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day one! and new here with questions!!!!


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#1 luv2lope

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Posted 15 September 2009 - 07:52 AM

Hello all
I am new to this forum but soo glad I have found you!
With the support of my husband, Holistic Chiropractor, and certain friends I have begun the journey of withdrawal. I thought I better start on this day while I am still feeling "normal".
I have been on SRI's for 18 years. First Zoloft and now Cymbalta. After reading through alot of posts here I have decided along with my friends and chiro that gradual weaning and nutritional support is the way to go. I opened up the capsule this morning and divided it into a 2/3 section and a 1/3 (I can't bring myself to count every bead. I am afraid at the end of the week I will go nuts! ). I took the 2/3rd and am saving the rest.
What do you use to get this stuff to cooperate and not run off the plate? And for those of you putting it back into another capsule, how in the world do you get that done? I ended up just wetting my finger!!! I had thoughts of putting it on a mirror like a cocaine user! : ) But then what?
Well thanks and here goes the journey! I hope I make it!

#2 portcop01

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    i to just stop taking cymbalta need help too...

Posted 15 September 2009 - 09:24 AM

ibeen off of cymbalta for 5weeks now..i;m in so much pain.stomach the most.

#3 MaureenV

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    Am trying to get off Cymbalta 30mg and wondering about brain zaps.

Posted 15 September 2009 - 11:02 AM

Hi luv2lope,

(interesting name!)


What dose of Cymbalta were you on?


It's important that you take the Cymbalta inside a capusle so that it can be released into your body at the correct spot.

I bought a bottle of empty gelatin/e capsules which are completely clear, and a decent size (as in about twice as big as the Cymybalta 60mg) so it's also easy to see if the quantities are reasonably equal.

I went from 30 to 60 (for only about 15 days) to 30, then to 30 alternate days (Major Fail) then to 15mg every day (I'd been on the 30mg alternate days for about two three weeks at that stage), increased the dose to 20, back to 15, now I'm on 12 for five days (60mg divided into five).


It's very fiddly, and you do end up pouring little balls backwards and forwards until they're even, but honestly, when I divvy them up, it really only takes me about 15 minutes, and that's then the doses ready for several days. Don't expect to be able to do it in 30 seconds - you really do need to allow time to prepare it.

Scaling down the dose seems to be the best way for most people, so it's worth the time.

kind regards, Maureen.

#4 bustermauve

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Posted 15 September 2009 - 06:07 PM

I had no idea there were withdrawal symptoms.

I went, with pharmacological/medical counsel, from 60 to 40 (2 weeks) to 30 (2 weeks) to 20 (1 month) and see the M.D. at the conclusion of the 1 month to find out what's next. It only occurred to me today that perhaps what I was feeling was not simply my old self but perhaps something chemical.

I was told, by the way, that alternating days of use with days of non-use was not a good way to taper off because it leads to nerve wracking ups and downs.

I am glad to know that some of what's happening could indeed be related to a change in dose. Thanks!

#5 MaureenV

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    Am trying to get off Cymbalta 30mg and wondering about brain zaps.

Posted 15 September 2009 - 06:23 PM

Hi Bustermauve,


(another, er, interesting name - love it),


There are indeed withdrawal symptoms, apparently called anti-depressant discontinuation syndrome, well recognized by many doctors. Unfortunately the drug companies only provide doctors with what they want (the drug companies that is) not what they need.


I read last night that Cymbalta withdrawal was only tested on volunteers who had been on the drug for the grand total of nine weeks!

If you and your doctor decide to drop from 20mg to nothing, stay in touch.

Your doctor may not also have heard of those who continue dropping the dose ad infinitum (almost!).

Empty gelatine capsules can be bought inexpensively at large chemists and it would not be too difficult to make yourself up some 15mg or 10mg doses.



maureen

#6 luv2lope

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Posted 16 September 2009 - 06:53 AM

WOW thanks for all the responses. Sounds like I need to just set aside time each week to set myself up. I have been on 60mg. So my thinking was to cut it down by thirds. and take things day to day and week to week. So far on day two my head feels fine but my tummy is a little off.

#7 MaureenV

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Posted 16 September 2009 - 11:53 AM

Just take it as slowly as you need to.

