3 replies to this topic

[BeckyC]

I've decided after two years to come off this poison!  I have been taking 60mg every day and my doctor prescribed me 30mgs to help me wean off.  She told me to take the 30mgs for 1 week and then to alternate every other day the week after and then to just stop taking it the next week. (In my doctor's defense, she is my OB/GYN so this is obviously not her specialty; however, I want to seriously hurt the doctor that put me on this horrible drug to begin with.)  I started the 30mgs on Saturday and today is Thursday.  So far I have been very dizzy and a little nauseous and very depressed this week.  Crying for no reason and what not.  After finding this website I've realized that taking the 30mgs every other day is not the way to go, but where do I go from here?  Is the best way to open the capsules and count the beads?  Or should i just stop taking it next week?  Any advice would be much appreciated. 

[LindaVandy]

Slow down, stay at 30 for at least a month, if you are in the US, you can get 20mg capsules. I went cold turkey off of 20 mg on April 9th and am just starting to have functional days again. Your brain chemicals have been seriously altered by Crapalta and it takes a long time for your brain to re-learn how to modulate itself again. Find support here and around you, give yourself permission to be selfish, take time to laugh and treat yourself like a queen.

[BeckyC]

Thank you so much LindaVandy.  I appreciate it. 

[victoriaswiss]

Becky, I too am trying to take myself off this drug. My doctors advice was to start taking the lower dosage of 30mg, which I tried and starting going through painfull emotional bouts of depression as well as the other side affects. I have just started counting the beads as you mentioned and I think it is a good plan. I have been on the med for 7 years I want to get off, so my plan is to open the 60mg capsuls and empty out about 25% of the beads to reduce the 60mg down to 50mg....or somewhere around there and do that for a few months. Then continue to work my way down to 30mg more gradually. I have counted roughly 215 beads per 60mg capsule, so I remove about 30 of them. I place the 30 beads in one of the half capsuls and crimp it shut with a small pliers....then do the same with the 185 beads. I set the 30 bead half capsul aside in a labled bottle for the day when I have weaned myself down to that dosage. I plan to continue to do this over a year long period if necessary.

 

The side affects of withdrawl were the worst emotional feelings I have ever felt in my life....I thought it was just my depression coming back but....making me feel like I was some head case but it was the withdrawl symptoms from the cymbalta.

 

Tim