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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by mseasons on May 8, 2006, at 2:18:46
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by ang123 on May 7, 2006, at 20:50:54
What are some of the reasons that you all are coming off of Cymbalta. I've been taking it for about 6 weeks on 20 mg and when I went up to 30mg, I had the worst panic attack I've ever had. I don't understand, because the only side effects on the 20 mg was loss of appetite and I also felt happier. I stopped taking it cold turkey about 4 days ago and feel depressed, anxious, and dizzy a lot. I wonder if it is all in my head.
Posted by kparis on May 8, 2006, at 8:33:42
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by mseasons on May 8, 2006, at 2:18:46
I don't think it's all in your head. I'm feeling all of those things myself going from 60 to 30mg.
I started taking it because I had daily severe panic attacks. I worked for over a year with many different doctors, healing touch people, yoga, massage, a hypnotherapist and the only thing that seemed to help was the healing touch person. Go figure. Anyway, it wasn't enough and I had to go on medication as I felt that I could not live my life in that everyday state of panic. It helped dramatically. However, I am in a better place in life now and the grieving is no longer knocking me out. That is why I'm going off of the Cymbalta. I'm terrified that the panic attacks will begin again. I know that one of the symptoms of coming off of the drug can be panic. Oh well, I have the handy kolonipin just in case...but I don't want to be on meds!!!
Is there anyone else who was taking it for panic?
Thank you all for being here. It helps.
kparis
Posted by Never Again on May 8, 2006, at 10:10:51
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by mseasons on May 8, 2006, at 2:18:46
I, too, was okay when I had first started taking it as far as the depression seemed to be lifted, but I had trouble concentrating, like I suddenly had ADD, and I became anxious, but never to the point of panic.
I am beginning to believe that the first 2 weeks off Cymbalta, especially cold turkey, are the worst. That is where I am as of today. I am still having the little hot flashes and a little dizzy, but nothing compared to what it was. My blood pressure is leveling out - 130 over 70. That certainly beats 90 over 40!
I can't wait to have a good and lengthy conversation with my doctor. I wonder if there is anyone that can say Cymbalta has been great for them?????? I don't want to sound cliche', but keep hanging in there and take it one day at a time. AND DO IT WITHOUT CYMBALTA!!!!
Posted by mseasons on May 8, 2006, at 17:32:50
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by kparis on May 8, 2006, at 8:33:42
I read a very comforting book about controlling panic called HOPE AND HELP FOR YOUR NERVES by Claire Weekes. I felt so bad yesterday that I broke down and took a 20mg Cymbalta, hoping it would relieve the symptoms. Now I'm determined to wait it out cold turkey. Xanax helps a lot. At least it's not as bad as the withdrawl from Effexor. I wouldn't recommend Effexor for any reason! Thanks for the support, it really helps to know you're not alone!
Posted by Dr. Bob on May 9, 2006, at 4:37:13
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by mseasons on May 8, 2006, at 17:32:50
> I read a very comforting book about controlling panic called HOPE AND HELP FOR YOUR NERVES by Claire Weekes.
I'd just like to plug the double double quotes feature at this site:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
The first time anyone refers to a book, movie, or music without using this option, I post this to try to make sure he or she at least knows about it. It's just an option, though, and doesn't *have* to be used. If people *choose* not to use it, I'd be interested why not, but I'd like that redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
Thanks!
Bob
Posted by mseasons on May 9, 2006, at 13:18:05
In reply to Re: double double quotes » mseasons, posted by Dr. Bob on May 9, 2006, at 4:37:13
I'll try it, thanks. "Hope and Help for your Nerves"
Posted by mseasons on May 9, 2006, at 13:19:30
In reply to Re: double double quotes, posted by mseasons on May 9, 2006, at 13:18:05
just wanted to say how cool your link system is!
Posted by darcan on May 10, 2006, at 15:37:13
In reply to Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by Regina on March 3, 2005, at 16:37:18
Have you had horrible itching after discontinuing Cymbalta? What did you do to stop the itch? How about the nausea?
Posted by juliekay on May 10, 2006, at 19:46:29
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal (for the company, Lilly), posted by ang123 on May 3, 2006, at 18:32:41
> I don't recommend going from 30 mg to nothing. I also went from 60mg to 30mg with no withdrawal symptoms. I really was ok on 15mg too. It was when it got lower than that. You will know when the symptoms hit if you are going too fast and you always can take more. When I started with the withdrawal symptoms all I had to do is take some more and they would go away.
do they have such a thing as 15 mg. caps? if so i was not aware!
