Gloria: tapering off Cymbalta after two months

[ChessieCat]

You could take 1/2 the increase amount.  So if your updose is 1mg, take 0.5mg and take the new updose/full dose amount at the normal time.

 

Edited February 18, 2019 by ChessieCat

[Gloria]

Ok will do 

thanks a lot 

Gloria

[Gloria]

This is the fourth day since I updosed 10 Cymbalta beads after dropping too fast.

 I still have withdrawals 

 One of my problems is the capsules have different amounts of beads ranging from 100 to 120 or 130. 

 I feel I am taking a different dose every night and it’s keeping me in withdrawals 

 Any suggestions? 

 Thanks 

 Gloria 

[ChessieCat]

I suggest your read through this topic to see what other members are doing. 

 

tips-for-tapering-off-cymbalta-duloxetine

 

 

You could also ask questions of the members who have posted in this topic (or search the site for members taking the same drug) in their introduction topic.  They are more likely to see it there.

[Gloria]

 I need help. I finally took my Cymbalta to a compounding pharmacy after  unsuccessfully counting beads and living in constant withdrawal because my dose was never accurate. Our best guess as to where we thought I was at was around 13 or 14 mg and told him to make 14 mg  capsules and I started taking them five days ago. Since then I have been in agony with withdrawals.  I’m not sure if I went down to much or up too much because I really have not much of an idea how much I was taking by counting beads that were different sizes. My question is should I stick it out at my current dose or make a change? Is the with drawls coming from  updosing or cutting down too much?

any advice would be welcomed

Gloria

[Altostrata]

What are your symptoms, Gloria? What times of day do you take your drugs, do your symptoms follow any daily pattern? 

 

Please keep daily notes of times of day you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms. You can post them in this topic with a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom, drug and dosage) on the right.

[Gloria]

Thank you for responding.

 

my symptoms are body aches mainly arms and legs.

also headaches ,nausea ,eyes hurt. Feels like a bad flu.

 

This is day 6 since I started the regular dose from the compounding pharmacy 

Late afternoon they get a little better.

I think I may have went up on my dose but not sure.

we were taking out 40 beads assuming there were about 110 average in a cap.

That means around 70 should be left.

Checked one of the new caps from the compounding pharmacy and there were 80 beads left.

Thats why I’m wondering if I updosed with the new caps. However it’s all guesswork since the caps have different amounts of beads as they go by weight.

All I know for sure is that my dose was changed.

Gloria

[ChessieCat]

This is an example of what is needed:

 

6 a.m. Woke with anxiety
8 a.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
10 a.m. Stomach is upset
10:30 a.m. Ate breakfast
11:35 a.m. Got a headache, lasted one hour
12:35 p.m. Ate lunch
4 p.m. Feel a bit better
5 p.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
6 p.m. Ate dinner
9:20 p.m. Headache
10:00 p.m. Took 50mg Seroquel
10:20 p.m. Feeling dizzy
10:30 p.m. Fell asleep
2:30 a.m. Woke, took 3mg Ambien (NOT "took 1/2 tablet Ambien")
2:45 a.m. Fell asleep
4:30 a.m. Woke but got back to sleep

[Gloria]

6:30am. Headache,body aches,pain in surgical area, dry mouth, anxiety 

7:am. Took 5mg hydrocodone, 1000 tynenol

7:30 nausea

8:00am breakfast

8:30 am  morning meds

9am. Fatigue arms and legs ache

10:30 anxiety 

12pm lunch

12:30 21/2mg hydrocodone for pain

2pm  fell asleep slept 2 hrs.

4pm woke with anxiety , body aches, nausea, blurred vision, fatigue , dry mouth

4:15pm 21/2mg hydrocodone, 500mg  Tylenol 

7pm dinner

8:30 evening meds, 14mg. CYMBALTA 

9:30 pm.  21/2mg.hydrocodone for surgical pain, 21/2mg. Ambian

2:30am woke drenched in sweat, changed bedding, pain in surgical area, took 21/2 mg.hydrocone

6am woke with anxiety, shaking,nausea, body aching

 

 

Edited April 11, 2019 by ChessieCat
bolded hydrocone

[ChessieCat]

Might be side effects from the hydrocodone.

 

From:  https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a614045.html

 

Quote

What side effects can this medication cause?

Hydrocodone may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• stomach pain
• dry mouth
• tiredness
• headache
• back pain
• muscle tightening
• difficult, frequent, or painful urination
• ringing in the ears
• difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• foot, leg, or ankle swelling
• uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING or SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS sections, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment:

• chest pain
• agitation, hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist), fever, sweating, confusion, fast heartbeat, shivering, severe muscle stiffness or twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, or dizziness
• inability to get or keep an erection
• irregular menstruation
• decreased sexual desire
• swelling of your eyes, face, lips, tongue, or throat
• hoarseness
• changes in heartbeat
• hives
• itching
• difficulty swallowing or breathing

Hydrocodone may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

 

 

 

[Gloria]

I take around 15mg daily of hydrocodone it’s a small dose. I am familiar with the side effects. I’ve never experienced the aching arms and legs with it. Like a bad flu. Most of my meds have side effects.

