21 replies to this topic

[bluepanda]

I decided to stop taking Cymbalta about a year ago after my mother suffered and died from what I believe was partly due to serotonin syndrome as a result of Cymbalta and reactions with other medications. I have been so scared knowing the withdrawal symptoms I would be going through that I waited almost a year before finally taking the leap. About 6 months ago I dropped from 90mg to 60mg and then about 2 months ago I talked to my doctor about my desire to stop taking Cymbalta entirely. He wanted me to drop down to 30 mg for two weeks, stop for 5 days, and then start taking Zoloft. I waited another month to start taking 30 mg because I knew there would be some withdrawal symptoms and I had a big exam coming up.

 

About 2 weeks ago I started the 30 mg of Cymbalta and about 3 days later I called the doctor as symptoms became unbearable. He then told me to do a week of Cymbalta 30 mg every other day and then start to take the Zoloft after a week.  I started the process on Sunday 04/02/17 but when I skipped my first dose on Monday 04/03, my symptoms on Tuesday were so terrible that I decided that there was no way I was going to put that poison back in my body and have to suffer every other day. So, as of today, I have been off of Cymbalta for 4 days. 

 

Today I went to the doctor because my hands and face are numb, the vertigo is unbearable, and the brain zaps in my head won't stop. I have the kind of job where I have to concentrate and I can't. I'm falling behind in my work. The doctor literally looked at me like I was crazy. He said he couldn't believe that I was having this much trouble and he had never had any other patient experience these withdrawal symptoms. He was completely unsympathetic and he told me the only relief would be to take another antidepressant. He said I could take St. John's Wort but that's the same thing as Cymbalta but that all chemicals basically natural. WTH???? I asked if there there was another antidepressant I could try that didn't have the severe withdrawal symptoms and he said "well, we don't prescribe these medications with the idea that people will stop taking them".  

 

Right now, I have decided to take tomorrow off work and start taking St. Johns Wort tonight. If I don't have any relief by Sunday evening, I'm going to try the taper method by going back on Cymbalta and removing beads very slowly over the course of several months. I really hate the idea of putting that poison back in my body. 

[TryinginFL]

Welcome BP!

 

The first thing I have to say is that your last paragraph is the only sane one in your entire post.  The second thing - change Dr.s !!!!

 

Your Dr. is an idiot and even tho he thinks he is a God, he is clueless as to the withdrawal from Cymbalta.  It only has a half life of 12 hrs, so that every other day thing was putting you in and out of withdrawal...

 

I went cold turkey off of 60mg a little over 3 yrs ago and spent 1 yr in withdrawal hell.   I  DO NOT RECOMMEND COLD TURKEY - there are others here who have done the same and will give you the same advice.

 

If you were comfortable on the 30mg please go back on that or a little more if you need it, and then SLOWLY wean down with bead counting when you feel that you are stable.  If you have not read about it on this site, please come back with any questions you may have.

 

Some of us have stayed on this site after we were off the poison in order to help the Newbies (that's you!)

 

We are always here for you with help at any time!  

[bluepanda]

I'm so grateful I found this forum..after the way my doctor responded I wondered if I might actually be a little off my rocker, lol. There needs to be a thread where people can give recommendations for doctors. This isn't the only time I have left his office feeling unsupported, I think it may be getting close to time to look for a new doc. 

[TryinginFL]

Hi again!

 

Trust me - it's your Dr who is off his rocker!!

 

I too, was happy to find these wonderful folks - and I got the help I needed!

 

Liz

[gail]

Hello Bluepanda,

Liz is right, do go back on 30 or whatever felt right and bead count from there. With a small dose of Zoloft, this will help you if that nobraindoctor agrees or find another one.

No one, absolutely no one recommends cold turkey. Never, jamais, jamas. If you decide to reinstate, you will find your symptoms vanishing in a short while.

Do come back anytime!

[fishinghat]

You have gotten some good advise from Gail and Liz. The only thing I can add is do NOT take the St. John's Wort with Cymbalta. Not only is there the possibility of serotonin syndrome but also you can get a bad drug interaction. This was recommended to me by my pdoc at the time and sent me to the ER for 4 hours with forced hydration and then home for 24 hours before the sweats, shakes, nausea, and vomiting finally let up. Oh what fun we have with our docs.  (He said sarcastically).

[bluepanda]

Thanks for the advice. Today I am feeling very defeated. Day 5 and the nausea and brain zaps are so bad...I'm getting ready to go take a 30 mg Cymbalta. I took St. Johns Wort last night but I know I can't take that along with Cymbalta so I won't take any until I'm well off of the Cymbalta.  Do you think that it will be okay to take the Cymbalta today since I only took the one St. Johns Wort pill last night? 

[TryinginFL]

I would say yes, because you hadn't had any C for a few days.

 

To be on the safe side let's have Doc fishinghat give the last word...

