110 replies to this topic

[Imdone]

Hi Marcia,

I agree with you that this is a great site that is very helpful and full of good people. And the determination of people is also admirable. Interesting thing, now that I succeeded in getting off Cymbalta, I am able to apply the idea of that success in my mind to other things: I am inspiring myself to take on other problems with the same determination! We just have to apply our minds and hearts to our problems!

I am not saying that once you get off Cymbalta life is a piece of cake. I now seem to have a very low grade depression. I don't really feel depressed but there's this low grade lack of energy now. Still I prefer life like this...I just don't think I will ever take an antidepressant again. Now I am applying my determination to the next phase of my recovery...learning how to live without an SSRI. 5-HTP is helping and I am starting a big diet change and exercise program. My dr. told me to give my body time to recover from decades of taking SSRI's et al., like maybe a year.

Marcia, if you want to read a book that will give you the resolve and determination to get off psych meds, read "Anatomy of an Epidemic" by Robert Whitaker.

[sleepyk]

Update: For anyone who may be interested.

12/23: I chickened out and did -25 balls again. I began to feel withdrawal, and with holidays coming up, I didn't want to feel crappy.
12/24: -25 balls. Some withdrawal. Staying on this dose.
12/25: -25 balls. No Withdrawal.
12/26: -30 balls. Some brain zaps and fogginess.

Gonna keep going till I am off this poison!

[Imdone]

Way to go, Sleepy and don't worry...you'll make it. And I agree with your plan to back off during special days or when having symptoms. I am feeling so great now! Can't believe I am finally psych-med-free!

[mary]

I know how you feel if you go down to quick you suffer more and if you go down slow you suffer less and the hole process is drawn out
I did both my dr took me down 30 mg a week and I couldnt move off the couch then I took myself down 5mg a week (ref: Mary post)
but that went on for a couple of months finally I had 20mg to go( I was on 120mg 5years ) at the start of the year and that was it the next
day 15 next day 10 next day 5 then none that was 2-3 weeks ago and my head is still playing up I find keeping my head really cool ice\
packs cool showers helps just as much as any headache medication could My advice would be do as much as you can handle at the
time and never give up I am now cymbalta free and all i can say is thanks be to God.

[Imdone]

Marcia and others,

I agree. This is a wonderful site. It really made becoming psych med-free possible for me. I think I would have gotten discouraged without the support of this forum and the great technique, which works beautifully, provided by JRDN and others. I am happy to provide support to those of you who are weaning, as support was previously supplied to me.

And I want to point out, if you get "depressed" after going off Cymbalta, please realize that this is most likely your body in withdrawal and not the depression coming back. Hang on and persevere. These little mini-depression bouts will eventually disappear. An important book has been written about the disaster that psych meds are. I recommend you all read "Anatomy of an Epidemic" by Robert Whitaker.

[anekin]

Hi all!

I just registered to say a big "Thank You" to all of you and to encourage others to try to get off this stuff without major withdrawal symptoms.

I started taking 30mg Cymbalta for anxiety and panic-attacks in March last year (2011) and went up to 60mg after one week (I also had eight sessions with a psychologist). It really helped me a lot but I did have some side-effects like nausea and some strange ones like having to go to the toilet quite often . So I wanted to get some more information than my Dr. could (or would) give me and I stumbled upon this site. After reading many of your stories I thought it would be a good idea to get off Cymbalta sooner rather than later and in September, after six months of taking it, I started to wean off slowly. And here's how I did it:

My 60mg capsules contained somewhere around 550 beads (I stopped attempting to get the exact number after 5 counts because I couldn't think straight anymore )
week 1: - 50 beads (take 500)
week 2: - 100 beads (take 450)
week 3: - 150 beads (take 400)
week 4: - 200 beads (take 350)
week 5: - 250 beads (take 300)
here I startet to count the ones I would take rather than the ones I would decrease to make up for any miscounting and to save me counting the 500 one day
week 6: take 250
weeks 7 & 8: take 200 (withdrawal symptoms got somewhat unpleasant, so i "levelled" for 2 weeks)
weeks 9 & 10: take 150
week 11: take 100 (withdrawal got better and I want to get on with it, so only 1 week)
week 12 & 13: take 50 (you guessed it: withdrawal got worse again )
week 14: take 40
week 15: take 30
week 16: take 20
week 17: take 10
After taking 10 for one week I decreased daily by one though I think at this low dose it is only a "mind-thing" of not wanting to let go

