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Nov 7Th Thursday I Began The "bead Count".....


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#1 equuswoman

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    In the future want 2B off Cymbalta! The physicians are no help. Looking for understanding, support & encouragement as I know this is a difficult process. Want 2 be of help 2 others who will find this site looking for same things as I.

Posted 08 November 2013 - 10:04 AM

Removed 5 of the nasty little beads from the blue/green capsule last evening. 

Man but those things are so very difficult 2 count.

I do think however there are 200 per capsule.

I have only been on the brand name made by Eli Lilly as they are samples.

Awakened @ 3:30AM w/slight nausea,  HA & trip 2 BR X2 w/loose stool...not TMI here I don't feel. 

Just the 'facts' as I go down this dreadful road. It helps lots tho, 2 know there are others who have gone before me,

& have been successful getting OFF this hellish drug. 

Thx so much for being here! God Bless :hug:


#2 fishinghat

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Posted 08 November 2013 - 11:23 AM

If you have had this reaction to just removing 5 beads then I would recommend staying at the same dosage until you settle down. When you are ready to drop again you might try 4 tablets instead. Just a thought.


#3 equuswoman

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    In the future want 2B off Cymbalta! The physicians are no help. Looking for understanding, support & encouragement as I know this is a difficult process. Want 2 be of help 2 others who will find this site looking for same things as I.

Posted 08 November 2013 - 01:37 PM

If you have had this reaction to just removing 5 beads then I would recommend staying at the same dosage until you settle down. When you are ready to drop again you might try 4 tablets instead. Just a thought.

 

Thank U fishinghat. I would imagine that my brain/body really does rely aka "like" this drug....very very s...l...o...w....is what I will have 2 do 4 certain!  I  think I will remove 5 again this evening and see what the morning brings...it wasn't so bad that I couldn't tolerate it. Thank U again for UR support!!  :hug:


#4 sk8mom

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    I want to get off cymbalta...I hope to find a way to do it as easy as possible and be able to help other people afterwards.

Posted 08 November 2013 - 08:00 PM

I think fishingthat is right, I was taking 5 beads out at the beginning (but out of 570) which is just about 0.5mg.. if you have only 200 beads then that is taking about double the dose out... for me it went really well, no problems until bout 25 beads then I stayed there for a while...I am now at -75 beads and started weaning mid august, it is a long process, listen to your body !


#5 thatstheoldme

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 04:36 AM

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#6 equuswoman

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    In the future want 2B off Cymbalta! The physicians are no help. Looking for understanding, support & encouragement as I know this is a difficult process. Want 2 be of help 2 others who will find this site looking for same things as I.

Posted 15 November 2013 - 09:37 AM

Nattsie Hi nice 2 meet you. I am now on day #8 of my bead counting. I have been on 60mg for 18mo and want off this poison cuz of the side effects. I went from 60 dowm 2 30mg and on the 10th day the withdrawals came full force. Needless 2 say it didn't work. Then I found this site. I was explained the bead counting method & so far so good. I am taking it nice & slow. One day @a time! With the help of my God, lots of prayers & these wonderful, caring ppl here I am determined 2 be Cymbalta free. No matter how long it may take! Support & prayers 4 you. Oh & sending a cyber hug 2 you!

#7 equuswoman

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 09:48 AM

Sk8mom. Thx so much. I am listening 2 my body. How are you doing? Prayers 4 U.

#8 thatstheoldme

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 09:54 AM

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#9 fishinghat

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 11:45 AM

Sounds like a typical fun day of cymbalta withdrawals to me!!! lol

 

Hang in there nattsie, we are pulling for you.


#10 Dawnharris001

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 12:32 PM

I am new here and haven't read a lot of topics.

 

I think if WE are struggling with a lower dosage, then WE aren't going to do good with no medicine.  I tried several times to lower my dosage.  It never worked.  

 

Now i know this isn't safe to do but I went cold turkey.   Maybe I only survived because I took some other medicine.  But I went cold turkey.  When I quit taking it, I would take a ADHD medicine.  (1. I am not ADHD 2.  I was really sleepy, so this helped) That medicine TORE MY STOMACH UP.  drinking water made me go to the bathroom.  When I realized that, I stopped that medicine. I did also start my anxiety medicine again. That relieved some of the issues.  

 

I say that just to say,  Maybe see if there is another medicine you can take that can help you get off this ugly medicine cold turkey.  

I did this without talking to a doctor. But everyone probably should see a doctor. 

