sac811 Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 (edited) To make this short and sweet, I got put on these drugs by my doctor that was treating me for Lyme Disease as a way to help me feel better through the symptoms and problems of Lyme disease. And of course I believe that this actually made all the problems MUCH worse. Cut to now, I'm ive been on: 1 mg of Klonopin a day, split into 2/0.5mg doses. 450 mgs of Lyrica a day, all at once before bed for sleep. 100 mgs of Tramadol a day, split into 2/50mg doses. 60 mgs of cymbalta a day taken all at once in the morning. Basically before doing my research into the proper speed to taper, I was trying to drop klonopin first and basically had it down to 1/4 of a 0.5mg tablet. But I was feeling terrible as you might imagine because I was tapered down to that from the full amount over just 8 weeks. I though it may have just been lyme disease and feeling bad, but nope...So basically I went back up to the 1mg total again for now as to not completely fall apart mentally and physically. It was making me a nervous anxious wreck, and drained me of all energy, willpower, physical stamina, or physical strength. So now I'm here asking how I should go about getting rid of these medications and in which order please. I want them all gone at some point, but I would just like to get moving on whichever one I SHOULD knock out first etc. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. Jeremy Edited September 24, 2016 by scallywag correct spelling in tag Have Lyme Disease (Most of my symptoms being soft tissue pain and poor sleep), doctor gave me multiple abxs as well as these drugs to help cope with the symptoms in the mean time. Well I never really got better and the coping drugs now ruin my life, and they are: Cymbalta: Taking since about 2012/2013 at 60 mg once a day (Total of 60mg daily). I have never attempted to come off of this drug to date. Klonopin: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 0.5mg three times a day (Total of 1.5mg daily Tramadol: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 50mg three times a day (Total of 150mg daily) Lyrica: Taking since about 2014/2015 at 150mg three times a day (Total of 450mg daily). This replaced neurontin to help sleep deeper/better with less pain. Withdrawal History Klonopin: I am currently down to two 0.5mg tablets a day on my own, in the last couple of months before I knew better, I tried cutting a quarter of a 0.5mg tablet per week and was all the way down to nothing at the end. BUT I had horrible energy, anxiety, depression, fatigue. Which is one of the ways I found this site. Searching for help. Tramadol: I am currently down to two 50mg tablets a day on my own. I have been down to none at all in the last year, with maybe mild anxiety, but mostly added pain. Which is why I started taking it again in the last 6-9 months again. Lyrica: I am currently taking all 450mg of Lyrica before bed. I have been down to none at all in the last year, but in place was taking nuerontin. I don't recall any side effects other than back to normal extremely bad soft tissue pain (before taking anything to help for pain/sleep). Which is why after starting tramadol again and it not lowering pain enough, I started up Lyrica again, so i could sleep better. Dropping Tramadol and Lyrica in the past, I just dropped a full pill or so a week, but I also wasn't working very much so the side effects wouldn't have been as obvious most likely. But I currently work a physical labor job. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted August 29, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 29, 2016 Hi sac, and welcome to SA, You've come to the right place for information and support. Firstly, it would help us for you to Please put your Withdrawal History in Signature. Details of the last 12-18 months and a summary of anything prior. Please include ALL DRUGS, dates, doses and how you decreased/increased. Having this information will allow us to make suggestions based on your individual situation. Please update as you change doses so it remains current and can be seen at a glance. Because you are taking multiple drugs please use the Drug Interactions Checker and copy and paste the results here. This will help to give some idea of what you should taper first. Have a read of the following and then ask any questions you have: Before you begin tapering what you need to know Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?If you're not having an adverse reaction from the other medications, taper the most activating drug first. This is usually an antidepressant or stimulant (ADHD drug). Tips for tapering off Cymbalta (duloxetine) Tips for tapering off Lyrica (pregabalin) Tips for tapering off Tramadol Once we have the additional information we will be able to make suggestions. This is your Intro/Update topic to ask questions and to journal your progress. * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted August 29, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 29, 2016 (edited) Hello Jeremy, I'm glad you've found your way to SA. A little info can go a long way! You might like to start by reading Which Drug to Taper First. That thread also has instructions for putting your drugs through the drug's checker, to check for interactions. When you've done