I didn't really have any big withdrawal symptoms only mild nausea, a bit of light headedness every now and then, and these usually only on the 4th and/or 5th day of decreasing - and when it didn't "feel quite right" I just levelled for another week.

Now I'm nearly two months without it and I'm really happy; I still have my moments but I can use the skills I learned from the psychologist (e.g. abdominal breathing, mindfulness) and I've still got four sessions left in case it gets really bad.

This is more than I was planning to write but I really hope that many more people come here and read how to stop the meds without getting hit in the face.

Thanks again to all of you and take care
anekin


"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Dr. Seuss

[Uriel]

Hi
I am weaning off 30mg , started doing 20beads every 10 days , i am now down 6 mg. Next week I am going to drop down 4mg at a time and see how that goes. This process has been going well , I am starting to feel better and not exhausted like i was on this crap.
My symptoms in my legs are getting better. I think i may have some nauseau at 4mg for the first two days then i think it should stabalize.
Good luck to all can't wait till it's over

[Imdone]

Good luck Uriel!

And by the way....what were your leg symptoms? I had squirmy legs and creepy crawly feelings in my legs. Now gone.

I am about 2 mos off of Cymbalta now! Yea!!! So glad I did it!

[Mirage]

Hello everybody.... why is it that I feel lke crying after each post I read on here........ .... Yes I am on the same mission as most of you are or have been on! Im a 28 yo male from Australia and have been on and off SSRI and SNRI's for the past three years. I started with Zoloft (100mg), was on that for about 8 months before busting my neck while overseas and didn't have access to it over there. Got back to Aus and started to take it again and about 6 months later I decided to stop as I was having increased sexual disfunction. I lasted about 8 months from memory before I started to go down hill again. I went to see my doctor and she reccomended the Cymbalta as she understood there was less risk of it adding to the S/D that was probably originating from complications with my neck. So I trusted the doctor (as you do) and started a dose of 30mg for a few weeks before upping it to 60mg. Initally there were pretty bad sleep disturbances but after a while it all came good. Im not exactly sure but I think I have been on it for about 6-8 months and I have had a sevearly lowered sex drive, have put on quite a bit of weight (I love to eat ) and was just starting to really NOT be happy with my life.

SO, here I am. 2 weeks ago I dropped from 60mg to 30mg without any trouble at all and following the advice of my Doc after 2 weeks I stopped the 30mg cold as I was told this was the lowest dose. Well....... Dont I feel horrible! The last time I felt like this was the first time I went sailing in rough seas around the bottom of Tasmania. If I was on a boat I'd throw myself overboard and drown just to stop the "seasickness" nausea, dizzyness, fatigue, tight stomach, hot flushes, vomiting, weird sensations in my head, concerntration.... the list goes on!

So after reading through this forum I have decided to take the same or similar route as you all and slowly reduce the dosgae and find a rate that my body can handle.
I just dropped a weeks worth of 30mg tabs down to 25mg and if need be I'll do 2 weeks at 25mg just to stabelize and see how I go from there. It's the 7/3/2012 today and I get married on the 24/3/2012

Gotta get my head straight!!!

Wish me luck and I'll keep you all posted.

Julian

[Wanderer]

I was exactly where you were 8 months ago. I had been on antidepressants or one kind or another for tha last 7 years, since the death of an immediate family member and later, PTSD from a separate incident I experienced. I was put on Paxil, Effexor, then Cymbalta.

Cymbalta was by far the worst, and for the first time during my struggle with depression, I was completely off kilter and suicidal when I had never been before. This medication made me worse and I truly believe hampered my ability to get better. My doctor wasn't listening to me (she is known as a pill pusher, I've since found out) when I told her of the issues and my worries.

