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Annabee: Akathisia from Latuda


Annabee

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Hey so I got aka from latuda.i was on 20 mg for 2 weeks then 40 for another week and a half.Stopped it because of aka and it's been almost 3 weeks and the aka is killing me not letting up.Please give me hope this will go.I don't understand why it's still here when I stopped the meds 3 weeks ago it isn't in my body anymore and I wasn't on the med long.When will this end I can't see a light at the end of my tunnel.This is like inner restless torture.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Annabee -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)
 
Akathisia is a distressing and painful condition; I'm sorry to read that you have found that out. Akathisia is a bit of an "umbrella" term for a set of symptoms. What specifically you are experiencing?

 

Our CNS (central nervous system) quickly becomes adapted to medications like Latuda, even in as little time as you were on it. It's rotten that one of the changes your CNS made triggered akathisia symptoms. Given that you experienced this as a side effect, the best remedy for recovery is time and taking care of yourself.

 

Many many people recover from brief and long exposures to psycho-neuro-drugs. You will too. Unfortunately, nobody can tell how long your symptoms will last. This is one of the many mysteries medical science hasn't solved yet.

 

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-18 months particularly?

  • Please include any drugs you are taking now, for any reason. Prescription, over-the-counter, and street drugs can all have an effect.
  • Any drugs you took before 18 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
  • You don't need to include symptoms or diagnoses other than the initial condition that led to prescribing the first drug.
  • We ask for this information in your signature so that we can see it at a glance. A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs.
  • You can find instructions in this topic: Please put your withdrawal history in signature

You may find some ideas to help you cope in topics at these links:

Akathisia vs. restlessness

Weighted blankets and bed tents for akathisia

 

I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but am glad that you found us.

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 Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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HI, Annabee.

 

I received your PM, but I'm going to post some information here on your Intro thread so all of your information is located in one place.

 

Akathisia is one of the most brutal side effects of psychiatric drugs, but it's also a withdrawal symptom. This is why it lasts so much longer than the length of time the drug is actually in your system. It changes the way your brain/body work. And it can take time for these changes to be reversed. The good news is that this is reversible especially since you weren't exposed to this drug for long. 

 

One thing that really helped me is walking meditation:

 

How to do walking meditation - A simple guide

 

And this post by JanCarol links to some other ways of "moving" your akathisia:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/12569-oops44-caught-unawares-by-sertraline-withdrawal/?p=236166

 

The goal of using any type of mindfulness technique is to learn to "quiet" your thoughts. Being able to separate your thoughts from the "chemical" sensations of drug-induced akathisia is very important. When dark thoughts connect to these very uncomfortable physical sensations of akathisia, it's easy to go into catastrophic thinking. 

 

If this happens, some non-drug coping skills to handle catastrophic thinking are:

 

"Change the channel" -- dealing with cognitive symptoms

 

Non-drug Techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Neuro Emotions

 

Remember - akathisia by itself cannot hurt you. It's when you attach it to dark thoughts that it becomes a torture. While it's true that akathisia can cause severe insomnia, and insomnia causes all sorts of problems, by calming your mind, taking deep cleansing breaths, you are more likely to have less trouble with it. 

 

If nothing else works, try to distract with an old familiar TV comedy, a video game, putting together a jigsaw puzzle, or putting on loud music and just pacing until you're tired. Eventually, this symptom does work its way out. 

 

Please let us know how you are doing after you have a chance to try some of these non-drug coping skills. 

 

 

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Shep posted immediately above you with this reply:

 

Remember - akathisia by itself cannot hurt you. It's when you attach it to dark thoughts that it becomes a torture. While it's true that akathisia can cause severe insomnia, and insomnia causes all sorts of problems, by calming your mind, taking deep cleansing breaths, you are more likely to have less trouble with it.

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 Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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Hello!I am wondering if you know anything about akahisia.I've read a lot of people that have had it while ON the offending meds but then it went away when the med was stopped.I got it from taking Latuda for 3 weeks and when I stopped the drug it persisted on.My psych insists it should be gone by now as the drug is out of my system.I feel it 24/7; the inner agitation,trembling,vibrations,I feel I need to constantly pace, can't sit down or do anything for a period of time,like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket.It is very hard to describe but it is much more than anxiety.It is an inner torture/restlessness.I have been dealing with it med free for 3 weeks but my primary doctor just prescribed hydroxyzine 25 mg to take the edge off.Its not helping much and I just pray I don't have permanent brain damage and this will reside soon.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Annabee

 

I merged your new topic to your Intro/Update topic.  Each member has 1 Intro/Update topic where they ask questions about their own situation and can journal their progress.

 

I've added the tag "akathisia" to your topic.  If you click on the tag, top left, it will bring up topics (including members' topics) which contain the akathisia tag.

* 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

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Fresh (this is a link - click on her name) is a member who had severe akathisia and has recovered.

* 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

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Hey so I got aka from latuda.i was on 20 mg for 2 weeks then 40 for another week and a half.Stopped it because of aka and it's been almost 3 weeks and the aka is killing me not letting up.Please give me hope this will go.I don't understand why it's still here when I stopped the meds 3 weeks ago it isn't in my body anymore and I wasn't on the med long.When will this end I can't see a light at the end of my tunnel.This is like inner restless torture.

