1 reply to this topic

[smeagol]

Hi all,

After a 4+months weaning off procedure, I totally stopped Cymbalta last night. My last tiny drop was 7 beads (with was less than 1mg). Before that I hold on 14 beads (approximately 1.5mg) for 2 weeks. During the weaning off process, the migraine (unbearable headache) was less and less. However, I know the tapering journey is not successful yet as I noticed that started from 1 months ago when I was down to 56 beads out of a 30mg capsule (within each 30mg capsule there are 280 beads, so 56 beads equal to 6mg), the tremor (inside shaking feeling) and headache is creeping back.

From early this week (or last week) I already started suffering from some symptoms. I am not sure if these are Cymbalta withdrawal, or my "original problems". The reason I was put onto this evil drug was GAD.

My symptoms are:

Physically: tremor (I start to feel the shaking every morning when I get up), headache, sleepiness (I have to have a nap every afternoon for about 1 hour).

Mentally: I am irritated and keen to do a lot things I didn't have energy or a good shape/mood to do when I was on 60mg Cymbalta and during the tapering procedure. The more things I want to finish, the racing thoughts in my brain and makes me anxious. I have to distract myself (like go outsides for a walk or run). Other than the irritability, I don't think I am depressed. But I guess my symptoms are ANXIETY related, right???

BTW, one month ago I noticed I have premature beats sometimes so I took a 48-hr halter. My family doctor showed me the result this week and she told me my heart is OK. But everyday, after the lunch, when I lay down in the bed, I feel like something stuck in my chest and I sometimes got the premature beats. And my rest heart rate is only 50-58. I am not that worrying about the slow heart rate now as it used to be slow since I am a child.

I am keeping running or swimming to help the weaning off journey for 2 months. Now I can run 6 KMs everyday.

I don't know how long these symptoms will last but I clearly know stopping Cymbalta is just the first milestone. The real success is there and I have to be brave and strong.

Thank you all for your patience and your experience sharing and advice are appreciated.

[salvadora]

I have the same thing - I don't yet know which things are the drug and which are me, and how to help them. I'm choosing not to worry about that distinction yet, and give the drug time to clear the body - a couple of months.

In the meantime, anything you do to take care of yourself like the running and swimming are great, because they'll either help you drop the drug, or if it turns out you still have anxiety, by the time you can say for sure it's your brain and not the drug, you'll have spent a couple of months developing tools to live with that anxiety.