 

I have been off it since September.  I body aches all most all day.  PMS is like the flu.  Over all i am very happy to be off that medicine.  I will probably go to the doctor to ask for a small amount of medicine to help me.


#11 equuswoman

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 12:45 PM

I am coming off Cymbalta using the bead counting method. I am doing this bery slowly. Glad you are here. Support & prayers for you.

#12 thismoment

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 02:51 PM

Dawn, we still need to engage this struggle; we need to fight, be proactive. It goes away. It helps to participate.

 

Even during tapering many will have some withdrawal symptoms throughout the process; we still have to deal with those unpleasant events and push through them. It can be unpleasant if you are one of the people who is experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Not everybody does, and some have worse symptoms than others.

 

But when those symptoms become too difficult, painful, or scary- then you need to level off and at that dosage until you stabilize to a condition less difficult.  When your symptoms are bearable, continue tapering off, continue listening to your body and continue to persevere. 

 

For some of us, symptoms will always be there as you are withdrawing, even when tapering. 

 

True, some other drugs can help your withdrawal. Many claim Prozac has helped reduce the nastiness of the symptoms.  I found that Prozac was easy to quit compared to Cymbalta.


#13 thismoment

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 02:57 PM

Equuswoman- Day 9! Stay strong! There will be symptoms, but nothing you can't handle. You can wrestle this dragon and defeat it!  Be well!!


#14 thatstheoldme

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 07:04 PM

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#15 thismoment

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 11:11 PM

Nattsie. Before you start your bead counting, study the advice on this forum. The bead counting doesn't make all symptoms go away during withdrawal, but it enables you to manage them. You avoid becoming overwhelmed by levelling off at your current bead count until strong symptoms calm down some. Then continue in a day or two.

 

Don't put a fixed time limit on your withdrawal and recovery. It takes time, and times vary.

 

Fishinghat outlines the bead-counting process very well in an earlier post.

 

It all gets better, and you will succeed!


#16 thatstheoldme

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Posted 16 November 2013 - 02:04 AM

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#17 Akk

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Posted 16 November 2013 - 08:46 AM

I started this weaning process in the beginning of September, after reading this site.  I started by counting the beads in my 60mg dose (200), then taking out 18 beads (10%) every 10 days, watching for any negative withdrawal symptoms.  As long as I was feeling okay, I continued this process: 182, 164, 148.  At the 148 bead mark (mid October), I started getting wicked brain zaps, so I switched to removing 2 beads a day which seemed to help. In the beginning of November I was down to apps 105  beads and upped the removal to 3 beads a day because I want to get off this stuff.  I have had the head fuzzies, confusion and general nausea.  My doctor says I am being extremely patient in this process, but reading this site has led me to this.  My my figuring, I should be off by Christmas.

 

I am taking omega fish oil, multi vitamins, B complex, B12 and my doctor recommended D as well.  I am swimming every 2 days, going into the pool feeling terribly and coming out feeling great.  When I go beyond 3 days without exercising, it catches up with me and I need to get in the pool.

 

Hope this helps someone!


#18 Akk

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Posted 16 November 2013 - 08:49 AM

As for support, my husband would watch this bead counting and wonder.  He has since been talking to PAs and realizes this is no easy process for some people.


#19 Akk

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Posted 16 November 2013 - 08:52 AM

Nattsie-save the beads you remove- you can get some gelatin capsules at a health food store and make your own, putting in the number of beads you need when you have run out of the 30 mg capsules from your prescription.


#20 fishinghat

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Posted 16 November 2013 - 11:41 AM

Akk, you are doing fine. Don't rush too much. You have come a long ways and I am proud of you. Hang in there.


#21 thismoment

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Posted 16 November 2013 - 12:40 PM

Nattsie good work! You are blessed to have your Mum at your side for this task. Engage this thing and push through it! 


#22 thismoment

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Posted 16 November 2013 - 12:43 PM

Akk. Keeping up your activities is a powerful way of being proactive in your withdrawal. It's a way of claiming your life. That's fantastic, keep it up!


#23 thatstheoldme

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Posted 18 November 2013 - 03:59 PM

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#24 equuswoman

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Posted 18 November 2013 - 09:15 PM

Nattsie
Yes it makes sense. Part of withdrawal. Prayers for you. Hang in there. Love & support friend.

#25 thatstheoldme

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Posted 19 November 2013 - 01:28 AM

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#26 thismoment

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Posted 19 November 2013 - 02:35 AM

Natalie, I know it's difficult to silence the relentless verbal automaticity that runs in our brains. And it seems the harder we try to quiet that voice that just keeps saying things, the more riled up (and wide awake) we become- and the voice goes on talking, seemingly louder.