 

Hi Annabee,

 

When we take these types of drug they change the brain.  When we reduce the drug or stop it completely the brain needs to adapt - it is call homeostatis - returning back to how it was.

 

Even though the drug is no longer in your body, it did change your brain.  Different people get different symptoms.  The symptom I get when I reduce my drug too much is ear pain and pressure and sometimes I also get an upset stomach.  In the past when I forgot to take my dose, I would get very bad zaps in the body and the brain and very bad head fog.  Another time when I was on a different antidepressant I stopped it suddenly and felt really good for a few weeks then I was very sick for about 2 1/2 weeks.  I thought I had the flu, because I had aches and pains, but I didn't have the normal running nose etc, and when I joined this site I realised it was AD withdrawal flu.  These might help you to understand this:

 

Brain Remodelling

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

* 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

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Had akesthesia twice. It is bad.

Prozac 1999-2009 quit semi cold turkey.

 

2012 Placed on Seroquel 25 mg, Tranxene (Clorezepate) 3.75 mg 3x a day, Remeron 30 mg for anxiety/akathesia.

 

Weaned off Seroquel and Tranxene .to Remeron 15 Mg.

In May 2014 tried quitting Remeron at its lowest dose. Had severe withdrawals.Reinstated Remeron at 30 mg by doctor. August 5 2014 entered hospital. Doctor pulled the Remeron and bridged it to Pamelor (Nortriptyline) 40mg and Zyprexa 2.5mg.After removing the Remeron all my bad symptoms went away and I am stable.

 

9/11/14 - 7.5 mg tranxene, 40mg Pamelor, Zyprexa 2.5mg

12/29/14 -  20mg Pamelor, 1/6/15,  7/31/15 3.5mg, 8/10/15 3.2 mg, 9/15/15 2.2mg, 10/15/15 1.8mg

(Feb 2016 - 1.4mg Pamelor only -  OFF OF TRANXENE AND ZYPREXA SINCE DEC 2014 BENZO FREE Since 2014. Nortrityline (Pamelor) .8mg Aug 2016

March 2017 DRUG FREE

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How are you doing?  How is akathasia?

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD = NOW only on TRILEPTAL 450mg began w/900mg 7/16 -- off LITHIUM 600mg (sometimes 300mg 5/15 -11/16 took 2 months to taper) .... XANAX 2 mg for 2 weeks but addicted in 6/16 tapered 7/16-9/16 JUMPED 9/30 (believe have kindling from previous benzos)
6 meds nightly for INSOMNIA includes XANAX .. BELSOMRA 20mg c/t 8/20/16 off & on for a yr ZANAFLEX 8 mg /SILENOR 6mg/PROZASIN 15 mg/DOXEPIN 50 mg on all nightly 2 months 6/16 - 7/16 except for silenor (year) wd ALL 8/16-9/16 w/pdoc help
c/t KLONOPIN .5mg which began INSOMNIA end of 3/15 after on for 4 months also horrible sound& light sensitivity sometimes took 2 or 3 reinstated & then c/t@hospital 5/15 on TEMPAZEPAM/SEROQUEL/LITHIUM when left hospital tolerance to temazepam after 1 month given ATIVAN in hospital& later
SEROQUEL started @ 200 mg and overnight to 800 mg had horrible akathasisia & rash DEPAKOTE 1000 mg off after few wks ALL I COULD ENDURE
then AMBIEN side effects & tolerance on for few months 5/15 - 8/15 and then again 2 mos 5/16 LATUDA 3/16 on days BAD/GEODON 4/16 on less 2 weeks BAD AKATHASIA/ZYPREXA bad mouth shaking almost 24/7 off & on few months in 2015 & again in 2016
trazodon/remeron/gabapentin/sonata/lunesta did nothing to help INSOMNIA so got off after few days - also short time SAPHRIS BAD 
MEDICATION SENSITIVE & have paradoxical side effects -- CANNOT TAKE BENZOS, ATYPICAL-ANTIPSYCHOTICS, ANTI-DEPRESSANTS
PAST prior to 2 yrs on Prozac even1/4 pill caused BAD ANXIETY, CELEXA OK, Abilify, Pristiq, Lamictal, Paxil BAD - more but can't remember
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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for all of your responses everyone.I am still struggling bad with the akathisia.Its been two months and I'm still hanging on by a small thread .Im very scared.Its constant torture.

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Hi Anna,

I'm sorry you are still suffering with akathisia, its probably the worst symptom, do you have it all day long? What is the pattern?

 

Are you taking any other medications at the moment?

 

It would be helpful if you would fill in your signature with your medication history.

 

 


 

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-18 months particularly?

  • Please include any drugs you are taking now, for any reason. Prescription, over-the-counter, and street drugs can all have an effect.
  • Any drugs you took before 18 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
  • You don't need to include symptoms or diagnoses other than the initial condition that led to prescribing the first drug.
  • We ask for this information in your signature so that we can see it at a glance. A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs.
  • You can find instructions in this topic: Please put your withdrawal history in signature

 

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

 

 

 

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annabee,

 

I got your PM but will answer it here.

