30 replies to this topic

[h2oinCA]

Sorry for the length of this post, but it is important for me to write it, and others may benefit from my experiences.....This past Sunday, I took my FINAL bead of Cymbalta! Today was my visit to my PsychDoc, whom I have not seen since before I started my what ended up to be a two month Taper Program (62 days to be specific).  I did not enlist the help of my PsychDoc during my Taper Program, since I had tried to quit antidepressants several years ago and was unsuccessful, probably because of the quick step-down taper he prescribed.  

 

At my appointment today, I was fully prepared to tell him that I had tapered off of Cymbalta on my own and was feeling well.  I brought along with me printouts of my Taper Program spreadsheet, which tracked my Planned Dosage and Actual Dosage each day for the 62 days, along with details on the supplements I took each day, the amount of sleep I got each night and Notes describing what I was feeling each day during my Program. However, when the doc asked if I had been taking my meds (60mg of Cymbalta & 15mg of Mirtazapine), I told him I'd like to talk about getting off the antidepressants.  He IMMEDIATELY told me he thought that was a bad idea and strongly recommended that I not pursue that course of action. I explained that I had been feeling very well over the last year or two, and that I was ready to give it a try. He reminded me that we tried this a few years ago and failed. I mentioned that I thought we probably stepped down the dosage too quickly the last time and that maybe we should gradually taper the meds more this time. He IMMEDIATELY got defensive and told me that his approach to weaning patients off of drugs IS more gradual and conservative than what is the norm for the industry. Sensing my resolve, he agreed to develop a Taper Program for both the Cymbalta and Mirtazapine, one at a time. He selected Mirtazapine to taper first (although I chose to taper Cymbalta first so I could continue to get decent sleep w/Mirtazapine while tapering off Cymbalta).  Needless to say, I did NOT tell him I'd already quit Cymbalta!

 

His 'gradual taper' approach for my 15mg daily Mirtazapine dose is....Cut 15mg pills in half and take 1/2 pill every night for one week. Then stop taking it. MY Taper Program will be to take 75% of the usual dose for a week, then 50% for a week, then 25% for a week, and then stop, three times the duration of my doc's plan.

 

 His 'gradual taper' approach for my 60mg daily dose of Cymbalta is:

 

Week 1     40mg each day

Week 2     20 mg each day

Week 3     20 mg every other day

Week 4    Stop taking Cymbalta

 

MY Taper Program is described in other posts, but basically, was to remove 1.5mg more each day until I reached 5mg, then to slow down that taper by just one bead every 4th day.  MY program took 3 times as long as my doc's plan, and it was no picnic!

 

Do these doctors REALLY not know how powerful these drugs are, or does their profit motive come into play by keeping us on these drugs, or both? Although I wanted to tell this guy that I had already quit the Cymbalta, I didn't want to risk being labeled a troublemaker and potentially getting referred to a mandatory, non-voluntary 72 hour evaluation. 

 

I'm starting my Mirtazapine taper on Sunday night....wish me luck!

[equuswoman]

Thanks for UR post as I 2 want off this drug. I am new here and reading the info here on the forum. Plan to start in the very near future the 'bead' method. I don't like the SE as my short term memory is being affected in a very negative way. I hope all goes well for you as you come off the other medication. TC and again thanks for UR post! EquusLover

[thismoment]

h2oinCA-

The balance and substance within your post indicates to me that you are well on your way to escape!! I too was advised by my physician and my psychologist not to quit the drug, but perhaps that would be easiest for them; I hope that wasn't the case. But I too quit the dope without their consent or knowledge.

 

I took 47 days to come off 30mg, and I've been clean of Cymbalta for over 13 months. There is still some residual 'thickness' in my head, but the feeling of living in the dumdum stuffed funk is gone. 

 

I was on Cymbalta for 2 years, and it's important to note that I am somewhat 'changed' as a result of the Cymbalta experience. Of course none of us can be the 'same' person we were 3 years ago, but where I am does not seem to be the natural extension of who I was back then; it's like I've gotten off on a tributary from the main river.

