shurico: Help with tappering 4 drugs - Cymbalta CT and reinstated

[shurico]

Hello everyone!

I apologize this will be long but unfortunately doctors played me on a hamster wheel. I now realized how bad I affected my CNS because of writing out a timelines of everything I took. Summer of 2021 I went into depression and actually did not know what was happening to me. Extremely fatigue, could not sleep, could not eat, nothing made me happy, complete anhedonia. I was so scared because of what was happening to me...then came in anxiety when my neurologist friend says I should start AD meds. I was loosing it....so after 2 months of pure agony here it goes:

July 2021 - started prozac 20mg, romeron 30mg and ativan 1mg 

September 2021 - started going down on prozac as I got to 50mg and was having horrible side effects (headache, dizziness, etc.)

October 2021 – switched to Zoloft 50mg and added Lyrica 75 with the to drop the Ativan. was taking Romeron on and off, was able to get off it easily.

January 2022 – still taking Ativan and Lyrica also, tapering down Zoloft as I got to 125mg and was again feeling horrible. Headaches, zombie, numb no feelings. Went down according to my dr from 125 to 75mg and felt horrible, the dr wanted to put me on Cymbalta. I decided to try to get off meds totally.

January-end of March 2022 – by the end of March I was done tapering Zoloft, I had no actual taper rules because I did not inform myself anywhere and I did not tell my dr either. I was just cutting small pieces of the tablet off. The whole experience was horrible, I had bad anxiety, nausea, fuzzy head type of feeling, vertigo, emotional numbness, anhedonia – I was just there and felt horrible physically too.

April 2022 – After 3 weeks totally off Zoloft I am back at new psychiatrist and got back on Prozac 20 to take me out of withdrawal. Bad mistake. All this time I was still taking Ativan and Lyrica.

May 2022 – Major headaches started again, I got switched directly from Prozac to Cymbalta 30 and from Ativan 1mg to Valium (10mg).

June 2022 – upped Cymbalta from 30 to 60 being a therapeutic dose. This increase totally kicked my a$$.

July 2022– my dr. started tapering my benzo, she really wanted me off (so did I!!!) She insists I do it like she says and not go to “forums I keep reading”. I told her about Ashton Manual and my Cymbalta hurts worse group and she was not happy. So, I said ok, lets do it like her and started tapering Valium by a quarter every 7 days 😕

August 2022 – by the time I got to the last quarter (2.5mg) of Valium I was a mess: anxiety, complete fatigue I could barely do anything, my whole body hurt, blurry vision, wanted to sleep and lay down all day. I lasted like this 10 days and could not do it anymore. I have 2 small children to look after. Dr says to go back to Valium 10mg and increase Cymbalta to 90 saying 60 is not enough to get me off of valium…..

October 2022 – headaches start here and there. I was feeling okish other than headaches.

December 2022 – by Christmas time I was so desperate to do something, I was having day and night pressure type headaches that did not go away with any meds for the past 5-6 weeks nonstop, from the minute I opened my eyes.

December 2022 – dr. switches me from Cymbalta 90 straight to Effexor 75 without any tapering. I was still on 10mg Valium and 225 Lyrica by now.

January – March 2023 – the switch to Effexor was bad: constant faint like feeling, stiff neck and painful neck and skull/head and major anxiety. Got increased to Effexor 112 and the anxiety was much better. Within 14 days headaches started again, I was terrified.

April 2023 – had headaches most of the time from January to April when I suggested my dr to back to Cymbalta 60 when I was fine and had no headaches. She agrees and has me direct switch from Effexor to Cymbalta 60mg. The switch was horrendous: bad migraines for days, flu like feeling for days, tired, anxiety and continuing headaches.

