8 replies to this topic

[Andrea78]

My doctor prescribed Cymbalta almost 10 years ago for depression and anxiety. It worked well and then I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and at one point wanted to go off Cymbalta. My doc talked me into staying on it because the FDA had just come out with info that it helped the fibro pain. I've been on as much as 120mg a day and am now on 60mg. I've convinced him I need to get off this, that it really is not effective anymore. We have devised a plan where I take 60 for 2 days and then one day of 30. He gave me 7 30mg capsules. I do not feel this will be long enough to go directly on 30mg per day. I hope I can talk him into giving me at least 7 more 30mg before going completely from 60mg to 30. I've tried just one other time to go off Cymbalta and it was pure hell. I'm really scared about doing it again. I work with kids and will have to hold it all together throughout the day. It's not their fault I'm stuck on this miserable drug. Well, it's not miserable, it has helped but the withdrawal symptoms are something that should be emphasized more strongly by the doctors prescribing it. Anyway, any words of advice are welcome. I'm not looking forward to the next several weeks but I'm determined to get off Cymbalta. Very glad to have found this site!

[mimi]

good morning from Florida, Andrea, my doc tried over the yearsto increase, and i wasn't successful, now i'm thanking Jesus....I'd get dizzy, headachey, irritable just tring to increase from 20...30...60...i'd open up the capsules and dump them in a dish..i didn't countpellets, just eyeballed...i'm still weaning from 30...didn't even talk to my doctor about it...i'm on my 3 day with 2 nights achieved..i slept well without any frieght train running thru my head..not to bad for short time...I think what has helped me most is walking before bed...and i do arobics at the gym..i'm a silver sneaker...over the years i've spent alot of time in bed exhausted...i was a sped teacher and loved it...but, cymbalta, to me gives 2 emotions...irritability or disjointed from reality....that's the way i spent my last 10 years and i won't do it anymore...IWILLBEHAPPY...connected with those around me...i want to feel...this is all my prayer....anyway, I think you need to listen to your body...your emotoions...this is one time i think the doctors are WRONG....prayers for you and all others going thru this withdrawal...m

[truckprincess]

I am struggling on just going down to 30mg and thinking I picked the wrong time of year for this. My youngest daughter has complained of headache, sweating and freezing, body aches for a couple of days now and is now running a fever. My oldest is complaining of nausea and dizziness. So now I am trying to figure out if what I am battling is some crud or wd's. Needless to say everyone is taking ibuprofen and motion sickness med. I hope things go smoothly for you and that you wil do well.

[Heartfeathers]

It takes MONTHS to safely wean off of Cymbalta!! Your doctor is a part of the problem! Educate him. If you are on 60, you should drop to 50 and stay on 50 until you no longer feel ANY withdrawals. Then go down to 40mg and stay there until you no longer feel ANY withdrawals. Then go to 30mg and then 20. Your doctor needs to give you prescriptions for ALL of the different doses so you can mix them for the correct mg. If it gets really hairy, you can ask for 10mg prozac to take the horrible edge off. Good luck. I am 5 months Cymbalta free now.

[memom]

Would love to hear from anyone who is still active on this forum. I am currently taking 120mg and am anxious to wean myself off.

I am going to start taking 60 mg tomorrow. Hope to hear from someone who has done this. Of course another thing is no two people will react the same way to getting on or off of Cymbalta. Guess the best we can do is support each other as we try to do what we believe will be best for our bodies. Lord knows very few doctors these days REALLY care about each of their individual patients. ~Beth

[happyatlast]

Hello,

I have been on cymbalta for well over a year - went on for depression as well as aches and pains associated with menopause.  Worked well for that but really don't like the fact that I am flatlined in terms of emotion especially with my children who are 11 and 12 and also gained a lot of weight (could be menopause but not entirely certain).  I decided to wean off after reading a post about a gentleman who slowly weaned off a 30 mg daily dose. He would open each capsule - starting with 7 take out 7beads the first day, 14 beads the next, 21 beads the next....you get the idea.  This reduces it by 5% daily and he did not feel any adverse side effects.  I am on 60mg per day so decided to adopt this measure but started with 20 beads (there are approximately 520 beads in each capsule) each day - I am now on day 19 and removed 300 beads today.  I have about 10 more days before I am down to zero.  I can honestly say I have almost no side effects with this method with exception of a couple of little brain zaps and one headache (but headache could have been from weather changes as I do have migraines sometimes due to weather pressure changes).  Very pleased with this method - have never signed into a post like this but really wanted to share my success to date.....

 

Happy to be almost off

 

[deb55]

There is light at the end of the tunnel, we all just need to be supportive and patient.   One of the things that makes me angry is that the medical professionals put us in this situation in the first place.   No one should have to go through these withdrawals!!!  Although there is light at the end of the tunnel, I wonder how long the drug actually takes to totally be out of my system and if it leaves any permanent damages....

 

Certainly not enough research was put into how this drug affects humans!

[CandiceHudson]

It takes MONTHS to safely wean off of Cymbalta!! Your doctor is a part of the problem! Educate him. If you are on 60, you should drop to 50 and stay on 50 until you no longer feel ANY withdrawals. Then go down to 40mg and stay there until you no longer feel ANY withdrawals. Then go to 30mg and then 20. Your doctor needs to give you prescriptions for ALL of the different doses so you can mix them for the correct mg. If it gets really hairy, you can ask for 10mg prozac to take the horrible edge off. Good luck. I am 5 months Cymbalta free now.

So if you have a zillion capsules how do you take a 60 and turn it into a 50 then a 40 etc.....I cannot go out and buy more capsules. I have to work with the zillion I own now that I bought in India.

[Heartfeathers]

So if you have a zillion capsules how do you take a 60 and turn it into a 50 then a 40 etc.....I cannot go out and buy more capsules. I have to work with the zillion I own now that I bought in India.

You take a 30mg and a 20mg to equal 50mgs.   Then you take two 20 mgs to make 40.   Then you take one 20 mg.   As the % dropped increases, so does the chance for adverse effects.   Doctors that want their patients to withdraw safely try this.    If you only have a stash of 60mg tablets, I would recommend the *bead counting* method, where you count and remove the beads inside the capsules.