Posted by juliekay on May 10, 2006, at 20:01:13
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by Never Again on May 6, 2006, at 14:20:46
I have been on cymbalta for about 1 1/2 yrs., Iam currently being weened off and have expirienced soooo much of what I have read, dizziness, mood swings,zings in the head and face, nausea,headaches and so on. I am currently on 20 mg. every 2 days(my Dr.s great idea) spacing out dosages is so hard because by the end of the 48 hrs. I'm coming unglued! I think I might try taking some every day and opening the capsuals and start counting granuals like i've been reading jasper write about. does anyone know how many are in a 20 mg.cap?
Posted by juliekay on May 10, 2006, at 20:17:09
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal (for the company, Lilly), posted by juliekay on May 10, 2006, at 19:46:29
I should have directed my last post for u, u said that you r on 15 mg. Is that a 15mg. capsual?
I was told 20 was the lowest, ty julikay
Posted by ang123 on May 10, 2006, at 20:45:38
In reply to Re: ang123 please read, posted by juliekay on May 10, 2006, at 20:17:09
Julikay, I was just giving an approximate, I took the capsule and divided the granules into baggies.
Posted by gapsgal on May 10, 2006, at 22:53:29
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by juliekay on May 10, 2006, at 20:01:13
I was having problems dividing them, but someone on here gave me a suggestion to empty the capsule in a plate and use a knife to divide. I have some other empty capsules that I am using to put my lower dosed into.
I am still on about 15 mgs...and it is not exact because after a while you just get sick and tired of trying to count those tiny granules.
Eli Lilly really should market a taper kit for this crap.
> I have been on cymbalta for about 1 1/2 yrs., Iam currently being weened off and have expirienced soooo much of what I have read, dizziness, mood swings,zings in the head and face, nausea,headaches and so on. I am currently on 20 mg. every 2 days(my Dr.s great idea) spacing out dosages is so hard because by the end of the 48 hrs. I'm coming unglued! I think I might try taking some every day and opening the capsuals and start counting granuals like i've been reading jasper write about. does anyone know how many are in a 20 mg.cap?
Posted by mseasons on May 11, 2006, at 0:00:44
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by darcan on May 10, 2006, at 15:37:13
> Have you had horrible itching after discontinuing Cymbalta? What did you do to stop the itch? How about the nausea?
I did not have itching, but for the nausea Emetrol (over the counter) worked great.
Posted by Jaspar on May 11, 2006, at 18:16:45
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by darcan on May 10, 2006, at 15:37:13
> Have you had horrible itching after discontinuing Cymbalta?
>What did you do to stop the itch? How about the nausea?I had horrible itching while ON the Cymbalta which is why I have been TRYING to discontinue it. I was already on an antihistamine (Zyrtec), and I took Benadryl on top of that. Then the doctor added Singulair and could stop the Benadryl.
As for the nausea... going down very very very slowly off the Cymbalta helped, adding back a couple granules if the withdrawal symptoms get too bad help with the nausea. When I was puking non-stop, Lorazepam knocked me out so I could take some Cymbalta granules without water and it work and I could finally keep down water again.
-Jaspar
Posted by Jaspar on May 11, 2006, at 18:20:23
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal (for the company, Lilly), posted by juliekay on May 10, 2006, at 19:46:29
> do they have such a thing as 15 mg. caps?
>if so i was not aware!I had to take 20mg caps and pour half out. Then when I was on 10mg, I had to pur part out to get lower and lower until I was counting GRANULES. It has taken me over 5 months to get from 60mg to ALMOST off - I am now on 6 granules...
-Jaspar
Posted by Jaspar on May 11, 2006, at 18:25:09
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by juliekay on May 10, 2006, at 20:01:13
> I think I might try taking some every day and opening the capsuals
> and start counting granuals like i've been reading jasper write about.
> does anyone know how many are in a 20 mg.cap?For 20mg, I "eyeballed" it - going down a little each day until I got to about 1/2 the capsule, then switched to the 10mg capsules and started doing the same thing with the 10mg.
Coming off the 10mg has been MUCH more difficult for me thqan going from the 20mg to the 10.
It is coming off the 10 mg... past the half-way mark that I started having to count granules.
