Posted by SLS on May 28, 2006, at 19:05:33
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal vs Effexor, posted by kparis on May 28, 2006, at 16:38:38
> I'll tell you what. I'm just under 48 hours of stopping the Cymbalta and I am having a rough time.
How did you go about discontinuing Cymbalta?
The length of the withdrawal syndrome is variable. It can last for a few days or a few weeks. Some people report having residual symptoms for months. It seems to me that the syndrome is longest for those people who discontinue the drug abruptly - "cold-turkey". I would recommend tapering the dosage of Cymbalta gradually.
Sometimes, people cross over to Prozac temporarily. It is often easier to withdraw from Prozac because it has such a long half-life. Some people need to take the Prozac only a few times over a period of two weeks.
If you are against returning to an antidepressant, you might be able to mitigate the withdrawal symptoms using Benadryl (diphenhydramine), an over-the-counter antihistamine. I have seen Phenergan suggested as an alternative. It might offer more relief than Benadryl, especially with nausea and anxiety. Certain anticonvulsants have been suggested.
Alternative remedies suggested include St. John's Wort and 5-HTP. I'll let others who know more about herbal and nutritional remedies describe them.
If it were me, I would first try using a flexible-dosing strategy to taper Cymbalta. It is unfortunate that there aren't doses smaller than 20mg. You will need to open the capsules and separate out fractions. Some people actually count pellets. I recommend taking very small amounts of Cymbalta several times a day. You can take a small dose whenever you feel the withdrawal symptoms beginning to reappear. Try to take an amount small enough such that it lasts for 6-8 hours. You can estimate. You don't need to be precise. However, you do need to wait until the withdrawal symptoms reappear before taking your next dose. You should find that you need smaller and smaller amounts of Cymbalta to prevent withdrawal symptoms for a given period.
I have been able to discontinue Effexor 300mg within two weeks using a flexible dosing strategy. It is not necessary to suffer for so long.
Good luck.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:466069
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20060505/msgs/649873.html