CanIJustTakeANap Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 I'm in the process of tapering off of Cymbalta. I am two weeks into this, and I seem to have successfully come down from 60 mg to approx 30 mg, and now I am trying approx 15 mg. Maybe this is aggressive, but with the exception of about 3 days of extreme fatigue, the transition seemed to be pretty easy, so that was really encouraging! So now I am on day 3 of approximately 15mg a day, and the tiredness is back, and I feel weird but I'm not sure how to explain it. I've got some headaches, and maybe I'm getting some of this zappy sensation I hear is common, but zapping isn't really how I would describe it. Anyway, I'm doing ok, but I wanted to introduce myself just in case I end up needing some support. So for some background... I went on Prozac around this time two years ago for depression...I think it was November of 2013. After a month or so, my doctor upped the dosage. After maybe 2 months, he switched me to Zoloft. I stayed on Zoloft for a few more months, then I switched to Cymbalta 60mg. It did help me, but I never intended to stay on the drugs for longer than 2 years or so, and I just don't think my case is severe enough to justify whatever unknown side effects the antidepressants are having. For me, anything that can cause withdrawal is something I want to get away from. I went on Prozac for depression in Nov 2013 After a month, my doctor upped the dosage. After maybe 2 months, he switched me to Zoloft. I stayed on Zoloft for a few more months Then I switched to Cymbalta 60mg Mid-October 2015 I dropped to 30mg. I experienced some pretty extreme fatigue for the first 3 days, then went on to feel pretty good. End of October 2015: Dropped again to 15mg. After 3 days I started getting the fatigue, along with a general weird feeling and some mild headaches/nausea Then I posted to SA. Going back up to 30mg and will attempt a slower taper from there. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted October 28, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 28, 2015 Welcome to SA CanIJustTakeANap, I'm glad you posted now, rather than later, so we can give you some information about tapering, which may protect you from experiencing some very uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. You may have been feeling ok, up until now, but it can take a while for withdrawal symptoms to kick in, and if you have been tapering too fast, you have already reduced your dose too much. The fact that you are starting to feel some symptoms now is evidence that you have been tapering too fast. We suggest reducing by no more than 10% of the current dose every 4 weeks, this reduces the risk of withdrawal symptoms arising. Please read through this which will explain why: Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Please stop tapering for now to give your symptoms a chance to settle down, if they don't, or if you start to get worse, you may need to updose a little. I suggest you hold for a least a month now, to see if more symptoms start to develop. It can take several months for withdrawal symptoms to emerge. Its much gentler on the nervous system to taper slowly from the start, than to go too fast and have to updose by a large amount down the track and then start all over again. See: Tips for tapering off Cymbalta (duloxetine) What is withdrawal syndrome? It would be great if you would put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature. Doing this helps people understand your context, it appears below each of your posts. Here are instructions for how to do it: http://survivinganti...your-signature/ Please stay in touch and let us know what you decide, write whenever you want, you will find a lot of friendly help and support here. Petunia. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
CanIJustTakeANap Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 Hi Petunia, thanks for your response. Based on this advice I think I will go back up to 30mg and just stay there for awhile. I went on Prozac for depression in Nov 2013 After a month, my doctor upped the dosage. After maybe 2 months, he switched me to Zoloft. I stayed on Zoloft for a few more months Then I switched to Cymbalta 60mg Mid-October 2015 I dropped to 30mg. I experienced some pretty extreme fatigue for the first 3 days, then went on to feel pretty good. End of October 2015: Dropped again to 15mg. After 3 days I started getting the fatigue, along with a general weird feeling and some mild headaches/nausea Then I posted to SA. Going back up to 30mg and will attempt a slower taper from there. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted October 28, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 28, 2015 Thanks for adding your signature. I'm happy to hear you have decided to updose and hold for a while. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted October 28, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 28, 2015 Welcome Canijusttakeanap, Glad you've found this forum - there's lots of support here for you from people who've been through it ahead of us newer ones. Have a read around the different topics - there's some great help there for coping with symptoms. I'm sure you'll find what you need to know to get through this. Hugs, KarenB 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