 

According to Dr. Healy's research, up to 50% of people who take anti-psychotics experience akathisia.  It may not be withdrawal, but an adverse drug reaction.  

 

I know someone who had akathisia very badly and it lasted a long time, but it did go away.  Your best bet is to not add any new drugs, if drugs cause this, adding more drugs is not going to solve it.  There is no cure for it but letting time go by.  

Can you tell whether the intensity has decreased a little?  Something that you can hold on to that tells you that there has been improvement?

I do not have a medical background, any opinions are my own.

 

I took zopiclone ( z-drug) for situational insomnia. Three weeks later I was having panic attacks. I was given Benzos, A/D, anti-psychotics, "mood stabilizers" and I kept getting worse and worse. I got very sick.

 

I have been off all drugs now for over 5 years and I'm healing nicely.

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I know this is a benzo group but...

 

I feel like I need reassurance and I'm sorry to be a pest about this but it's just so severe and I'm losing hope.

 

I can't help but wonder if my akathisia is never going to go away since I got it from An antipshotic.

 

I see so many people getting it from antidepressants or from benzo withdrawal and the ones that got it from an antipsych all went away when they stopped it.

 

I guess I'm just scared because I've never seen anyone in my exact position heal ?

 

Sorry

Edited by scallywag
moved from reinstatement topic
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Anna, there are members on this site tapering off all classes of psychiatric medications, including anti-psychotic drugs.

 

The course of recovery is unpredictable. If you carefully and gradually taper off medication, your symptoms will almost certainly diminish over time, including akathisia.

 

You may want to connect with others who are tapering the same type of medication in this thread in the relationships forum:

 

Being on or tapering neuroleptics ("anti-psychotics")

 

Also there is a thread for people to post brief success stories in tapering an AP med in the success stories forum:

Antipsychotic survivors? Interested in your stories

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 Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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I know I'm annoying but I feel like I need reassurance.

 

I can't help but wonder if my akathisia is never going to go away since I got it from An antipshotic.

 

I see so many people getting it from antidepressants or from benzo withdrawal and the ones that got it from an antipsych all went away when they stopped it.

 

I guess I'm just scared because I've never seen anyone in my exact position heal ?

 

Sorry ????

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi, Annabee.

 

I'm an antipsychotic survivor. Actually, I've survived every class of psych drug out there - for 30 years I took these drugs.

 

I'm off everything and slowly healing, even the akathisia is going away. I have windows now where I am completely free of akathisia. 

 

So I don't think it's permanent at all. It just feels that way.

 

Have you tried going for walks in nature? That can help. Pacing, rocking, tacking epsom salt baths. These are things that may help. 

 

Sending healing vibes your way. I hope you get some relief soon. 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello everyone

 

I am not taking any drugs and haven't since I cold turkeyed the latuda ..I wish I never did that but the aka was so bad on the med I did...

My last pill was oct 21 2016 and it's now Jan 1 and it's still here pretty bad.

 

I don't have any options like reinstating becuse the whole time I was on it I had akathisia which is why I stopped

 

I just read some girl had it for 7 years after stopping antipshotic and it freaked me out(she's also taking zoloft that she says is to help the aka but maybe that's what's prolonging it for her)

 

I hope I'm not stuck with this forever

 

Very sCared and losing hope ...

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi, Annabee.

 

Wishing you a healing and peaceful New Year. I do hope you see improvements this year.

 

 

I just read some girl had it for 7 years after stopping antipshotic and it freaked me out(she's also taking zoloft that she says is to help the aka but maybe that's what's prolonging it for her)

 

 

 

I had more akathisia from antidepressants than I did from antipsychotics, so it's quite possible this person suffers from Zoloft-induced akathisia. It's quite common with SSRIs.

 

The best way to heal from akathisia is to taper off all psych drugs and not touch them again. Even those of us with cold turkey withdrawal in our history still get better in time.

 

Sending healing vibes your way. 

 

 

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Annabee,

Sorry you are still in a bad place. Please dont loose hope.

 

Have you ever taken any drugs legal or illegal prior to latuda

 

What do you think about the idea of doing a drug signature?

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Annabee I've merged the post + thread you started about akathisia to the existing topic on Akathisia.

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 Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

From the akathisia topic in symptoms:

 

Alright guys it's been 11 weeks since stopping an antipshotic after taking that for only 3 weeks.

 

Still have akathisia 24/7 and I know I can't be in withdrawal.

 

Why is it still here I'm freaking out this is a permanent movement disorder and if it is i will not live like this .

 

Annabee, symptoms can and do persist beyond the time that it takes for your body to fully metabolize and excrete the last of the drug and beyond the acute period of withdrawal that the pharmaceutical manufacturers have been compelled to admit.

 

Many people see their symptoms diminish and disappear over time, but it can take longer than 11 weeks. Patience and coping tactics are important to develop.

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 Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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