9 replies to this topic

[kyelle]

someone please give me some advice! I was taking 60 mg cymbalta for about 2-3 months and then I found out I was pregnant! so I wanted to stop asap!! my Dr. told me to take 30mg for 3 days then 20 for 3 days... today Is day 2 of no drugs and I'm miserable. someone please tell me how long I am expected to feel like this..I can't get out of bed I'm so dizzy I can't drive anywhere..even getting out of bed to try and make some food makes me sick! my husband is gone..so I'm alone and scared of these side effects. how long am I going to feel this awful?

[fishinghat]

Kyelle, welcome

 

I sympathize with your situation. Unluckily your drs method is so fast it is essentially cold turkey .We usually recommend, typically 2 to 4 months to taper off and that is usually a tough ride but you don't have a choice. The full symptoms will really kick in in a few days. Extreme anxiety, sleepliness and much much more including panic and fear can occur. With this fast drop the worst part of the symptoms will last around 3 months before you see any slow sign of improvement. Typically drs will prescribe a benzo for the anxiety but they only work for a few weeks and have a bad withdrawal themselves .Many of us use clonidine, hydroxyzine and.or buspar to help. None of these have withdrawal and are USUALLY effective. Something to consider when things get too bad.

 

By the way, Cymbalta has a half life of 12 hours so half of the medicine will be out of you blood in that time and very little will be present after 3 days off the drug. However, it is fat soluble and traces can be detected in the blood for up to 6 months depending on obesity.

 

I have all the most recent medical articles on Cymbalta during pregnancy and if you wish I can post the material. Just let me know.

 

God bless. Time and patience. You can do this. You are not alone.

[kyelle]

thank you for all the info! I'm not very hopeful at this point but don't want to be on any drugs cause I could only imagine how a baby would feel coming off these things... my biggest concern is relief from the being dizzy and nausea are you saying those symptoms could take months to go away?

[gail]

Joelle,

Hello, since you been on this two or three months, I don't thing that those two symptoms will last more than a month. That is my opinion.

For nausea, some chew on ginger roots, lots of water is real important also.

The words here are always Time and Patience. Why were you given this crap?

[fishinghat]

Kyelle
 
Cymbalta withdrawal is a progression. As some symptoms fade others take their place. Yes, it can take months to feel decent. while 3 to 4 months for improvements you really don't get comfortable until about the 6rg month. Now having said that, there are those who have very little symptoms and those that take a year or more to heal. Having been on it so short of a time it probably won't take as long.
 
Research info.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/23471302
No significant effect on fetus.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/21359876
Low amount of cymbalta across placenta and in lactation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/23218163
Text not available.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/23873363
No effects on new born health.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19809008
No effect on fetus, newborn at birth or during lactation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3590601/
List what the negative out comes are.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/25171134
Increase risk of club foot with ssri.

http://www.bmj.com/c.../bmj.g4835.long
SSRI increase risk of autism in new borns.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/25551238
Little transferred to infant.

Duloxetine withdrawal syndrome in a newborn
http://cpj.sagepub.c...52/10/976.short
Clinical presentation and management of neonatal abstinence syndrome
http://www.dovepress...hp?fileID=19621

Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy
http://contemporaryo...nancy?page=full

Neonatal paroxetine withdrawal syndrome
http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC1721229/
Four term neonates presented with symptoms such as jitteriness and necrotising enterocolitis after paroxetine exposure in utero.

The use of psychotropic medication during pregnancy: how about the newborn?
http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3770341/
 

[kyelle]

that's great to hear because having these withdrawal symptoms plus morning sickness is really kicking my butt! I was originally given the medicine by my Dr after I tried 3 other drugs for my anexiety/depression... I never took medicine before but I just moved out of country with my husband and it's gotten really bad...if I would have known about trying to quit these meds I would have never started!!

[Michgirl]

Kelly - 

 

My heart goes out to you.  I am lifting you up in prayer that you will not suffer the side effects for long.

[Felicia]

hi- new to all of this- I have taken 60mg of cymbalta for 6 years for fibromyalgia only- started yesterday tapering down 10% weekly with generic- would love to hear how those taking it for pain did/are doing weaning off- also does any one know where you can buy a pill bead counter??- 

[Michgirl]

hi- new to all of this-

also does any one know where you can buy a pill bead counter??- 

Felicia - I would suggest Amazon.  I don't know about a pill counter but I believe they make scales that weigh small amounts if that helps.

[Felicia]

Kyelle- How are you doing? I hope feeling better- I abruptly stopped 30Mg cymbalta when found out I was pregnant- I didn't have brain zaps, but I was very irritable and very depressed the length of my pregnancy- I hope for the best for you.