[bluepanda]

Also, how long will it likely take for me to feel some relief? And would taking one 60 mg pill work faster then a 30 mg pill. I have both at home. I really can't stand the brain zaps.

[TryinginFL]

It would only take a short time to feel better - 30 or 60.  Were you not comfortable on 30?  If you feel the need, you can go back on the 60mg and bead count down from there.  The point is to feel comfortable on the lowest count possible.

 

Hang in there - you can do this!

[gail]

Hi Bluepanda,

I have read your first post another time, so from what I see, 60mg would be a good place to start. This should bring you quick relief. I am basing this saying from hundreds of posts that I have read in the last three and more years.

Should you do this, give yourself a break and stabilize before bead counting. You will make it!

[fishinghat]

The half life of St. Johns Wort is 20 hours. That means you have about 50% still in your system. You would need to wait until tomorrow night to be safe BUT....if this were me I would open a capsule and take around 5 mg every two hours. Why every two hours? Well that is when you reach peak levels after taking Cymbalta. So take 5 mg, 2 hours later if no reaction take 5 more mg, and repeat as necessary. This also allows you to minimize the amount of up dose of Cymbalta. Who knows, bu the time you get to 20 mg you may feel much better. If so stay at that level until stable. If you have to go up to 30, 40, 60 or what ever at least you will know that is how much you nee to stabilize.

[bluepanda]

So is 5 mg, 5 beads? And it's safe to just take the beads without a capsule?

[fishinghat]

It depends how many beads in your capsule. Most have around 300 and if it is a 30mg tablet that means you need to take 1/6 of the beads, ...50 beads. Put the 50 beads back in the capsule and take the capsule. This is the way we normally bead count in order to wean ourselves slowly off the Cymbalta. Do NOT chew them as they are suppose to be slow release.

[bluepanda]

Interesting. I swear my capsule only had like 130 beads or so but it's really hard to tell, they are different sizes. Fyi, I work in an office that provides mental health and psychiatric services. I asked the "fresh out if school" psychiatric nurse practitioner about the bead counting and she didn't say anything bad about it but did say that taking the beads out of the capsule turns the medication into an immediate release instead of extended release. She could have been wrong but just something to ponder. Hubby helped me out a few minutes ago and we estimated what looked to be about half and I took those. We will see..hoping relief is swift 😊

[brzghoff]

Blue Panda,

your doctor put you in a terrible place but you are in a good place here. 

 

quick comment on the nurse practitioner's comment. i suspect her reference to the beads becoming "immediate release" when taken out of the capsule is in regard to popping them into you mouth as is. as fishing hat suggested - pour the un-needed beads out and set aside and put the ones you intend to take back into the capsule. best way to deal with the excess is to use them in future doses. you can get empty caps at a drug store - or health food store - and use those to dose out your "counted" beads as you bead count down. make sense? 

[bluepanda]

Thanks! I didn't know you could buy empty capsules, I'll definitely look for those.

[Raven72]

Hello BluePanda,

I must say that you are very fortunate to have found out site. I myself went CT on 04/01/16,so I have been off for a little over a year. I have been in and out the past weeks as I am in the same trap again. You have been given a bunch of good advice. I can't think of anything to add. I will say this though. If you can avoid it do not CT again. I am in the same boat I was over a year ago but worse because I recently went CT of my latest crutch Paxil. It is worse than Cymbalta and the withdrawals are symptomatic to coming off heroine. I would not wish this he'll on anybody. I hope you continue to visit us and get good advice.

Peace Be With You,
Raven

PS:You definitely need a new doctor.

[bluepanda]

Thanks for the encouragement Raven72. ☺

[Raven72]

You are welcome and please just call me Raven, everyone else does 😄

[bluepanda]

Hey All! So, last night about two hours after taking approximately half of the 30 mg Cymbalta, the brain zaps were just so intolerable I thought I was going to go find a a cliff and jump (which is pretty much impossible here in Kansas). So I went ahead and took a 30 mg Cymbalta along with a low-dose Doxepin and  low-dose Clonazopam just so I could get some relief. There may have been one Benadryl  in there as well. 

 

Today I'm still feeling defeated but the other thing I noticed is the cloud is back. One thing I haven't mentioned on this thread yet is that in spite of the negative symptoms of coming off of the antidepressant, there has been one really big positive.  I didn't realize how much the antidepressants were tamping down the positive side of life and even through the unpleasantness of withdrawal I had found myself laughing and smiling just a little more. Today was rough when I realized that a consequence of having to go back on the 30 mg's meant that the cloud may have to be there a little longer. Sigh. 

 

I survived today. I'm really hoping tomorrow I can feel well enough to start trying to catch up on my work (before Monday hits). I fell really behind last week. 

[Raven72]

One day at a time BP...One day at a time. Glad you smiled today.