that, please post the results here - they are useful for working out which order to taper in. Once we've worked out which drug to start with, we recommend a gentle taper, reducing by no more than 10% of your current dose each month. This allows your brain time to adjust as you go, and lessens any withdrawal. Many people find Fish oil and Magnesium useful during withdrawal - so you could start these now. Please put your withdrawal history in your signature – all drugs/dates/dosages etc - so we can see your situation easily whenever you post, and help you more accurately. Thanks. The troublesome thing with SSRIs is that you can't just flush their effects out of your system. They change the way your brain works, and that takes much longer to heal. Suddenly stopping the drug puts your brain and Central Nervous System into shock. It's like yanking a trellis out of a garden instead of gently untangling the plants and slowly removing the wood – it’s too much trauma for the plants/your brain. (For the source of that simile, plus further discussion, see http://survivinganti...el-your-brain/) Have a read of those and then you can come back to this thread to discuss things further. This can be your journal to record your tapering and healing progress, and to ask questions. Welcome to SA, Karen Edited August 29, 2016 by KarenB double up of info, as posted same time as CC. 2010 Fluoxetine 20mg. 2011 Escitalopram 20mg. 2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS. Effexor 150mg. 2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants. Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms). 8 month hold. 2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent). 2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well. Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea. 2023 December - Now on 5 micro-beads Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops. Symptoms begin to increase. 2024 April - Updosed to 6 microbeads - immediate increase in symptoms for 4 days. Decreased to 5 microbeads. 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.' Dr Gabor Mate. Link to comment
sac811 Posted August 30, 2016 Author Share Posted August 30, 2016 I had a hard time with klonopin withdrawals. I haven't ever tried to get off of Cymbalta before. I have lowered and raised doses with Lyrica and Tramodol with SEEMINGLY relative ease. But on many occasions I feel so crappy regularly it is hard to tell. But I feel Lyrica and Ultram are easiest for me to drop in the past. Knowing all that, I would like everyones opinion on what I should work on first? I'm leaning towards Ultram because Lyrica helps with sleep and pain more than any other. But I'm not sure about Cymbalta withdrawal. Any help or suggestions? Thanks Jeremy Have Lyme Disease (Most of my symptoms being soft tissue pain and poor sleep), doctor gave me multiple abxs as well as these drugs to help cope with the symptoms in the mean time. Well I never really got better and the coping drugs now ruin my life, and they are: Cymbalta: Taking since about 2012/2013 at 60 mg once a day (Total of 60mg daily). I have never attempted to come off of this drug to date. Klonopin: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 0.5mg three times a day (Total of 1.5mg daily Tramadol: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 50mg three times a day (Total of 150mg daily) Lyrica: Taking since about 2014/2015 at 150mg three times a day (Total of 450mg daily). This replaced neurontin to help sleep deeper/better with less pain. Withdrawal History Klonopin: I am currently down to two 0.5mg tablets a day on my own, in the last couple of months before I knew better, I tried cutting a quarter of a 0.5mg tablet per week and was all the way down to nothing at the end. BUT I had horrible energy, anxiety, depression, fatigue. Which is one of the ways I found this site. Searching for help. Tramadol: I am currently down to two 50mg tablets a day on my own. I have been down to none at all in the last year, with maybe mild anxiety, but mostly added pain. Which is why I started taking it again in the last 6-9 months again. Lyrica: I am currently taking all 450mg of Lyrica before bed. I have been down to none at all in the last year, but in place was taking nuerontin. I don't recall any side effects other than back to normal extremely bad soft tissue pain (before taking anything to help for pain/sleep). Which is why after starting tramadol again and it not lowering pain enough, I started up Lyrica again, so i could sleep better. Dropping Tramadol and Lyrica in the past, I just dropped a full pill or so a week, but I also wasn't working very much so the side effects wouldn't have been as obvious most likely. But I currently work a physical labor job. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted August 30, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 30, 2016 Hi Jeremy, When it comes to drugs, past experience is not an indicator of what may happen now or in the future. Please check your drugs here: Drug Interactions Checker then copy and paste the result here in your topic. This information will help with deciding which drug to taper first. * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted August 30, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 30, 2016 Sac811 - we can provide you with better information after you complete your signature. Firstly, it would help us for you to Please put your Withdrawal History in Signature. Details of the last 12-18 months and a summary of anything prior. Please include ALL DRUGS, dates, doses and how you decreased/increased. Having this information will allow us to make suggestions based on your individual situation. Please update as you change doses so it remains current and can be seen at a glance. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to 0.0 mg Aug. 12; details here scallywag's IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
