14 replies to this topic

[rdragon]

I have a question that I need help with and I hope someone can answer. I have been on 90mg of cymbalta for one year and I want to try and get off, I have been reading about taking 20mg of prozac with half of the rx that you take. For me it would be 45mg which there is no such thing. its either 60mg or 30mg and I have months worth because a friend of mine that works for a doctors office gets me samples of 60 and 30mg. Can someone please help me with how many milligrams I should take to start weaning off with the cymbalta..

Thanks so much

[Houdi]

rdragon:

Not a doctor, can't give medical advice so I can post what I have read by others that have used a support anti depressant to come off Cymbalta.

From the folks that I know from this forum and another that I visit www.Cymbaltasurvivors.com, most of them SLOWLY taper off Cymbalta. Then as they drop to the lowest dose and are ready to stop, they start the prozac or other longer half life antidepressant.

If you decide to taper, please go slowly. Step down slowly and let your brain and body get used to the lower dose before you step down again. It is your time table, no one elses!

Best of luck....Houdi

[nursedeborah]

rdragon,
What I have learned here is how to open the caps, and dump a portion of it out.
Being that it only comes in certain does we have to be creative. Someone else here
had even said that they bought vitamin caps, dumped out the stuff, and used them
to put the Cymbalta in so they could make the dose smaller that way.

I just dumped out a portion, and then marked it on the caps so that I would know
each time where to dump it the next time. It is just easier for me that way.

You can go down as slow as you want, I have seen one person go down after a large
dose to where she got to 20mg, then 10mg then 5 mg the 2.5 mg. It all just depends
on how bad your withdrawl symptoms are, and what you can tolerate mentally.

Try this site too for withdrawl symptoms http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm
Also watch you tube depression hurts cymbalta hurts more
What a video!!!


Good luck, always here to help!

Debbie

[MaureenV]

Hi,

As has already been said, there is no timetable that will definitely work for you.

If I were you, and knowing what I do now, and having read what I have on here, and seeing that you get free samples of the 30mg, I'd be tempted to try taking 30mg morning and 30mg night and see how that works for a start. I suspect you'd have to give that a minimum of a week to see what effect it has. This is all off the top of my head - just my gut feeling of what I'd do if I were you.

My experience was that trying to wean off by (eventually) taking 30mg every second day was not workable with this drug, and from what I've seen of other posts you'd be much better off with SOME daily dose until you decide to drop it.

I felt much, much better with 15 - 20mg every day, than double that amount every second day, because every second day I ended up having both withdrawal symptoms followed by 're-introduction of drug' symptoms.


Good luck, Maureen.

[nursedeborah]

Please read others posts that have been here for a long itme, and have been at this
sor a long time.

Read everything that they have all tried, and see what you think that might work for you.
We are alll different, and what works for one does not always wwork for another.

I can't telll you what you should do ,nor should anyone. We can only tell you how we are doing it, and how that works for us. We are not medical professionals, and so should not be recomending how you do you coming of this.

Please just look att "Weaning Off Cymbalta" so much great information is there.
Also follow the ones that have already been off this drug, they are the best source of information, they are the ones I have gotten so much help from. After all they have done it!

Good luck, ask Houdini too, he's so great, and knows his stuff too!!! He is always so helpful, and supportive.

Good luck in what you find here that will help you decide what will be the best for you.


I am on day 10, and still having nightmares, and lots of withdrawl symptoms, but I am so much better. Down to about 40 -45 mg !!!! Never thought I could do it!!!

Debbie

[DuneAlia]

Delete my account.

[nursedeborah]

Delete my account.

DuneAlia,
You will have to delete you own account, we can't do that for you.
I hate to see anyone leave here, and I just hope you are ok.

Debbie

[Junior]

I tried getting of 60mg Cymbalta. It was a hell ride. I could have sworn I was on some kind of Acid trip,when I tried to sleep. I had wierd dream when I did sleep. Woke up with so much pain I didn't know such pain was possible. I had nausea, stuttered and couldn't concentrate. I was shaking and tired. This med is worse than my sickness. I don't know what I am going to do to get off of it. I will be visiting the doctor that put me on this poison soon. They need to give me an alternative.

