2 replies to this topic

[Dolphin75]

I have been on Cymbalta for about 10 months give or take. I take it mainly for Fibromyalgia, but was also feeling depression, so my doc prescribed that rather than Lyrica. It seemd to help for a while, recently I was starting to feel like it wasn't helping, so I talked to my doc about going off of it. He prescribed me 20mg capsules, at first I took 2 a day going for 60mg to 40mg, that went just fine then a week or two later I went down to 20mg and felt just fine, now I am trying to go from 20mg to 0, and it's killing me! I have tried taking it every other day, but that just puts me back up then brings me down really hard. I was searching for cymbalta weaning and found this forum. I see some of you are counting beads, I thought about doing that because I think my body can't handle going from 20 - 0. How do those of you that count beads do it? Do you put the beads into a capsule? Do you have to, or can you just take the beads? Right now I think I have 3 of the 20mg capsules left, but I have a bunch of the 60, so I think I'll count out the 60 and devide that up.

 

I am getting the head zaps, been feeling terrible depression, this morning my kids were driving me crazy at 6 am and I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown.

[fishinghat]

Welcome Dolphin75. Sounds like you have a good plan with those 60 mg beads.Count the beads in those 60s and figure out how many beads make 20 mg. Go back on 20 mg for a couple days til you get feeling better. Then remove 5 beads from you 20 mg capsule for the next day, then remove 10 beads for the next day, etc. If you start getting bad withdrawal just go back up 5 beads  and stay there til you stabilize.

 

I would open the capsule, remove the number of desired beads, slide the capsule back together and take it. I never had any problem getting the capsule back together and I don't think you will either. Some pharmacies do have empty capsules that you can purchase.

 

Like I say, it sounds like you are on a good plan. Hang in there and keep us posted.

[Dolphin75]

Thanks fishinghat, I have divided up three of my 60mg capsules and took one of my 20mg capsules, I feel better knowing that I can step myself down from the 20mg, and that I will feel better once the 20mgs kick in again.