Cymsucks: Cymbalta

[Cymsucks]

INTRO: I'm on Cymbalta. Was on 60mg but now on 30mg. I WANT OFF. I plan to start my tapering journey as soon as I receive more info/ help from you because I don't understand why Cymbalta is making me feel certain ways. I want answers so bad. With this being said, yes I'm lost and I don't understand why this med does certain things to me but my new journey getting off starts now. Can someone explain exactly what a medicine like Cymbalta is and what it does. I feel totally lost right now. Can't sleep. Can't eat. It's like I'm taking meth 😢

[Gridley]

Hello, Cymsucks, and welcome to SA.  I'm sorry you're having these feelings and symptoms.

 

According to the Internet, Cymbalta is a Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) prescribed by depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia.  It is thought [emphasis added] that SNRIs help treat depression by keeping up the levels of two chemical messengers, serotonin and norepinephrine, in your brain by stopping them from going back into the cells that released them.  Whether this helps depression or not is anybody's guess.  What is certain is that they change your brain chemistry while you are on the drug.  

 

The following link is really a better explanation of what antidepressants like Cymbalta do:

Brain Remodelling

 

Before we can help you, we need some more information.  To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.   Please be sure to include the dates and the rate at which you tapered from 60mg to 30mg.

• Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. 
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) 
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. 
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. 
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 
• Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

Please answer these questions:

 

Were the symptoms you mention (can't eat, can't sleep, like being on meth) present when you were on 60mg or after you dropped to 30?  

 

When did you go from 60mg to 30mg?

 

Did you taper or just drop from 60 to 30mg?

 

Do you have other symptoms?  

 

At Surviving Antidepressants, it is recommended that a person taper by no more than 10% of their current dose with at least a four week hold in-between decreases.  The 10% taper recommendation is a harm reduction approach to going off psychiatric drugs.  Some people may have to taper at a more conservative rate as they are sensitive to even the smallest drops.
  
To get you started, and familiarized with the protocols followed by SA, I am linking a few topics so that you have a better understanding of what is recommended here. 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Tips for tapering off Cymbalta (duloxetine)

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

After you've completed your signature and answered my questions, we can offer suggestions to help you.  SA is a site dedicated to helping people taper off psychiatric drugs, so you have come to the right place.

 

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community. 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 I am glad that you found us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cymsucks]

I'm so sorry if I ask dumb questions or questions that have already been answered. I'm experiencing major brain fog. My question is why can't we put the beads back in the same capsule to take them? Tha no you so much for any and all help. 

[Cymsucks]

I have so many questions and I'm in really bad shape. I went from taking so much Cymbalta to going straight to 20mg. I haven't slept, ate and most of all I can not even think or comprehend. Please help me. My 20mg tabs have 4 mini tabs and my doctor will not give me name brand. I don't know what to do. I go to my Dr. Again today after lunch. Please please help me! 

[Cymsucks]

Thank you for your response. It's so sad, I've read it 20 times and still don't understand what I need to do. I feel so crazy and out of it. I'm so sorry. I can't even follow foliw directions. Im not stable. Please help me get stable do I can do what you need me to do. Please do I need to go back to my normal dose so I can think and try to comprehend what u want me to to do. My Dr. Took me from 60 to 20 and my life has been in shambles ever since. 

[ChessieCat]

Hi Cymsucks and welcome from me too.

 

Before we can offer suggestions we need the answers to the questions that Gridley asked.  These are the questions:

 

On 20/02/2018 at 3:06 AM, Gridley said:

Please answer these questions:

 

Were the symptoms you mention (can't eat, can't sleep, like being on meth) present when you were on 60mg or after you dropped to 30?  

 

When did you go from 60mg to 30mg?

 

Did you taper or just drop from 60 to 30mg?

 

Do you have other symptoms?  

[ChessieCat]

I've moved the posts you made in other areas of the forum and put them here in your Introduction topic.  This is the best place to ask questions about your own situation.  If you post in other areas of the site we might miss important information.