Finally in July 2011, this past summer, I said what you said: "Enough is enough!" I felt like a drug addict. I felt in danger. I wasn't getting better - this medication was making me worse and ruining my life. I began weaning myself off 60mg to 30mg, then down to rougly 15 mg over a period of 2 months. I could have gone slower, because it was absolute agony. I experience the horrific withdrawal symptoms everyone here is reporting. I read message boards, desperate for some reassurance that others were successful in getting off this drug.

Slowly, months passed and I started to feel much better. Not 100% of course, but each day that passed I felt more and more like my old, pre-depression self. I still have days where I feel shaky and vulnerable but I have not had a single sucicidal thought (which only appeared while taking this Cymbalta poison).

I'm slowly reclaiming my life, day by day. It's been and will be a long, uncertain road, but I feel healthier and in control of my body and life. It's going to take a lot longer to get to where I need to be, but I wanted to share this story with everyone who's going through withdrawal to tell you that we relaly can do this. Be patient, be safe and keep hoping. I may always have to struggle, but I feel like I'm out from under the heavy weight of this drug and the dependencies it creates.

I agree that doctors should not be pushing these drugs for easily on people without explaining the repurcussion. My doctor refused to listen. When I went back to her 4 months later, she was shocked by my health improvement and overall mood. I wanted to show her face to face that *I* knew what was best for my body and that she let me down by letting this go on for so many years without listening to me. She failed me and I failed myself by not questioning her and not having the courage to try to wean off because of all the horrible things I'd heard and read.

Now I'm thankful I got through it, and while I'm by no means free and clear of depression and anxiety, I've been Cymbalta free for 6 months and still going strong. I feel like I'm getting my life back, bit by bit. And getting myself back again. Interests, passions, hope for the future, which were non-existent while on this drug. I've lost 25 of the 50 lbs I gained while on antidepressants (I was one of those people who exercised and ate right but still gained massive weight around the midsection and upper body, which compounded my self-esteem and anxiety).

Every day I am grateful. I didn't have any support going through this except reading message boards like this, so I wanted to thank everyone who's contributed and shared. You helped me. I hope my story will help somebody too.

Keep pushing. I know I will. We have to!
xo
Wanderer

[Imdone]

Mirage and Wanderer,

I read both of your posts with empathy and appreciation. Thanks for taking the time to write. All over the world people are waking up to the travesty of these psych meds. I encourage everyone to read Whitaker's "Anatomy of an Epidemic" and Breggin's "Your Drug May Be Your Problem."

Getting off Cymbalta and other meds is not always easy. Often the last psych med you wean off of is the hardest, if you were on multiple, like I was. I got off Risperdal, Neurontin and Lamictal with ease (after being misdiagnosed as Bipolar) but getting off Cymbalta is tough after taking SSRI's and Cymbalta for a long time. I managed to get off Cymbalta using this method, and then kept going back on and off it as I still had problems with panic attacks. I am once again weaning slowly from 30 mg Cymbalta. I'm reducing by 10% a week and this time I'm going to make it!!!! This time I won't panic when I have some symptoms and just realize I will always have some depressive-like symptoms, but what I am finding is they don't last long any more and I can tough them out.

I liked what you wrote, Wanderer, about feeling better slowly day by day. I think it may take a year after getting Cymbalta out of your system to really feel good. Good luck to all of us. Thanks for this great site where we can help each other.

[stopelilillynow]

Hi, I'm done. I've read all of your posts and I am so proud of you. I found this site last week after hitting rock bottom - I had been kind of "sloppily" weaning myself down from 30 to zero over the last month, then after stopping the drug entirely over a week ago became really, really sick. I felt like I was going to die - panicky, vomiting, huge headache, felt like bugs were crawling all over me, not to mention the hysterical crying. My doc put me back up to 20 mg. and I am finally feeling fairly "normal". I have decided to use JRDN's ball counting method and will like likely start next week.

