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How Long Were You On Cymbalta Before Tapering?


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#1 Papin

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Posted 02 December 2013 - 05:17 PM

Also, how fast did you taper and what withdrawal effects did you have?

I'm interested in seeing if there are any patterns.

 

I'll start:

 

1) 4 years.

2) 5 beads every week.

3) So far, constant headache and frequent irritability.


#2 thatstheoldme

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Posted 02 December 2013 - 06:24 PM

..


#3 Kindorf

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Posted 02 December 2013 - 08:45 PM

1) 1 year

2)60mg to cold turkey 10 days into it

3) Right now brain zaps, Nightmares, can't sleep, headaches sometimes, dizzy is less than use to be, severe mood swings


#4 thatstheoldme

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Posted 02 December 2013 - 09:36 PM

...


#5 equuswoman

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Posted 02 December 2013 - 10:17 PM

18 months

30>60mg

physician instructions. Begin 30 mg for 2 weeks then take 1 capsule every other day, every 2nd, 3rd etc. Never made it that far at day 10 of 30mg began w/d from hell...went back on 60mg.

Found this forum: followed the bead counting method...now down 60 beads .... taking it slow as I dropped 5 beads the past 3 nights and w/d began so I am staying at 60 beads for a couple or so days and then plan to drop 2-3 beads....Just want OFF!

Nausea, diarrhea, HA, irritability, short temper, sadness then gladness...brain fog, night mares, then crazy dreams, messed up pronunciation of words...

Praying that I don't have the dreaded brain ZAPs....

God help us as we make this journey thru hell and back.... :hug:


#6 thismoment

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Posted 03 December 2013 - 12:12 AM

1. On 30 mg for 2 years.

2. Tapered off over 6 weeks. Reduced by 2.3% per day (~7 beads out of 300). June 15- end of July 2012.

3. No symptoms for the first two weeks. 

Then-

Day 19-24 brain zaps (half way through tapering program).

Day 25 equilibrium problems, nausea, concussion-like symptoms, headache.

Day 26 emotions return in earnest!

Day 28 onset of nightmares.

Day 31 crying.

Day 33 terrible anger.

Day 37 at the very bottom.

Day 41 a sliver of daylight- coming out!

Day 42 the last of the beads!!!!

Day 50 feels like I'm going to make it!

Day 50-100 steady improvement.

Day 100-200 able to 'feel' the world again. Can feel and play music. Can write again.

Day 244 able to feel the forest around me and hear the river.

Day 537 (today) I have a constant scalp headache, ringing in my right ear, and I don't sleep well. These are minor items, and I am totally happy with what I have salvaged from this nightmare!

 

No one is to blame. I thank my family for standing by me. I thank all of you on this site who have helped me continue to level off over the past 9 months; writing my story here has helped me a great deal. I hope it has helped some of you. I didn't end up where I had imagined, but nobody does. 


#7 Papin

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Posted 03 December 2013 - 12:12 AM

Eesh... I'm going slowly down from 60mg (currently at 30 beads removed after starting early Nov.). 

Because I've been on crapalta for so long, I'm worried about going any faster, but it seems like most of you are just biting the bullet and going for it despite all the nasty side effects. I'm full of admiration!


#8 thismoment

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Posted 03 December 2013 - 12:36 AM

Papin

Go slow. If I did it again I would reduce by 1% per day: 30 mg- 3 beads per day- 300 beads in 100 days!

 

Best wishes!


#9 equuswoman

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Posted 03 December 2013 - 12:59 AM

Eesh... I'm going slowly down from 60mg (currently at 30 beads removed after starting early Nov.).
Because I've been on crapalta for so long, I'm worried about going any faster, but it seems like most of you are just biting the bullet and going for it despite all the nasty side effects. I'm full of admiration!


#10 equuswoman

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Posted 03 December 2013 - 01:03 AM

Slow and steady bead drop is what is working for me. We will make it thru.

#11 Timbo

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Posted 03 December 2013 - 06:12 AM

These are helpful...thanks for the posts (this is my first hour on this site).   I've been up all night and found this site during a desperate search for whether what I was experiencing was just in my head.   

 

So...

 

1)  1 year

2)  My doctor had me drop from 60 mg/day to 30 mg/day last week (I think this is my 5th or 6th day).  