 

Initially I had total faith in the medical folks, but eventually I knew I had to make decisions for myself. Stay strong.

[thatstheoldme]

once

[thismoment]

Nattsie I know how you feel. When I started coming off Cymbalta and my emotions became rekindled- I found real sadness and real joy after 2 years of Zombieland. And in that return flow came compassion as well. 

 

You will get through this! Be well.

[thatstheoldme]

I 

[fishinghat]

Well Nattsie, I guess in a way you have lost control. The Cymbalta has been controlling your serotonin for quite awhile. Now that it is disappearing from your system your body has to adjust. It has to learn how to control your serotonin all over again. Just remember, it is the drug NOT YOU. Like thismoment said. Be strong and hang in there. It WILL improve.

[equuswoman]

Hang in there Nattsie, I am hangin w/U! Slowly but surly gonna be OFF this  poison....     

[thatstheoldme]

i'm 

[equuswoman]

Nattsie hang in there with us. The ppl here know how it can be. We are not crazy but just under yhe Cymbalta influence at this time. We will hold onto each other for support and make it thru to the other side! Much support love and prayers! TheEquusWoman....

[fishinghat]

I know what you mean Nattsie. I remember those days well but at least you "do feel well" sometimes. Enjoy those breaks. They will get longer and better.

[bull]

h2oinCA-

The balance and substance within your post indicates to me that you are well on your way to escape!! I too was advised by my physician and my psychologist not to quit the drug, but perhaps that would be easiest for them; I hope that wasn't the case. But I too quit the dope without their consent or knowledge.

 

I took 47 days to come off 30mg, and I've been clean of Cymbalta for over 13 months. There is still some residual 'thickness' in my head, but the feeling of living in the dumdum stuffed funk is gone. 

 

I was on Cymbalta for 2 years, and it's important to note that I am somewhat 'changed' as a result of the Cymbalta experience. Of course none of us can be the 'same' person we were 3 years ago, but where I am does not seem to be the natural extension of who I was back then; it's like I've gotten off on a tributary from the main river.

 

Initially I had total faith in the medical folks, but eventually I knew I had to make decisions for myself. Stay strong.

I am new to Cymbalta and have been on this since July and have noticed I do not want to do the usual things I like to do.  I like running, going out and socializing. Now I just stay home, I could care less. I have no emotion either way. I have also gained 12 lbs, which doesn't sound like much, but it is for me. I went to my doctor (Physician's assistant) yesterday and told him I want off this medication. He wouldn't do it, instead he added welbutrin. He said that I was getting older and that's why I am gaining weight...I'm 37. Then he said I was blaming Cymbalta for everything, just like some other lady he knew. Then he said I was too critical of myself and asked if my mother or a husband abused me in the past.  I was floored with his question and floored that he wasn't listening and that my symptoms are very real.

Anyhow, I'm glad I found this site. I am only on 30mgs. I can skip one day without any problems, but day two, I am very disoriented. I am wondering how I can start the bead counting. Please help, since my doctor will not. thank you.

[thismoment]

Bull, hello and welcome.

 

"Now I just stay home... I have no emotion either way." That is how I felt too. My emotions and coordination had leached away in the fog of Cymbalta. As a dabbling artist, this was death to me. I was taking several other medications too, and there is no way for anyone to know how they all interact to change your brain. Now I take no medications whatsoever, and I feel like I'm mostly restored after 14 months since the last bead. I feel good! (to quote James Brown).

 

To quit or not to quit, that is your decision.  Do I trust the folks in the health care industry? Mostly yes based on my experience, but when I was old enough to see that they were humans, I saw that they could be overworked, troubled and distracted as much as the rest of us.

 

When tapering off Cymbalta, don't skip a day regardless of the dosage. It has a short half-life, and strong withdrawal symptoms may appear the next day.

 

Eli Lilly has no established withdrawal protocol, but they do recommend the following: NO cold turkey; taper the dosage; and stop tapering off for a while if the withdrawal symptoms become unmanageable. In general, I agree with that.

