10 replies to this topic

[NurseAsh]

I was on 120mg a day for a few years and then went down to 60 mg for several months and then 30mg for a week then off.  I've been off for almost a week and it's been horrible!!!!! Dizzy, spaced out feeling, nauseous, vomiting, muscle aches and tender points have come back and today the emotional part has reared it's ugly head. I called my doctor Thursday and never heard back....I called the answering service today and she called me right back. She told me to start back on the 30mg take it a week, then 1 every other day, then 1 every 2 days and then 1 twice a week and then off.  I'm a mess. I just want to feel normal again, but I want to have a baby.  I just found out I also have PCOS, so I just completed my first cycle of Clomid about 2 weeks ago. Dr. said that can make you emotional too. Anyone else have to stop so that you could get pregnant? Any luck? I'm so scared that I can't do this and won't be able to have my own child.

[lady2882Nancy]

Hello NurseAsh

 

The way she told you to wean off works fine for SSRI's and SNRI's (Cymbalta is a SNRI) is fine for antidepressants with long a long half life but for cymbalta's short 12 hour half life you would be torturing yourself.

Eli Lilly (the company that makes it) now recommends gradually lowering the dose rather than skipping days.

If you haven't taken that 30mg dose yet you are almost through the worst of it so you could stay off and add the supplements we find that help.

 

A posting with the discontinuing information from Eli Lilly and the supplements are listed here -

https://www.cymbaltawithdrawal.com/topic/7037-omega-3/#entry31431

 

 

You are not alone as we all know what you are going through as we have all been through it ourselves.

 

If you have any questions we are here.

 

Take care

[chimera]

I was on 120mg a day for a few years and then went down to 60 mg for several months and then 30mg for a week then off.  I've been off for almost a week and it's been horrible!!!!! Dizzy, spaced out feeling, nauseous, vomiting, muscle aches and tender points have come back and today the emotional part has reared it's ugly head. I called my doctor Thursday and never heard back....I called the answering service today and she called me right back. She told me to start back on the 30mg take it a week, then 1 every other day, then 1 every 2 days and then 1 twice a week and then off.  I'm a mess. I just want to feel normal again, but I want to have a baby.  I just found out I also have PCOS, so I just completed my first cycle of Clomid about 2 weeks ago. Dr. said that can make you emotional too. Anyone else have to stop so that you could get pregnant? Any luck? I'm so scared that I can't do this and won't be able to have my own child.

is there any chance you could delay the Clomid til you've finished the worst of the Cymbalta withdrawal? if you follow Nancy's advice, then you will be out of the worst of it in a few weeks. then it would simplify things as to what's what ie Clomid effects too. then you can get back on track? 

[NurseAsh]

Hello NurseAsh

 

The way she told you to wean off works fine for SSRI's and SNRI's (Cymbalta is a SNRI) is fine for antidepressants with long a long half life but for cymbalta's short 12 hour half life you would be torturing yourself.

Eli Lilly (the company that makes it) now recommends gradually lowering the dose rather than skipping days.

If you haven't taken that 30mg dose yet you are almost through the worst of it so you could stay off and add the supplements we find that help.

 

A posting with the discontinuing information from Eli Lilly and the supplements are listed here -

https://www.cymbaltawithdrawal.com/topic/7037-omega-3/#entry31431

 

 

You are not alone as we all know what you are going through as we have all been through it ourselves.

 

If you have any questions we are here.

 

Take care

Thank you! I did take the 30mg, in hopes of feeling a little bit better. As far as the supplements, I am already taking a prenatal vitamin, so I have that part covered at least. I just need to throw in the Omega 3 and added water. I can understand why they tell us to lower down to every other day before just stopping, so that at least your body is getting some of it a few days a week, then none at all. I'm a RN, and I'm pretty pissed that I've never known of how bad the withdrawal symptoms are until finding them out for myself.

[NurseAsh]

is there any chance you could delay the Clomid til you've finished the worst of the Cymbalta withdrawal? if you follow Nancy's advice, then you will be out of the worst of it in a few weeks. then it would simplify things as to what's what ie Clomid effects too. then you can get back on track? 

Chimera, I won't be starting another Clomid cycle until next month...hopefully *fingers crossed* I will have this over with. I am having labs drawn tomorrow to see if the first cycle even did anything.

[lady2882Nancy]

NurseAsh

Please read this.

