Hello Lilgapch...I have begun the tapering off and so far so good. I had tried twice reducing the mg from 60 to 30 mg and had such fierce withdraws I gave up. This tapering method I have begun is very promising to me as I just know it will work. I have begun with the careful process of opening the capsules (you may have to squeeze them a big and carefully get them to open) and have removed 11 little beads daily until I feel some symptom, such as brain zaps. I have gotten to 55 and experienced some withdraw last night, so, for the next few days I will stay at 55 and then taper down again 11 a day until I begin feeling the withdraw. It will take a while, however, I just feel it is worth the wait. I wish you all the luck and I too was put on Cymbalta for Fibromyalgia and I have experienced everything you have typed above. Praying for you!
I was on Cymbalta for 10 months and decided to get off it because of the memory problems, lack of motivation and general feeling of malaise. I taped off over 3 months from 60 mg to about 15 mg. Did not really experience any withdrawal for about 6 weeks, then began to have deepening feelings of depression and brain blips. The brain disconnects have gotten worse and are causing me lots of anxiety. Not sure of the reason but now cannot concentrate or focus and feel incapable of embarking on a big project or job. I'm wondering if the Cymbalta might have caused permanent brain/emotional damage. I was put on Cymbalta for acute anxiety (high blood pressure etc.) brought on by an extreme situational emotional trauma that seemed to be ongoing. That situation has calmed down quite a bit but the anxiety seems to have become a way of life. Prior to all of this I ran my own very busy and stressful business for over 10 years without a problem and have held down several highly skilled jobs. I'm wondering if anyone, including Eli Lilly, or other researcher are trying of get to the bottom of all this. Its obviously a widespread problem. Thanks, Ali
Ok I am planning to do this. Once the number of beads are separated from that which you take, do you put the beads back into the capsule or just take them.
Im on the generic and there are only 10 beads in the 60mg pills. Are you taking out a third of the beads for 1 week then going down each week or is this daily
I'm on the generic and the 60mg has 10 beads in it. Do you take a third out for a week or is that daily. what are the brain zaps. thanks
my new health ins has made a horrible mistake and i've been without my cymbalta 60mg for 4 days
help
I hope you are all well now, I would love to hear how you go!!
xox
I have been on 60mg of cymbalta for almost two years. I'm going to try taking out the beads the way you did to get off this stuff. I have been changed to a natural thyroid hormone and I'am going to get off sugar and processed foods. I feel like I dying a little at a time. I feel this is due to the cymbalta interfering with my thyroid hormone production.
Laura, Did you ever get the post for the supplements needed; I too cannot find it.
Hi All! I've been on Cymbalta for over 4 years and I HATE the way I feel if I miss even one dose. My doc knows I'm fairly sensitive to the drug and prone to withdrawal symptoms, so he had me take 5 days of Prozac along with my Cymbalta before cutting them both off. The premise is that Prozac has an incredibly long half life and stays in your system much longer so the withdrawal won't be as severe. I'm 4 days in and only experiencing some mild fogginess, fatigue and nausea...nothing like what I'm hearing some people describe. If you're considering going off the meds, I would highly suggest discussing this option with your doc as it could make a big difference in lessening your suffering.
Good luck to you all!
I am so thankful to have found this site! I have been trying to cut back by eyeballing the number of beads, bad idea. I hate this drug, I resisted taking it and now I know it was a big mistake! I was given it to combat the tired ness from Gabapentin Ha! Try coming off that one too. That is a powder so I can't count but I'm trying to measure. I thank you for putting this out there and will come back with my results. PS I was taking both for FM pain, which I don't believe is actually what's going on..
Success! So far.....
On Cymbalta 30mg for about 2 years and I simply want off. I take it for lower back (herniated disks) pain but I am now exercising and trust that I no longer need this for pain management.
I began approximately a week or so ago, began taking it one day on and one day off and on Tuesday night I woke up with a horrid earache.
I assumed it was allergies, took a Claritin and tried to go back to sleep. Wednesday morning I awoke with a sore throat and earache,(both on left side) but manageable.
Wednesday pm I got the brain zaps....the whole left side of my head hurt...even my hair.
That's when I came on line to look for help
I decided to eat well (no other symptoms) , and took an Advil..... the zaps made me blink and turn my head , they were so strong
At around 8pm I took 2 Valerian root and went to bed....slept well and THE ZAPS ARE GONE!
I am ecstatic! Today I have a bit of a headache, and if I touch my hair (on my left side), it does hurt.
Am on Advil and Claritin only.
THIS IS DOABLE ! Hope my post helps.... will update .....
Hi
I am searching and searching in this thread, but having trouble finding your actual plan that you presented. I see lots of good info and comments, but not the original plan. Can you direct me to this? I am heading down this path and yesterday was brutal.
Thanks,
C
CANT FIND IT!!
I am now joining in. I've been wanting to get off Cymbalta for about eight months. Have taken it for over three years - 60mg. Originally for fibromyalgia pain ... but my mind was finally calm. It was miraculous. HOWEVER, over the past eight months, not so much. Not at all. And I am thinking that the pain may not be so much now. I am also doing the GAPS protocol and really need to be off the medication to do it right.
I've been reading this post for days and I have counted my pellets (193) in a 60 mg. Somehow I missed the alternating 60 and 30. But then I went to see my neurologist today. He said he would help me. I absolutely adore this doctor. But he said to do the alternate 30 and 60 mg. He also was shocked when I told him about the withdrawal people were suffering. Just amazing, right?
I'm going away for a week on a cruise ship and am thinking it may not be a good idea to start before that. :)
But I really would love to just get to 30 and stay there. So not sure. Here's the thing, I suffer with chronic, unrelenting dizziness and have for five years (along with migraine, queasiness,etc.), so maybe the withdrawal will just be more of the same.
So I think I will try a 30 and see what happens. Will post on here as my record for myself.
Otherwise, I'll just wait until I get back from the trip and begin then. I like the 7 pellet method. But when I run out of 60's, I'll have to use two 30's and redo my calculation.
Isn't it great to be a guinea pig? Thank heaven for this group and others like it so we know we aren't crazy when the medical establishment tells us we don't know what we are talking about.