 

The following is a technique for withdrawing that has been used very successfully. I am not advising that you follow this method, as only you can decide that; therefore I provide it for educational purposes only.

• Tapering off by bead counting- If your daily dosage is 30 mg, the capsule contains roughly 300 beads. 
• Reduce by 5 beads per day, and you will be done in 60 days.
• Reduce by 3 beads per day, and you will be done in 100 days. (If I had to do this again, I would reduce by 3 beads per day over 100 days).
• Pull the capsule apart, remove 5 beads and take the capsule (save the beads you removed). The next day you remove 10 beads, and the next day 15 etc.
• Some people have little or no withdrawal symptoms. (I had many unpleasant symptoms, but I was removing 7 beads per day).
• If symptoms become unbearable, stop removing beads and level off for a few days until you stabilize, then continue.
• Advise loved ones and your physician of your plan.
• You can buy empty gel caps at the pharmacy or health food store to use the extra beads. Don't chew the beads.
• Stay off alcohol and eat a healthy diet. Exercise if you can. (Walking for an hour or more each day helped me).

As fishinghat says, "listen to your body" to determine if you should level off for a while.

 

I found that Mindfulness Meditation was of great benefit once my level of agitation was reduced (after about a month).

 

The good soldiers on this forum will surely have suggestions to improve this list. Read the litany of possible side effects for this product (on this forum and elsewhere on the internet), for you may encounter a few of these during your withdrawal.

 

Your emotions, your muse and your compassion will all return to you! Best wishes!!

[fishinghat]

Bead counting exactly as thismoment said, only way to go.

 

Your doctor is an idiot. All those items are common side effects for cymbalta and most are listed on the cymbalta fact sheet. When I went on cymbalta my dr. said to expect to gain 5 to 10 lbs for every 10 mg I take per day. She hit it right on.

[sk8mom]

Wow fishing that....my doc had told me to get rid of the remeron (because it affects the metabolism) and get on Cymbalta which did not affect metabolism...well, 30-35 lbs later..........I never gained an ounce on remeron (even though I know lots of people did) and Never gained an ounce on zyprexa (which is known to make people fat)...but about 7-8 months after I started Cymbalta...the pounds started adding up...I am now about 30-35 lbs more and it is making me miserable as I NEVER had problem with my weight EVER in my life   I guess your doctor nailed it for me too...

[fishinghat]

That is crazy. Oh course it affects metabolism, it controls seratonin, a strong stimulant. What an idiot.

[equuswoman]

Bull, hello and welcome.

 

"Now I just stay home... I have no emotion either way." That is how I felt too. My emotions and coordination had leached away in the fog of Cymbalta. As a dabbling artist, this was death to me. I was taking several other medications too, and there is no way for anyone to know how they all interact to change your brain. Now I take no medications whatsoever, and I feel like I'm mostly restored after 14 months since the last bead. I feel good! (to quote James Brown).

 

To quit or not to quit, that is your decision.  Do I trust the folks in the health care industry? Mostly yes based on my experience, but when I was old enough to see that they were humans, I saw that they could be overworked, troubled and distracted as much as the rest of us.

 

When tapering off Cymbalta, don't skip a day regardless of the dosage. It has a short half-life, and strong withdrawal symptoms may appear the next day.

 

Eli Lilly has no established withdrawal protocol, but they do recommend the following: NO cold turkey; taper the dosage; and stop tapering off for a while if the withdrawal symptoms become unmanageable. In general, I agree with that.

 

The following is a technique for withdrawing that has been used very successfully. I am not advising that you follow this method, as only you can decide that; therefore I provide it for educational purposes only.