I'm sorry that you've had to go back on Cymbalta. Is there nothing else that they can give you? I took it for fibromyalgia, but I've had anxiety disorder in the past and prozac always worked well (not hard to stop taking, either). This all just makes me so angry!

Keep posting. You have done this once and you can do it again!

[Imdone]

Hi Lilly,

I really appreciated your encouragement. And I am not discouraged yet anyhow. Because I realize I was on a lot of meds for so long, and for me to be on less than 30mg of Cymbalta only now is a huge step forward. I have read a lot out there on the internet and I read that the last part is the hardest. Your brain has to re-wire slowly. So yes, I am weaning again, but I intend to make it. As you see, I won't give up!

Sorry you had trouble too, but you see this ball counting thing is the only thing that works because you can't rush this thing without getting horrible symptoms. Apparently I myself went too fast since i got panic attacks at the end. I kept thinking it was depression coming back and I panicked and took Cymbalta again, but you just have to realize you will have mini-bouts with depression when you are off Cymbalta for awhile, but eventually they will go away so you have to tough them out. None of mine lasted more than 24 hrs, so really that's almost like a normal person.

Thanks for being proud of me! That made my day!

[Shelly]

Cymbalta withdrawl
History: When Cymbalta was suggested for Fibro, I researched it first. Been a chronic pain patient for 20 yrs. Various issues. Found MB, so was hesitant but thought I'd give it a try. A friend with fibro said it was the one pill he wouldn't be with out...
Started 30mg Aug 2011, then inc to 60mg. Saw new dr.(Feb 2012) who increased it to 90mg. (one 60mg & one 30mg) At my follow up appmt (March 9, 2012 ) I requested to go off since it didn't help at all. I never had any side effects while on it. He said to quit the 30mg and take 60mg for two weeks, then 30mg for two weeks. So I did that. The first decrease of 30mg: OMG the next day was horrible! Zero energy, weak, brain shivers (excellent description btw), hot/cold, vertigo especially if I turned my head too fast, balance problems, etc...I decided that night to take my regular dose since I had to teach a class early the next morning, and there was NO way I could do it feeling like that!!! Thankfully that worked! I did that for a few days and then sat down to deal with the frickin beads! Also during those few days I continued to have mild brain shivers. Still am, seems to start in the afternoons. I did this at this time since I had a few days off work. After four days I'm taking 10 beads out, doing this nightly depending on how I feel. Today brought new symptoms: Restless Leg Syndrome. This was very weird for two reasons, 1) I haven't had RLS in ages and 2) I have only ever had them at night, never in the morning. Was a little less intense than it is at night. The other symptom, irritability. Frickin BONUS!!! Tired too....
March 18, Yesterday was better, no rls, good mood. Today not so much! Like Friday except maybe a little worse, RLS, very irritable. Irritability starts when legs start. I also feel like I could easily go into a rage at any moment. Lots of pain too, esp shoulders, low back. More urinary freq and bladder pain than usual too (I have a bladder disease called Interstitial Cystitis) I am SO SICK OF THIS!!! Taking a vitamin seemed to help the other day. Hoping today it helps too! It didn't. I tried a homeopathic remedy that worked!

March 28, Up to minus 20 beads. So far so good. Still realllly tired. Brain shivers, dizziness, but not as bad. When I first started tapering, I told my dr office that 30mg was too much of a decrease& what I was doing (counting beads) The next day the nurse called back to say that was ok (wasn't asking for permission!lol)but to take out HALF the beads. I politely told her that I would continue my method, daily, according to how I felt! WOW! Docs are so ignorant about WD! The pharmacists I've talked to are very aware. One even researched the MBs, etc. And they gave me some free empty capsules for my remaining beads. I have been telling everyone and anyone who'll listen to me about this! I want to reach as many doc, pharm, patients as possible! Will join class action lawsuit if one happens. I know Cymbalta helps some, but the WD horrors, how to taper, & lower doses should all be available to patients!!

