Hannah77: Cymbalta / duloxetine

[Hannah77]

I’ve been taking duloxetine for two or three years I’m honestly not sure. I started seeing my new psychiatrist year ago and told her I’m interested in tapering off of medications because I’ve been on different combinations since I was about 15 and I’m 34 now. I’ve done a lot of successful therapy and healing and have been able to cope. I would like to find out if I am able to cope without medicine eventually. Over the past six months, my doctor tapered me from 90 mg to 60 to 30 about two months each. I stopped taking the 30 on Tuesday and on Thursday I started having lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea vomiting, my arms feel heavy, I’m in pain, I keep starting to cry which is mostly because I’m frustrated that I feel so sick. I messaged my doctor on Saturday about it and today she messaged me back and said this is normal, it usually lasts a week, and I should start taking the pills every other day to see if that helps. I don’t feel comfortable doing that because I don’t understand why that would help. I did Googling and found stuff saying that it wouldn’t help, but of course I can’t tell her that because “Dr Google” is frowned upon and I assume she would tell me I couldn’t possibly understand this better than her. I asked for an appointment but she didn’t give me one and I don’t see her again until November 10. I’m still taking bupropion 300 mg and Lamictal 300 mg and planning over the next year or two to taper off of those as well with her but now I feel frustrated and unsure because she didn’t warn me about this and I really had no idea this was possible until it happened. Her response makes me feel like she thinks it’s no big deal and that makes it hard to trust her when I feel more miserable than ever. I don’t know what to do. I took the day off work today, because it feels impossible to work. Luckily I have some flexibility and an understanding employer but at some point I need to tell my job when I can come back and I don’t know what to do. I guess I’m asking for help, or maybe I just need to look around the forum for more information. Now that I’ve stopped the 30 about a week ago, I don’t even want to try to go back and titrate slowly because I just want it to be over, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works. But what if she’s right and it only lasts a week or two? Will going back on and slowly counting beads make it better? And then will I have to tell her I did that? 

Edited October 16, 2022 by Karma
Name update

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @Hannah77

 

How are you feeling now? Quite often, withdrawal symptoms last longer than a week or so. If you still have bad withdrawal symptoms, if I were you, I'd take 30mg Cymbalta again, every day at the same time. After you stabilize, suggest you taper much slower, by counting beads..

 

Your psychiatrist is poorly informed and you don't trust her besides. If I were you, I'd find another doctor. Any doctor can prescribe these drugs. Can you ask your GP to prescribe 30mg Cymbalta for you so you can taper off?

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

 

 

Edited October 16, 2022 by Karma
name update

[Hannah77]

Thanks. I feel the same. I actually do still have Cymbalta pills that I could use to taper but I keep thinking (sunk cost

fallacy?) that now that I’ve been off for 12 days maybe I’ll just make it through and if I go back on to taper I’ll be going backwards. And I feel like I should have a dr that is supportive and involved with the tapering but I don’t know what my dr will say if I suggest it. I missed a week of work and now I’m out of sick time and vacation time so I’m trying to take an LOA and get on short term disability. Maybe then I’d feel comfortable going back on to taper off. The uncertainty of how long these symptoms will last and if I can work day to day has been really adding stress. 
 

 

for the signature prescription history, I honestly don’t remember or have clear information on when I started the drugs I’m on or what I have taken in the past and I’m not sure how to figure it out. I’ve changed jobs so much that I’ve had to change insurance and change drs and it’s kind of a blur. I’m trying to get my back records from the pharmacies I’ve used that could maybe help piece it together. I’ve been on some kind of cocktail for 20 years, with I think a couple of gaps, and I just don’t have the history clear. 
 

 

[ChessieCat]

On 10/15/2022 at 4:25 PM, Hannah77 said:

now that I’ve been off for 12 days

 

I will tell you what happened to me which might help you to understand how powerful these drugs are.

 

Note that it was 2 weeks at 1/2 the dose when I became unable to type.

 

Two weeks after reducing my dose of Pristiq from 100mg to 50mg I was not able to type.  Leading up to this I was experiencing very bad brain fog; even walking took my full concentration.  Being a professional typist for many decades when I wasn't able to type I knew that something was very wrong.  After I took more Pristiq, only 4 HOURS later (hours NOT days) I was able to type again and the brain fog lifted.  There was no way that this was placebo.  I had a benchmark so I knew for certain that it was because of the drug.  When I first started to taper after I found SA I made a 10% reduction and got very bad ear pain.  I took some cold medication but it didn't make any difference.  I ended up taking a little bit more Pristiq (updosed) and about 4 hours later (again) the pain went.

Edited October 16, 2022 by Karma
name update

[Hannah77]

I’m on day 18 and right now the worst symptom is chronic pain in my neck and shoulders. My psychiatrist has excused me from work and certified my disability through Nov 1 which reduces my stress a lot. She’s only talked to me through “patient portal” messages and the last one she said that I should talk to my primary care doctor because she doesn’t believe the symptoms are caused withdrawal because they “wouldn’t last that long.” I sent a detailed message to my PCP and she is going to have a virtual visit with me Monday which I hope gives me some more support and/or clarity. 
 

The thing is I feel so confused. I never had chronic pain or nerve pain or the kind of pain I’m having now at all before. I think Cymbalta is used for chronic pain sometimes right? My mother has fibromyalgia and we don’t speak but I think she’s taken it. I’ve always been scared about ending up with chronic pain at some point. Part of me wonders if the Cymbalta was somehow helping me with this pain that I didn’t have before or realize I had? Or can the withdrawal cause this kind of pain? Most of the symptoms I read about are more emotional or brain foggy and I have those but the pain is the most intense part. I got a massage and it didn’t help.  Ice, heat, OTC pain meds, thc/cbd, nothing is really helping. It’s also not in waves anymore. It’s been hurting consistently for 2.5 days. 
 

have other people dealt with this? Am I just coincidentally developing chronic pain or fibromyalgia while going through this? Is none of this withdrawals? My psychiatrists lack of knowledge on this just really makes me feel like I am crazy.