9 replies to this topic

[Daisy]

Ive been on cymbalta for the past 3 months, started off with 60, then 120, now on 180mg a day. My symptoms of anxiety, depression and insomnia have been getting worse so psychiatrist wants me to wean off it. Today is my first day on reduced dose 120mg. have to take this for 2 days and then reduce to 60mg for 2 more days. Im due to start new antidepressant on the 5th day. Ive been dizzy and light headed most of the evening. Just wondering if withdrawal symptoms could be starting already?? What do other people experience??
Thanks Daisy

[barney59]

Daisy

Wow .. 180mg! I thought my 120mg was a lot. All I can tell you is what I'm going thru. I was on Cymbalta 3 yrs. My doctor weaned me off over a three week period. We both know now that was way too fast. I'm day 12 since my last dose. On the second day off, the withdrawals began, 3rd day with a vengence (diarreha, extreme achiness all over, chest pain,severe brain zaps,dizzy,nausea,head feels drugged extremely emotional in every way, etc...). Has not let up much although the brain zaps are not as constant. Can't tell you what to do, but I would certainly consider weaning as slowly as you can. My doc took my off Cymbalta in order for me to start Savella. That was a big N O. I'm not starting any other drug until i fight this Cymbalta out of my system. My doctor, after seeing my horrible withdrawals, agreed completely. He wants me through this before I start anything else, IF I start anything else. I was on the stuff to help the pain of Fibromyalgia. Anyway, hope all will go ok with you. Having a doctor that you trust and can talk to and who in return listens and believes in what you are saying is a huge help in getting thru this. This site is also a big help. Full of wonderful, caring people that are going thru it all with you. Best of luck to you!
B

[hagansquared]

Wow! 180mg! Ok so that's the exact same thing Barney said, but still... Wow! Um I was on 60mg for only 6 months. Was having problems with a side effect so my doctor switched me straight from Cymbalta to Celexa. He said that there wouldn't be any problems, but I might have some side effects from the new meds like I had when I started Cymbalta. I took my last 60mg on Saturday the 19th. Went to the doctor Monday morning and started Celexa that afternoon. By 4ish I was starting to get a little dizzy. Figured it was from Celexa. Kept getting worse and worse as the days went on. Called my doc on Wednesday and he said it was okay for me to quit taking the Celexa, since I had wrongly assumed that this is where my symptoms were coming from. So as for the Cymbalta I had my last dose on Saturday, by Monday evening I was a little dizzy and nauseous. Tuesday is when it started really bad. Dizziness, nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, crazy brain zaps, numbness in my face and hands. I finally went back to the doctor with some information I found on this forum. He wanted me to try Antivert which is a med for motion sickness. I wanted to try Prozac. He gave me a scrip for both. Took the Antivert as soon as I got it on Monday and every 6 hours afterwards. By Tuesday afternoon, I was still incredibly dizzy. Took the Prozac late Tuesday afternoon, and also took it yesterday morning. Could tell yesterday that I was starting to feel better. Woke up this morning feeling so much better. No more dizziness! Of course everyone is different, so I'm not saying that this will work for you, but it is an option you can try. Because he switched me and I quit cold turkey, I don't know how quickly withdrawals will start when weaning, but I would say within a couple of days. Cymbalta has such a short half life (like 12 hours), you pretty much start going through withdrawals as soon as you miss a dose. Maybe the withdrawals won't be as bad since you are weaning, but again, everyong is different. I will give you one piece of advice that will work for everyone. Make sure that your family and friends know what you are going through. Have them check out this site if they want. I think there is a thread for family memebers. Anyway, the point being, you are going to need one heck of a support system while coming off of this drug. If you don't feel like you have a good support system at home, please come back here and talk about it. When I was going through my worst, reading the things on here made me feel like I wasn't crazy and that I was strong enough to do it. There are people on here in all stages of withdrawal and they are some of the most understanding and encouraging people I have ever "talked" to. Good luck and God bless!
Carrie

[NagNancyB]

Hi Daisy, If there's anything that I've found over and over on this forum is that withdrawing from Cymbalta is different for all of us. One other thing: take it as slowly as you can. Take the time to read some stories of folks here... from those who are in the midst of a plethora of side effects and withdrawl to folks who have won the battle. Cymbalta is out of your system in 6 days... the effects could last a very long time... months, and I mean many months. I myself am only on day 23 and am down to 20mg from 60mg. Many if not most of us open the capsules and divide the dosages. Going down as much as you have is a gamble and I don't doubt that what you're feeling is withdrawl. My brain fog gets so bad I find myself on one side of the room wonder what in hell I'm doing there. That's only one of my symptoms. Others have bouts of extreme emotions, or have severe diarreah.

