8 replies to this topic

[LisaC]

Hi there, everyone!

 

2 months ago I decided to wean off my cymbalta (been on it for over a year) via the counting bead method. I decided to take 15 beads out of each pill and go down another 15 every two weeks and so fourth until I was down to none. I knew it would take a while but I was so nervous about cold turkey/doctor advice on getting off the Cymbalta that I decided to just take it slow. 

That being said, this week I was 60 beads out, so I was down to 45mg per day. I have been seeing a neuropsychologist for 2 months now because when I decided it was time to let go of the Cymbalta, I figured it would be a good idea to talk to someone so I would know how to handle all my anxiety head on instead of with a pill. Several appointments later, my neuropsychologist suggested I get tested for ADD/ADHD. I took his suggestion and got tested. My results were sent to my regular doctor (the one who prescribed the Cymbalta) so I made an appointment with her to discuss my results. 

Long story short: She told me to stop counting the beads. She stopped the prescription of my Cymbalta and gave me a prescription for 10mg of Adderall XR. She said if I continued to take the Cymbalta it would counteract with the Cymbalta and "since I was weaning off of it anyways" I should just stop taking it. This was on Monday, Dec. 9. At this time I still have 3 pills of Cymbalta with 60 beads taken out. I also have about 5 regular 200 bead Cymbalta pills left over.

December 10th: Took 10mg Adderall in the morning. No Cymbalta. Felt no difference at all. Even with the Adderall XR. 

 

December 11th: 10mg Adderall in the morning. Felt okay all day. Still didn't feel like it was helping my ADD. I got nervous about being 2 days sans Cymablta so I took a 45mg at night. 

December 12th and 13th I didn't take Cymbalta. I continued to take my Adderall but I continued to feel no difference. But I wasn't feeling any withdrawals either. So, I was feeling pretty good, feeling like I could conquer the world, no drug can bring me down, whatever happy feeling of thinking you beat a drug continued to ensue.

 

Then it brings me to today. Not only did I sleep until NOON (I don't know the last time that happened) but I felt extreme vertigo. I've felt it a couple times within the past two months when I accidentally skip a day of Cymbalta, so it wasn't a new feeling to me. What made it different was that it was very extreme to what I was used to, and it didn't stop all day. I tried to stay hydrated, tried to do work around my house and run errands, but I felt like I was physically unable to do anything productive today. I am extremely irritable and emotional. 

 

So... Now what???!

I don't feel like myself, nor do I feel normal or balanced. When I take the adderall, I feel okay for a couple hours but then the vertigo comes back. Does the Cymbalta really counteract the Adderall? Should I just continue to take whatever Cymbalta I have left and make it last for a couple weeks? 

Any advice, help, comments or anything would be much appreciated.

[Timbo]

Hi Lisa.   That's a difficult question to answer, since none of us here are physicians.    I can only speak from my own experience and others may speak from theirs.   Realize that all of our bodies are different.  What works for one may not work for another.   That vertigo you experience is certainly related to the Cymbalta.  

 

 

So...my story in relation to yours.   I was put on Cymbalta for neurological pain related to spine surgery.  I have been ADHD since I was a kid.  I started taking Adderall XR about 5 years ago and am currently taking 25 mg/day.     My physician had me drop from 60 mg down to 30 mg.  After the 6th or 7th day, I was SICK - vertigo, horrible headaches, brain zaps, dizziness, nausea (I'm sure you are familiar with what I am saying).   I never stopped taking the Adderall while taking the Cymbalta.  Now, since you weren't taking Adderall at the same time, your experience may honestly be different than mine.   Also, who knows, maybe my withdrawal symptoms from Cymbalta would be much worse if I wasn't taking Adderall.  

 

All of that having been said.  I have not found physicians to be very helpful in identifying the best way for people to stop taking Cymbalta.  I have worked in medical sales for almost 20 years.  The doctors get their education about drugs from the drug reps. Because Eli Lilly has no clear method of getting someone off of Cymbalta, doctors are left to come up with the best paradigm that they can based on what they learn from the drug reps.  The information just isn't out there.  So...the decision you are going to have to make is whether or not you want to follow your doctor's instructions and hope the symptoms go away, or do you want to follow a less conventional approach (bead counting).   I chose the unconventional approach which went against the advice of my doctor.  

 

I am on my 15th day of going down from 60 mg.   I am now down to about 42 mg based on my estimate and have only had 1 day where I didn't feel my best.  All that I did was take the exact same dose the next day, and I felt fine with the exception of a mild headache that lasted about an hour.   The nice thing about "bead-counting" is that you have complete control over how much medication your take, and you quickly get a sense for what your body can tolerate in terms of reducing medication each day.   You have to be realistic that there will be some discomfort - your brain is healing itself.  But I believe (for what it's worth) that you have a right to determine how much discomfort you have to tolerate.  