• Tapering off by bead counting- If your daily dosage is 30 mg, the capsule contains roughly 300 beads. 
• Reduce by 5 beads per day, and you will be done in 60 days.
• Reduce by 3 beads per day, and you will be done in 100 days. (If I had to do this again, I would reduce by 3 beads per day over 100 days).
• Pull the capsule apart, remove 5 beads and take the capsule (save the beads you removed). The next day you remove 10 beads, and the next day 15 etc.
• Some people have little or no withdrawal symptoms. (I had many unpleasant symptoms, but I was removing 7 beads per day).
• If symptoms become unbearable, stop removing beads and level off for a few days until you stabilize, then continue.
• Advise loved ones and your physician of your plan.
• You can buy empty gel caps at the pharmacy or health food store to use the extra beads. Don't chew the beads.
• Stay off alcohol and eat a healthy diet. Exercise if you can. (Walking for an hour or more each day helped me).

I found that Mindfulness Meditation was of great benefit once my level of agitation was reduced (after about a month).

 

The good soldiers on this forum will surely have suggestions to improve this list. Read the litany of possible side effects for this product (on this forum and elsewhere on the internet), for you may encounter a few of these during your withdrawal.

 

Your emotions, your muse and your compassion will all return to you! Best wishes!!

 

Thismoment: What a wonderful informative post. The bead counting is the only way to go IMO. Taking it slow and easy. Thanks for this info. Luv, support and prayers for you my friend. TheEquusWoman

[Lad]

Just a thought, neither in anger or disdain but I think we all need to remember that we are dealing with an industry here as thismoment put it.

 

I think there may be a subsection of the industry that could be called "health care" but I personally believe the proper name for the industry as a whole would be the Medical Treatment Industry. For many, particularly in the US, we are trusting providers who work directly for mega corporations with clinics across the country. Provider corporations are paid by piece work. Employees are held to productivity requirements just like any other industry and if they want to keep their jobs they will squeeze in a few more customers a day, and (ahem) keep them coming back, to keep billings up.

 

Understanding that not everyone has the luxury of shopping for their provider, we all need to be the best consumers we can be  and advocate for our own interests when they conflict with those of the industry charged with taking "care" of us.

 

Coming to a site like this is a great step in taking control of your situation. Remember, YOU are the customer in this industry. Without your payments the provider is unemployed. THEY WORK FOR US. Lets hold them to a higher standard and not cower to their diplomas! Those diplomas wont keep them fed without US.

 

My PA suggested getting off of crapalta, as he does for all who seem to have gotten past the rough patch that put them on it. By doing so, he has earned my loyalty for another day.

 

Bull, don't be a sheep! :-) Grab the horns and take control! lol

[equuswoman]

That is crazy. Oh course it affects metabolism, it controls seratonin, a strong stimulant. What an idiot.

 

fishinghat, I worked so hard to lose 75#. Got off my butt and on the treadmill. Had become a type 2 diabetic. Was a nurse and w/bad hips/lower back needed to lose the wt for health reasons. I have gained weight while of this drug. I have been able to not put it all back on but find that I crave "sugar"...have to be extremely diligent about not over indulging in this 'treat'...'fix' for me is what it is tho. When I went from 60 down to 30 mg. I gained a ton, or so it seemed of water. I had what they call 'cankles' I've NEVER had that before in my life. I gained 7 # within a 7-10 day period. When I started back on the 60 mg and then found this site I then understood what causes this....Thx for your informative posts as well here on the site. Prayers & support for you as well. TheEquusWoman

[equuswoman]

Just a thought, neither in anger or disdain but I think we all need to remember that we are dealing with an industry here as thismoment put it.

 

I think there may be a subsection of the industry that could be called "health care" but I personally believe the proper name for the industry as a whole would be the Medical Treatment Industry. For many, particularly in the US, we are trusting providers who work directly for mega corporations with clinics across the country. Provider corporations are paid by piece work. Employees are held to productivity requirements just like any other industry and if they want to keep their jobs they will squeeze in a few more customers a day, and (ahem) keep them coming back, to keep billings up.

 

Understanding that not everyone has the luxury of shopping for their provider, we all need to be the best consumers we can be  and advocate for our own interests when they conflict with those of the industry charged with taking "care" of us.