May 2023 – my doctor makes the wonderful decision of trying to get me off antidepressants to see how my natural state is and figure out this headache mystery. She says go from 60 to 30 cymbalta for 2 weeks and increase lyrica to 300 and then zero Cymbalta and 375 lyrica and 1mg Ativan again (instead of Valium). OMG OMG OMG. I lasted 2 weeks off Cymbalta while I was having mild anxiety and what bothered me most was very intense pain, burning, pins and needles at the base of my skull and going up my skull in the back of my head like someone just hit me with a baseball bat. I called my dr crying and she says to start Cymbalta 30 again and see what happens. I was a little better, the pain was better but still there. I find the Cymbalta hurts worse facebook group and post my story there also. They advised me to go up on Cymbalta (try weighing beads if I can and take less then 60 or just take straight 60).

June 2023 – I increased to Cymbalta 50, the first week was great I had such pain relief and I was getting excited I am finally a bit better after everything I have been through. The increase in Cymbalta was rough on my body again, I was having BAD headaches daily, the neck pain returned. I go to the dr again and she wants to switch me to amitriptyline. She says go down to Cymbalta 30 and start ami 12.5 for 10 days then drop Cymbalta to zero and go up to 25 ami. I went down AGAINNN to Cymbalta 30 and added 12.5 ami on June 10^th 2023 and have been there since then. I did not go CT on Cymbalta again, I am honestly scared to do any other change. I still take 1mg Ativan and 225 Lyrica. So 4 drugs total…..I am 35 and have 2 kids and psych meds totally ruined me so far.

What I have now is a different symptom every week (that s about how long it lasts untill a new one comes or they keep rotating). They are probably still withdrawal symptoms, that is my guess:

-neck and head pain/headaches - I am almost sure cymbalta is also causing my headaches

-nausea

-anxiety especially in the afternoon but not too bad

-anhedonia - I could care less that it is friday, monday, vacation or I am at the office. I have not felt happiness, excitement, joy or even sadness in a longgg time. 

-lack of motivation or excitement to do anything. I was a very active person that loved to do things/go places.

What I take now (nothing changed to the AD since June 10th):

-0.5 ativan in the AM

-75 lyrica at noon

-30 cymbalta at 5pm

-0.5 ativan afternoon or whenever I feel it necessary (it helps most with the neck pain)

-225 lyrica and 12.5 ami before bed usually around 8.30 pm

 

Pls help! where do I start tapering these 4 drugs? I am familiar with the scale method, the bead method for cymbalta. Do I have to wait until completely stable after the cymbalta dose change in june?

Tthank you so much. You are honestly my only hope that one day I will be free from all of this. I have been to multiple drugs and they all have no clue....I have been to 2 of the top doctors in Bucharest Romania and I felt I knew more...

-

 

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by manymoretodays
name to title

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @shurico

 

What times o'clock do you take each of your drugs, with their dosages? Do you take Ativan every day?

 

Is it your intention to go off all of them?

[shurico]

Yes, I want off all of them. Yes I take Ativan everyday, that is how my dr told me to do it even though I was scared of benzos but I was so bad with depression and thought that it is a short term solution untill the AD kicks in then I will stop the benzo. That did not work obviously. Lyrica is another med I got hooked and don t even really know why I take it anymore… So here is how i take them:

-0.5 ativan morning (8-9am)

-75 lyrica morning (or more towards 11-12 because taking them together makes me so clumsy and hard to concentrate)

- 0.5 ativan afternoon - not a set exact time but anywhere around 3pm to 8pm

-8.30pm 12.5mg amitriptyline

-9pm 30mg cymbalta

-9pm 150 lyrica

 

up untill 3 days ago I tried splitting my cymbalta dose in 2 (the cymbalta hurts worse page adviced me) to see if it helps with the withdrawl symptoms. I was taking 15 mg in the AM when waking up and 15mg at 9-10pm. I was never really paying attention to take it at the same exact time. After 2-3 days of splitting the dose nausea started bigggg time and didn t even realize it, this might be the reason. I am back to taking it at 9pm (for the past 3 days) and nausea is so much better, still lingering before bedtime an hour or so but so much better then all day!

 

pls help! Where do i start? I feel like i should start with the cymbalta since I am pretty sure it is causing me the daily headaches but I am also sure I am not stable yet with all this up and down on dosages. I have only been continous with the same dosages for 2 months - probably the longest time since december.