-Jaspar
Posted by mizloopy on May 12, 2006, at 1:18:34
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by Jaspar on May 11, 2006, at 18:16:45
i feel like i'm one of the few people on here who did try to ween off cymbalta and decided to stay on it instead. i was orginally on 60 mg and i couldn't deal with the sweating and didn't feel this drug was helping with my depression, so i decided to go off of it i had been taking it for 9months, my doc said just to stop cymbalta cold turkey but having withdrawaled before of psych meds. i went from 60mg to 30mg for a week and then after the hell started, i was so dizzy, beyond nauseated, had constant diarrhea, insane aniexty as well as irritability and anger/rage and mood swings that defy everything i had previous endured with my struggle with having bi-polar illness.
after less than 6 weeks my world crumbled away, and i already thought i had already hit rock bottom but i have never felt so physically sick and emotionally weak as i did during the withdrawal of this drug. i had become increasingly suicidal so i reluctantly went back on cymbalta but only 30 mg a day. and it began to work pretty fast. i still have the sweating and no sex drive. i'm hoping to see if i can go on 20mg and stay stabilized.
i have kept up with everyones postings and today i read jaspar's post and he is the first post that i have seen about itching. i had been itching all over for the last year. it's like my skin is crawling.i have tried every anti-histamine out over the counter and prescription. i went through allergy testing as well. and they could not determine why i itch. i am on a psych drug cocktail of medications so its too hard to just blame the cymbalta for side effects and unfortunately they were all started around the same time.
does anyone else have chronic itching? i have tried almost every anti-depressant in the last 17 years of my life. i'm 32 now. this is the only one i have responded to ever and it took going off of it to know that it was working. and i'm terrified of going off of cymbalta because of my last experience with that. and i also feel like it has helped me regain contact with the world. i have been holding a job for over 8 months when before cymbalta i couldn't get out of bed except for therapy.
let me know about the itching?
-mizloopy
Posted by Never Again on May 12, 2006, at 15:53:49
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by mizloopy on May 12, 2006, at 1:18:34
I had the itching that was mentioned in an earlier posting, mostly on my scalp of all places, but when I stopped the Cymbalta both my restless legs and that crazy itching stopped 100%. I've still managed to stick with my cold turkey status, 2 1/2 weeks. I've slept every night since. I'm noticing the irritability, but if I keep staying up with my night's sleep it stays in check. Another thing that has subsided quite a bit are the hot flashes, thank goodness!! I called 1 800 Lilly Rx (1 800 545 5979) today so I could have an idea of how long the withdrawl symptoms would last - the answer was 3-4 weeks or 30 days. They were very nice and helpful. I'm still taking Omega 3 fatty acids to help and Clariten to help with the dizziness, when necessary. Boy will I be glad when the first 30 days has passed.
Posted by mseasons on May 12, 2006, at 16:46:18
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by Never Again on May 12, 2006, at 15:53:49
> I had the itching that was mentioned in an earlier posting, mostly on my scalp of all places, but when I stopped the Cymbalta both my restless legs and that crazy itching stopped 100%. I've still managed to stick with my cold turkey status, 2 1/2 weeks. I've slept every night since. I'm noticing the irritability, but if I keep staying up with my night's sleep it stays in check. Another thing that has subsided quite a bit are the hot flashes, thank goodness!! I called 1 800 Lilly Rx (1 800 545 5979) today so I could have an idea of how long the withdrawl symptoms would last - the answer was 3-4 weeks or 30 days. They were very nice and helpful. I'm still taking Omega 3 fatty acids to help and Clariten to help with the dizziness, when necessary. Boy will I be glad when the first 30 days has passed.
How long were you on it and at what dosage?
Posted by secretme on May 13, 2006, at 11:34:55
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by mseasons on May 12, 2006, at 16:46:18
I had a great deal of scalp itching while I was on Cymbalta, along with Restless Leg Syndrome. However, I've been off Cymbalta since the beginning of the year, and I still have these problems. Although they are not as severe as when I was on Cymbalta, they are with me now. I have read that itching of the scalp and RLS can be caused by stress and anxiety. In any event, not everyone experiences the same side effects of a particular medication. Some of us have the distinct honor of suffering through more side effects than others, but no matter how you slice it, this medication is THE WORST. I was at 90 mg. when I decided to come off, and at one point, thought I might die from the withdrawal effects. We should all be very proud of our efforts and what we have accomplished with help from each other. Spread the word.
secretme
Posted by kparis on May 13, 2006, at 11:45:33
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by secretme on May 13, 2006, at 11:34:55
You are so right. We should be proud of our strengths and our ability to reach out for help and understanding.