If I wasn't in a hectic work period I might have tried just stopping at about 15mg, but being self employed, and already losing enough time to Cymbalta and depression, I'm taking is as slowly as is possible.


I have enough Cymbalta left and empty gelatine capsules to last quite a while, and I see no reason to go any faster than I am.

I'll be down to 10mg tomorrow (from 12mg for five days), and intend to take that for six days (I divided a 60mg capsule). If, IF I have no problems with that, then I'll divide the next one into eight and be on 7.5mg for eight days, then 5mg for 12 days.

That will be the end of my 60mg capsules, but I still have a dozen or so 30mg ones. If I'm still getting any brain zaps at all (they're only mild - but still annoying) then I'll drop even further rather than cut out 5mg.

I ain't takin' any chances!

Maureen.

#8 nursedeborah

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    I am reallly trying to get off Cymbalta, and not having, well I am having nightmares even with the decreased does, and clanging in my head.

    I just found this site, and I really need help, I can't do this, I fear I willl never get off this brutal medication.

    Deboreah Wesson

Posted 16 September 2009 - 03:16 PM

Hi,
check out the site that has all the withdral aymptoms
http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm

You can do this, and you will make it!!

Debbie

#9 Cecile

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    I have been on Zoloft for 6mon. and Cymbalta for almost 1 year. I want to get off Cymbalta the Dr. put me on it for my panic attacks wouldn't stop happening, so the Dr. put me on Zoloft I had bad!!! Side effects on Zoloft, so the Dr. switched me to Cymbalta I haven't had any bad panic attacks since I have been on the drug just maybe 2 or 3 since it's going on 1 year already, to make the long story short! I want off of this meds I have noooo feeling or emotion...only usually during my menestrual cycle and that's usually when my panic and anxiety erupts. Anyway, I want off this med's and back to the life that i use to have a fun life not having to worry when to take a pill, or if i'm gong to have a next panic attack. I only hope and pray to God. once off this drug I wont go back to myself when I had bad panic attacks! what do you think?? do you think once off this drug i will have them again?? Anyway, I want my life back basicly....... Cecile

Posted 16 September 2009 - 10:05 PM

wow!! it's funny how you say cocain user cause it's almost like a addiction drug and how you get off a addiction drug with all the withdraws...it makes me wonder if a Cymb..is almost like a cocain drug...why is it being approved by the FDA?????? and nothing has been done about it!!......

#10 luv2lope

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Posted 17 September 2009 - 04:00 AM

I agree Cecile! How is this not addicting!?!?!?
I am off to the health food store today to see if they have capsules. I am very determined to get off this stuff!. Peaple have told me I will be surprised how sane I will feel off of it! Isnt that an interesting commentary?
Maureen thank you for your awesome posts!
this is day three! on 2/3rds of 60mg....so far so good...
thanks again!!!!!!!!!!

#11 nursedeborah

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    I am reallly trying to get off Cymbalta, and not having, well I am having nightmares even with the decreased does, and clanging in my head.

    I just found this site, and I really need help, I can't do this, I fear I willl never get off this brutal medication.

    Deboreah Wesson

Posted 17 September 2009 - 06:09 AM

Hi all you new one's,
I am so glad you found this site. I know I was so grateful when I found it.
I had missed a few does before, and would get a clanging in my head, also
would end up in bed for days unable to do anything at all, like the blood had
been drained from me.

I had been on Cymbalta 60 mg for over 3 years, and just thought my depresssion
had gotten so bad that nothing could be done. I went back to see the doctor
again, as he had been trying all kinds of different meds on top of the Cymbalta.

He had me cut the dose in half, and by day 6 I was having nught terrors, couldn't
sleep, well it is hard to explain I felt awake, and in a sleep state at the same time.
I had severe stomach pains, back, neck , and shoulder. I was so hyper, snotty, felt
like I was going insane, had electrical shocks in my teeth, many more things too!

I called him, and he just said to take the full dose for another week, and then go
back down to 30 mg. Well that's when I went looking on the internet, and found
this place, and other sites full of information about being on this drug, and the
withdrawls.

All the physical things that I had been experiencing were due to the drug, as were
the things when the dose was cut in half.

