24 replies to this topic

[adri]

I thought I was doing good, but noticed that I'm getting more dizzy and my lips are numb and the zaps are worse. I feel like my doctor shouldn't have made me go CT but maybe it's the crapalta talking.

[equuswoman]

Coming off this poison is difficult. I couldn't do it CT. Had to wean slowly.
Prayers for you♥

[adri]

Thanks for the prayers. I hadn't been on it long so I didn't think it would be this bad. But it was giving me horrible side effects.

[equuswoman]

It was a journey through Cymbalta hell for me. I've been off for 42 days so far. Was on the poison for 2 years for chronic pain of my lower back due to osteoarthritis. Hang in there. Let us know how you're doing♥

[adri]

Wow you're a trooper! I'm glad to know so many people have gone off this and are ok. I'm doubti NH even taking something different now

[Wagtail]

Adri, I think that the shorter time you're on Cymbalta the shorter the withdrawal . I remember someone here saying that a good reference is to allow @ month of recovery for every year you take it .
Hopefully you will get through the worst of it in a few weeks !. Just keep remembering that the weird side effects are from withdrawal & that should help you to cope .
Good luck . :-)

[adri]

So I'm looking at maybe just a few weeks, hopefully. Right now I feel so horrible that I'm laying the fetal position and want to just go take one to feel better. My doctor still hasn't called back. I called and reminded them. I'm telling her that no, I won't be taking anything else right now. I'm going to ask about tapering, or should I just stick with this hell?

[TryinginFL]

Adri... welcome - I don't think we have met!  We're happy to have you here and you will find great help and support on this forum!  I am almost 4 months off the crap cold turkey and it was definitely the trip to hell!  I am coming back and feeling much more human now.  I was fortunate enough to have the help of Alprazolam and am still taking that along with Hydrocodone for fibro and arthritis.  I was taking 2 mg of alprazolam a day during the worst part of the withdrawal.  Am now down to only 1 mg per day most of the time.  I went cold turkey on both the crapalta and lyrica at the same time.  I was on both of these for approx. 4 1/2 yrs after losing my mother and my daughter within 6 mos.  My doctor does not know I did this, but I am seeing him in a couple of weeks and we will have a good discussion regarding this mess... 

There was a point during this that I felt so terrible I wanted to die - I don't mean commit suicide - you know what I mean.  I am thankful that I had the help of the other 2 drugs, otherwise I don't think I would have been able to do it.  Please feel free to ask questions, post to vent or whatever you need to - we all want to help!

 

Again - welcome!!  

[adri]

Adri... welcome - I don't think we have met!  We're happy to have you here and you will find great help and support on this forum!  I am almost 4 months off the crap cold turkey and it was definitely the trip to hell!  I am coming back and feeling much more human now.  I was fortunate enough to have the help of Alprazolam and am still taking that along with Hydrocodone for fibro and arthritis.  I was taking 2 mg of alprazolam a day during the worst part of the withdrawal.  Am now down to only 1 mg per day most of the time.  I went cold turkey on both the crapalta and lyrica at the same time.  I was on both of these for approx. 4 1/2 yrs after losing my mother and my daughter within 6 mos.  My doctor does not know I did this, but I am seeing him in a couple of weeks and we will have a good discussion regarding this mess... 

There was a point during this that I felt so terrible I wanted to die - I don't mean commit suicide - you know what I mean.  I am thankful that I had the help of the other 2 drugs, otherwise I don't think I would have been able to do it.  Please feel free to ask questions, post to vent or whatever you need to - we all want to help!

 

Again - welcome!!

Every time someone new replies on this forum, I feel so much better. I'm realizing I have it pretty easy compared to some of you fighters. My dr finally called back. She had had me on 1 wellbutrin a day for 3 days and I was supposed to switch to 2 a day tomorrow. She told me to go again and do the second pill today. I'm hoping this helps. I've heard that wellbutrin can be hard to get off of, but so far nothing I've read compares it to crapalta. 

[equuswoman]

I don't think there is anyother drug so difficult to get off of. I weaned off morphine and it was a walk in the park compared to this ####..
The ppl here are wonderful with the support and encouragement they so freely give.
Hang in there. We are hanging with you. Prayers from TheEquusWoman♥

[thismoment]

Hi Adri

 

You've been on 60mg for 5 months and this is day 3 of CT and day 3 of Wellbutrin?

 

I see the medical people advised cold turkey when the Cymbalta turned against you, then they added on Wellbutrin to fill the gap- but it's probably the best one for this role.