[Altostrata]

Please keep daily notes of times o’clock you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day. We need to know how you feel before and after taking each drug, and any significant symptoms in between. Indicate which you believe are withdrawal symptoms.

 

Post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, in a simple list format with time o’clock on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right.

[shurico]

August 14, 2023

9.40 am - woke up with headache - pain coming from the base of the skull 

9.50 am - .5 Ativan

10 am - headache and neck pain is more intense/ 2 excedrin migraine and 1 aleeve

10.30 am - breakfast

12 pm - .5 Ativan earlier then scheduled because of intense neck pain and back of the head pain (i noticed Ativan helps)

12 pm - dramamine for mild nausea (i believe this is withdrawl)

1pm - head pressure is still intense. Ate lunch

3pm - aspirin 1000mg headache is still bad (pressure type)

3.30pm - lyrica 75mg

4.30pm - headache is better but still present. Now mild nausea hit

6pm - allergy meds, excedrin migraine and ginger chews for nausea

8pm - 12.5mg amitriptyline

9pm - 30mg cymbalta, 150 lyrica and .25 ativan (took an extra dose)

10.40pm - going to bed feeling sleepy, headache is better, no anxiety

 

It is difficult for me to figure out if the headaches/pain is a side effect or withdrawl. What I know is withdrawl for sure is the neck pain and pain at the back of my head. That started 5 days after CT of 30mg Cymbalta and never went away even if I reinstated 13 days after CT and even if I updosed to 50mg.

The other head pain (headache type that is felt in my temples and more like a regular headache but does not always go away with meds) I believe is a side effect. I had headaches once I was on cymbalta 90mg for 3 months straight with no other changes going on to AD (except trying to taper benzo but at a really slow rate like 2% a week). I never had these headaches before antidepressants.

 

 

 

[shurico]

Something else I want to add - everyday of my life is living with anhedonia. No feelings, no motivation just numb to everythings. No happiness. If I am at home doing the dishes or on vacation in Mexico I feel the same. Here and there I will have some small moments of joy but can be seconds.

[shurico]

August 15, 2023 - slept well

8.30 am woke up with no headache but groggy feeling

8.40 am 0.5 ativan and 75mg lyrica

9.00 am pain in the back of the skull/scalp

12.00pm took excedrin for headache

12.20pm 75mg lyrica

1.40pm headache at the top of the head

4 pm ketoprofen for headache, neck pain, pain behind my head

5 pm 2 excedrin for headache

8pm 12.5 amitriptyline

9.30pm 30mg cymbalta and 75 mg lyrica

No nausea today. First half of the day was better, no headache

11pm going to bed

[shurico]

August 16, 2023 - slept well as always

8.15 - woke up

8.30 - pain in the neck and at the back of the head starts

9 am - 0.5 ativan and 75 lyrica, excedrin migraine for headache

10.30 am - dramamine and ginger chews for mild nausea

2 pm - 0.5 ativan and excedrin migraine for headache

3.30pm - feeling better with headache

8pm 12.5mg amitriptyline

9pm 30 cymbalta and 150 lyrica

11pm going to bed. No headache, neck is sore but not painful

the second half of the day was better, no headache but still a lingering neck soreness present at all times

[Altostrata]

On 8/8/2023 at 5:36 AM, shurico said:

July 2021 - started prozac 20mg, romeron 30mg and ativan 1mg 

September 2021 - started going down on prozac as I got to 50mg and was having horrible side effects (headache, dizziness, etc.)

 

This is when the headaches started? As an adverse effect of 50mg fluoxetine?

 

7 hours ago, shurico said:

8pm 12.5mg amitriptyline

9pm 30 cymbalta and 150 lyrica

 

Why do you take these 3 drugs at these times?

 

On 8/8/2023 at 5:36 AM, shurico said:

What I take now (nothing changed to the AD since June 10th):

-0.5 ativan in the AM

-75 lyrica at noon

-30 cymbalta at 5pm

-0.5 ativan afternoon or whenever I feel it necessary (it helps most with the neck pain)

-225 lyrica and 12.5 ami before bed usually around 8.30 pm

 

Your current dosing schedule is very different from the one you reported on August 8. When and why did you change your dosing schedule? Do you do this often?

