49 replies to this topic

[tkandkatie]

Cymbalta--just the name makes me sick. This is my 7th day off of it. The first couple of days were not bad. Then the third day hit...bam. Brain zaps, body aches, nausea, vomitting, dizziness, my whole world was spinning. I would lie on the couch trying to go to sleep because then I wouldn't be awake to feel like crap, but once I'd close my eyes, I'd start spinning. Just like being drunk is how I would describe it. Horrible! Also, I felt the more I moved, the worse I felt. I saw this on another site, so I know I'm not going crazy. I'm currently taking benadril and dramamine. They do seem to help. Put it this way, it takes the sick feeling away. However, once I think all the symptoms have gone, they hit all over again. I've never experienced anything like it before. Another thing is, each time I eat, I can't hold it down. It right out of the other end. I felt really bad last night. Just out of the blue, sitting on couch watching tv, next second I feel like I'm gonna throw up. I know how most of you feel. I'm there now. I just hope it doesn't last much longer. I want to go shopping for those after Christmas deals, but I know once I'm moving around that much, I'll get sick. It's so funny, not literally, but when I hear the Cymbalta commercials, "Depression hurts, Cymbalta can help" it makes me cringe. I just hope the people whose drs offers to put them on Cymbalta do some research before hand. Especially if it's just a temporary fix.

[fz6pilot]

I have been on Cymbalta for nearly a year, 60 mg per day. About a month and a half ago, I cut this down to 30 mg per day. Two days ago, I stopped taking it completely. Today, I feel very, very weird...

Brain zaps - well, actually, full body zaps that feel like a roiling wave of numbness from head to toe is my biggest complaint. I'm also feeling bad vertigo, a feeling of ... disorientation? I drive a lot at my job, and this is a real problem. Manic flashes, followed by feelings of deadness or exhaustion - also a problem at my job. Shakiness, some problems with hand-and-eye coordination. Finally, nausea; my doc told me Cymbalta slows down the digestive system, and that sucker is ramping up again. Loss of appetite.

I'm hoping this will go away within a few days, or a week at most.

My doc told me it was unsafe to take this stuff for over a year. But he failed to tell me anything about these dreadful withdrawal symptoms. If I'd have known then what I know now ...

[tkandkatie]

I was on Cymbalta for depression. I was only on it for about 2.5 months. I was at 30mg for about a month. I felt great and within I'd say about 3 weeks it sort of stop working. Then the dr. uped my dosage to 60mg. Still wasn't working so that's when he took me off. I feel okay today. Not that much nausea. Oh, I forgot to mention I have ringing in my ears off and on. Gosh, you know this is such a wonderful drug...when it comes to every single side effect known to man!!!

[sailingsiren]

I'm glad you started this site!

I've been treated for depression for years. Last year< I found I have hypothyroidism and one of the symptoms is depression. Had my psychiatrist every tested me for thyroid problems? Nope! Found a holistic MD guiding me through withdrawing from Cymbalta-60 mg/day that I've been taking for the last 2 years. I've been dissolvong cap contents into 8 ounces of water and drinking one less ounce per week (down to 4 ounces of 30 mg.). I'm making the move to St. John's wort and 5 HTP for the time being. Depressed right now but could be the holiday season, too. I'm off work til next week and it's gloomy out.

Anyone try SJW and 5HTP?

[jiggleeyes]

I have only been on Cymbalta for 25 days and already need to stop the drug. I have developed a SEVERE tremor that now affects both hands my voice my vision and my left leg. The tremor started after only 3 days of 30mg a day. doc then upped the dose to 60 and it has increased and gotten to where in the morning (I take dose at night) I can't hold a spoon or cup or pencil or hit the right keys on the keyboard. Pharmacist and Doc both said to try and wait it out. I am also on 450 mg of WELLBUTRIN XL and .5mg of Klonepin x2 a day as needed. I take 4-5 other drugs daily (non-psycotropics) as well, because I have Scleroderma. My depression had gotten very bad around Thanksgiving and the Wellbutrin was not enough (according to the Psyciatrist) thus the Cymbalta. My Pyciatrist wanted to add an additional drug for the tremors when I finally got to him by phone yesterday. I just can't deal with another pill (and my research says that I am on 3 drugs that conflict with what he wanted to put me on)and I feel like this is stupid to continue. I called my PCP and she has agreed with me and is having me taper off down to 30mgs a day for 6 days, then to 20mgs for a week and then 20 every other day for another week then stop. Is this like anyone else has done? I think I may have already been having the "Zaps" and pray they don't get really bad coming off this. It's like an electric jolt really quick that moves rapidly from one spot in my head or neck and then around my body-a couple times in the back of my head-hurts really bad for that second and then I have head whopping headaches too. Needless to say my full time job and my family are all suffering-people have begun to ask why I am shaking or why I am gripping my hands together. Awful thing is-I think it worked on the depression-but the side effects are not worth it. Thanks for giving me a safe place to unload! I'll keep you posted!