I was so grateful to find alll this out.

I started my decrease on Aug 31 from 60 mg to 45-50 mg, and from there I went to
40mg, where I am now. Two days ago I decided to try another small decrease of only
25 beads, and let me tell you the sleeping is gone again, and the night mares are back.

Who would have thought that such a small amount of this stuff would do that, but I have
been one that has had a very hard time with each decrease.

We are all so different, and must find what works for us, and trust me you will just by the
way you feel. This is not a race, and no need to make your life miserable, or unmanageable.

Once I found what worked for me I was able to at least start to have some energy again, also
I started to have feeling too! My depression that was brought on by the Cymbalta or the feeling
like a slug and never having any motivation is slowly going away.

Today is a bit hard, but it's only because my brain wants the drug. They have compared coming off
this drug as the same as coming off of Oxycotin. I am in recovery, and I have done all the drugs,
and I have to tell you this is the hardest thing I have ever done.

We all can do this together!! That's what it takes all the support we get from eachother, and from
the ones who have already been off this drug for along time as they let us know it does get better!


Debbie

#12 luv2lope

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Posted 19 September 2009 - 08:58 AM

WOW debbie thanks for all that. But i am still not sure exactly how you get the beads back in the capsule once you dump them out. What are you using? How many beads in a 60mg?

#13 MaureenV

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Posted 19 September 2009 - 11:52 AM

Hijacking this one too.


I'll let Debbie speak for herself, but I think she is literally just ditching the excess.


When I started lowering the dose, Debbie suggested buying some cheap vitamins in openable capsules and using those to split the dose, but I searched High and low in Australia - any items in see through bottles were either straight tablets or sealed capsules. I bought some plain label paracetamol and that was o.k. except the caps weren't easy to pull apart.

Then I read that you can buy empty gelatine capsules, so I bought a bottle of 100 for $15. Because they're clear and big, it's easy to see what's happening.


If you (eg) want to split a 30/60 in two, you just take two gelatine capsules and tip approx half into each. Make sure you have something like a darker plate underneath you in case any get spilt. It's easy then to even up the capsules just visually, tipping a little back and forth. It sounds fiddly, and it is, but you soon get the hang of it. I'm now up to splitting a 60mg into six (10mg per day), next I'll split it into eight, then into ten etc etc.

What I do first of all when splitting down to this level is divide the cap into two, get them as even as possible, then divide each of those down further.

Someone here has listed (under 'I know how to get off cymbalta safely') how many balls there are, which is 90 per 10mg, so yesterday I did a check of one of my (suposedly) 10mg caps, and there were 87, so I figure I'm close enough. If I was having any problems I'd be counting every single one.

If you lose a few beads onto the plate you can pick them up with your fingertip and put back in the capsule.


regards, maureen.

#14 nursedeborah

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    I am reallly trying to get off Cymbalta, and not having, well I am having nightmares even with the decreased does, and clanging in my head.

    I just found this site, and I really need help, I can't do this, I fear I willl never get off this brutal medication.

    Deboreah Wesson

Posted 20 September 2009 - 08:36 AM

love2lope,
I don't pour them on a plate, but pour a samll amt into the palm of my hand. That way I can use my fingernail
to scoop up some and count them, and dump them out, and do the same until I get the right amount.

I am lazy, and just do this every am, I wouldn't be able to sit, and do a buch of them for a week or two's worth
plus I have to take my other pills so what difference does it make.

Hope it's going great for you. How are you doing now?

Debbie

#15 missy

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Posted 20 September 2009 - 06:53 PM

I have been off of Cymbalta for about a month now and am about to stop Lexapro. I started at 90 mg Cymbalta combined with 20 mg of Lexapro three years ago. Going from 90mg to 60mg Cymbalta, I felt the withdrawal like flu symptoms and extreme fatigue...slept alot and at inappropriate times. Stayed at 60mg. for a month before lowering to 30mg and hardly blinked. I dropped the last 30 mg and am not having the extreme insomnia that I was. It can still be a challenge to get to sleep before 12:30 or 1:00am, but I stay asleep. Now I have trimmed my Lexapro dosage from 20 to 10 mg. which has been over a month's time. I took my last Lexapro ( I hope) today. We will see what tomorrow brings.