sac811 Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 Drug Interaction Copy/Paste Interactions between your selected drugs Major tramadol duloxetineApplies to: tramadol, Cymbalta (duloxetine) GENERALLY AVOID: Due to its serotonergic activity, coadministration of tramadol with serotonin-enhancing drugs such as SSRIs, SNRIs, nefazodone, trazodone, and mirtazapine may potentiate the risk of serotonin syndrome, which is a rare but serious and potentially fatal condition thought to result from hyperstimulation of brainstem 5-HT1A and 2A receptors. Symptoms of the serotonin syndrome may include mental status changes such as irritability, altered consciousness, confusion, hallucinations, and coma; autonomic dysfunction such as tachycardia, hyperthermia, diaphoresis, shivering, blood pressure lability, and mydriasis; neuromuscular abnormalities such as hyperreflexia, myoclonus, tremor, rigidity, and ataxia; and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Patients receiving tramadol with serotonin-enhancing drugs may also have an increased risk of seizures due to additive epileptogenic effects of these agents.MANAGEMENT: In general, the use of tramadol in combination with highly serotonergic agents should be avoided if possible, or otherwise approached with caution if potential benefit is deemed to outweigh the risk.Patients should be closely monitored for symptoms of the serotonin syndrome during treatment. Particular caution is advised when initiating or increasing the dosages of these agents. The potential risk for serotonin syndrome should be considered even when administering serotonergic agents sequentially, as some agents may demonstrate a prolonged elimination half-life. ReferencesMartin TG "Serotonin syndrome." Ann Emerg Med 28 (1996): 520-6 "Product Information. Nucynta (tapentadol)." PriCara Pharmaceuticals, Raritan, NJ. Mason BJ, Blackburn KH "Possible serotonin syndrome associated with tramadol and sertraline coadministration." Ann Pharmacother 31 (1997): 175-7 View all 22 references Switch to consumer interaction data Moderate clonazepam pregabalinApplies to: Klonopin (clonazepam), Lyrica (pregabalin) MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities. ReferencesDivoll M, Greenblatt DJ, Lacasse Y, Shader RI "Benzodiazepine overdosage: plasma concentrations and clinical outcome." Psychopharmacology (Berl) 73 (1981): 381-3 "Product Information. Belsomra (suvorexant)." Merck & Company Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ. Plushner SL "Valerian: valeriana officinalis." Am J Health Syst Pharm 57 (2000): 328-35 View all 36 references Switch to consumer interaction data Moderate clonazepam tramadolApplies to: Klonopin (clonazepam), tramadol MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities. ReferencesDivoll M, Greenblatt DJ, Lacasse Y, Shader RI "Benzodiazepine overdosage: plasma concentrations and clinical outcome." Psychopharmacology (Berl) 73 (1981): 381-3 "Product Information. Belsomra (suvorexant)." Merck & Company Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ. Plushner SL "Valerian: valeriana officinalis." Am J Health Syst Pharm 57 (2000): 328-35 View all 36 references Switch to consumer interaction data Moderate clonazepam duloxetineApplies to: Klonopin (clonazepam), Cymbalta (duloxetine) MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities. ReferencesDivoll M, Greenblatt DJ, Lacasse Y, Shader RI "Benzodiazepine overdosage: plasma concentrations and clinical outcome." Psychopharmacology (Berl) 73 (1981): 381-3 "Product Information. Belsomra (suvorexant)." Merck & Company Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ. Plushner SL "Valerian: valeriana officinalis." Am J Health Syst Pharm 57 (2000): 328-35 View all 36 references Switch to consumer interaction data Moderate tramadol pregabalinApplies to: tramadol, Lyrica (pregabalin) MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities. ReferencesDivoll M, Greenblatt DJ, Lacasse Y, Shader RI "Benzodiazepine overdosage: plasma concentrations and clinical outcome." Psychopharmacology (Berl) 73 (1981): 381-3 "Product Information. Belsomra (suvorexant)." Merck & Company Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ. Plushner SL "Valerian: valeriana officinalis." Am J Health Syst Pharm 57 (2000): 328-35 View all 36 references Switch to consumer interaction data Moderate duloxetine pregabalinApplies to: Cymbalta (duloxetine), Lyrica (pregabalin) MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities. ReferencesDivoll M, Greenblatt DJ, Lacasse Y, Shader RI "Benzodiazepine overdosage: plasma concentrations and clinical outcome." Psychopharmacology (Berl) 73 (1981): 381-3 "Product Information. Belsomra (suvorexant)." Merck & Company Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ. Plushner SL "Valerian: valeriana officinalis." Am J Health Syst Pharm 57 (2000): 328-35 View all 36 references Switch to consumer interaction data No other interactions were found between your selected drugs.Note: this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. ALWAYS consult with your doctor or pharmacist. Other drugs and diseases that your selected drugs interact with tramadol interacts with more than 300 other drugs and 8 diseases. Cymbalta (duloxetine) interacts with more than 500 other drugs and 10 diseases. Klonopin (clonazepam) interacts with more than 400 other drugs and 10 diseases. Lyrica (pregabalin) interacts with more than 200 other drugs and 5 diseases. Interactions between your selected drugs and food Moderate tramadol foodApplies to: tramadol GENERALLY AVOID: Alcohol may potentiate some of the pharmacologic effects of CNS-active agents. Use in combination may result in additive central nervous system depression and/or impairment of judgment, thinking, and psychomotor skills.MANAGEMENT: Patients receiving CNS-active agents should be warned of this interaction and advised to avoid or limit consumption of alcohol. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring complete mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities. ReferencesWarrington SJ, Ankier SI, Turner P "Evaluation of possible interactions between ethanol and trazodone or amitriptyline." Neuropsychobiology 15 (1986): 31-7 Gilman AG, Rall TW, Nies AS, Taylor P, eds. "Goodman and Gilman's the Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 8th ed." New York, NY: Pergamon Press Inc. (1990): "Product Information. Fycompa (perampanel)." Eisai Inc, Teaneck, NJ. View all 4 references Switch to consumer interaction data Moderate duloxetine foodApplies to: Cymbalta (duloxetine) GENERALLY AVOID: Use of duloxetine in conjunction with chronic alcohol consumption may potentiate the risk of liver injury. Duloxetine alone can increase serum transaminase levels. In clinical trials, 0.3% of patients discontinued duloxetine due to liver transaminase elevations. The median time to detection was about two months. Three duloxetine-treated patients had liver injury as manifested by transaminase and bilirubin elevations, with evidence of obstruction. Substantial intercurrent ethanol use was present in each of these cases, which may have contributed to the abnormalities observed. Duloxetine does not appear to enhance the central nervous system effects of alcohol. When duloxetine and ethanol were administered several hours apart so that peak concentrations of each would coincide, duloxetine did not increase the impairment of mental and motor skills caused by alcohol.MANAGEMENT: Due to the risk of liver injury, patients prescribed duloxetine should be counseled to avoid excessive use of alcohol. Duloxetine should generally not be prescribed to patients with substantial alcohol use. References"Product Information. Cymbalta (duloxetine)." Lilly, Eli and Company, Indianapolis, IN. Switch to consumer interaction data Moderate pregabalin foodApplies to: Lyrica (pregabalin) GENERALLY AVOID: Alcohol may potentiate some of the pharmacologic effects of CNS-active agents. Use in combination may result in additive central nervous system depression and/or impairment of judgment, thinking, and psychomotor skills.MANAGEMENT: Patients receiving CNS-active agents should be warned of this interaction and advised to avoid or limit consumption of alcohol. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring complete mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities. ReferencesWarrington SJ, Ankier SI, Turner P "Evaluation of possible interactions between ethanol and trazodone or amitriptyline." Neuropsychobiology 15 (1986): 31-7 Gilman AG, Rall TW, Nies AS, Taylor P, eds. "Goodman and Gilman's the Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 8th ed." New York, NY: Pergamon Press Inc. (1990): "Product Information. Fycompa (perampanel)." Eisai Inc, Teaneck, NJ. View all 4 references Switch to consumer interaction data Have Lyme Disease (Most of my symptoms being soft tissue pain and poor sleep), doctor gave me multiple abxs as well as these drugs to help cope with the symptoms in the mean time. Well I never really got better and the coping drugs now ruin my life, and they are: Cymbalta: Taking since about 2012/2013 at 60 mg once a day (Total of 60mg daily). I have never attempted to come off of this drug to date. Klonopin: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 0.5mg three times a day (Total of 1.5mg daily Tramadol: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 50mg three times a day (Total of 150mg daily) Lyrica: Taking since about 2014/2015 at 150mg three times a day (Total of 450mg daily). This replaced neurontin to help sleep deeper/better with less pain. Withdrawal History Klonopin: I am currently down to two 0.5mg tablets a day on my own, in the last couple of months before I knew better, I tried cutting a quarter of a 0.5mg tablet per week and was all the way down to nothing at the end. BUT I had horrible energy, anxiety, depression, fatigue. Which is one of the ways I found this site. Searching for help. Tramadol: I am currently down to two 50mg tablets a day on my own. I have been down to none at all in the last year, with maybe mild anxiety, but mostly added pain. Which is why I started taking it again in the last 6-9 months again. Lyrica: I am currently taking all 450mg of Lyrica before bed. I have been down to none at all in the last year, but in place was taking nuerontin. I don't recall any side effects other than back to normal extremely bad soft tissue pain (before taking anything to help for pain/sleep). Which is why after starting tramadol again and it not lowering pain enough, I started up Lyrica again, so i could sleep better. Dropping Tramadol and Lyrica in the past, I just dropped a full pill or so a week, but I also wasn't working very much so the side effects wouldn't have been as obvious most likely. But I currently work a physical labor job. Link to comment
