9 replies to this topic

[JennaYoung]

I am new on here, I started searching tonight after church when a dear friend of mine thought some of my symptoms might have to do with stopping this numb-minding drug! I was on vacation when I ran out & thought I could just wait til I got home. Realized 3 days later after returning I only had a few pills left. We get our meds via mail and the pharmacy keeps holding it up in processing. I've been wanting to get off of this 60mg med for several months following 2 back surgeries last year and 1 before that 3 yrs prior. It was wonderful for the leg pain and Chronic pain. It seemed I never could express or FEEL what I wanted too, so I thought when I ran out...oh good, I'll just quit taking it. I knew not to go cold turkey at first so I just took the last several doses here and there. I've been cold turkey though for 5 days and just thought I had vertigo or impacted sinus along with a number of other problems! Praise God for this sight.
After recognizing so many of these symptoms I just went and took the only 60 mg pill I had left. Any suggestions?

[lovemymocha]

You might want to get another prescription of maybe 30MG.  Do that for a week or so, then start taking out around 10 beads every day, or whatever seems to work best for you.  I also was on 60MG and started tapering off from that, and depending on your symptoms, may still want to start with the 60MG and taper down from there.  Be forewarned that at least for me, I still am experiencing the crazy withdrawal symptoms after being completely off if for a week, but I think I would have had to check myself into the pscyh ward if I had gone cold turkey.  It's hard enough as it is!  I have also just started a supplement called Fibro Response in the last couple of days which has a lot of the "ingredients" that have been recommended on this forum to help ease the symptoms.  Good luck!

[johanna7272]

JennaYoung

Before you continue cold turkey, read through many of the old posts.  If you are symptomatic--read the symptoms post--you would be soooo much better off getting a prescription for 60mg and bead counting.  When you get the prescription in the mail, you can either take the entire pill or take some out.  I have been saving the beads and putting them in a small glass jar, then when I get down to taking out more than putting in, I use empty capsules I bought.  I was on 90mg, down to two 30mg pills and only a week or so left of the filled capsules.  There have been days that I get more symptoms than I want so I put 5-10 beads in a capsule and take it.  Symptoms usually go away quickly.  

Stick with it, read the forums and know that many of us are going through the same thing.

Johanna

[JennaYoung]

Thanks so much for the advise. So confused on either keeping this drug out of my body or getting another prescription and doing the bead counting. I loved "feeling " again. But I don't like the brain zaps or insomnia! Praising God that the pain that started this roller coaster is not rearing it's head!

[GreenMachine]

Jenna, 

I made it cold-turkey, and since you just went 5 days without any, my suggestion would have been to power through it...neither way is pleasant and if you just can't handle how you were before you took that one, then go ahead and get another prescription and do the beadcounting method.  But really, 5 days in, only a few days left of the worst and it should begin to get better, then by the end of 2 weeks clean from it, it's really manageable.  3 weeks in and it's a cake walk with only a mild flare up of symptoms for a couple hours every couple days, but  it seems that's been happening to people whether they beadcount or not...either way, whatever you decide, we're here for you!

[johanna7272]

I agree, Greenmachine.  If I did not have so many responsibilities, I would go cold turkey just to get it over with.  But I have too many things that I at am responsible for to deal with the withdrawal symptoms on top of everything else.

Johanna

[JennaYoung]

I received info from my mail pharmacy that they were no longer covering Cymbalta without going on other meds first & those failing!!!!!! I am certainly continuing the cold turkey method. I called my dr's office so they would know what I was doing, but already closed for the holiday weekend. I don't want to take a different drug instead of this one to get off of this.

[Kittencat]

I am way to busy to go cold turkey too. I'm doing well on a very slow wean. Almost done! Yay!

[lady2882Nancy]

Jenna -

You can do it. You made it 5 days once already so you can do it again.

Before you get too many symptoms get yourself to a health food store, here's what you need

-some good Omega3 both fish and plant based if you can,

-some L-theanine (be sure its suntheanine) it really helps with the brain buzz and the zaps

-get some Lemon Balm or passionflower tea, it really helps the anxiety

 

That will help until you can talk to your doctor

If you need to talk send me a message as I'm not moving around much this weekend other than supper tomorrow night at mother-in-laws (woohoo not)

 

Take care of you

Nancy

[fishinghat]

Great KittenCat!!!

 

Jenna - Ditto what Lady2882Nancy said.