 

Coming to a site like this is a great step in taking control of your situation. Remember, YOU are the customer in this industry. Without your payments the provider is unemployed. THEY WORK FOR US. Lets hold them to a higher standard and not cower to their diplomas! Those diplomas wont keep them fed without US.

 

My PA suggested getting off of crapalta, as he does for all who seem to have gotten past the rough patch that put them on it. By doing so, he has earned my loyalty for another day.

 

Bull, don't be a sheep! :-) Grab the horns and take control! lol

Lad: I agree w/what you are saying. So much of this is due to the greedI feel;. I know that some ppl are helped w/this drug. But as for me I didn't like the SE I was having. Thus the desire to  get off of it. My GP and PP both asking me "why" did I want to stop the Cymbalta. Well for me it was the short term memory loss, libido that was NO more and may never return, the damage it is doing to my liver, the screwing up of my thyroid function on and on etc. BTW welcome to the support forum, glad that you found us. Prayers & encouragement for you 2! TheEquusWoman

[equuswoman]

That is crazy. Oh course it affects metabolism, it controls seratonin, a strong stimulant. What an idiot.

 

Ditto "idiot", complete "idiot"...   TheEquusWoman

[equuswoman]

Wow fishing that....my doc had told me to get rid of the remeron (because it affects the metabolism) and get on Cymbalta which did not affect metabolism...well, 30-35 lbs later..........I never gained an ounce on remeron (even though I know lots of people did) and Never gained an ounce on zyprexa (which is known to make people fat)...but about 7-8 months after I started Cymbalta...the pounds started adding up...I am now about 30-35 lbs more and it is making me miserable as I NEVER had problem with my weight EVER in my life   I guess your doctor nailed it for me too...

sk8mom: I too believe it causes weight gain...& I have such difficulty trying to keep the weight OFF.... It is hard to keep my weight where it needs to be. Very difficult while taking this Cymbalta crap...TC and hang in there...

[equuswoman]

i'm so glad you guys are all here because i don't feel like anyone believes me when I say I don't feel good the majority of the time and even when I do feel okay i'm just waiting for it to hit me again. ;[

xo

 

Sweet nattsie, yes we are here, yes wwe understand, yes we believe you. I am forever grateful that I found this wonderful support forum! Without it and a loving supportive family and faith in my God there would be NO way I could ever be strong enough to get off this Cymbalta crap. Hang in there we are  here w/you! TheEquusWoman

[fishinghat]

Equuswoman -I gained 50 lbs after getting settled in on my anxiety meds. I do 3 miles a day and lift weights twice a day. My physical health is good but I still weight 50 lbs more than before the meds. lol 

[equuswoman]

Equuswoman -I gained 50 lbs after getting settled in on my anxiety meds. I do 3 miles a day and lift weights twice a day. My physical health is good but I still weight 50 lbs more than before the meds. lol 

Sometimes we have to just know we are doing the best that we can. Due to a childhood hip disease I was a 'chubby' little girl. My physical activity was very limited during this time being on crutches a large part of my life. Then in adulthood I was told due to the hip and back back to try to lose the weight. It is a battle for me to keep as much of it off as I can. I am a 'sugar' addict...but I am able to maintain pretty well.  TEW...

[Clara]

Nattsie, hang on, sweet girl!! You will get through! I often wonder if I will ever get back to normal, b/c I am not sure what normal is any more!! Weight gain, I had gotten to the point that I didn't want to eat.... totally opposite of the former me.... Lost weight instead of gained.. Cymbalta free now, I wanna eat, just don't wanna gain!! Bottom line... all of us are different....affected differently by this crap! I, again , am sooo grateful to all of you for your honesty and supportive posts! Hugs and prayers and support to all of you!!!!!!!!!!    

[Clara]

Think maybe docs are clueless, careless, overworked, underpaid, and undereducated as far as psychotrophic meds go.

[fishinghat]

Think maybe docs are clueless, careless, overworked, underpaid, and undereducated as far as psychotrophic meds go.

Amen

[equuswoman]

Amen they are!

[thatstheoldme]

thank you