sac811 Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 I have now updated my signature with withdrawal history and posted all drug interactions as well from the site provided. As I in earlier posts, I am looking for what drug recommendation to taper first. I could potentially taper Lyrica down to one 150mg but I would like to stay at that level until the rest of the drugs are gone because of how much it helps with my Fibromyalgia pain caused by Lyme Disease. When I did drop Tramadol and Lyrica in the past, I just dropped a full pill or so a week, but I also wasn't working very much so the side effects wouldn't have been as obvious most likely. But I currently work a physical labor job running my own Painting Company for New Construction Residential houses. So I do not have the luxury of withdrawal symptoms anymore if at all possible. Also take into consideration, if the first drug I taper helps me to feel better faster it would definitely help me keep my life together better. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you greatly Jeremy Have Lyme Disease (Most of my symptoms being soft tissue pain and poor sleep), doctor gave me multiple abxs as well as these drugs to help cope with the symptoms in the mean time. Well I never really got better and the coping drugs now ruin my life, and they are: Cymbalta: Taking since about 2012/2013 at 60 mg once a day (Total of 60mg daily). I have never attempted to come off of this drug to date. Klonopin: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 0.5mg three times a day (Total of 1.5mg daily Tramadol: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 50mg three times a day (Total of 150mg daily) Lyrica: Taking since about 2014/2015 at 150mg three times a day (Total of 450mg daily). This replaced neurontin to help sleep deeper/better with less pain. Withdrawal History Klonopin: I am currently down to two 0.5mg tablets a day on my own, in the last couple of months before I knew better, I tried cutting a quarter of a 0.5mg tablet per week and was all the way down to nothing at the end. BUT I had horrible energy, anxiety, depression, fatigue. Which is one of the ways I found this site. Searching for help. Tramadol: I am currently down to two 50mg tablets a day on my own. I have been down to none at all in the last year, with maybe mild anxiety, but mostly added pain. Which is why I started taking it again in the last 6-9 months again. Lyrica: I am currently taking all 450mg of Lyrica before bed. I have been down to none at all in the last year, but in place was taking nuerontin. I don't recall any side effects other than back to normal extremely bad soft tissue pain (before taking anything to help for pain/sleep). Which is why after starting tramadol again and it not lowering pain enough, I started up Lyrica again, so i could sleep better. Dropping Tramadol and Lyrica in the past, I just dropped a full pill or so a week, but I also wasn't working very much so the side effects wouldn't have been as obvious most likely. But I currently work a physical labor job. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted September 5, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 5, 2016 Jeremy - Thanks for posting your drug interactions report. It looks to me that either the Ultram (tramadol) or the Cymbalta would be the place to start, given that there is a major interaction between them. KarenB posted this topic, Which Drug to Taper First, above. The first post is particularly relevant. Cymbalta is an "accelerator", Klonopin, tramadol, and Lyrica are all "brakes." Given those two pieces of information, what are your thoughts about starting with Ultram? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to 0.0 mg Aug. 12; details here scallywag's IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