Thanks for listening, good luck to you all too! So very thankful this board exists! Will continue to update as well...

[drose]

hello,
I thought I was doing fine and had this thing beat. I was on 60 mg for about 1+ years, I decided I would wean myself off. I got the 20mg capsules, so I went from 60mg to 40mg w/o much trouble. I then went to 20mg,again w/o much trouble. I tried taking it in the morning instead of at night. I did that for acouple of weeks, then I did every other day. At this point I had to open the capsules and count granules. I really did not have the patience for that, I mostly eyeballed half and took what looked to be half. I was taking these half capsules every other day for about 2 week. Then I decided to go bold and quit cold turkey. The first few days were okay, I just had small zaps of dizziness, now it has worsened.Also feeling more lethargic. I really don't want to start taking cymbalta again at any dose. Anyone out there have suggestions? I suppose I could ask my doctor to put me on prozac for a while...

[Imdone]

Drose, My suggestion is to face the fact that getting off Cymbalta is not easy.

No one enjoys counting beads, but most of us have found it is the ONLY way to get off Cymbalta without substantial consequences.

I actually tapered off Cynbalta what I thought was very gradually and made it to zero, only to find myself having panic attacks after getting to zero and going back on it.

Now I am learning to really respect this process and I am only going down 3mg per week. Even going that slowly I am having 3-day fatigue attacks. It is just part of the process as your brain re-wires. And I have come to realize that once I get to zero I will still have symptoms. The good news is that the symptoms pass....you just have to give it time.

I do not know if the Prozac substitution will make the process easier. It might, I'm not sure, but myself, I am just going to practice patience and perseverance, plodding to my goal...I will get there eventially, I know.

[happyzapynot]

Cymbalta withdrawl
History: When Cymbalta was suggested for Fibro, I researched it first. Been a chronic pain patient for 20 yrs. Various issues. Found MB, so was hesitant but thought I'd give it a try. A friend with fibro said it was the one pill he wouldn't be with out...
Started 30mg Aug 2011, then inc to 60mg. Saw new dr.(Feb 2012) who increased it to 90mg. (one 60mg & one 30mg) At my follow up appmt (March 9, 2012 ) I requested to go off since it didn't help at all. I never had any side effects while on it. He said to quit the 30mg and take 60mg for two weeks, then 30mg for two weeks. So I did that. The first decrease of 30mg: OMG the next day was horrible! Zero energy, weak, brain shivers (excellent description btw), hot/cold, vertigo especially if I turned my head too fast, balance problems, etc...I decided that night to take my regular dose since I had to teach a class early the next morning, and there was NO way I could do it feeling like that!!! Thankfully that worked! I did that for a few days and then sat down to deal with the frickin beads! Also during those few days I continued to have mild brain shivers. Still am, seems to start in the afternoons. I did this at this time since I had a few days off work. After four days I'm taking 10 beads out, doing this nightly depending on how I feel. Today brought new symptoms: Restless Leg Syndrome. This was very weird for two reasons, 1) I haven't had RLS in ages and 2) I have only ever had them at night, never in the morning. Was a little less intense than it is at night. The other symptom, irritability. Frickin BONUS!!! Tired too....
March 18, Yesterday was better, no rls, good mood. Today not so much! Like Friday except maybe a little worse, RLS, very irritable. Irritability starts when legs start. I also feel like I could easily go into a rage at any moment. Lots of pain too, esp shoulders, low back. More urinary freq and bladder pain than usual too (I have a bladder disease called Interstitial Cystitis) I am SO SICK OF THIS!!! Taking a vitamin seemed to help the other day. Hoping today it helps too! It didn't. I tried a homeopathic remedy that worked!