Orangecat Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I second what they said! Don't be afraid to slow down, there's beauty in the slowness!! And yes, you can just take a nap. Magnesium and fish oil also helps me. And acupuncture... You can nap during acupuncture... ; ) Found this site for real in 2015. Decided to taper slowly. ** I should mention that anytime I haven't been in a wave, I've felt pretty amazing! I only record the waves to look for patterns : ))** 50 mg Zoloft 6/2015, with intermittent fish oil 6/9/15 alternated 50 mg/37.5 mg - doc's idea (she meant well) 6/17 terrible morning anxiety and rumination, flu symptoms, and prickles in legs. 6/18 up to 45 mg liquid Zoloft. 6/26-29 cortisol mornings and bad anxiety. 6/30 started to take mag 100 mg and fish oil regularly with med 7/4 44 mg. 7/8 42.6 mg. 7/16 40 mg. 7/23 39 mg 8/1 32 mg (bad idea). 8/5 fatigue, anxiety, can't sleep, depressed. 8/7 36 mg resolved to be patient and try to keep to THE THREE KIS's. 8/13-15; 8/17- 23 painful physical and mental wave. Started light therapy 20 m in am. 8/25 34 mg, added 80-100 mg liquid mag during day. great window til 8/29 2 day down stretch 9/8 32.8 mg 9/11-14 wave added acupuncture 9/22 31.5 mg teeny wave 10/6 30 mg small grumpy wave 10/19 28.5, same pattern- small wave at day 5. A few tough weeks. Held around 29 until 11/18 when dropped to 28 mg; 11/22 the usual fluey fatigue. 11/30 27 mg 12/14 25.75ish mg "hold til Xmas club" (in my case New Years) Xmas was tough, kept holding: by 1/15, feeling good again. 1/25/16 Mirena IUD out after nearly six years- I think it was affecting my mood and taper- feeling super great! 2/2 down to 24 mg. symptoms much less severe. One day, not too bad wave on 2/8. 2/15 down to 20 mg from 24. A week later, two restless mornings and one morning of brain fog. 3/2 from 20 to 16 mg! Wish me luck. Medicine History: Currently tapering from 50mg Zoloft. Ten years of SSRI's including Celexa, Prozac and Zoloft, as well as a stretch with Wellbutrin added to the Zoloft. When I started on Zoloft (4 years ago?) I was on 100 but was able to taper down to 50 via 25 mg increments slowly around 2013. Have used light therapy and fish oil intermittently since around 2013. Have tried unsuccessfully to get off the meds since then in what I know now to be too large a taper (for example, jumped from 25 to 12.5 and that did not work). Motivated to do this slowly because that's the only way it will happen. Link to comment
CanIJustTakeANap Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 Thanks everyone ☺ I'm really glad I posted when I did. I didn't know there could be a delayed onset of withdrawal symptoms. I had read that Cymbalta leaves the body more quickly than others so after I felt better, I thought I was out of the woods and ready for another step down. I hope I can even out at 30mg without my symptoms worsening. I went on Prozac for depression in Nov 2013 After a month, my doctor upped the dosage. After maybe 2 months, he switched me to Zoloft. I stayed on Zoloft for a few more months Then I switched to Cymbalta 60mg Mid-October 2015 I dropped to 30mg. I experienced some pretty extreme fatigue for the first 3 days, then went on to feel pretty good. End of October 2015: Dropped again to 15mg. After 3 days I started getting the fatigue, along with a general weird feeling and some mild headaches/nausea Then I posted to SA. Going back up to 30mg and will attempt a slower taper from there. Link to comment
CanIJustTakeANap Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 Patience is not my strong suit, so I don't like how long the 10% decrease method will take, but it is worth it if it protects my brain. I went on Prozac for depression in Nov 2013 After a month, my doctor upped the dosage. After maybe 2 months, he switched me to Zoloft. I stayed on Zoloft for a few more months Then I switched to Cymbalta 60mg Mid-October 2015 I dropped to 30mg. I experienced some pretty extreme fatigue for the first 3 days, then went on to feel pretty good. End of October 2015: Dropped again to 15mg. After 3 days I started getting the fatigue, along with a general weird feeling and some mild headaches/nausea Then I posted to SA. Going back up to 30mg and will attempt a slower taper from there. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted October 30, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 30, 2015 Yes, you're probably quite fond of your brain . 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
CanIJustTakeANap Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 It might just be my favorite part of me! Haha Doing well, by the way. Still sleeping more than usual, and getting bouts of dizziness (usually in the afternoon when I'm tired), but I'm functioning just fine. Yay! Thanks again for the advice. Toward November's end I'll try a 10% decrease. I went on Prozac for depression in Nov 2013 After a month, my doctor upped the dosage. After maybe 2 months, he switched me to Zoloft. I stayed on Zoloft for a few more months Then I switched to Cymbalta 60mg Mid-October 2015 I dropped to 30mg. I experienced some pretty extreme fatigue for the first 3 days, then went on to feel pretty good. End of October 2015: Dropped again to 15mg. After 3 days I started getting the fatigue, along with a general weird feeling and some mild headaches/nausea Then I posted to SA. Going back up to 30mg and will attempt a slower taper from there. Link to comment
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