sac811 Posted September 5, 2016 Author Share Posted September 5, 2016 I can definitely start with ultram. I think it wI'll be one of the easiest to remove also. So i will start the standard 10% per month taper? I know it will be a year, but I am interested and what to get rid of after ultram. Klonopin or down Lyrica some, then do Klonopin and leave Cymbalta for last? Have Lyme Disease (Most of my symptoms being soft tissue pain and poor sleep), doctor gave me multiple abxs as well as these drugs to help cope with the symptoms in the mean time. Well I never really got better and the coping drugs now ruin my life, and they are: Cymbalta: Taking since about 2012/2013 at 60 mg once a day (Total of 60mg daily). I have never attempted to come off of this drug to date. Klonopin: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 0.5mg three times a day (Total of 1.5mg daily Tramadol: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 50mg three times a day (Total of 150mg daily) Lyrica: Taking since about 2014/2015 at 150mg three times a day (Total of 450mg daily). This replaced neurontin to help sleep deeper/better with less pain. Withdrawal History Klonopin: I am currently down to two 0.5mg tablets a day on my own, in the last couple of months before I knew better, I tried cutting a quarter of a 0.5mg tablet per week and was all the way down to nothing at the end. BUT I had horrible energy, anxiety, depression, fatigue. Which is one of the ways I found this site. Searching for help. Tramadol: I am currently down to two 50mg tablets a day on my own. I have been down to none at all in the last year, with maybe mild anxiety, but mostly added pain. Which is why I started taking it again in the last 6-9 months again. Lyrica: I am currently taking all 450mg of Lyrica before bed. I have been down to none at all in the last year, but in place was taking nuerontin. I don't recall any side effects other than back to normal extremely bad soft tissue pain (before taking anything to help for pain/sleep). Which is why after starting tramadol again and it not lowering pain enough, I started up Lyrica again, so i could sleep better. Dropping Tramadol and Lyrica in the past, I just dropped a full pill or so a week, but I also wasn't working very much so the side effects wouldn't have been as obvious most likely. But I currently work a physical labor job. Link to comment
sac811 Posted September 5, 2016 Author Share Posted September 5, 2016 I tend to have bad anxiety, so after ultram, I need to take that into account with the next taper. Have Lyme Disease (Most of my symptoms being soft tissue pain and poor sleep), doctor gave me multiple abxs as well as these drugs to help cope with the symptoms in the mean time. Well I never really got better and the coping drugs now ruin my life, and they are: Cymbalta: Taking since about 2012/2013 at 60 mg once a day (Total of 60mg daily). I have never attempted to come off of this drug to date. Klonopin: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 0.5mg three times a day (Total of 1.5mg daily Tramadol: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 50mg three times a day (Total of 150mg daily) Lyrica: Taking since about 2014/2015 at 150mg three times a day (Total of 450mg daily). This replaced neurontin to help sleep deeper/better with less pain. Withdrawal History Klonopin: I am currently down to two 0.5mg tablets a day on my own, in the last couple of months before I knew better, I tried cutting a quarter of a 0.5mg tablet per week and was all the way down to nothing at the end. BUT I had horrible energy, anxiety, depression, fatigue. Which is one of the ways I found this site. Searching for help. Tramadol: I am currently down to two 50mg tablets a day on my own. I have been down to none at all in the last year, with maybe mild anxiety, but mostly added pain. Which is why I started taking it again in the last 6-9 months again. Lyrica: I am currently taking all 450mg of Lyrica before bed. I have been down to none at all in the last year, but in place was taking nuerontin. I don't recall any side effects other than back to normal extremely bad soft tissue pain (before taking anything to help for pain/sleep). Which is why after starting tramadol again and it not lowering pain enough, I started up Lyrica again, so i could sleep better. Dropping Tramadol and Lyrica in the past, I just dropped a full pill or so a week, but I also wasn't working very much so the side effects wouldn't have been as obvious most likely. But I currently work a physical labor job. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted September 7, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 7, 2016 Start with the 10% taper, remembering that you calculate the 10% for the next cut from your current dose not your starting dose. Next would either be the Cymbalta or a partial reduction in Lyrica. It will depend on your symptoms, if any, at the time. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to 0.0 mg Aug. 12; details here scallywag's IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus JanCarol Posted September 24, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 24, 2016 Hey Sac, what have you decided, and how it is going? You said that this drug combo made you worse - and yet - normally Cymbalta causes a lot of problems too. What are the symptoms that are causing you to want to reduce your cocktail? See: Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's Most Common symptoms of Withdrawal - these are common antidepressant side effects of the drugs and withdrawal from them Looking at your signature, I would guess that the Cymbalta was highly effective at first, but as it started to "poop out," as many of these drugs do after 3-5 years, more drugs were added. Here we would tend to taper Ultram first, then Cymbalta, before considering the Lyrica, leaving the Klonopin for last. Again, as Scallywag said - depending on how you respond, what your symptoms are, etc. Anxiety is caused by a physical state of arousal that your brain interprets as "fear" and