[tkandkatie]

I only took Cymbalta once a day. 30 in morning then upped to 60 in morning. I weaned from the 60 to 30 for a week and a half, then quit. Still to this day, I'm having withdrawl symptoms. My body absoultey aches...flu ache. It hurts to just touch my skin. The nausea is still there, but for some strange reason, it starts around 5 pm each day. Which I guess is better than all day. I feel like I've had every side effect. I'm hoping it won't last much longer. I strongly advocate that this is the drug from hell!!

[jiggleeyes]

Sorry-thought it was clear that I said it was for depression-added to the Wellbutirn that had been working for months and then I took a nose dive-severely sad. I have been treated for clinical depression for most of the past 13 years. Here is the long list of what I have taken at 1 time or another. Zoloft, Elavil, Lexapro, Celexa, Abilify, Lamicital, Klonipin, Wellbutirn, Cymbalta (I am sure I am forgetting 1-2 more!). Severe tremor developed with at least 4 of these very quickly. 1 Doc diagnosed Bi-polar II-the milder form that has rapid ups and downs but not as severe, other docs just think depression, psycologist thinks atypical something or other. Depression with crying, sadness, inability to get out of bed, suicidal ideation, at 1 point disassociation-couldn't figure out what to do with keys when I got to a door that I had unlocked and gone through a hundred times before, coldn't figure out how to get out of a bathroom stall. Very scary stuff. Then I would have periods of high productivity and racing thoughts-but no over the top dangerous or reckless stuff. All this combined with the unspecified connective tissue disorder that is now diagnosed as Scleroderma (CREST). The Cymbalta seems to be giving me a major bad headache everyday around 3 pm-I take the dose at night around 11pm. I have started the taper off-from 60 to 30 last week, now down to 20 starting tongiht for 1 week then every other day for the next week. My eyes are burning and tearing-is that a possible side effect or is it something else maybe? I have had numerous twitches since about the 4th day I took Cymbalta and the tremor started up then. I continue to work-full time high pressure management job in the ARTS and raise a family-blessed with a most patient and supportive husband. I fear that if I give in and give up it will be the end of me. Struggle on-I am just so sick of pills that do more harm than good. :cry:

[Paige]

jiggleeyes, there is a book out there called 'The Anti-Depressant Solution'. It is written by a psychiatrist who knows alot about these kinds of drugs. He recommends that you DO NOT try the every other day method with cymbalta because it can cause "roller coaster levels of the drug and roller coaster episodes of withdrawal symptoms". This is because cymbalta is one of the drugs that has a very short half-life. This means that after taking it is actually out of your system very quickly. Cymbalta's half-life is about 12 hours and 90% of the drug is completely eliminated from your body within 2.5 days. We continue to have major withdrawals even though technically the drug is gone from us b/c are "brain cells are still distressed and trying to cope with the abrupt drop in the drug". This is all how the book explains it. So if you were to take 20 mg today, skip tomorrow then go for another dose the next day, your body has already eliminated most of the drug b/c it has been 2 full days since your last dose. That is why this psychiatrist recommends not doing the every other day thing with cymbalta. I just wanted to share that with you because a few of us on the whatwinnersdo.com site had actually done the every other day thing and it did not work. I think it even made some people feel worse. Good luck with this, it is definitely a battle but it is a winning one!!

[rogerwilco]

What a revelation, finding these cymbalta stories. I'd been on 60 mg for a few years, preceded by wellbutrin, preceded by...etc., etc, for "chronic depression". A few weeks ago I finally started to withdraw from it for reasons I won't go into here. I had some 20 mg caps left from when I started this absolutely numbing drug, so I went down to 40 for a week, then 20 for another week. Then I jumped off it and had to confront what's referred to here as brain zaps, etc. I tried a few remedies I thought up but have been quite lost until I found this group. I had to go back onto 20mg/day 2 days ago--very discouraging but I need to get my work done. I do believe I see a light at the end of the tunnel now that I can read about others' experiences. Every other day. no way!

