328 replies to this topic

[TryinginFL]

Please excuse ridiculous words as they are caused by my stupid voice activated phone

[invalidusername]

I really feel for you, and it is such a shame that people cannot be made to appease for the damage that meds have done. Its so wrong.

[KathyInFL]

Will be very interested to see how the l-theanine goes with your taper.

 

Just had a look on Amazon over here and the suntheanine only seems to be a little bit more expensive than the regular l-theanine, so worth it for the extra couple of quid.

Are suntheanine and l-theanine the same thing? 

[fishinghat]

Yes. The issue arises in products which are labeled L-theanine. Studies have shown that many contain D-theanine as well and therefore are less effective. Some of the suntheanine products offer a certificate of analysis and so far none have been lin ked to D-theanine that I know of.

[invalidusername]

It is like so many vitamins, people do not realise what can be got away with when labeling something different.

 

I can speak of ashwaghanda myself, which can be made of root and leaf, where the leaf is not nearly as potent as the root. Even certain parts of the root are not as good, so you have no idea exactly the strength you are buying, only that it is a xxxmg dose. This is why I buy standardised KSM-66 as this uses a specific part of the root known to be the most potent, and it checked that every part has a minimum strength (by withanoids). That way you know you are getting the same strength each time.

 

I'd imagine it is a similar process with theanine.

[KathyInFL]

Yes. The issue arises in products which are labeled L-theanine. Studies have shown that many contain D-theanine as well and therefore are less effective. Some of the suntheanine products offer a certificate of analysis and so far none have been lin ked to D-theanine that I know of.

Do you take suntheanine? If so, can you recommend a brand? Thanks!

[fishinghat]

No, not at this point. I am considering using it when I wean down on my Zoloft. Just look for one that is suntheanine and is caffeine free.

[invalidusername]

This one looks the best for the UK at the moment - and currently a squid off!

 

https://www.amazon.c...rds=suntheanine

[invalidusername]

Hey Noush...

 

Been a while - hope all is continuing well with you and your wonderful hubby! Would be interested it you went ahead with the suntheanine (or other) and how you got on...

 

[Noush]

Hey IUN - sorry I haven't checked in for a while. I've been extremely busy with work & had to work a few early starts/late finishes, so haven't been on here.

I didn't end up getting any Suntheanine. I'm doing really well. Apart from the odd, ever so slight 15mins of anxiety a couple of mornings on waking, I'm pretty much back to normal. I'm bead counting my capsules, so that I know I have the exact same amount of beads every day.

How are you?

[invalidusername]

Fantastic news! I am so happy for you Noush. Just keep level with those damn beads and keep slow!! Hopefully you will be fine once you are at the zero point. But either way, your noggin should be well prepared for it. How wonderful!! 

 

I counted a whopping 26 days of a relatively good mood - insomuch that I didn't have any "bad" days, but had the odd "iffy" day. Anxiety still in the background, but easier to ignore if you know what I mean.

 

Unfortunately, owing to adrenaline issues, I didn't realise how fragile I was. I took an iron tablet last weds along with my Lexapro. The iron absorbed best part of the lexapro and stayed in my system to probably do something similar the next day - so all hell broke loose! But I seem to be more stable today.

[Noush]

Hi Guys. Not swung by in months. I've just been having a read on how everyone us doing. IVUN, I'm sorry to read that you're not back to yourself yet! On the right track though!

I've been doing great since January. I've stayed at exactly the same amount of beads (bead counted my capsules everyday of 375 beads) & had zero side effects. Then all of a sudden, about a week ago I started with light headedness & tiredness & then 2 days ago I started with anxiety, spaced out & very low mood. Yesterday, I was pretty much ok again & then today very anxious, tired, spaced out & low mood again. The only thing that I could possibly put it down to is that I took my over-flow clear capsual (with my spare beads in) just over a week ago instead of my counted capsual. It had approx 100 beads less in than I usually take. That was just over a week ago now though. Could that one mistake, cause anxiety & depressed mood a week later? I am remember, very sensitive. Fish actually said the most sensitive he'd seen

[invalidusername]

Hi Noush - great to see you!

 

These all sound like re-wires going on if they are always changing. If there is no obvious trigger that is. I am getting these all the time - and when there is a trigger as well... then all hell breaks loose!! That said, I did have a run of about 10 days which were getting close to normal - but then this stuff comes out of nowhere.

 

If a week has passed after that capsule then I very much doubt this will have caused it. The blood levels will have increased and stabalised again by now. But yes, you are a sensitive one!!

[fishinghat]

How many beads you taking now?

[Noush]

Hi Hat. I take 375 beads a day (40mg). I'm not weaning. I'm stable on that dose & have been since January. I took a capsule by mistake with only 275 beads just over a week ago.