I have not had the head itching, but the RLS has been with me for awhile, hot flashes, my muscles in my arms and shoulders tightening, head feeling blocked, memory problems, etc. and all while on the Cymbalta! Now that I've reduced the dose from 60mg to 30mg I am feeling better overall, but I am frightened about what will happen when I go completely off in 2 weeks. Has anyone experienced more severe side effects on the drug then the withdrawal symptoms?
Thank you all for being here.
KParis
Posted by Avalon on May 14, 2006, at 23:16:55
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by gapsgal on May 10, 2006, at 22:53:29
Thank God I found this thread. I took Cymbalta 30 mg for a week then went up to 60 mg for 2 weeks. Was taking it for chronic pain, already on low dose of Welbutrin for depression. Couldn't stand the side effects of dry mouth, sore/burning tongue, and stomach issues, plus it didn't really help the pain much, so I decided to go off it. Doc said drop down to 30 mg for a week. Didn't feel like staying on it for a week, so I took 30 for 3 days then stopped. That was 4 days ago. Yesterday started feeling nauseous and my skin was crawling. I couldn't imagine it was withdrawal, because I hadn't been on it that long to begin with, and also had been off it completely for 3 days. I asked the pharmacist about feeling nauseous and she said I wouldn't be nauseous AFTER going off it. Thank goodness I dragged myself off the floor tonight to google "Cymbalta withdrawal". I had no idea it could be this difficult trying to get off this stuff. I am supposed to be flying out of town tomorrow morning and I'll never make it. I had to fish the remaining Cymbalta out of my trash can tonight and take one, I don't know when/if it will take this nausea away. I'll have to start tapering off more slowly, maybe cut the capsules and count the granules like others have done here. I am also taking Percocet for the pain and I thought maybe I was going through Perc withdrawal -- well, I should've known better when I still felt like crap AFTER taking a Percocet. I know Dr. Vijoy recommended amitryptiline for chronic pain -- I also took that for a week but was so tired I was a complete zombie. Anyway, thanks for sharing and thank goodness for this site, I had no clue what was happening to me!
Posted by Never Again on May 15, 2006, at 11:13:15
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by mseasons on May 12, 2006, at 16:46:18
> > I had the itching that was mentioned in an earlier posting, mostly on my scalp of all places, but when I stopped the Cymbalta both my restless legs and that crazy itching stopped 100%. I've still managed to stick with my cold turkey status, 2 1/2 weeks. I've slept every night since. I'm noticing the irritability, but if I keep staying up with my night's sleep it stays in check. Another thing that has subsided quite a bit are the hot flashes, thank goodness!! I called 1 800 Lilly Rx (1 800 545 5979) today so I could have an idea of how long the withdrawl symptoms would last - the answer was 3-4 weeks or 30 days. They were very nice and helpful. I'm still taking Omega 3 fatty acids to help and Clariten to help with the dizziness, when necessary. Boy will I be glad when the first 30 days has passed.
>
>
>
>
> How long were you on it and at what dosage?I was on 30mg a day for approximately 7 months, boy am I glad I was never up to 60mg, and I highly suggest that anyone who plans on discontinuing this medication talk to your primary care physician and work with him/her for a weening off schedule and mental support. Quitting this medication can certainly make you feel worse before you feel better. God bless all of you and I pray He gives you strength and endurance. 3 weeks today I have been totally off and I'm finally feeling good again. I don't recommend the cold turkey approach - I didn't know any better.
Posted by Avalon on May 15, 2006, at 12:09:41
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by Never Again on May 15, 2006, at 11:13:15
Can anyone recommend a tapering-off schedule for my situation?
I was on 30 mg for a week, then 60 mg for 2 weeks, then 30 mg for 3 days, then stopped due to side effects.
I was totally off Cymbalta for 3 days. Withdrawal symptoms started on day 3 after stopping. Last night (day 4), when I realized I was going through withdrawal, I took a 30 mg cap to try to feel better. I still felt nauseous and horrible this morning. Should I (a) just stay off them now, or (b) go back on 30 mg and taper off more gradually? (I hate the thought of going through this again, but I can't be like this for 2 or 3 weeks!!!) Advice appreciated! Thanks.
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