Hi Mvialpando

Did you wean or go cold turkey? Because the latter is NOT recommended. I did it.. from 60mg and went through severe upper abdo pain and insomnia. At one stage my Dr suspected gallstones!!

It is possible to get off it..but you have to wean very slowly. I believe the recommended dosage drops are 10%. People stay at a dose for a week, two weeks, a month - as long as it takes for them to feel stable - then drop further. If 10% is too much, you can go slower. I'll leave it to others to explain how you can open the capsules and take beads out.

Another option that works well for many people is to cross-taper using Prozac. It is said to be easier to get off so you can wean off that later.

Good luck
Junior

[nursedeborah]

[quote name='rdragon' date='21 August 2009 - 08:31 PM' timestamp='1250904705' post='6517']
I have a question that I need help with and I hope someone can answer. I have been on 90mg of cymbalta for one year and I want to try and get off, I have been reading about taking 20mg of prozac with half of the rx that you take. For me it would be 45mg which there is no such thing. its either 60mg or 30mg and I have months worth because a friend of mine that works for a doctors office gets me samples of 60 and 30mg. Can someone please help me with how many milligrams I should take to start weaning off with the cymbalta..

Thanks so much
[/quotePlease do not do this to yourself!!!! It is not the way to do it at all!!!

I will be back later, and give you the method me learn here.

Debbie

have to pick up my car at the dealers

[nursedeborah]

Hi,Wanted to get back to you this am on the way we do the weaning process around here.The way you mentioned is way to fast, way tooooo big of a drop, amd will make yourwithdrawl symptoms hell, and then some!!!Our brains are addicted to this drug, so we have to get off of it, but do so veryslowly. Just think of what would happen if you gave a junkie !/2 their drug? It would not be a pretty site to see at alll. First they wouldd feel of for awhile, andthen they would get very sick, and start having the withdrawls start popping up all overthe place. No addiction wants it's supply tampered with, but the way we do it is so slowthat the brain/body will not even be able to feel the reduction, thus it will be easier to do this method.You can't go from 90 mg to 45 mg, that's just way to big of a drop! We only suggest it be i mg= 9-10 beads for the first decrease, and stay there for 2 weeks until all with-darwl symptoms are gone. Then another 1 mg for another 2 weeks, then tell all the peoplein the group what is going on withdrawl wise for you.

You can always adjust this if it's too fast. or if your not having any probles one can
also decrease themselves just a few beads. If you want the method I will give it to you
all you have to do is aske What ever you do decide, we will still be here for you all the
time to get you through thiis!!!!

Just hang on to one of us.

Debbie

I know this is veery slow, but it has been working fora very ling time around here.
Read lots of other's posts, and information.

Keep coming back, we will help support in anyway we can!

Debbie

[MichaeltheAngel]

I have a question that I need help with and I hope someone can answer. I have been on 90mg of cymbalta for one year and I want to try and get off, I have been reading about taking 20mg of prozac with half of the rx that you take. For me it would be 45mg which there is no such thing. its either 60mg or 30mg and I have months worth because a friend of mine that works for a doctors office gets me samples of 60 and 30mg. Can someone please help me with how many milligrams I should take to start weaning off with the cymbalta..

Thanks so much

It is 12:11am here and I just can't stop reading this site. It is so hard to hear all of the people out there that have to go through this process. I feel so lucky that I had my first reaction very earlly in my use of this drug so I don't have to go throug the unbielivable crap that some of you do. Thank God! because I have already had such a fight with my health over the last two years, I don't think I would have lived through it. Seen my doc today and he is still convinced that there is no harm in using Cymbalta. I did agree to start taking Celexa for a short piriod of time to help eleviate some of the hard withdrawal symptoms that I have had. At least this one I can start and stop on a dime. It just keeps comming into my head Accountability. they have to be accountable for what is going on with this drug! The trick is to getsomeone to hold them to it.

Michael

[Junior]

It just keeps comming into my head Accountability. they have to be accountable for what is going on with this drug! The trick is to getsomeone to hold them to it.

Michael
[/quote]


Good luck with that.