 

I'm sorry my post is so long.   There are a lot of very wise and kind people here that can offer you very sound advice.  I would especially recommend the advice of Thismoment, Equuswoman, Fishinghad, and Lad.   I honestly don't know what I would have done without their help in figuring out the processes/options available.    Everyone here is very supportive and encouraging.  I have had nothing but the most positive interactions.  I know there is an answer here for you somewhere that will help you get through this.   Please continue to ask questions...this is a safe space for trying to figure it all out.  

[thismoment]

Hi LisaC. I read your post from 09 October. I think the advice given by Fishinghat and Heartfeathers was excellent.

 

The vertigo is standard Cymbalta withdrawal; it's often accompanied by nausea and headache.

 

I see they've thrown a number of drugs at your symptoms- Celexa, Cymbalta, Xanex, and now Adderall- shots in the dark, but that's how the pro's work these days; disgusting! I feel your pain Lisa!

 

I see you used a 'stepped' method of withdrawal rather than a constant slope which would be more like this: 3 beads out today, 6 beads out tomorrow, 9 beads out the next day etc, and reducing from 30 mg to 0 in about 3 months. The stepped method seems to generate more acute withdrawal symptoms.

 

CAUTION: Don't mix amphetamines and SSRI/SNRIs. There's lots of info on this. See Drugs.com Adderall/Cymbalta.

 

So that puts you in a bit of a corner that you probably will have to work out with your physician: you need to stop one of these drugs.

 

This is only my opinion, but that's what this forum is about. It's about opinion that we hope will help someone, as we've been helped.

 

So here it is: Advise your doctor, then STOP the Adderall and reinstate the Cymbalta @ 45 mg until you are stable (might take a week) and begin tapering off in a linear fashion. Reduce by an additional 1% each day, and you will be at zero in 100 days. At that point, assess what you've got.

 

Put the benzodiazepine (Xanax) on a high shelf and only use it for the kind of anxiety that you know will pull you down. If you use it daily, you will have to withdraw from that too.

 

Get on target Lisa, and stay focussed until it's done. You can do this!!  I wish you well! 

[Timbo]

Hi LisaC. I read your post from 09 October. I think the advice given by Fishinghat and Heartfeathers was excellent.

 

The vertigo is standard Cymbalta withdrawal; it's often accompanied by nausea and headache.

 

I see they've thrown a number of drugs at your symptoms- Celexa, Cymbalta, Xanex, and now Adderall- shots in the dark, but that's how the pro's work these days; disgusting! I feel your pain Lisa!

 

I see you used a 'stepped' method of withdrawal rather than a constant slope which would be more like this: 3 beads out today, 6 beads out tomorrow, 9 beads out the next day etc, and reducing from 30 mg to 0 in about 3 months). The stepped method seems generate more withdrawal symptoms.

 

CAUTION: Don't mix amphetamines and SSRI/SNRIs. There's lots of info on this. See Drugs.com Adderall/Cymbalta.

 

So that puts you in a bit of a corner that you probably will have to work out with your physician: you need to stop one of these drugs.

 

This is only my opinion, but that's what this forum is about. It's about opinion that we hope will help someone, as we've been helped.

 

So here it is: Advise your doctor, then STOP the Adderall and reinstate the Cymbalta @ 45 mg until you are stable (might take a week) and begin tapering off in a linear fashion. Reduce by an additional 1% each day, and you will be at zero in 100 days. At that point, assess what you've got.

 

Put the benzodiazepine (Xanax) on a high shelf and only use it for the kind of anxiety that you know will pull you down. If you use it daily, you will have to withdraw from that too.

 

Get on target Lisa, and stay focussed until it's done. This is your life. I wish you well! 

Ugh...I'm afraid to read that, now.  Just another piece of information to support my plan to be free of all pharmaceutical drugs as soon as possible...1 mg at a time!  Thanks for sharing that info.  

[equuswoman]

Ugh...I'm afraid to read that, now.  Just another piece of information to support my plan to be free of all pharmaceutical drugs as soon as possible...1 mg at a time!  Thanks for sharing that info.  

 

Timbo Put your brakes on darlin'! I do think that U and I maybe got in a bit of a jam in that we both were dropping to fast. By this time I'm sure that you have seen post about that...What was it that you said? I forgot just what but it did make a point tho lol. My memory sucks I will have to go back and find that. Don't be afraid there are ppl here who will help us get thu this Cymbalta hell. I know this because they have been t here, thru hell and back to help those of us who are walking now in their footsteps. Hang in. Keep us updated. Support, love and lot-ta cyber   for my forum friend!

;

[LisaC]

Thank you guys so much for all the advice and input!!!! I am glad to know I am not alone in this and everyone on here has seemed to go through some withdrawal that only people taking Cymbalta understand. It's hard to even confide in my family and loved ones about this because they think it is just "all in my head". 