3)  The first 3 or 4 days was fine.  Day 4 - moderate headache all day and night.   The last day or 2 my headache has been horrible, and I feel dizzy and sick to my stomach.   Nothing seems to make the symptoms go away, and they seem to be getting worse as time goes on.   I have a pretty taxing job (medical sales), so I am pretty anxious about how this is going to impact my ability to function at work.  

 

Based on what I am hearing from some of you, I am wondering if I would be better off going back to the 60 and removing beads.  I have about 70 of the 60 mg tablets left.   Ugh...I'm dreading this!!  


#12 thismoment

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Posted 03 December 2013 - 09:37 AM

21timo

I would back up and start a gentle taper-off. Dropping from 60 mg to 30 mg is an abrupt step- even Eli Lilly says don't do this!

 

Best wishes.


#13 equuswoman

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Posted 03 December 2013 - 09:55 PM

21timo

I would back up and start a gentle taper-off. Dropping from 60 mg to 30 mg is an abrupt step- even Eli Lilly says don't do this!

 

Best wishes.

I went from  60 down to 30 and on day 10 all hell broke loose...found this wonderful support forum, found the bead count method and well, here I am. Gonna take me a while but that's ok 2! Blessings and prayers for all here..TheEquusWoman :hug:


#14 Timbo

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    Recently started tapering off of Cymbalta. Having bad effects and wanted to see if there were any ways to do this without having such a negative impact on my functionality.

Posted 03 December 2013 - 10:46 PM

Thank you Equuswoman!  You are a great encourager.  :)    How many beads are you reducing each day?   I actually just realized I messed up and took MORE than I was supposed to, instead of less.   I took a 30 mg this morning and then a 60 mg (minus 3 beads) 12 hours later.  I should have waited until morning.  My head was so messed up, I couldn't even think rationally.  I did have the "zaps"...that's a new experience I could have done without.  I still can't get the room to stop jumping every once in a while.   Yikes!   What were we thinking!?  

 

Thismoment...you saved me today.  It was your post that convinced me to switch back to the titrating process.   I was about to go out of my mind.   Good timing!   :)  

 

I'm so glad I found this site.  My doctor was going to have me continue with the 30 mg and sweat it out.  I don't think the doctors know what this is like, or they wouldn't say that.   He's a good doctor, though...sounds like he is not alone in his opinion.   


#15 thismoment

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Posted 03 December 2013 - 11:21 PM

21timo

Glad I could help! We all want to be free of this mind-messer Zombalta, but there is no need to struggle through nasty protracted symptoms when they can be mitigated by tapering off slowly.

Take 50 days. If I had to do this again I would probably take 100 days @ 1% per day.

Best wishes!!


#16 Timbo

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Posted 04 December 2013 - 11:41 AM

21timo

Glad I could help! We all want to be free of this mind-messer Zombalta, but there is no need to struggle through nasty protracted symptoms when they can be mitigated br slow tapering.

Take 50 days. I would probably take 100 days @ 1% per day.

Best wishes!

I like that idea.  When you say 1% per day.  Do you remove 1% of the remaining pellets or 1% of the original number?  I am finding that the more I get focused on other things, the symptoms (at this slower rate) seem to be considerably less.   I removed 3 pellets yesterday and had a pretty bad headache today.  I think I will stick with 3 for at least 1 or 2 more days until I can wake up without the headache.   I like this process much better - makes me feel much more in control of the situation.   


#17 equuswoman

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Posted 04 December 2013 - 06:18 PM

Thank you Equuswoman!  You are a great encourager.   :)    How many beads are you reducing each day?   I actually just realized I messed up and took MORE than I was supposed to, instead of less.   I took a 30 mg this morning and then a 60 mg (minus 3 beads) 12 hours later.  I should have waited until morning.  My head was so messed up, I couldn't even think rationally.  I did have the "zaps"...that's a new experience I could have done without.  I still can't get the room to stop jumping every once in a while.   Yikes!   What were we thinking!?  

 

Thismoment...you saved me today.  It was your post that convinced me to switch back to the titrating process.   I was about to go out of my mind.   Good timing!   :)

 

I'm so glad I found this site.  My doctor was going to have me continue with the 30 mg and sweat it out.  I don't think the doctors know what this is like, or they wouldn't say that.   He's a good doctor, though...sounds like he is not alone in his opinion.   

