613 replies to this topic

[Howtostoppropperly]

over 3 weeks period I went from 60 to 45mg and next week 40mg.

[fishinghat]

As my daddy use to say...."Slow but steady like a toad a walkin'"

[Howtostoppropperly]

today I started to taper to 40mg. so over 1 month from 60 to 40mg.

[Howtostoppropperly]

Hello all, now on my 40mg I get really itchy skin and needlestick feelings all over my body. Is this withdrawal?
What should I do? Take something for it or just grit my teeth? SHould I wait with the next step so everything is
stabilized first?

I must say on the positive side that my mind is already much more clear and I feel mentally stronger than on 60mg.

 

thanks for the support,

[TryinginFL]

htsp,

 

I never had those itchy, stinging sensations, but nerves do strange things!

 

My advice is to stop the bead counting until you are stabilized.  Hopefully these awful sensations will begin to calm down...

Then you can pick up where you left off...these horrible withdrawal symptoms certainly vary for all of us

[Howtostoppropperly]

Okay I slow down a bit then

[Howtostoppropperly]

I dropped down to 35mg since monday. Today I get some anxiety attacks. I presume that this is withdrawal?

[fishinghat]

Oh yea. Just stay at that level until you stabilize.

[gail]

Hi Howto,

If it gets to tough, you can use Benadryl. It will help a lot for those pesky attacks.

Keep on keeping on!

[Howtostoppropperly]

I used 0,25mg xanax. is this okay?

[TryinginFL]

htsp,

 

I used Alprazolam (generic Xanax) for the hard times - if that small amount helps you, that's great!  Just try to use only if really necessary - it's great for that horrible anxiety

[Howtostoppropperly]

0,25mg helps me just enough to get rid of the rough edges and this week I used only 2 untill now. That's not a lot I think hey? 

[TryinginFL]

Good for you!  No, that's not much and if it helps just try not to increase the dosage!

[Howtostoppropperly]

my dropping by 5mg is to high I must say... I have sweats, tinnutis, eye floaters, small anxiety atacks, I'm a lot faster angry then I used to...
 

how should I count then guys? I went from 60mg to 35mg on 5 weeks now... 

[gail]

Hi Howto,

Don't count, stay put till you stabilize. Eye floaters? Not sure if this is withdrawal. Can't get rid of that. You get used to seeing things with those " flies".

[Howtostoppropperly]

My goal was 30mg and then stabilize for example 1 month... on 30 mg I do not have to count he :-)
after that month I have to count even more slowly till the end.
 

I'm thinking to laser my eyes for these floaters because it's enoying me like hell. The most behind my computer and I'm a IT prof it's giving me the creeps.

[PtldFrank]

Howto,

 

I'm reducing by 5mg avery month, since last February, and I've still got a few months to go.  It's excruciatingly slow, but also pretty uneventful.

 

If you just experienced a massive increase in floaters, it may be something entirely uunrelated to Cymbalta.  A few years ago it hit me in my right eye, when the sac of fluid, or "vitreous humor" in my eye separated from my retina.  It's not unusual for middle-aged nearsighted people, which I am.  If it really bothers you, please see an opthalmologist.  The good news is that many of the floaters will be reabsorbed and your brain is really good at learning to ignore the others.

 

I used to work with lasers.  I hope you were kidding, but don't ever aim a laser into your own eye!  Even the class I "pointer" lasers will damage your retina if you hold your eye open, overriding the "blink reflex."

 

Frank

[Howtostoppropperly]

Frank,

 

There is a really good eye prof. here in Antwerp that threats eye floaters by laser technology.

I think I'm going to get this done...

 

The 5 mg per month, you do this in 1 time or more slowly?

 

thanks!

[TryinginFL]

htsp,

 

Just want to stick my 2 cents in here..

 

I also had floaters during withdrawal...I don't know if this is common, but I had never had them before

[PtldFrank]

I was told I had to live with my floaters, this was several years ago, and I only see them when I look for them.  When I read your post about using a laser, I thought you wanted to do it yourself.  My wife had laser removal of some of her lens capsule after cataract surgery -- I just haven't heard of it done for floaters.

 

Just to reiterate, my particular experience with massive amounts of floaters happened years before I started Cymbalta withdrawal.

 

Regarding the 5mg.  I have the generic capsules that have a small number (6 in 30mg) of pellets.  I can cut each in half, so I reduce by 2.5mg every two weeks.  The risk is that the cut-in-half pellet loses part of its coating, and may not make it past my stomach juices.  But it seems to work for me.

[Howtostoppropperly]

did the floaters go away after withdrawal please TryinginFlorida?

[fishinghat]

https://www.ncbi.nlm...cles/PMC504581/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.../pubmed/9813998

 

Good results on the laser surgery for these two medical articles. Searching some of the medical websites it seems that it is a very rare procedure with few drs familiar with it but the initial reviews are good. I always take a critical view on new medicines and techniques until they have been out there for at least 10 years, but that is just me.

[TryinginFL]

htsp,

 

Yes, for the most part.  Once in a great while I may see a few but only for a few minutes.

 

Most of the time, I don't see any..

[Howtostoppropperly]

Yesterday en today are bad, real bad... hot, cold, anxiety, no clear mind... worried about it... it is like my depression is coming back to me... scared

[Howtostoppropperly]

is it an idea to take the C before sleeping so I'm not that terrible during the day?

[gail]

Yesterday en today are bad, real bad... hot, cold, anxiety, no clear mind... worried about it... it is like my depression is coming back to me... scared

Hi Howto, take your Xanax in great need. You may want to try Benadryl caplets, I find that it works better than the benzos. Much better.

Don't move, stay at 35, and wait it out. It will get better. Wax and wane is the name of the game. It will pass! Just not fun and yes, it's scary, we been there! Time and patience, you will cross that barrier!

[Howtostoppropperly]

It is obvious that I went to fast so I need to slow down, tabilize on the 35mg which isn't much If I'm right.

I'm going to tamper after stabilizing. I do hope it will stabilize... My mind thinks it's going to last forever... 

Benadryl isn't on the Belgian Market and I do not order any meds via the internet because you can't trust it.

 

thanks for the support guys, I really need it!

[gail]

Hey Howto,

Benadryl is an antihistamine, it has diphenhydramine in it, it sedates you and specially your brain! Probably under another name in Europe. Anyway, in case you find this, 50 mg of diphenhydramine does the job.

Yes, take a break from tapering. Regards from Quebec!

[fishinghat]

Hey Howto, check your over the counter sleep aides. It is often used in those.

[Howtostoppropperly]

I'm now 2 days pretty okay... should I lower or just still wait for ? days