 

When did you start Lyrica and Ativan? Please put information about ALL your current drugs in your signature.

[shurico]

On 8/17/2023 at 6:51 AM, Altostrata said:

 

This is when the headaches started? As an adverse effect of 50mg fluoxetine?

Yes. Once I reached 50 headaches started. Then on zoloft headaches started once I reached 125, on cymbalta once I reached 90 (on lower dosages I was not having headaches). Now I have them even though I am on cymbalta 30, never really went away after they started on the dosage of 90, even during the switch to effexor I was still having headaches.

 

On 8/17/2023 at 6:51 AM, Altostrata said:

Why do you take these 3 drugs at these times?

Amitriptyline I take as advised by my dr, before bed because it makes it sleepy and drowsy. I only take half the dosage prescribed.

Cymbalta, from my previous experience with it last year and even now, I tolerate it best at night because if I take it morning it makes me sleepy by lunch and I have a massive dip in energy and feel the need to nap plus some anxiety at noon.

Lyrica, I was never told I have to take it on exact times. my dr said I can it 3 times a day or two times a day 75-150. I just took two at night because it was easier, I would forget if I had to take it 3 times per day.

On 8/17/2023 at 6:51 AM, Altostrata said:

Your current dosing schedule is very different from the one you reported on August 8. When and why did you change your dosing schedule? Do you do this often?

 

When did you start Lyrica and Ativan? Please put information about ALL your current drugs in your signature.

So before reporting my schedule on August 8th I tried to split my cymbalta dosage in two times per day (15mg am and 15mg pm) to see if my withdrawal symptoms improve (I was advised by the Cymbalta hurts worse group to try this). I started August 1st and after 3 days I was having really bad nausea and figured this was the reason. August 6th, I started taking one dose at 5pm, even though before August 1st my time was around 9pm, to see if that helps my headaches thinking that going to bed after taking Cymbalta makes me wake up with a headaches. I was continuing to have nausea and started going back to my initial time of 9pm sharp with cymbalta as of August 10th. That is why my schedule looks different. I do not do this often with CYMBALTA, I just now tried this and I have noticed nausea is almost gone since going back to 9pm. I have to admit, up until journaling and paying more attention to symptoms and times, I was not very good at taking it at the exact time every day. I was taking it somewhere around 8-10pm whenever I remembered. Since August 10th I have my alarm set at 9pm.

 

As far as Lyrica and Ativan, yes I never take it at the same exact time of the day. I didn't think I had to.

 

I started Ativan July 2021 (when my first AD was prescribed) and Lyrica November 2021. I will also update my signature.

 

Thank you so much for your help!

[shurico]

17 hours ago, Altostrata said:

This is when the headaches started? As an adverse effect of 50mg fluoxetine?

Yes, when I reached 50mg headaches started. When I started lowering the dosage the headaches went away and got switched to zoloft and same thing happened…they kept on upping my dosage untill I got to 125mg and headaches started again.

 

17 hours ago, Altostrata said:

On 8/16/2023 at 11:03 PM, shurico said:

 

 

Why do you take these 3 drugs at these times?

 

amitriptyline I was told to take it before bed because it makes me sleepy even though I only take half the dosage my dr prescribed me. Cymbalta I took it before bed too before I started changing times - taking it in the am makes me sleepy by 1-2 pm. Lyrica….I really don t know. I was told I can take it morning, lunch and dinner or morning 75 and night 150. I never really thought exact times matter so much.

 

17 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Your current dosing schedule is very different from the one you reported on August 8. When and why did you change your dosing schedule? Do you do this often?

 

When did you start Lyrica and Ativan? Please put information about ALL your current drugs in your signature.