 

I don't think the 5 months on Cymbalta should be viewed as short time= short withdrawal. Plan for a regular (it does vary a lot, though) withdrawal timeline, although once the Wellbutrin kicks in (one week to begin, and up to a month for full effectiveness), your Cymbalta withdrawal will hopefully be calmed some.  The first 3-4 weeks could be challenging even with the Wellbutrin coming on stream. Be patient.

 

I note your symptoms are coming in earnest. All the symptoms you mentioned (even the ones the specialists will look at) are likely (hopefully) due to withdrawal.

 

You can do this! Best wishes.

[adri]

Hi Adri

 

You've been on 60mg for 5 months and this is day 3 of CT and day 3 of Wellbutrin?

 

I see the medical people advised cold turkey when the Cymbalta turned against you, then they added on Wellbutrin to fill the gap- but it's probably the best one for this role.

 

I don't think the 5 months on Cymbalta should be viewed as short time= short withdrawal. Plan for a regular (it does vary a lot, though) withdrawal timeline, although once the Wellbutrin kicks in (one week to begin, and up to a month for full effectiveness), your Cymbalta withdrawal will hopefully be calmed some.  The first 3-4 weeks could be challenging even with the Wellbutrin coming on stream. Be patient.

 

I note your symptoms are coming in earnest. All the symptoms you mentioned (even the ones the specialists will look at) are likely (hopefully) due to withdrawal.

 

You can do this! Best wishes.

 

Yes, that's right. Sorry if I was unclear. I'm hoping that the wellbutrin does fill in the gaps a bit. Thank you for the advice. I'm just ready to have the cymbalta out of my system and the withdrawals gone (as most people are I'm sure) and to start feeling the benefits of our new course of action. 

 

Somewhat unrelated, but I recommended that my husband and mother but look at this site to get a better idea of what I'm going through, hopefully it will put their minds at ease that I WILL be ok and that this is "normal"

[clearglass]

Welcome Adri,   

Cymbalta is a very hard drug to stop cold turkey.  I had to taper slowly with bead counting; last bead March 21st and very little symptoms. 

This is a great support site, even if you just want to read or vent.

 

I hope you feel better soon.

clerglass

[adri]

Update: I talked to my Dr again and told them that the wellbutrin start up was just adding to the issue and that I wanted off meds for a while or for good. I also told them that I couldn't handle the cold turkey and to give me a tapering plan. So here's what I've been given: script for 20 MG
2 weeks: 2 a day
2 weeks: 1 a day
2 weeks: every other day
And then hopefully wean off altogether

I caved last night and took one of my 60mg and felt like a failure. Yes the withdrawal symptoms went away, but back come the good old cymbalta side effects. Hoping that my new plan works

[FiveNotions]

You are not a failure.....Your doctor is the failure ....and a total jackass....no offense to jackasses...

.that approach will be worse than cold turkey.....if you're going to be on the stuff while you reduce, you need to be on the brand....and, insist to him that you're going to bead count, starting at your dose of 60 mg..and using the BRAND .......and let us help you... If you need to, go see him and take your husband with you for additional support...to impress on your doc that you're serious.... (I'm shouting, yes....because for you the brand is essential...you're allergic/non responsive to the generic, and it will hurt you not help you...)

The drop from 60 to 20 is huge, too much....and then the steps down from there are just not going to work because you're going to still be feeling awful from the drop down from 60...and from using the generic.......

Doctors have not taken cymbalta and have no experience or understanding of how hard it is to get off of .....you've got to be your own advocate...the docs do not have your best interest in mind....sorry, I'm ranting, but this makes me furious.....

Another reason your doc is a jackass is that the wellbutrin has no replacement or cross-over effect with cymbalta....cymbalta works primarily on serotonin...wellbutrin works on dopamine....even if you're taking the wellbutrin, you're still going to go through withdrawal because your body is losing the serotonin it was having artificially managed in your brain....remind your doc about this....he SHLD know, but clearly doesn't.....

Since the cymbalta gives you such awful side effects, you may want to use the cross over method, that is, taper off cymbalta and replace it with another ssri, Zoloft and Prozac are two alternative ssri's....and I think both are easier to get off do than cymbalta....

Fishinghat and others here know more about this than I, so I won't try to give you specifics....

You're going to get through this, and be successful at it.....consider switching to another ssri to replace the cymbalta, stabilizing and then tapering off that.