Junior

[nursedeborah]

It is 12:11am here and I just can't stop reading this site. It is so hard to hear all of the people out there that have to go through this process. I feel so lucky that I had my first reaction very earlly in my use of this drug so I don't have to go throug the unbielivable crap that some of you do. Thank God! because I have already had such a fight with my health over the last two years, I don't think I would have lived through it. Seen my doc today and he is still convinced that there is no harm in using Cymbalta. I did agree to start taking Celexa for a short piriod of time to help eleviate some of the hard withdrawal symptoms that I have had. At least this one I can start and stop on a dime. It just keeps comming into my head Accountability. they have to be accountable for what is going on with this drug! The trick is to getsomeone to hold them to it.

Michael

Michael,
Doc's do not know about this drug, or even how to take anyone off of it.
They are still just going by what the rep's are telling them, which is
far from the truth.
We are the one's who have been taking the info into them, and telling them
about the withdrawls, thay didn't believe us at first, then the FDA came out
with their own report on the withdrawls, so it will be getting around to them
finally.

Here's the site if you do want to show him the withdrawls or get the FDA report from
this site and take that to him, they are more inclined to trust that. It can be found
in the Sept 18 News Posts.

Here is the other one, http://prozactruth.com/cymbalta.htm

The way to get off this drug is to slowly wean off of it, and it really works!
Also it's Prozac 20 mg that is suggested to use to help with the withdrawls, not
Welbutrin. The people here have been doing this for over 4 years now, so I think
I will go where the plan has proved to work, and is working for me, and so many
others.

Good luck with the way your doing it, if it doesn't work you can always try this one.

Debbie

[nursedeborah]

I have quit 120 mg of cymabalta in the last 3 weeks. I was put on it by the VA for chronic pain from a gunshot wound to my leg. I am a mentally strong retired Ranger and I will tell you that the first week was almost unbearable. I suffered from insomnia for days at a time and not even 10 mg of ambiam will help. When sleep is finally achieved there are insane dreams that are actually repeated night after night and seem to continue as if it was a series on TV. I told the Dr at the VA and he was terrified that I went from 120 mg to 0 in one day cold turkey. I battled with anger bouts and almost divorced my wife at least 12 times. STAY AWAY FROM THIS DRUG!!!! You may believe if you taper this and snort that and it will be safe and I can simply tell you....do not get started on the drug. I was not depressed and it was given to me to replace the seratonin levels in my brain that were being depleted by chronic pain and having to take opioids for pain. When I was on the drug I slept 15 to 18 hrs per day and did not want to leave the house. It is a BAD drug. I am still suffering but I am better than I was. I take a wide spread of male enhancment vitamins and eat sweets and high carbs to replace seratonin naturally. So they say????? I am a 100% Disabled Combat Wounded Veteran that probably has more reasons for depression than most and I found the perfect and only cure for any and all depression. Stop visiting practicing physicians and get hold of the GREAT PHYSICIAN...Jesus Christ. Believe me....try him before you write me off as a religious fanatic.

Ranger,
I do not think you a religious fanatic at all, I believe in God, have been healed from things that doc's don't even know
how to understand, so call me a freak if you want.
I have been suffering so badly from just being on this grug for 3 years 5 mo, 60 mg per day, and finally started the
weaning process in Aug 18, 2009. I was major hell for me. Everyone else was cruzing along, getting better, and I was
still just a mental mess. then about 10 day ago I woke up, and all that stuff was just gone. I felt so great, hopeful,
I could feel again, cry, laugh, no more fear, anxiety, oh it just goes on, and on.

I had been placed in a prayer circle that I didn't even know about, but I too had been praying, and just would not stop
going to God for my answers.

I will keep you in my prayers. I do know that this drug makes the brain addicted to it, and that's why I had all the side
effects while I was even on it, and also when I would miss a dose, or several, as when I took the drug again I was able to
not sleep 24 hrs aday, and sit in a chair. Cold Turkey off this is not the way to go, that i know, nor would God want me to
suffer that way.

I just was finally given a dose to decrease by that works for me, and also the healing of the insanity.

I have hope today, and just keep my thought's positive as I see the improvemnet everyday.

God Bless You! on this jouney. Keep us posted as to where you are, or how your doing.

Debbie

[cookie]

Dragon:
I also took 90mg. I would suggest to take 60mg, because decreasing to less than that, would be an abrupt decrease.
I lowered from 90mg to 60mg with few effects (only itchiness) it´s been a month of taking 60mg and my body got accostumed to that dosage. Now I am thinking when to start 30 mg.
C.