I don t do this often, I tried splitting cymbalta by taking it 15 am and 15 pm (as adviced by the cymbalta hurts worse facebook group) to see if withdrawl symptoms ease up. I started on splitting on Aug 1st and now that I track everything, 3 days later I started having bad nausea. August 6th I started taking it at 5pm, although my normal time would be before bed but I have to admit I never took at the exact time each day. Sometime between 8-10pm.  On August 10th it hit me that maybe because the time that s why I was having nausea and feeling worse then my normal “bad”. Since August 10th I have been carefull to take at 9pm each day. 
As far as Lyrica, since journalingif I take it in the morning, even at the same time with Ativan, it helps the headaches/pins and needles in my head/neck pain. Sometimes it feels like someone is trying to push a can on the top of my head or the back.

 

Started Ativan with my very first AD, july 2021, and Lyrica-November 2021. I will update my signature but

[shurico]

Sorry, I posted twice because my first reply wasn t showing up and wrote another one 🤨🤨🤨

[shurico]

August 17, 2023

8.30 - woke up/ 0.5 ativan and 75 lyrica

9.00 - the neck pain is slowly showing up but not so intense

9.30 - excedrin migraine for dull headache

4pm - excedrin for dull headache and 0.5 ativan and 75mg lyrica for neck pain/soreness

8pm - amitriptyline 12.5

9pm - cymbalta 30 and 75lyrica

No nausea today and better with headaches and neck pain

[shurico]

August 18, 2023

9.00 - woke up, feeling sleepy and spaced out

9.30 - 0.5 ativan and 75mg lyrica - neck is starting to be sore

10 - excedrin 

2pm - 0.5 ativan and 75mg lyrica

3pm - feeling a but spaced out and clumsy

8pm - 12.5 amitrip

9pm - cymbalta and 75 lyrica

No nausea today and better with headaches but still sore neck and lingering head pins and needles and scalp pain

[Altostrata]

Did you ever have a discussion with your doctor about whether the dosages of antidepressants that give you headaches might not be appropriate for you?

 

16 hours ago, shurico said:

August 17, 2023

8.30 - woke up/ 0.5 ativan and 75 lyrica

9.00 - the neck pain is slowly showing up but not so intense

9.30 - excedrin migraine for dull headache

4pm - excedrin for dull headache and 0.5 ativan and 75mg lyrica for neck pain/soreness

8pm - amitriptyline 12.5

9pm - cymbalta 30 and 75lyrica

No nausea today and better with headaches and neck pain

 

Is this the schedule you intend to stay on?

 

Why are you taking Ativan with Lyrica and Cymbalta with Lyrica?

[shurico]

4 hours ago, Altostrata said:

 

Did you ever have a discussion with your doctor about whether the dosages of antidepressants that give you headaches might not be appropriate for you

 

Yes, that is why all these changes all the time. At first she did not believe that AD gave me headaches. Now on cymbalta 30 I do not have nonstop headaches, I have some time of the day without it.

 

4 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Is this the schedule you intend to stay on?

 

Why are you taking Ativan with Lyrica and Cymbalta with Lyrica?

Yes. Do you know if I have to take Lyrica at the same time every day.

 

I have no specific reason for taking lyrica with ativan and cymbalta. I believe there are many meds I take and I can t space them out, or I would have to be taking something every 2 hours or so.

[Altostrata]

On 8/18/2023 at 10:38 PM, shurico said:

Now on cymbalta 30 I do not have nonstop headaches, I have some time of the day without it.

 

In what part of the day is the headache less? Please add your symptoms to your daily notes.

 

What effect do you feel from Lyrica?

[shurico]

August 19th

8.30 wake up with sight neck pain

8.30 took 75mg lyrica and 0.5 ativan

9.30 - feeling clumsy and always seems to forget things - like where I put the remote

10 am - excedrin migraine

11.30am - 0.5 ativan because of neck pain

2pm - 75 lyrica

4pm - excedrin

8.40pm - 12.5 amitri

9.pm - 30 cymb and 75 lyrica

[shurico]

5 hours ago, Altostrata said:

 

In what part of the day is the headache less? Please add your symptoms to your daily notes.

 

What effect do you feel from Lyrica?

The headache is less during the middle of the day, morning and in the evening is usually worse. Would it help to make a journal writing every hour? I am always having somekind of headache all day long.