then you cycle in on the ruminations and make the fear worse. What you need to do is learn to unhook the physical symptoms (sweat, heart-racing, pounding, nerves firing, agitation) from the emotions (always bad, and turn into ruminations which make it worse). There was an Aussie MD named Claire Weekes who developed techniques for this. She didn't even call it anxiety, she called it a nervous condition: Dr. Claire Weekes - Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System It is important, when coming off of psych drugs - even if you never had a psychiatric condition to begin with - that you replace the drugs with a toolkit of Non Drug Techniques for Coping with Emotional Symptoms Different tools work better with different people. You wrote: When I did drop Tramadol and Lyrica in the past, I just dropped a full pill or so a week, but I also wasn't working very much so the side effects wouldn't have been as obvious most likely. Both at the same time? That was your first mistake. 3 KIS's Keep It Simple, Slow, Stable More than 10%? That was another mistake. Why taper by 10% of my dosage? The common mistake you didn't make? Alternating doses (1 day off, 2 days on, etc.). It's also very de-stabilizing, causes a lot of problems (kindling) and rarely achieves success. I say this not to scold you - but so that you can learn from your mistakes and have a nice, smooth, even taper when you are ready. I also bet you are wondering how to taper just 10% of the Ultram? It's a wicked little drug, the doctor tells you it's a mild opiate. Yeah. There's a little opiate in there, but it's really a serotonin drug, a psych drug, meant to take away how much you care about the pain, not addressing the pain itself. That's why it has so many interactions with your psych drugs. It's a psych drug, too. Not fair, is it? So - here is how we address the fact that the pharmaceutical companies never give us the dosages we need to come off of their drugs in safe tapers. Some people dry-cut, which is less accurate, but doable. I did dry cutting because I had 2 sized tablets and could get very far with it, and then finished that way. When I started weighing my supplements on the Gemini 20 scale, I realized how much easier it is for the liquid taper people. Dry cutting: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2021-how-to-cut-up-tablets-or-pills-using-a-pill-cutter/ http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1596-using-a-digital-scale-to-measure-doses/ Liquid tapers: How to Make a Liquid from Tablets or Capsule http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/235-using-an-oral-syringe-and-other-tapering-techniques/ I have 3 friends in the States struggling with Lyme and Lyme-like symptoms. One is a mother and son, who, in 2000 got the target rash (while she was pregnant). She is very sick, but fortunately, she and her son have been able to avoid psych drugs. It's difficult to get well from Lyme - it seems that the treatments are extreme, and like with cancer, only achieve limited success. My other friend manifests the symptoms of Lyme. No target rash ever (but I remember picking deer tick nymps off of her, and she of me, after an overnight hike), no antibodies, but her functional medicine doctor insists that she has Lyme and keeps insisting she pay more $$$$ for further antibody testing. My own symptoms look very Lyme like. CFS/ME, Fibromyalgia, autoimmune looking fatigue (but not autoimmune, read on) - caused by psych and other pharmaceutical drugs - I keep getting asked (because I'm American, in Australia - and I did do the "tick picking" thing in the late 90's) if it is Lyme, but do not have an "autoimmune profile' in other blood tests, so they look no further. I share this because Lyme is serious, and it's good that your doctors are aware of what you are going through. Have your Lyme treatments been successful? Have you achieved "remission" of the chronic symptoms? Or can you even tell, through the side effects of the drugs? I hope you see the sun today! "Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again. My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices. A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia. CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013. Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine). Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 - Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years on Lithium). Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made. The tedious thread (my intro): JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium The happy thread (my success story): JanCarol - Undiagnosed Off all bipolar drugs My own blog: https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/ I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016! Link to comment