[adri]

I don't really think that the brand vs generic is making a difference since I have always been on the generic and it did work for a time. And the cost difference is $10 vs almost $200 even with my insurance. I figured the wellbutrin wouldn't do a thing because of them working with different receptors, so I was never convinced in the first place and told them I was stopping it. I have 2 and half bottles of 60mg so could I probably get through tapering with bead counting on that?

I'm not going to go on anything for a while and try making some diet and exercise changes that I never did. If I can't cope I'm going to see a psychiatrist not just a doctor.

[thismoment]

Adri

You didn't fail- you were let down by your medical team who should have known better, and they're doing it again! The least your doctors need to do is read the material from the manufacturer Eli Lilly, because what Eli Lilly does recommend (though it is precious little) is nothing like the Cold Turkey Giant-Steps regimen your doctor just gave you.

Withdrawal symptoms begin when the amount of drug in your system drops below a certain threshold, and this happens from a time gap, a drop in dosage, or both.

The rate at which a drug diminishes is often expressed in terms of its 'half-life'- the time it takes for a given drug to drop to half in your bloodstream. The half-life of Cymbalta is 12 hours; the half-life of Wellbutrin is (nominally) 24 hours; and the half-life of Prozac is (nominally) 3 days. With respect to withdrawal symptoms, it's clear that they would appear first with Cymbalta because it's half-life is dramatically shorter than the other two.

How does this relate to planning a regimen for weaning off Cymbalta? Don't put 'time' steps in it (every other day) because the short half-life will bring on symptoms and you will fluctuate in and out of withdrawal between dosings. And for the same reason, don't put gross 'dosage' steps in the regimen (40 mg one day and 20 mg the next). Your new regimen does both!

We recommend a slow and steady reduction in the drug over a long period of time to keep withdrawal symptoms to a minimum. No steep steps in the time or the dosage. This slow taper is also what Eli Lilly recommends. Here's an example: taper off over 90 days. Count the beads in a capsule- if there are (say) 180 beads in it, 180 beads divided by 90 days is 2 beads per day. Day one take out 2 beads, day two take out 4 beads, and day three take out 6 beads and so on to day 90 when your last dosage will be just 2 beads.

Brand Name Cymbalta from Eli Lilly is best for this plan because each capsule contains more beads than the generic brands. This allows you more leeway for a long-term reduction plan. You will need 45 capsules of Cymbalta, and 45 additional empty gel caps that you can get at a pharmacy or healthfood store.

If you encounter symptoms too difficult to handle, stop removing beads and stay at the current dosage (or back up and add a few beads) for some days until you feel stable enough to continue your tapering regimen.

Please consider taking command in this matter. Run this post by your physician- his or her response will hopefully help us in our endeavor to help Cymbalta sufferers.

[adri]

This is all so foreign and frustrating, obviously. What you said makes much more sense. I'll just do it that way and doctors be damned. It's not like it's any worse than the hell I've already been through. I understand now the difference between name brand and generic capsules and wish I could afford it but I simply can't so I'll have to take it slow with what I have.

[thismoment]

Adri

How many beads and how many mg in the capsules you plan to use?

Regarding the cost of Brand Name - I get it. But you only need 45 capsules.

[adri]

I don't know how many beads, I'm out of town all day and can't look. I know it's 60 mg.

[fishinghat]

Listen to FN and TM. They know what they are talking about.  Slow and steady.

[Clara]

adri, Hang in there! bead count, slow and easy with yourself! We all understand and are here cheering you on! You can do this!

[adri]

Just thought I would update everyone on how I'm doing.

On Friday I took my last 60mg dose.

Saturday, Sun, Monday - 40 mg
Tues, Wed, Thurs - 30 mg
Today I will take my first of 3 days on 20. I then plan to go 10, 5, 2.5, off.

This is nowhere near what my idiot doctor recommended. It's working excellently for me so far though. I did notice last night that I had a little bit of a weird headache several hours after my dose but it may be the weather as I get horrible sinus pressure headaches.

[TryinginFL]

Adri...good luck to you if this works. I would be willing to bet that the headache you had was not sinus - I had the headache from hell for 2 weeks and blamed it on sinus, but it was the good old crapalta doing its thing. I am amazed if you can get off this poisin so quickly and, if so, more power to you! I have been off for almost 4 months now and still have nasty withdrawals that sneak up on me. This has been a depressing week for me with much weeping - I'm not sure that weeping will EVER go away I must remember to take it a day at a time and whatever it is it is.

Good luck and God bless,
Liz

[thismoment]

Adri

You're tapering off from 60 mg over about 18 days, and I am happy it's working for you thus far! Please keep us posted on how this goes.