March 28, Up to minus 20 beads. So far so good. Still realllly tired. Brain shivers, dizziness, but not as bad. When I first started tapering, I told my dr office that 30mg was too much of a decrease& what I was doing (counting beads) The next day the nurse called back to say that was ok (wasn't asking for permission!lol)but to take out HALF the beads. I politely told her that I would continue my method, daily, according to how I felt! WOW! Docs are so ignorant about WD! The pharmacists I've talked to are very aware. One even researched the MBs, etc. And they gave me some free empty capsules for my remaining beads. I have been telling everyone and anyone who'll listen to me about this! I want to reach as many doc, pharm, patients as possible! Will join class action lawsuit if one happens. I know Cymbalta helps some, but the WD horrors, how to taper, & lower doses should all be available to patients!!

Thanks for listening, good luck to you all too! So very thankful this board exists! Will continue to update as well...

Bravo for standing up to the professionals. I've contacted a law firm named Garrett. The withdrawal horrors that so many doctors are ignorant of is proof that E.L. is conspiring to hide the truth in order to market Cymbalta to more people for more uses. Can you imaging a diabetic person trying to withdraw from Cymbalta?? Yet it is supposed to help with diabetic neuropathy. Isn't diabetes bad enough without adding brain zaps and vertigo?

[Shelly]

Bravo for standing up to the professionals. I've contacted a law firm named Garrett. The withdrawal horrors that so many doctors are ignorant of is proof that E.L. is conspiring to hide the truth in order to market Cymbalta to more people for more uses. Can you imaging a diabetic person trying to withdraw from Cymbalta?? Yet it is supposed to help with diabetic neuropathy. Isn't diabetes bad enough without adding brain zaps and vertigo?

Thanks! Yeah, I have learned in my years of chronic pain, that no one is going to have your back, YOU have to be your own advocate, researcher, etc. Great on the law firm action! (How funny, my docs last name is Garrett. lol. Doubt he will be my dr much longer!!!) I totally agree on the marketing conspiracy! And the whole diabetic thing, wow! Crazy! My pharmacist friend said that since I told him about this, he has looked at the Cymbalta commercials in a whole new light!! like you, I will tell anyone & everyone who will listen to me! Hope your day is going good

[drose]

An Upbeat update!
I still have not taken anymore Cymbalta, It has been over a week now. I am still taking my adderall 15mg XR. I fine that when I take the adderall I don't get the brainzaps. Or as I described it, like getting slapped upside the back of my head every few minutes. I do take adderall for ADD, but I wasn't taking that every day.Sometimes I only take 7.5mg short acting. Either one has been working for me to keep the dizziness away. I do find that as it wears off, the dizziness creeps back in. I can deal with small amounts of that however. I thank this website for encouraging me.
Does Eli Lilly really know about this side effect? Any conversations going on about that?

[happyzapynot]

An Upbeat update!
I still have not taken anymore Cymbalta, It has been over a week now. I am still taking my adderall 15mg XR. I fine that when I take the adderall I don't get the brainzaps. Or as I described it, like getting slapped upside the back of my head every few minutes. I do take adderall for ADD, but I wasn't taking that every day.Sometimes I only take 7.5mg short acting. Either one has been working for me to keep the dizziness away. I do find that as it wears off, the dizziness creeps back in. I can deal with small amounts of that however. I thank this website for encouraging me.
Does Eli Lilly really know about this side effect? Any conversations going on about that?

Eli Lilly AND the FDA know about these side effects. Please consider joining a class action law suit. If we don't stop them they will find new 'diseases' that $ymbalta can be prescribed for and make even more money and cause even more suffering.
The FDA has a form for submitting complaints about a drug. Not sure if you knew about it.
Glad Adderall helps! I wonder how?

[artist319]

Man this site is a lifesaver. I cut my dosage from 60mg to 30mg about a week ago and was wondering how to cut down when they didn't make smaller dosage pills. I thought it would be hell to go from 30 to zero because 60 to 30mg wasn't too pleasant. It wasn't terrible, but I did have my fairshare of brainzaps and emotional rollercoasters those first few days. After about a week these effects seemed to cut down and I can FEEL again. hated that emotional numbness. I am going to try the removing the balls things after a few more days on 30mg just to make sure it's stable, but everything written on this site has definitely been helpful and given me hope since other people seem to suffer from this shit drug as well. thank you all and especially JRDN