I felt the same vertigo from yesterday and now I feel like my head is extremely cloudy. Taking the Adderall helped for a couple hours and I tried to stay busy today but often times I felt myself just having to sit down and rest. I am calling my doctor tomorrow to describe everything that is going on and to see if she will renew my Cymbalta and weigh my options on whether to stop the Adderall and get back on the Cymbalta or continue taking the Adderall. 

I've been thinking about my options a lot and i'm not sure if I should just continue feeling the vertigo and tough it out (my thoughts are since i'm already 4 days out, I would hate to have to do this again in a couple of weeks once I get back on and then taper down again) or just get back on the Cymbalta.

 

I am just hoping tomorrow when I go back to work I will be able to function and not be as stressed out about all of this. Thank you all again for the support! It brings a little bit of comfort into my head-cloudy world.

[thismoment]

LisaC hi.

 

You are in withdrawal, and that can be a tough go as we know. 

 

It may be impossible to know what drug is doing what, when you are prescribed several drugs at the same time. If getting off the medication is your goal, hopefully your physician can put forth a comprehensive plan that will help ease you through.

 

In some cases withdrawal symptoms have been mistakenly identified by physicians as the return of the original symptoms, and more medication is prescribed. It may take several months for all the symptoms to subside, but the symptoms can be lessened by tapering off in a linear fashion over several months. Cold turkey and a steep step-down weaning seem to produce the strongest withdrawal. Some lucky folks (apparently) get few or no withdrawal symptoms at all! 

 

Good luck with this, and keep us posted.

[Timbo]

Thank you guys so much for all the advice and input!!!! I am glad to know I am not alone in this and everyone on here has seemed to go through some withdrawal that only people taking Cymbalta understand. It's hard to even confide in my family and loved ones about this because they think it is just "all in my head". 

I felt the same vertigo from yesterday and now I feel like my head is extremely cloudy. Taking the Adderall helped for a couple hours and I tried to stay busy today but often times I felt myself just having to sit down and rest. I am calling my doctor tomorrow to describe everything that is going on and to see if she will renew my Cymbalta and weigh my options on whether to stop the Adderall and get back on the Cymbalta or continue taking the Adderall. 

I've been thinking about my options a lot and i'm not sure if I should just continue feeling the vertigo and tough it out (my thoughts are since i'm already 4 days out, I would hate to have to do this again in a couple of weeks once I get back on and then taper down again) or just get back on the Cymbalta.

 

I am just hoping tomorrow when I go back to work I will be able to function and not be as stressed out about all of this. Thank you all again for the support! It brings a little bit of comfort into my head-cloudy world.

Lisa, that sounds like a solid plan - give yourself the option to have a "Plan B," just in case "Plan A" doesn't work.    As Equuswoman said to me (above), sometimes you have to slow down or go back a few steps and go down at a more manageable pace.    I am pushing myself harder than I probably should because I want to be off of this stuff so badly.  BUT...it has come at a cost.   When I go to fast, I feel sick - especially with vertigo and headaches.   

 

Your thought process, however, is very similar to mine.  I have chosen to push through a little be more discomfort to get to the end more quickly.   My tolerance to the symptoms has gotten higher now that I see how I can quickly re-adjust my dose if I can't take it anymore.    I have to work and function with very clear mind all day.   I won't let myself get to a place where I have to risk that.   

 

Hang in there!  It sounds as if you are being very wise in creating some choices.    It's really is going to get better.    

[LisaC]

Tomorrow will mark one week of being Cymablta free! I thought a lot about my options and I have decided (maybe not the smartest choice) to continue to stay off the Cymbalta. I thought a lot about how I felt when I was taking 30mg for a week and then bumped up to 60mg- those symptoms I felt were no where near as bad as what I am feeling during withdrawal. Transitioning from 30 to 60 made me physically unable to make complete thoughts or even get out of bed, and I suffered that for a couple of days before finally feeling better. I compare it to now, and I'm still able to attend my job and work and function without having to take off.

 

Vertigo and head cloudiness are still the only things I feel. I am taking A LOT of vitamin supplements and drinking water to stay hydrated every chance I get. I can make it through work but once I am home I head straight to bed. I'm doing pretty good, and I know (I hope) the side effects will subside soon. I'm starting to think it is more of a mental state than physical one- I continue to keep telling myself I can make it through it! I come from a big family history of addiction, both drugs and alcohol, so maybe since I am so used to seeing how painful the withdrawals can really be I was better prepared for this withdrawal? Who knows. It could be a factor, and it could not be one. I have just been thinking a lot about why I can still maintain some focus at work and be productive but I continue to read about a lot of people suffering from more awful withdrawal symptoms. 

 

I could also be jinxing myself and tomorrow morning when I wake up everything will change. I'm just taking it day by day. I wish everyone the best of luck in their journey.