So, benedryl? How many mg per day? Does it only counteract the zaps or do something else? All info deeply appreciated. My psychopharmacologist never told me cymbalta was addictive. Great, eh? I expect to call him very soon but can't get an appointment until the end of Jan. Yuk.
:roll:

[rogerwilco]

I spoke to my shrink first thing this morning, and he apologized for neglecting to tell me about any withdrawal effects. He said all antidepressants have them. News to me. I forgive him but ... Anyhow, he recommended I get some 25mg benedryls and start with one every evening. He recommended against clonazapam due to its own addictive nature, but we'll see how jumpy I get. Today's been pretty lousy.

I told the doc my plan was to divide the 20's into halves and repackage the halves in new capsules. Of course, there is no practical way to be exact about equally dividing those little granules. They are all different sizes in order to achieve the "sustained release" effect, but what the hey, I'm doin' the best I can. There are approx 180 granules in each 20mg cap. Instant eyestrain.

Current scheme is to stay on 10mg/day for about a week or so. The "zaps" this afternoon are greatly decreased from when on no dose at all, but I hope they disappear. I don't want to reduce to 5mg/day until then. I remember these zaps from right after I had a thalamic stroke some 4 years ago. Exactly the same effect, but that time they went away after a couple of weeks. Maybe there's some kind of connection there...

I've ordered two recommended books on safely kicking these depressing antidepressant drugs and hope my wife, who's been on Effexor, doesn't have to go through too much of the same experience.

Hope someone benefits from this feedback. Ciao.
8-)

[jiggleeyes]

Hi all! It is so good to be able to hear your stories and advice. I have been on the 20s now for a week or so. I see the psychiatrist on Monday and will see how he recommends stopping completely. My PCP was great about not letting myself feel guilty about defying the shrink-she reminded me that it IS my brain/body and that I am the one who has to live in it/with it. I will go cold turkey next week if the shirnk has no other advice. The tremor has lessened but not gone. Thanks everybody!

[rogerwilco]

Last night I took 50mg benedryl before bed and had the first decent night's sleep I've had in weeks. Today I'll continue with the home-made 10's, taking one with breakfast, and see how things go.... Lilly ought to make a 10 so people can get off this stuff more easily.
Good luck, all...
8-)

[mrstfuss2u]

I have fibromyalga and my doctor put me on 30mg of Cymbalta once a day. I am tired all the time anyways and pains allover my body. What I am wondering if any one has had a problem with impulsive shopping . Since I started taking it I charged my credit cards to the limit, I have lied to my husband constantly about money, I have even applied for credit cards in his name and got them with a couple he knows nothing about. I have never have been a impulsive buyer, but it seems as if I am going crazy. I buy anything and everything on Ebay and overstock.com just to name a few. It has caused a lot of trust issues between myself and my husband. I am going to talk to my MD when I see him this month. I am afraid of all the withdrawl symptons I have been reading about.I have been taking Cymbalta for about 6 months. I just want to know if anyone has ever heard of anything like this. :?: :?: :?: :cry:

[Vomact]

I just started taking Cymbalta (30 MG once a day) for chronic back pain. I have DDD and I had been on Oxycontin and MSContin for several months. I was am also being treated for the depression associated with the chronic pain. I have been taking Wellbutrin for several months and it seems to work better than any of the other SSRI"S that I was prescribed. I just couldn't take the side effects of Zoloft or Paxil.

As is the case with all opioid medication, the opioids ceased to be effective after a period of time and my doctor titrated the dose up. I finally got the point where I could not tolerate the medication. It was like taking and all day stupid pill. I stopped both cold turkey. Let me tell you, the Oxycontin was by far the worst of the two. The withdrawal from the MSContin wasn't fun but the Oxycontin was orders of magnitude worse.I had a period of severe Myoclonic shocks (what some people call 'brain zaps')during my withdrawal from the pain medication. So severe that they put me on Klonopin for a week. If you ever get treated for pain DO NOT take this medication for more than 2 weeks!

Oxycontin is THE most dangerous drug every conceived by man.

The week I went through withdrawal was the worst seven days of my life. After I got off of it I told my doctor NEVER to prescribe these for me again unless I was dying of cancer and I had him put it in my medical record.