 

http://pi.lilly.com/us/cymbalta-pi.pdf

5.7 Discontinuation of Treatment with Cymbalta

Discontinuation symptoms have been systematically evaluated in patients taking duloxetine. Following abrupt or tapered discontinuation in placebo-controlled clinical trials, the following symptoms occurred at 1% or greater and at a significantly higher rate in duloxetine-treated patients compared to those discontinuing from placebo: dizziness, headache, nausea, diarrhea, paresthesia, irritability, vomiting, insomnia, anxiety, hyperhidrosis, and fatigue.

During marketing of other SSRIs and SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), there have been spontaneous reports of adverse events occurring upon discontinuation of these drugs, particularly when abrupt, including the following: dysphoric mood, irritability, agitation, dizziness, sensory disturbances (e.g., paresthesias such as electric shock sensations), anxiety, confusion, headache, lethargy, emotional lability, insomnia, hypomania, tinnitus, and seizures.

Although these events are generally self-limiting, some have been reported to be severe.

Patients should be monitored for these symptoms when discontinuing treatment with Cymbalta. A gradual

reduction in the dose rather than abrupt cessation is recommended whenever possible. If intolerable symptoms occur following a decrease in the dose or upon discontinuation of treatment, then resuming the previously prescribed dose may be considered. Subsequently, the physician may continue decreasing the dose but at a more gradual rate.

 

It is the mgs that are to be reduced not how often you take it. The skipping days method guarantees side effects in those prone to side effects.

 

Those who have been here before us have shown that to minimize side effects a gradual reduction in mgs is the easiest method of getting off this drug.

My pharmacist assisted me by showing that you can open the capsule and remove some of the beads. It is perfectly safe as the beads are coated but there are lots of the little suckers in there.

 

Whichever way you decide to go we are here to support you.

 

Take care

[katmireliz]

I was also told to reduce to 30, then do 30 mg every other day. I found that... not do-able, as it was just yoyo-ing me in and out of withdrawal. I opened the 30's and divided the beads in half (I didn't count, just eyeballed it... hopefully won't regret that) and I plan to take those until I even out. Then I'll split that dose IF I have to. I've found going to this dose hasgone better than the drop from 60 to 30...so far anyway.

Also, I've taken several series of clomid, years ago while trying to conceive. The side effects CAN be awful... I had massive headaches and terrible moodswings... You may already know, but be aware that studies have shown that clomid should be limited to 6-8 cycles (lifetime!) related to cancer risk. It didn't work for me, but I know others who it did work for. I know how hard out is to want a baby...we ended up going all the way to in vitro and were blessed with 2 beautiful children, but you need to be sure you can handle the emotional stress of getting off cymbalta, taking clomid, AND dealing with the possibility of not getting pg right away... Only you know what's right for you! Best wishes and I'm sorry this was so long!

[NurseAsh]

Where has anyone been told to open the capsules and take the beads to decrease mgs? I'm not finding this recommended anywhere by health professionals. I have decreased the mgs. I started at 120 and worked down to 30 which is the way the it states to do. Just curious where everyone has gotten this from.

Kat my doc said she would only do 3 cycles of the Clomid....if that doesn't work then most likely she is going to do a hysteroscopy to see if I have endometriosis too. If I do she said we would skip right to IVF. I'm so glad you had success with IVF. Thank you!

[lady2882Nancy]

Hi NurseAsh

 

Actually my pharmacist recommended it when I had such serious side effects when going from 60mg to 30mg. I needed to get off this med but the side effects were too much for me. I could not do the day on and day off thing as both days I was so sick.  

 

Eli Lilly suggests the lower doses but does not provide a dose lower than 20mg so I had to do something.

 

Hope you have success with the Clomid, children are such a blessing.

 

Take care

[chimera]

Chimera, I won't be starting another Clomid cycle until next month...hopefully *fingers crossed* I will have this over with. I am having labs drawn tomorrow to see if the first cycle even did anything.

am keeping everything crossed for you!

[katmireliz]

Sounds like you have a good gyn... Mine let me do WAY too many cycles, with little result, but then I switched and was referred to a fertility clinic. We did 5 iui cycles with injectables (MUCH easier than clomid), then in vitro. A long path, but with male and female factors, we were so blessed to conceive any way!

You've got a lot on your plate right now, but you sound positive, and if I can help in any way, I will.