Tips for Cymbalta Withdrawals

Jenny · Site Admin Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 603

This post is an extension of the
Cymbalta Withdrawals Tips thread.

Please continue posting within this thread.

U-NEED-acetylcholine · Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 10

For anyone trying to withdraw from Cymbalta, please read my pages posted on these boards. If you cannot trace this thread back to the originals simply search for my username.

After using a very slow tapering method along with vitamins that helped support acetylcholine production, I was able to come off of a 30mg. daily dose of Cymbalta in six weeks. I had virtually NO withdrawal symptoms using this method, and would love to know if others are having success with it. I had a day or two of minor lightheadedness and then nothing else. My only problems now are associated with the anxiety I have that brought me into the pill pushers office in the first place. I am CYMBALTA FREE WITH NO PROBLEMS. Please look at my posts.
Thanks,

Mike

U-NEED-acetylcholine · Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 10

I see about 50 people have looked at this post, but has anyone else tried this method and found success--or failure. I'm very curious. Please post a message if your going through the process. --Mike

Guest · Guest

I had been on Cymbalta for a few weeks. Once i realized how bad the side effects were and that it really wasn't helping my anxiety, I decided to try something else.

I had been taking a 30mg dose. At first I tried to take the pill every other day and that made me feel even worse. So, i just stopped cold turkey.

I think the dose was low enough that I didn't really feel much in the way of withdrawal symptoms. The only thing, other than just being pretty run down (which is probably unrelated to the Cymbalta) is mild tingling in my limbs. It seems since Cymbalta is also used to treat diabetic nerve pain that this might just be caused by my nerves not being deadend by the medication.

After only two days of not taking it, my sex drive came back which had previously been completely switched off, and I'm starting to feel more human again.

Guest · Guest

Mike,

I started your tapering method today. It took me several days to get all of the supplements. I am currently taking 60 mg of Cymbalta. I do have a question for you, though. Did you take out 7 beads day one, then 14 on day 2, etc? I cannot remember exactly how you did that and do not want take too many out too fast.

Here is a little history for anyone who might be interested. I am a 42 year old mother of 2. Married for nearly 14 years. My kids are 8 & 9. I am working part time at the hospital and a full time nursing student. (Just a little stress) I was diagnosed at the age of 24 with clinical depression. I am third generation clinically depressed. I have been on just about everything. I have been taking the Cymbalta for about 5 months now. It has started giving me horrible reflux. I have never had this before in my life. I have naturally curly hair. It has gone stick straight in the last 4 months. I have no appetite but am gaining weight like crazy. I don't even want to mention the sweating. Geesh, it is really embarassing. So, here I am trying to get off of this drug. I am also taking 150 mg of Welbutrin and will stay on that at least until I finish school. I eventually want to get off of all of it.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

Mike, thank you for your posts. They have given me hope.

Alley

U-NEED-acetylcholine · Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 10

Alley, I haven't checked back here in so long, you may have already found success or failure! I hope you are well. Just for the record, I took out 7 the first day, 14 the next, 21 the third and so forth until there were none. It's tedious and slow but it worked for me and others, including my wife. Sorry to have abandoned the post for all this time, but please let me know how things have worked out for you!

Mike

zappygirl · Newbie Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 6

Hi there.
I am 39 years old, never have taken an antidepressant medication in my life. Was prescribed Cymbalta for a mysterious painful nerve problem in foot problem that never resolved. Here is my story:

30 mg - 6 months, prescribed by a pain clinic
20 mg - 6 months, prescribed by regular doctor
Last pill - three days ago.

I was at work today feeling very dizzy and experiencing the brain zaps. I have had weight gain of about twenty pounds but only in the last 6 months. Have been horribly sleepy, vivid dreams, and lethargic. I feel terrible for doing this to my body. It was not in such bad shape to start with, but now I've got such a problem to deal with.

Thank you all who posted about your experience. I would love to hear any positive stories post-30 days completely off the med. People seem to stop posting after that. I am assuming it is because they are fine?