My doctor subsequently recommended that I get into Pain Management (again) and the doctors that I had consultations with recommended that I try Cymbalta for the pain and associated depression. I have been taking the medication for 4 days now and I have noticed that it makes me tired at the end of the day. Not a run down feeling, just TIRED, and I have the yawns after about 5:00 PM. I actually am sleeping much better than I have been for many, many months.

I have noted no other side effects.

It has improved my mood (my wife has noticed this already) however I still have to fight that morning battle to get up and get moving. I have not noticed any significant effect on my back pain, however the doctors indicted it would take several weeks to become effective (like all anti-depressants).

After reading some of the posts here, I am wondering if starting Cymbalta was a major mistake.

I have taken and stopped SSRI's in the past, with no adverse effects, or what you could classify as withdrawal symptoms.

I read the Cymbalta medication information slip carefully and it does NOT indicate that Cymbalta can be so ferociously addictive.

I have been reading some horror stories online and it's making me nervous.

Can anyone offer any advice?

Nervous

[Paige]

RogerWilco - I am so glad to hear that you are making your own doses and weening off slowly. Another lady Connie and myself did the same thing. I weened all the way down to 7.5mg from 60. It took about 2 months but it was so worth counting out those hell beads every night. I think Connie tapered down to 3mg. I have been off now for 20 days and I think Connie was just a couple of days ahead of me. Anyways, we are both pretty much doing the same, we have minimal physical symptoms but the emotional stuff is still there and will probably still be there no matter how you choose to get off this drug. For both of us though, the symptoms after weening that far down as far less severe as they were when we both experienced the cold turkey route. I know it is frustrating but hang in there, I think you will be glad that you did the slow taper. Also, I have not had the zaps too bad at all since I stopped taking this drug this time, I did have them extremely bad before when I quit cold turkey. Alot of people had mentioned taking the vitamin Omega Triple Complex. I purchased some of these and I don't know for sure if it was them working or the zaps just went away but I haven't had any zaps since I took my first omega 3 pill. Quite a few people have said they helped and highly recommended them so you may want to think about that. Good luck with this fight, its tough but you know you can make it!!

[jiggleeyes]

Hi folks!
I don't know which end is up. The doc had me start Zoloft and stop the Cymbalta. I had taken Zoloft with no problems 12 years ago. First couple of days I just had roaring headaches in the afternoon thne I started to feel nausea the next 2 days and last night I was really, really sick and had bone pain ALL over-like Flu, but without fever. I caved in this morning and stayed home. I am finally not nauseous any more and the pain is much less, but I keeping staggering and my joints don't seem to be working right. I bet I will never know whether this is the Cymbalta, a virus or the Scleroderma. My money is on the Cymbalta though-I do think that it should be avoided. All of the SSRI's etc. have some side effects-everyone reacts differently-but proceed with caution-ask LOTS of questions and don't be bullied into taking anything you don't trust.

[rogerwilco]

Howdy,

I have no doubts about "making it," having had prior experience successfully kicking some highly addictive substances. If quitting something makes you sick, then that something is addictive, according to my way of thinking. All the rest is in the mind I say.

Since I last wrote, I have reduced the Cymbalta dose to 5mg/day and, after three days more, quit altogether. Physiological discomfort today is not much worse on none than it was on 5mg, and I find that 25mg of Benedryl twice a day does a lot to reduce the transient weird sensations. I believe it may take months for this drama to play out.

I am experiencing no emotional problems I can relate to having quit. I'm definitely unused to having such perceived increased energy since quitting, but that's no problem as long as I manage it prudently. My wife says I'm getting my sense of humor back!

My ADD is slightly more problematic though I can't really attribute that to the absence of Cymbalta. I'm a little spacier than usual. For adult ADD, I've been on 60mg of Strattera daily for about 6 months now, somewhat under the lowest recommended effective daily dose, but I think it's a bad idea to make multiple drug dose changes simultaneously, as that makes it really difficult to tell what's doing what.

As a stroke victim (2004), keeping my blood pressure under control takes precedence over most all other healthcare concerns. My biggest surprise here so far is that Cymbalta raised my blood pressure a whole lot. I'd been under the impression that Cymbalta wouldn't do that. Now I use less than half the lisinopril I'd had to take daily to control the hypertension problem caused, I'd thought, only by Strattera.

So far, intestinal gas is the biggest problem I've had with quitting Cymbalta. I am beginning to suspect that what we all have been referring to as brain zaps may have something to do with gas and nothing more.