 

from lyrica I feel clumsy, forgetfull, I have a hard time concentrating and multitasking

[shurico]

I would like to add I am not suree if the neck pain is causing me the headaches or the actual cymbalta is. I never had this neck pain and soreness untill I cold turkeyed cymbalta in april 2023. Even though I reinstated the pain only slightly improved

[shurico]

August 20th

9.30 woke up, spaced out and not so much pain

10 - 1mg ativan (was in a hurry to leave and did not have one cut in half)

12 - 2 excedrin migraine and 75 lyrica

1pm - ginger chews for slight nausea

1pm - still headache, pins and needles in the head

2.30pm - that headache improved, feeling sleepy and spacey, clumsy. Still a sore feeling in my neck

6pm - pain in the neck/ soreness and the back of my head, fatigue

8pm - lyrica 75 (because i could not take it earlier, did not have any)

8.30pm - 12.5 amitriptyline

9.20pm - shaky, clumsy, cannot focus (i believe it is from lyrica)

11 pm - shakiness went away, pins and needles and pain at the base of the skull

 

August 21

 

9.00 am - woke up with intense pain inside the head, like a headache. Feels like my head is being squeezed. Having coffee

9.30 am - .5 ativan and 75 lyrica and excedrin

10 am - headache persists

1 pm - took .5 ativan and excedrin. Feeling shaky, headache is still there but not that intense

2pm - took 75 mg lyrica, feeling my head tingly and pain like it is being squeezed

6pm - excedrin, still having intense headache

6.30pm - feeling dizzy, spaced out, clumsy, forgetfull, i usually feel like this after lyrica

7pm- feeling shaky and hungry all of a sudden, sweating, dizzy

8.50pm - 12.5 amitriptyline

9pm - cymbalta 30mg

9.30pm - nausea

10pm-dramamine and ginger chews

11.30pm - going to bed. Still nauseous and feeling sick like

[shurico]

While watching out for symptoms I can tell which are side effects especially from Lyrica. In a couple hours I feel kind of drugged/drunk. Clumsy, dropping things all the time, having problems multitasking, shaking. I really do not like the feeling. Taking lyrica sometimes helps my headaches and sometimes it doesn t, maybe it is just a coincidence. Would it be ok to take 75 during the day at noon for example and 150 at night? 

[Altostrata]

I see you are taking all your drugs on an irregular schedule.

 

It could be that your taking your drugs irregularly is causing some of your symptoms. Taking the drug at a very consistent time is particularly important for Ativan, Lyrica, and Cymbalta.

 

It's very important for you to take your drugs on a regular schedule, the same drugs at the same times and the same dosages every day.

 

The combination of amitriptyline and Cymbalta can cause very bad symptoms, they should not be taken at the same time. 

 

Please put ALL your current drugs in this Interactions Checker and post the report or a link to it in this topic.

[shurico]

This report does not look good at all! I am sure that because I take so

many i cannot even tell what is what anymore. I am so mad at my doctor…

https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?interaction_list_id=183585551&drug_list=168-0,1488-899,949-2273,1937-0
 

I have also joined lyrica survivors, a facebook group where I learned that lyrica must be taken at least every 12 hours and never together with a benzo.

i had no idea ativan must be taken regularly at the same time too. I too now believe that because I have been all over the place with them it caused me to feel unwell. Knowing all I learned now I have thought of the following schedule. What do you think? I can try to take amitriptyline a little earlier so there is more time between it and Cymbalta.

 

8-8.30am - 0.5 ativan

11am - 75 lyrica

5pm-0.5 ativan 

7.30pm- 12.5 amitriptyline

9pm- cymbalta 30

11pm - 150 lyrica

 

do you think I can start tapering one of them? The most recent one is amitriptyline, I started it in June 2023.

 

thank you so much for your help!

 

[shurico]

And another thing I cannot understand. After reinstating cymbalta in april untill now I cannot say I feel much better. Actually have more headaches now….so could it be that reinstating made me worse? And I am waiting for nothing and just wasting time? It has been 4 months  i was definetly not taking so many headache meds and they do not seems to go away any time soon. What I know is that I had headaches on cymbalta last year when taking it and also on effexor.