sac811 Posted October 8, 2016 Author Share Posted October 8, 2016 I am tapering ultram (tramadol). Doing well at first, and now going through some mild withdrawal symptoms but it's my fault for going slightly faster than I should have. As for lyme, I feel like I've made no progress whatsoever. Wasted tons of time/money and am now addicted to these meds. I hate that I even tried to treat lyme at this point. MAIN QUESTION: Would taking 5 minute cold showers be too much strain on my nervous system or would it be fine? Thanks Jeremy Have Lyme Disease (Most of my symptoms being soft tissue pain and poor sleep), doctor gave me multiple abxs as well as these drugs to help cope with the symptoms in the mean time. Well I never really got better and the coping drugs now ruin my life, and they are: Cymbalta: Taking since about 2012/2013 at 60 mg once a day (Total of 60mg daily). I have never attempted to come off of this drug to date. Klonopin: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 0.5mg three times a day (Total of 1.5mg daily Tramadol: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 50mg three times a day (Total of 150mg daily) Lyrica: Taking since about 2014/2015 at 150mg three times a day (Total of 450mg daily). This replaced neurontin to help sleep deeper/better with less pain. Withdrawal History Klonopin: I am currently down to two 0.5mg tablets a day on my own, in the last couple of months before I knew better, I tried cutting a quarter of a 0.5mg tablet per week and was all the way down to nothing at the end. BUT I had horrible energy, anxiety, depression, fatigue. Which is one of the ways I found this site. Searching for help. Tramadol: I am currently down to two 50mg tablets a day on my own. I have been down to none at all in the last year, with maybe mild anxiety, but mostly added pain. Which is why I started taking it again in the last 6-9 months again. Lyrica: I am currently taking all 450mg of Lyrica before bed. I have been down to none at all in the last year, but in place was taking nuerontin. I don't recall any side effects other than back to normal extremely bad soft tissue pain (before taking anything to help for pain/sleep). Which is why after starting tramadol again and it not lowering pain enough, I started up Lyrica again, so i could sleep better. Dropping Tramadol and Lyrica in the past, I just dropped a full pill or so a week, but I also wasn't working very much so the side effects wouldn't have been as obvious most likely. But I currently work a physical labor job. Link to comment
sac811 Posted October 16, 2016 Author Share Posted October 16, 2016 MAIN QUESTION: Would taking 5 minute cold showers be too much strain on my nervous system or would it be fine? Have Lyme Disease (Most of my symptoms being soft tissue pain and poor sleep), doctor gave me multiple abxs as well as these drugs to help cope with the symptoms in the mean time. Well I never really got better and the coping drugs now ruin my life, and they are: Cymbalta: Taking since about 2012/2013 at 60 mg once a day (Total of 60mg daily). I have never attempted to come off of this drug to date. Klonopin: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 0.5mg three times a day (Total of 1.5mg daily Tramadol: Taking since about 2013/2014 at 50mg three times a day (Total of 150mg daily) Lyrica: Taking since about 2014/2015 at 150mg three times a day (Total of 450mg daily). This replaced neurontin to help sleep deeper/better with less pain. Withdrawal History Klonopin: I am currently down to two 0.5mg tablets a day on my own, in the last couple of months before I knew better, I tried cutting a quarter of a 0.5mg tablet per week and was all the way down to nothing at the end. BUT I had horrible energy, anxiety, depression, fatigue. Which is one of the ways I found this site. Searching for help. Tramadol: I am currently down to two 50mg tablets a day on my own. I have been down to none at all in the last year, with maybe mild anxiety, but mostly added pain. Which is why I started taking it again in the last 6-9 months again. Lyrica: I am currently taking all 450mg of Lyrica before bed. I have been down to none at all in the last year, but in place was taking nuerontin. I don't recall any side effects other than back to normal extremely bad soft tissue pain (before taking anything to help for pain/sleep). Which is why after starting tramadol again and it not lowering pain enough, I started up Lyrica again, so i could sleep better. Dropping Tramadol and Lyrica in the past, I just dropped a full pill or so a week, but I also wasn't working very much so the side effects wouldn't have been as obvious most likely. But I currently work a physical labor job. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted October 16, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 16, 2016 Why do you want to take 5 min cold showers? We generally advise people in withdrawal to avoid any harsh treatments because they might shock a sensitive nervous system even more. Although it sounds stressing I find sauna to have a calming effect on me. Time in sauna is followed by showers in a relatively cold water. Maybe others will have more information. You can always try it and see what it does to you and then take it from there Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted October 17, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 17, 2016 I agree with bubble on the 5 minute showers with one addition: Rather than starting with 5 minutes, try 30 seconds for a 4-5 days to observe your reaction. Then increase 30 seconds every few days until you reach the limit you can tolerate or 5 minutes. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to 0.0 mg Aug. 12; details here scallywag's IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
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