2 replies to this topic

[MAA48]

I've been taking 90 mg of cymbalta for over 5 years for fibro and nerve pain.  When I started having increased sweating, my primary advised me to come off.  No real instructions, but I knew to taper.  Never imagined the hell.  It's been a couple of weeks and my symptoms improve a little then I slip backwards.  My primary doc was useless and because I'm estrogen, she said to see my gyn to up my estrogen.  My gyn gave me three options, go back on cybalta, up my estrogen or start a low dose of effexor, which I had no problems coming off in the past.  Because I have a trip planned for all of next week and have to get on a plane, and couldn't imagine doing that without vomiting all over the cabin, I chose the effexor to get me through the next week.  Then I will try to get off the effexor.  

I was in pharmaceutical research and never saw anything in the literature about these withdrawal issues.  TV and print ads bombard the public with this magic pill which seemingly cures everything.  I think Lilly needs to put a black box warning on this drug about withdrawal.

 

One question, is anyone reporting with to MedWatch, FDA, or professional services at Lilly.  Every person who experiences this should fill out a report, maybe people can be spared this if they are more fully educated and aware.  

 

Hanging in there and am thankful I found this forum.

[chimera]

welcome, 

there's part of the forum called 'Cymbalta in the News' that covers reports/lawsuits etc you might like to have a look at which might help with this. 

what was your tapering, 90 to 60 to 30, or slower/faster? it's terrible that doctors have no real clue how to advise on this, and Lilly certainly hasn't

made this easy by the lack of help/lack of smaller doses for us to do this. 

there are threads on bead counting here which will help. I think the gyn's advice re the Effexor wasn't great. the usual protocol with bad withdrawal

symptoms from a larger dose such as you are on, is either resume the original starting dose then come off more slowly, or say if you'd made a large

jump (say to 30 from 90) go to 60?

adding another antidepressant such as Prozac say, can ease withdrawal for some. I stress for some, as it doesn't work well for all. but to me it seems

like the gyn's complicated things rather?

[lady2882Nancy]

I've been taking 90 mg of cymbalta for over 5 years for fibro and nerve pain.  When I started having increased sweating, my primary advised me to come off.  No real instructions, but I knew to taper.  Never imagined the hell.  It's been a couple of weeks and my symptoms improve a little then I slip backwards.  My primary doc was useless and because I'm estrogen, she said to see my gyn to up my estrogen.  My gyn gave me three options, go back on cybalta, up my estrogen or start a low dose of effexor, which I had no problems coming off in the past.  Because I have a trip planned for all of next week and have to get on a plane, and couldn't imagine doing that without vomiting all over the cabin, I chose the effexor to get me through the next week.  Then I will try to get off the effexor.  

I was in pharmaceutical research and never saw anything in the literature about these withdrawal issues.  TV and print ads bombard the public with this magic pill which seemingly cures everything.  I think Lilly needs to put a black box warning on this drug about withdrawal.

 

One question, is anyone reporting with to MedWatch, FDA, or professional services at Lilly.  Every person who experiences this should fill out a report, maybe people can be spared this if they are more fully educated and aware.  

 

Hanging in there and am thankful I found this forum.

 

Hi MAA48

Cymbalta is actually quite well know for raising estrogen and lowing testosterone levels so stopping it does change both levels which at our age can definitely cause problems. Since you have had no problems getting off Effexor before than this should help getting off the Cymbalta, at least I hope for your sake it does. There are no guarantees though as others have gone on other similar meds and still had some side effects. There seems to be something different about Cymbalta (Crapalta in my world lol) and it is not a good different.

 

As for reporting Chimera is right that kind of info is under one forum but you would not believe some of the replies some members have received. The medical community does not want to hear anything bad about their current "wonder drug".

 

Let us know how you are doing as would really like hear if the Effexor helps.

 

Good luck and take care