DillDill: Cymbalta - how to mitigate withdrawal symptoms

[DillDill]

Hi, I'm very grateful for this group and for the work, support and information everyone is sharing here. I'm in recovery from addiction and that is partially why I was hesitant to take any psychiatric medications and quick to get off them in the past i.e., I didn't want to become dependent. Over this past year, my depression got so bad that I was actively suicidal. At the time, I was engaging in support groups, attending therapy, practicing yoga, meditation, getting outside, eating healthy, doing trauma work, using amino acids/supplements, etc - all the things I learned to get me through tough times. However, it wasn't working - I was up most of the night shaking and praying for relief. I ended up in the psychiatric unit after a friend intervened on me. I'm so grateful he did because it saved my life. I was beginning to plan to harm myself at the time. Now, I have been trying to find a medication for a short period of time that makes this emotional pain manageable. I also want to take the lowest dose possible and be aware of the necessary taper. I've tried a few meds but they all have given me severe dry mouth. Currently, I'm on 20mg of Cymbalta which doesn't give me dry mouth. It also is helping with my mood. That being said, I feel foggy and anxious and I want to see if I can drop the dose (I've only been on 20mg for 3 days) to maybe 10mg or even 5mg. Does anyone have any thoughts/suggestions on what dose might be feasible to take, and for how long, to avoid withdrawal - or at least severe withdrawal from cymbalta? Thank you in advance. 

[Shep]

Hi, DillDill.

 

Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants.

 

 

On 7/31/2022 at 8:39 PM, DillDill said:

Now, I have been trying to find a medication for a short period of time that makes this emotional pain manageable. I also want to take the lowest dose possible and be aware of the necessary taper.

 

Please note we are not a site for helping you find the "right" drug and dose. We're a site for coming off of psychiatric drugs. 

 

If you're looking for another drug to take or to find the right dose, you'll be better served on forums such as depressionforums.org  or patientslikeme.com or your local NAMI group. We are not medical professionals and can't provide anything other than information on tapering your current drug. If you've been on an antidepressant for a month or longer, you may be dependent on it and we would recommend a taper of 10% or less per month, based on the prior month's dose (not the initial prescribed dose). 

 

Please note these drugs do not fix anything wrong in your brain:

 

Again, chemical imbalance is a myth. Stop the lies, please.

 

The latest on this was just released in the news a few weeks ago:

 

Little evidence that chemical imbalance causes depression, UCL scientists find - Guardian

 

Some more helpful information:

 

Long-term Evidence We Can’t Overlook Anymore: Anti-Depressant Outcomes

 

If you're here to come off psychiatric drugs, please go ahead and set up a signature so we know your drug history. 

 

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