[Noush]

So, I've had two days of almost no anxiety what so ever & then bam, around 7pm this evening, I get thst crippling gut wrenching nervous anxious fearful feeling in my stomach & I'm not actually thinking of anything that might be triggering it. Could this be the Cymbalta pooping out or would I be on a constant decline & not up & down. I have been talking to a friend about the way I have been feeling &, how I have had two failed tapers off Cymbalta & that I am stuck on it. So not sure if that could have subconsciously triggered something? Hat - any opinions?

[invalidusername]

This is a horrible trap to get into. Last Sunday at 4pm, I had to same but with depression. Out of nowhere. Then that set me up for the start of the following week as I can't stand not knowing what causes these things. LDN is the other way around. If he can't do anything about them, he lets it go. Wish I could!

 

For your predicament, I would say that what you discussed could easily had a delayed knock on effect. There are normally reasons if we look for them. But the best thing is to not to if, like me, you are prone to work yourself up over it.

 

11pm here in the UK and I am still mildly depressed because I was depressed at 8pm and I thought "I shouldn't be this depressed now - I haven't been this depressed at this time in weeks"... and there you go. I am thinking about it, so I remain depressed. It sucks!!

[Noush]

IUN - Who's LDN? I took 40mg of propanolol before bed & slept well. Feeling more positive this morning.

That's exactly it, it's a vicious circle. Maybe I'm just very susceptible to triggers right now too. Something is going on with me physically too though, which came before the emotional symptoms ,(as they have each time I have attempted to wean). I started with the vertigo feeling & then also the adrenaline surges, where my heart beats really hard, when just walking a few paces.

Hat is very quiet these days. I thought he would have swung by with some input. Is he ok?

[fishinghat]

I am OK. A very busy day yesterday and by the time I got things under control all I wanted to do was crash. Yes, the rollercoaster can be very bad and not much to do about it unless you want to take more meds to fight the withdrawal. I understand your frustration but just stay at your current dose until you stabilize, even if that is 2 or 3 months. Its all about time and patience.

[Noush]

I am OK. A very busy day yesterday and by the time I got things under control all I wanted to do was crash. Yes, the rollercoaster can be very bad and not much to do about it unless you want to take more meds to fight the withdrawal. I understand your frustration but just stay at your current dose until you stabilize, even if that is 2 or 3 months. Its all about time and patience.

Glad to hear you're well Hat! Was worried there for a minute! As I've been on this dose & stable for over 6 months, in your opinion, would taking only one capsule with 100 beads less in over a week ago cause a week of anxiety/Low mood or do you think that the Cymbalta is just pooping out on me?

[fishinghat]

Could be either BUT if it is the one low dose then your symptoms will slowly improve over time and recovery should be obvious 6 to 8 days but can take longer. If it is pooping out on you then the symptoms will slowly get worse over time as it continues to loose effectiveness. You should know for sure within one more week.

[Noush]

I seem to alternate between having a good day & a bad day. Although, as time has gone on, I think the bad days have gotten easier. It's about 12 days since I took the low dose.

[fishinghat]

That is a good sign you will stabilize at some point. You are incredibly sensitive but we will make it through this with time.

[invalidusername]

LDN is another member - his thread is here;

 

https://www.cymbalta...ff-for-8-weeks/

[Noush]

That is a good sign you will stabilize at some point. You are incredibly sensitive but we will make it through this with time.

Then once I have had a few months stable, I think I need to consider trying to wean off this shit again. I feel like being on this med is looming over me all the time. If I take a few extra or less beads I get bloody side effects. So I have to bead count my capsules every day to make sure that they are exactly the same to the bead, so that I don't get any side effects or withdrawal. It's ridiculous!

[invalidusername]

"Ridiculous" is quite a tame word to use I would say!!

[Noush]

"Ridiculous" is quite a tame word to use I would say!!

There are 50 ish beads less in the capsules I got this month, than the ones that I got last month! If I wasn't bead counting, to make sure my beads stay the same, I would've dropped 50 beads (approx 8mg) in one go, without even knowing it! How can such a huge tolerance be allowed 🙄

[invalidusername]

It isn't a tolerance - it will be on overall gross weight of the duloxetine within the bead (less the coating).

 

However, I seem to recall Hat saying that the FDA do allow a margin of +/- 10% of the overall medicinal content...

 

I think it was 10% - he will correct where I am wrong I'm sure.

[fishinghat]

You are absolutely correct IUN. In order to have 50 beads less the beads would have to be larger in size to stray within the 10% dosage limit.

[invalidusername]

Hurrah - my gray matter has still got it