There are some here that are in your situation; reducing cymbalta to switch drugs. Everyone's situation is different.

So welcome to this forum, I'm glad you found us. No matter what you need... even just to vent, someone will be there to listen.

Here's a website that most of us refer to over and over: the list of withdrawls from Cymbalta that the FDA is considering. Eli Lilly does a horrible job informing Dr's and patients of the pitfalls of Cymbalta. Big Pharma isn't there to help people, it's there to make money.

http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm

Good luck to you,
Nancy

[Daisy]

Thank you all for your advice and kind words. I cannot believe the horrible symptoms you've had to go through to get off this drug, nobody should have to go through that.Wish you all the best of luck whatever stage you are at in the process. Im worrying about whats ahead of me and scared that I wont be able to cope. Its been 2 days since I started reducing the dose, feeling ok so far apart from some dizziness and shaking hands. Will have to wait and see what tommorow brings...
Daisy

[MaureenV]

Take care of yourself Daisy, and remember that you're not alone.



Pretty much whatever is happening to you someone here will identify with, which does help a bit.

If you are reducing the dose slowly, remember there's no prize for weaning faster.


Except for me that is - I'm attempting a Guiness book of records attempt for slowest weaner. I was only on 30mg two months ago, and am now on 7.5 . Tried to stop at 10mg, unsuccessfully.


take care, maureen.

[MaureenV]

I know what you mean about dragging it out; I got impatient, to my detriment.

It must be extra difficult not having the support of your doctor, because one consolation of mine is that my GP is highly unlikely to prescribe Cymbata for depression in the near future, and for those on it for other reasons will be fully aware of the potential for symptoms if and when they withdraw.

Not knowing the science of it all, I'm talking out of my hat, but I do try to see it as not so much my brain being 'addicted' to Cymbalta (and apparently it technically isn't - not that the technicalities matter sometimes) but more as allowing my brain to slowly 'come back to normal'.



*sending truckloads of sunshine your way*

If you don't mind me asking, exactly which part of the world is the Pacific Northwest? I always think of the Pacific as a sunny ocean. (As you can see, my geography is on a par with my computer skills.)


Maureen.

[tiredofcymbalta]

I know this may sound silly but you can get sunburned when its cloudy so maybe even going out with it being those conditions well help better then not going out at all :)

[nursedeborah]

Daisy,
Yes the withdrawls can set in that fast, and Cymbalta doesn't have a half live of 12 hour, but that
of about 4 hours or so.

It only goes to show that doctors don't know anything about the withdrawls of this medication at all.

What some of us are doing is givng them the information, like the FDA report that Barney posted.
Also here's a great site to look at so you know what to expect http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm


All the members who belong here shows that this drug is hard to get off of, over 3,400.

Your being on 180mg, and then his cutting it down to 120 mg is a big drop for most of us here, and
some of us have had to do that, only to stop it, and find our own amount we can tolerate to decrease
each time we go down.

I was on 60 mg, and then went to 50mg, and that was really hard for me. I then went to about 45 mg
still not easy for me, I finally had to go get Prozac as I had learned on here that it helped with the
withdrawls, and it has helped very much for me. I was on 40 mg, and went to 30 mg, and 3 days
ago went to 25 mg. It is just now starting to hit me, the decrease that is, and it is hard right now.

I know it's better than it was prior to the Prozac, but still very hard, especially the sleep, and a few
other symptoms.

Please check out the different posts here to see how others have done it, and then maybe you can
find something that works for you, only if you can't do it the way your doctor has you doing it.

We are alll here for you.

Love,
Debbie

[Daisy]

It must be so hard when you come to a really difficult patch. I know its difficult to be optimistic when you feel awful both physically and emotionally, but I guess you need to keep reminding yourself of what you have already gone through and tell yourself that you can get through this too. Its going to take time but you will come out the other side feeling better. I havent experienced the withdrawal symptoms most people go through (not yet anyway). I've had severe depression, panic disorder and anxiety for 15 years so I know what its like to feel dreadful and it helps me to think like this. It might work for others too.
Im now on the 4th day of reducing cymbalta from 180 down to 60. Luckily Im feeling fine apart from dizziness and tremors, im waiting for the horror to kick in but so far im ok. My mood is good and the anxiety and panic has even reduced. My doctor prescribed anti-psychotic tablets for me to take "as required" for anxiety but i havent needed to take them. Took my last cymbalta this morning and going back onto effexor tommorow. Ive been on effexor previously for a few years,so I know the side effects arent nearly as bad as the cymbalta ones. Im glad to see the back of it, but still anxious that there will be more withdrawal symptoms to come.
Daisy