I am down 60 beads at last count. I have been on the 60mg for 18 months. slow and steady if I have w/d difficulties I stay at the count for about 3 days til things stabilize again for me. Glad that you're here w/US. We will make it thru... :hug:


#18 thismoment

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Posted 04 December 2013 - 06:28 PM

I like that idea.  When you say 1% per day.  Do you remove 1% of the remaining pellets or 1% of the original number?  I am finding that the more I get focused on other things, the symptoms (at this slower rate) seem to be considerably less.   I removed 3 pellets yesterday and had a pretty bad headache today.  I think I will stick with 3 for at least 1 or 2 more days until I can wake up without the headache.   I like this process much better - makes me feel much more in control of the situation.   

Timbo

Reduce by 1% of the original dosage. If your 30 mg capsule contains 300 beads, take out 3 more beads each day- 3 beads the first day, 6 beads the second day, 9 beads the third day etc. You'll be done in 100 days.

 

I reduced by what turned out to be about 2.4% per day (taking out 7 more beads each day from 300) and I was done in 42 days or so. That was TOO FAST for me, as my withdrawal symptoms were robust to say the least.


#19 equuswoman

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Posted 04 December 2013 - 06:48 PM

 

Eesh... I'm going slowly down from 60mg (currently at 30 beads removed after starting early Nov.).
Because I've been on crapalta for so long, I'm worried about going any faster, but it seems like most of you are just biting the bullet and going for it despite all the nasty side effects. I'm full of admiration!

 

papin I am on the 60 mg counting down to 60 beads GONE now!


#20 Timbo

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Posted 04 December 2013 - 10:31 PM

I am down 60 beads at last count. I have been on the 60mg for 18 months. slow and steady if I have w/d difficulties I stay at the count for about 3 days til things stabilize again for me. Glad that you're here w/US. We will make it thru... :hug:

That's what I'm thinking I will do if/when I run into those issues.  Today was a much better day.  If they can all be like this one, I know I can do this.  I just took my pill minus 4 beads (I'm living on the edge).   Can't wait until I can say down 60 beads...congratulations!  


#21 Timbo

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Posted 04 December 2013 - 10:36 PM

Timbo

Reduce by 1% of the original dosage. If your 30 mg capsule contains 300 beads, take out 3 more beads each day- 3 beads the first day, 6 beads the second day, 9 beads the third day etc. You'll be done in 100 days.

 

I reduced by what turned out to be about 2.4% per day (taking out 7 more beads each day from 300) and I was done in 42 days or so. That was TOO FAST for me, as my withdrawal symptoms were robust to say the least.

That is fast.  What a relief it must be to be finished.  I'm taking the 60 mg capsules right now - I counted 203 beads (I think...I'm not in front of my notes).  I'm assuming that the 30 mg tablets have a smaller amount of medication per bead, since there are more beads than in the 60 mg tablets.   Hopefully, I have enough 60 mg to just switch over to the 30 mg after I'm down 100 beads.   So much counting!    Thanks again for all of the advice.  You honestly have been a lifesaver.   I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate the time you (and everyone here) has taken to help out us "newbies."   


#22 AaronSD

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Posted 07 December 2013 - 11:57 PM

I've been on 60 mg daily for 3 years and today is my first day in the tapering process.  I'm starting at 100 beads a day (1/2 of a 60 mg capsule) and will see how it goes.  I was on 60 mg daily for 2 years (2006 and 2007) and stopped cold, but I started on SAM-E (1,600 mg daily) when I discontinued the cymbalta.  The SAM-E was actually a decent antidepressant and had other health benefits.  I didn't experience nerve zaps, mood swings, nausea or insomnia but my depression was not treated effectively enough by the SAM-E.  I was fairly depressed when I stopped the cymbalta and became more depressed over the course of the next 6 months.  I have described that time as like living in a burned out landscape with my face to the ground although I was living in sunny San Diego.  At the time, I thought it was caused by having some serious psycho-spiritual issues, and looking back to 2008, I did have some serious angst; but, after reading this forum, I believe it was likely magnified by the withdrawal effects from the cymbalta.  SAM-E is expensive (try Costco), but may be a helpful tool.  Tools I have now and didn't have the first time around are latuda (20 mg daily) for mood stability and depression, ritalin (45 mg daily) for focus and depression and trazodone (25 to 100 mg at bedtime) for insomnia.  I can't afford SAM-E, but I'm hoping these other tools will make this less painful.


#23 equuswoman

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Posted 08 December 2013 - 02:10 PM

Welcome to the support forum. Glad to meet you. TheEquusWoman



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