For the last week I have had a lot of stomach upset, changes in bowel habits, and some stomach pain and nausea. It didn't occur to me that it could be the withdrawal until reading this board. But, it probably is the cause; I feel better because of learning that because I know it will get better.

The rest of my life is worse--I have no job, couldn't pay the rent this month for the first time ever, and feel lost and rejected.
I am a 58-yr-old widow and my prospects are good. But, as long as I don't feel this way forever, I think there is hope.

I wish you well on your journey to wellness.
Missy

#16 MaureenV

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Posted 20 September 2009 - 08:01 PM

Hi Missy,

do you have family support? (as in children, siblings etc)


Glad to hear you were able to drop the 30mg without too much difficulty - perhaps the Lexapro helped?????

I'll be interested to see how you go once off the Lexapro. I went from Lexapro to Cymbalta without a hiccup, but obviously don't know what would have happened if I hadn't gone to another anti-d.

Re your digestive system: I haven't had the problems others seem to have had with their digestive system, but for me my system returned to normal from being a huge problem on Cymbalta - one of the (several) reasons I couldn't stay on it.

One of my many (comparatively) minor medical issues is chronic ulcertaive colitis, dormant or mild most of the time, but aggravated very much by Cymbalta. Bad constipation is one thing, but when it aggravated the UC it was not an option for me.

Are you in the US?

Take care,

Maureen.

#17 Houdi

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    I have been a member that you have knock off 3 times. I have withdrawn from Cymbalta and supported forum members that are in withdrawal. Find my old posts. I have pleaded with you to clean up this forum, and my thanks is you erasing me....three times! Thanks a lot! I come back here to pay forward what others did for me. You are quite disrespectful to the members of your forum that support others while you let the spammers take over! Shame on you after you started this for a good reason. Is it money now?

Posted 21 September 2009 - 11:37 AM

Missy:

I am so sorry. Hang in there, please reach out to your community for some assistance. Help is out there, you must eat and have a roof over your head. Don't be shy...please. If you wait too long it is too hard to actually catch up. These are such tough times.

Regarding your upset tummy. I had the issues with tummy and an otc gerd medication helped me a lot. Also, if you like ginger tea, make with real ginger root and seep in hot water for 5-10 minutes. It helps tummy and digestive problems. It is also really good for you. Has lots of nutrients.

As MaureenV discussed, the Lexapro probably did help your Cymbalta withdrawal. Lexapro can cause digestive issues too. Cymbalta tends to make us constipated. Phew, so many issues. Go slowly coming off the Lexapro and I bet you'll be great. You must be careful with your stress issues and depression as you deal with the issues you now face. I hope you have family and friends to lean on.

We all hope you will continue to post here. I personally look forward to hearing from you and please feel free to ask anything you think we can help.

Bless you Missy!!!! Houdi

#18 nursedeborah

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    I am reallly trying to get off Cymbalta, and not having, well I am having nightmares even with the decreased does, and clanging in my head.

    I just found this site, and I really need help, I can't do this, I fear I willl never get off this brutal medication.

    Deboreah Wesson

Posted 22 September 2009 - 12:14 PM

luv2lope,
Hows it going with you? Please let us know how you are doing!!

Debbie

#19 luv2lope

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Posted 22 September 2009 - 12:34 PM

I am okay... I have made it one week on 2/3rd dose. I tried one day on half and I just didnt want to move ! It was too weird.
I have moments where I feel great and encouraged and then I lack motivation. (hot here in Florida still so that may be some of it). Other than that I am doing better than some folks here!
How are you debbie?
Nancy
the one who loves to lope!

#20 al4alston

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    I have had depression and anxiety my entire life. I was put on Cymbalta almost a year ago. Besides the initial sickness I had starting the med, I was emotionaly and physically doing much better. However, I am spiraling down. I am not getting the initial benefit I was when I started out on Cymbalta. I am weaning off of Cymbalta, Wow!! I am praying everyday I can get through this!!

Posted 23 September 2009 - 02:36 AM

awesome advice!! I was wondering what i was going to do with all these pills. Why throw them out!! I'm off to the store too!! i'm on day three!!



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