 

That is the realm of meditation, which is a technique to quiet that internal monologue, what the Buddhists call 'the monkey mind'.

 

Mindfulness is keeping a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, sensations and surrounding environment.  It is accepting, non-judging and non-engaging of these events. 

 

Mindfulness Meditation is a good example of a western approach to this practice. Here is an example:      

 

 

or search on YouTube for Vipassana Mindfulness Meditation.  There are many examples. Sam Harris has one on his website too.

 

A main objective of Mindfulness Meditation is to cause the mind to focus on something that is 'present', something that is happening right now, in the moment. The autovoice in your head operates either in the past where it digs up events that make you feel guilty, or in the future where it may re-script an argument with somebody from the past. If you can get that inner voice into this moment, there is nothing for it to talk about. It goes silent. Even for a moment- and you learn how to join those moments together into longer moments. Peace is there.

 

You learn to focus on what's here right now- your breathing: where you feel it, in the nostrils, the tip of the nose, the rising of your chest. The guided Mindfulness Meditation sessions on YouTube and elsewhere give you the instructions as they go. 

 

It took me a while to be able to sit down and do this because I was too agitated in the first few weeks of weaning. But eventually I could do it, and I assure you this will help. I promise you it will open up a new avenue for you to self-discover and flourish. Best wishes.


#27 thatstheoldme

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Posted 19 November 2013 - 03:34 AM

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#28 fishinghat

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Posted 19 November 2013 - 09:53 AM

Hey Nattsie, I am going to try and attach a document that my psychologist gave me several years ago. It has really helped me sleep better. A couple of things to note. It is essential that in the evenings you keep your total light value to below 25 watts. Above 25 watts the body produces seratonin, a stimulant, below 25 watts it produces melatonin, which helps you sleep.Usually my house lights are dimmed around 7 pm in order to give me some time to build up some melatonin. The second this ties in with what thismoment said. He is absolutely right about mindfulness meditation. There are many mediatation methods that help. As he noted this is a method to redirect your mind from its obsessive thinking about problems and put it in a positive position. One thing my doctor suggested was to pick a non-exciting topic and think about it when trying to go to sleep. Something boring and safe. For me that is weeding my garden. When I lay down I start weeding!! No kidding!! Every time I notice my mind wondering to negative thoughts I go back to weeding!! Like most meditation this is a way of 'quitting the internal monologue'. I have a freind who disassembles and assemblies his motorcycle each evening.

 

I digress. Anyway, read over the document and maybe there is some pearls of wisdom you can pick out and use. As always, best of luck to you.

 

 

 

 

 


#29 equuswoman

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Posted 19 November 2013 - 12:43 PM

Natalie, I know it's difficult to silence the relentless verbal automaticity that runs in our brains. And it seems the harder we try to quiet that voice that just keeps saying things, the more riled up (and wide awake) we become- and the voice goes on talking, seemingly louder.

 

That is the realm of meditation, which is a technique to quiet that internal monologue, what the Buddhists call 'the monkey mind'.

 

Mindfulness is keeping a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, sensations and surrounding environment.  It is accepting, non-judging and non-engaging of these events. 

 

Mindfulness Meditation is a good example of a western approach to this practice. Here is an example:      

 

 

or search on YouTube for Vipassana Mindfulness Meditation.  There are many examples. Sam Harris has one on his website too.

 

A main objective of Mindfulness Meditation is to cause the mind to focus on something that is 'present', something that is happening right now, in the moment. The autovoice in your head operates either in the past where it digs up events that make you feel guilty, or in the future where it may re-script an argument with somebody from the past. If you can get that inner voice into this moment, there is nothing for it to talk about. It goes silent. Even for a moment- and you learn how to join those moments together into longer moments. Peace is there.

 

You learn to focus on what's here right now- your breathing: where you feel it, in the nostrils, the tip of the nose, the rising of your chest. The guided Mindfulness Meditation sessions on YouTube and elsewhere give you the instructions as they go. 

 

It took me a while to be able to sit down and do this because I was too agitated in the first few weeks of weaning. But eventually I could do it, and I assure you this will help. I promise you it will open up a new avenue for you to self-discover and flourish. Best wishes.

 

thismoment: LOVE the above post about meditation. Thank U ever so MUCH! TheEquusWoman :hug:


#30 thatstheoldme

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Posted 19 November 2013 - 05:05 PM

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