door. Most just do not listen. I am so fortunate at present in having a brilliant physician from South Africa, who is also a committed Christian. He evens explains the workings of the medications to me. Congratulations on such an impressive withdrawal. My wife is at last making progress although she is still suffering from dizziness and hearing problems.
Don

Sorry for my late response. I am currently on Lexapro.


#19 cookie

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Posted 03 October 2012 - 10:22 PM

Hi Cookie
No problem. Thank you for telling me. You can imagine how my wife felt coming off 180mg in one week! Although I am a Christian, I would dearly love to force feed her psychiatrist 180mg/day for a month and then wean her off in one week and see how she reacts!! You are so right - Pharmacists are far more knowledgeable than Medics. I have known doctors who have started writing a prescription as soon as I started coming through the door. Most just do not listen. I am so fortunate at present in having a brilliant physician from South Africa, who is also a committed Christian. He evens explains the workings of the medications to me. Congratulations on such an impressive withdrawal. My wife is at last making progress although she is still suffering from dizziness and hearing problems.
Don




It took me 1 year and a half to taper slowly starting from 60mg. I can´t imagine what would be like to quit 180mg in such a short time.

Even though I tapered it wasn´t easy. I still had some symptoms. The first time I tried to quit I couldn´t and had to updose. The second time I was able because it was replaced with another antidepressant.



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