P.S. Oh PLEASE, folks: the word is spelled W-E-A-N :!: Thx.

[rogerwilco]

Wow! I just received Dr Glenmullen's book THE ANTIDEPRESSANT SOLUTION and looked through it long enough to learn right off that I have tapered down way too quickly. Today I've had a very unpleasant afternoon and evening physically, and so I've ended up taking resuming 10mg of Cymbalta a day, whereupon things mellowed out somewhat, and maybe I'll even get to sleep tonight. I intend to begin strictly following the book's advice tomorrow, as I now understand that Cymbalta is nothing to be so casual about when quitting. Too bad my psychopharmacologist told me nothing about getting off this stuff. I suppose he doesn't know what I'm going through as this drug is so "new" according to him. I think he's a great guy, though, and a good doctor. However, his specialty is treating child and adult ADD cases, which consists of my whole nuclear family--wife and two sons in their 30's. We're big Strattera enthusiasts, though no one seems to know what makes it work...

BTW, in response to one post above, I have had some serious fibromyalgia for around 30 years, and for a long time I used prescription Naprosyn for symptomatic relief although Naprosyn did my stomach no favors. Some 10 years ago I replaced that with Voltaren (diclofenac) which instead has almost no side effects and seems much more effective. The idea that a doctor would prescribe Cymbalta to someone for what is essentially a chronic connective tissue disorder seems just plain weird to me. :roll: But what do I know? Usually less than I think, but my hunches are often pretty good.

[Hopeless Feeling]

I can identify with your situation. I have a daughter that is bi-polar I and I have depression-panic disorder. I have only been on this stuff two weeks after being on Celexa for 5 or 6 years. I had similar withdrawals from Paxil, however I could function and pretend I was going through a ride. But the down part here is that the body aches, the acne, the tremors, the desire to use other addicting elements, the fear I feel, the loss and loneliness and crazy feelings are nothing that ANYONE should experience. I am a mother of four who still has two at home and another who lives with her Dad because of her violent outburts (the bi-polar one). I was only on 30mg and feel pain, the same as during the use but worse now. I can't even imagine coming off of a higher dose and being on Cymbalta longer. This drug should be outlawed! What made it so great in the Europe that we demanded it in our country? Perhaps their diet is different and we don't process Cymbalta the same way? I just need to feel as though I can get out of my own way for my children's sake. I don't want to resort to my own means to "deal" with this pain and discomfort. I am so glad that I found this site and the insight it has provided. Thank GOD I am NOT alone.

[rogerwilco]

Hi Folks,

Starting yesterday, I'm back down to what I think is about 5mg/day of Cymbalta. That's 45 or so of the little granules contained in a 20mg capsule. I expect to feel the dastardly results of this reduction in a few days, but you gotta do what you gotta do, as they say. This is the last step before I quit altogether, and I plan to stay at this level for at least a month. I'll provide feedback as time goes on.

For the past several weeks I've been taking my dose around 7 PM instead of in the morning. I sleep pretty well and can get through the next workday without noticeable problems. Emotionally, I have been getting extremely grouchy toward the end of the afternoons, but it seems to wear off by 9PM. Don't know how much of that mood swing is due to taking my dose and having dinner, and how much is just getting to be a grumpy old man... 8-)

To Hopeless Feeling-- You sure have a complicated situation. It's so hard to identify what is causing what. We all are victims of the pharma industry's greed and our own lack of sophistication in such matters. Our doctors are overworked and underinformed as well. I don't understand your dose level. I've thought Cymbalta comes in 60, 40, and 20 mg, so how do you have a dose of 30mg? In any case, please get, read and follow Dr Glenmullen's book for good guidance in getting off this stuff. Really!

[wandap]

I comes in 30 too cause that is what I was started on...

[rogerwilco]

Thanks for the info. I sure wish they made 10's and 5's too so people could get off this more easily.