[shurico]

August 22

8.00 woke up with sore neck and pain behind the head (like someone hit me in the head, the skull hurts)

8.10 took 0.5 ativan

9.10 - pain intensifies in the back of the head, feel the headache starting. My neck feels stiff, if I press that soft spot at the base of my skull it hurts. Feels like all pain comes from there.

11 - 75mg lyrica

11.30am - excedrin for headache. Headache not so intense but I have pins and needles in my scalp, neck soreness

1pm - burning feeling in my neck

4pm - excedrin for headache

5pm - ativan 0.5mg

5.30pm-nausea. Took dramamine

7.30 pm - 12.5 amitriptyline

9.20 pm - 30 mg cymbalta

11pm - 150mg lyrica

[Altostrata]

13 hours ago, shurico said:

I too now believe that because I have been all over the place with them it caused me to feel unwell.

 

Very probably.

 

13 hours ago, shurico said:

8-8.30am - 0.5 ativan

11am - 75 lyrica

5pm-0.5 ativan 

7.30pm- 12.5 amitriptyline

9pm- cymbalta 30

11pm - 150 lyrica

 

Suggest you take your Ativan doses 12 hours apart and Lyrica doses a different 12 hours apart, schedule the rest around them.

 

What effect do you feel from the Lyrica? 

[shurico]

I moved ativan at 8 with amitriptyline

8-8.30am 0.5 ativan

11am - 75 lyrica

8 pm- 12.5 amitriptyline and ativan

9pm- cymbalta 30

11pm - 150 lyrica

 

i started this schedule as of yesterday (except I took ativan at 5pm).

 

If I only take 75mg of lyrica and not together with ativan I feel a little drowsy and shakey but not too bad. If I take more than 75 or if I take it with ativan I feel like I am drunk, clumsy, forgetting things, dizzy, tripping all over the place, groggy, slow response time, for example at work I find myself it takes me a long time just to write a simple email because I make mistakes a lot.

[Altostrata]

It's astounding that you're working while taking those drugs all day.

 

It's not a good idea to take Cymbalta and amitriptyline that close together.

[shurico]

I have no choice not to work. Not to mention I have two small children and I do all the work around the house.

 

I moved amitriptyline at 7

8-8.30am 0.5 ativan

11am - 75 lyrica

7 pm- 12.5 amitriptyline

8 pm - ativan

9pm- cymbalta 30

11pm - 150 lyrica

 

I would be taking meds all day, I will set alarms on my phone. I am also worried about the time it would take me to taper everything? If i have to do it one at a time at a 5% or less rate it will take me like 10 years

[Altostrata]

9 hours ago, shurico said:

If i have to do it one at a time at a 5% or less rate it will take me like 10 years

 

I'm sorry you are taking so many drugs. As you reduce doses, you'll feel less and less drug effects. 

[shurico]

So when and which one would you suggest i taper first? And by how much?

 

i really appreciate your help, i feel like some light has shed upon me and i can talk to someone who truly understands.

[Altostrata]

Your dosing has been inconsistent, which may have caused many of your symptoms, but we cannot tell which drug is causing what.

 

Please stay on the same daily schedule for 2 weeks. Then we can get a symptom pattern baseline to figure out which drug would be best to taper. In my opinion, the Lyrica is probably unnecessary and should be the first to go.

[shurico]

Ok will do. I would think of tapering Amitriptyline first since I have been taking it for 2 months. But whatever you suggest I will do.

i will keep my daily journaling. I wrote I take excedrin migraine because i thought that it is the same as solpadeine extra (this is what i take) just because this is not available in the us and for it to be easier for you to recognize. Now i see it does not have the same meds!! It contains acetaminophen, caffeine and codeine!!! And I know see this is also addictive and I have been taking it daily  this is scary and I am amazed I survived through all of this. I also had days when I was taking sumatriptan and later I found out that is also not allowed!

[shurico]

It is like tylenol nr 2 in the US

[ryuusei86]

I just wanted to say that I'm very interested in this thread because I'm planning to taper off from five meds, or at least as many as I can. I hope you can stabilize soon and begin a gradual taper of one of your meds.