I hope to keep providing updates weekly so other can see how it goes. I started the vitamins & fish oil coincidentally from a nutritionist to battle the weight gain. Doctors denied it would do that so I thought it was just my metabolism. I feel pretty gullible for not researching this better, but what are you gonna do? Now I will take out the beads by 7s of my remaining 4 pills as someone suggested.

Current state (Day 3 off) - - Brain zaps are happening pretty consistently and I feel the numbness fading. I wonder if you can think of this pill as having flooded your brain with happy serotonin chemicals, producing a soft fuzzy feeling. Now it is washing out and the body is saying "wait, no way - I want that back!" I think of these side effects it as very positive. That's the feeling of the junk leaving my system. Just hope the weight goes away. Any thoughts on that? Darn, gotta get up at 6 a.m. for a workout so I better wrap this up.

Thanks,
Zappy girl

zappygirl · Newbie Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 6

I took 20 beads out of the capsule this morning and chowed down on what I could, accidentally spilling them all over the counter. oops. Are you supposed to gulp them raw or stir them in water or something? I am instantly better this afternoon, which must be a bit of a placebo effect.

Day 4: No brain zaps, just slight dizziness in the morning. Not sleepy today. What a great thing not to be so tired already. Used to be I'd get an almost uncontrollable urge to sleep at exactly 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 or 6. I know I'm not keeping with the regular titrating plan, but I will probably skip the next 2-3 days and then empty out 30 of the beads and take on Saturday, which will be Day 7. Updates soon.

U-NEED-acetylcholine · Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 10

For the best results, (which I know because I've tried it both ways, as did my wife and many others,) you should remove 7 more beads each day from the capsule. Skipping doses doesn't speed up the withdrawal process. Skipping doses triggers what is called an "anticholergenic rebound effect" which is why people feel like they have the flu or that their brain is misfiring. Slow tapering gives the brain a chance to develop more acetylcholine, which is the chemical that will replace the Cymbalta at your brain's receptors. Your brain isn't craving "happy pills"--it's craving acetylcholine.
You should put the right amount of beads into the capsule and swallow the capsule if possible. If not, you could simply "eat" the beads by sticking them to your tongue and washing down with water. I used to lick the tip of my finger and tip the pill onto the tip so that several beads would stick to it. Using this method I was able to remove the right number of pills from the capsule. (30 mg = 280 beads; 20 mg = 186 beads approx.) Your titration pattern would be 1. 179 2. 172 3. 165 4. 158 etc...
Don't even worry about your weight yet. Just concentrate on one thing at a time. Get off this drug, then see a Neurologist about your nerve problem. After that a Nutritionist could help get you on a normal, low fat, high fiber, well-balanced diet. Exercise regularly and you'll feel great in no time! Good luck.
P.S. I've been off Cymbalta for many months and I feel no negative effects from the drug. Read my posts by searching my username for my story.

zappygirl · Newbie Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 6

Hey there.
I Googled "anticholergenic rebound effect" and found some good stuff. The suffering range appears to be anywhere from 1 to 7 weeks.

Note to Mike: I appreciate that you've taken the time to post about your experience. It is really helpful. Do you have a background in healthcare? I do have a couple of questions you might be able to help with.

1) In the med literature it indicates you should not split open the capsules or mess with the original pills. Do we know why they've established this warning?

2) So decreasing the # of beads happens in multiples each day (7, 14, 21). Has anybody tried any decrease by more than multiples of 7? I'm an impatient kind of zappygirl, which may become obvious here shortly. I don't want to have to refill this stupid prescription, but I guess I could if I have to. Only have 3 or 4 capsules left.

DAY 5 UPDATE for those following along at home: Felt pretty darn normal today. The scale says I have lost 7 pounds, which I find far too positive. I will have to check again in a couple of days. Could be a fluke. Also, this is embarrassing to report, but I seem to have developed an icky diarrhea issue as if I have the flu. This is one of the AR Effects.

Good luck to everyone reading this thing.

Tips for Cymbalta Withdrawals

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