[Angie]

Hi, I'm new here. I've been searching for a while and I'm so glad I found this this site! I have been trying to wean myself off of Cymbalta and thought I had an underlying condition such as a brain tumor, liver failure, eyesight deterioration... I've been on antidepressants for about 10 years. I try to take myself off of them and it has been so difficult to explain... what ya'll call brain zaps, great description. I've felt as if rubber bands were around my brain and sometimes they would be twisted tighter and tighter and that someone had a remote control to my brain, and they would fast forward, stop, hit play, continuously making things shutter in my head. Folks kind of look at me funny :shock: I have had a lot numbness, feeling like I cannot move a muscle but also be so chatty wanting to talk friends' heads off. One thing that helps the symptoms is Antivert for vertigo. I never associated vertigo with anti' d's but I never had to take that until I started with zoloft in 1997. Whew, I'm gonna call my Dr. tomorrow and ask for a lower dosage of Cymbalta. I'm on 60 mg a day. I haven't had time to read all the posts but I read enough to realize I shouldn't try the every two day method (which is what I've been doing). Has anyone else taken Antivert? I took one about minutes ago and I feel better. It has even helped with the nausea and dizziness.
Angie

[rogerwilco]

Hi Angie,
Welcome aboard. My previous posts here detail my own experience trying to quit from 60mg. At the moment I'm down to 5mg/day and am in the first week of physical and emotional unpleasantness resulting from a reduction from 10mg/day. Cymbalta is a dangerous chemical, and caution and patience are very necessary. I found Dr Glenmullen's book very revealing of the situation I find myself in, and you can find it at addall.com. Good luck, and please stay in touch! 8-)

[jiggleeyes]

Hi all! Thought I would check in. I am still off the evil cymbalta and now off the Zoloft too. The tremor finally calmed down to tolerable level almost as soon as I stopped the Zoloft after stopping the Cymbalta. It is now nearly impercetible unless I get inot a very high stress situation then I still tremble quite a bit but at least not constantly. I am now convinced if I could stop the Welbutrin too it would be gone. What I am left with is really nasty Vertigo. Unfortunately the doc's are convinced it is not from the Cymbalta withdrawal ("you weren't on it long enough", "It has cleared your system by now."). Consequently I have a huge battery of tests this week looking for Brain Tumors, lesions, MS etc.. I do not seem to have what you have referred to as Brain Zaps. My balance is bad enought that I fell and injured my knees a couple of weeks ago and because the Vertigo is not resolving they want to check my brain. I may have to have surgery on one knee. The domino effect of the stupid drug is horrific. Best wishes everybody. I will check in again in a week or so.

[schmb01]

I'm glad you started this site!

I've been treated for depression for years. Last year< I found I have hypothyroidism and one of the symptoms is depression. Had my psychiatrist every tested me for thyroid problems? Nope! Found a holistic MD guiding me through withdrawing from Cymbalta-60 mg/day that I've been taking for the last 2 years. I've been dissolvong cap contents into 8 ounces of water and drinking one less ounce per week (down to 4 ounces of 30 mg.). I'm making the move to St. John's wort and 5 HTP for the time being. Depressed right now but could be the holiday season, too. I'm off work til next week and it's gloomy out.

Anyone try SJW and 5HTP?

What an interesting approach! I never would have thought of dissolving and drinking one less ounce per week! I may try that! I used to take SJW, and it worked very well for me for mild to moderate depression. It can cause sun sensitivity, but hey, compared to brain zaps, that's a piece of cake. Also, I had to stop taking it for other reasons at the time, and yep, cold turkey, no problems!! I do know that you should not take SJW with other antis, but if you are working with a holistic doc, I'm sure you are both aware of this. Once this poison is out of my system, I'm going to try SJW again.

[rogerwilco]

What's SJW, please?

[jiggleeyes]

rogerwilco-SJW=Saint John's Wort.

[rogerwilco]

OH! Of course. Thanks.

I'm still on 5 mg/day of cymbalta, taken at 6pm daily. I had thought that the worst effects of the 10 to 5 mg reduction would be changing into a relatively easy period of time after 3 weeks at 5 mg but for me I was wrong. Now I wonder of it is wise for me to reduce to ZERO on March 1 as planned. I'd hoped for a short period of withdrawal symptom relief before the 5-to-none siege begins. I know we're all different, but if anyone's been in my spot, what do you suggest for me now? By mid-afternoon each day I get physically uncomfortable. Want to "jump out of my skin" even. Very touchy emotional feelings too. This gets worse and worse until I finally take my dose at 6pm and all of this fades away until the next day when the cycle repeats. Any ideas appreciated!

[schmb01]

I have this same concern. I think by continuing the med, the cycle will just continue. There is no doubt that there will eventuall come a time when we just have to let go. I've decided that tomorro is my day; from about 28 mg to zero. From what I've been reading, it doesn't seem to matter how little of a dose you are still on, your brain still expects the drug.

Post back with what you have decided to do, and good luck. Do try benedryl, it seems to be helping me.