You listed the side effects of hydrocodone what about Cymbalta?

 

[Gloria]

I have been tapering cymbalta slowly. With no significant side effects (note: probably means withdrawal symptoms) and currently at 10mg.

However  in the last three days my husband forgot to put my pill in with my other meds. 

I am experiencing headaches anxiety depression  numbness and tingling in my feet and nausea.

Can someone advise me?

Is there a way to fix this?

 

Edited July 21, 2019 by ChessieCat
added note

[Gridley]

2 minutes ago, Gloria said:

However  in the last three days my husband forgot to put my pill in with my other meds. 

I am experiencing headaches anxiety depression  numbness and tingling in my feet and nausea.

 

You're experiencing typical withdrawal symptoms.  

 

I suggest that you take your regular dose at the regular time.  Don't "double up."  There is really no way to "fix" this;  these situations of missed/double doses generally resolve with the passage of time.  Unfortunately, no one can say how much time.  Don't taper any further until you've stabilized.  Take especially good care of yourself while you're in this fragile state.  Avoid stress as much as possible.

 

Is there some reminder -- a daily pill box for your dosages?-- that you can put into place so it doesn't happen again?

 

Please don't kick yourself -- we've all done something like this

[Altostrata]

Gloria, please immediately take your Cymbalta dose.

 

I am sorry you've had this gap in your dosing. You are experiencing withdrawal symptoms. You'll have to make sure to take your Cymbalta dose every day, stop tapering for a while, let your nervous system settle down.

[Gloria]

I will take your suggestions, thanks!

Gloria

[ChessieCat]

tips-to-remember-to-take-your-dose-reminder-ideas

 

[Gloria]

Hi,

Unfortunately I need your help again.

I Tapered too fast and have terrible withdrawals at the moment.

I am currently at 6.5 milligrams after adding  1/2 mg. back three days ago.

For a month I tapered approximately 1/3 mg. every seven days.

I have been  doing so well  until I did this and don’t know how to fix it?
Was adding 1/2 mg back  helpful.? Should I add more? So confused as to how to fix this.

Please any advice would be appreciated 

Gloria

 

[Gloria]

I posted on my content page on Saturday and did not get a response.

i hope I am in the right place.

I tapered too fast and have terrible withdrawals.

I was holding for months and very stable and Decided to taper again.

Every seven days for the last month  I tapered 1/3 mg. I am currently at 61/2 mg after adding 1/2 mg back 5 days ago.

Not getting better.
My symptoms are palpitations, back pain, anxiety, depression, skin crawling, all over body is affected.

Ive never felt this bad. Went to ER yesterday they did a cat scan found nothing.

Should I change my dose again?  I’ll do anything , please help any advice
 

[Erell]

Hello Gloria, 

 

I've merged your post from the Tapering section to your thread. This is the place where you can ask questions about your situation.

 

Can you please update your signature to reflect your current medication and the changes you've made ? This will help the team to understand you situation.

 

Take care ❤️

 

 

 

[Gloria]

I’ve updated my signature 

Today is day 6 since I added back 1/2 mg of Cymbalta and still having severe withdrawals.

Hoping for some advice soon

[Gridley]

21 minutes ago, Gloria said:

Today is day 6 since I added back 1/2 mg of Cymbalta and still having severe withdrawals.

Have you noticed any improvement at all since you updosed 1/2mg?  It takes about 4 days to reach full strength in your blood stream and a bit longer to register in the brain.

 

If after another two days you see no improvement, we can look at another 1/2mg increase.

[Gloria]

Thanks for your response!
I have not had any improvement yet.

 

 

[Gloria]

Hello,

this is day 3 since I posted.

woke this morning with nausea, headache, anxiety, body aches and skin sensitivity.

Should I increase my dose? It was suggested I may increase another 1 /2 Mg.
Just don’t want to make these withdrawel symptoms any worse than they are so
need advice, thanks in advance

Gloria
 

[Altostrata]

On 5/9/2020 at 7:16 PM, Gloria said:

For a month I tapered approximately 1/3 mg. every seven days.

 

How are you measuring 1/3mg Cymbalta? How are you measuring 6.5mg?

 

Prior to updosing 0.5mg, what was your Cymbala dosage change?

 

Have you changed any of your other drugs in the last month?

[Gloria]

We are counting balls.

before the updose of 0.5  we have decreased 1/3 mg every seven days four times.

we are counting beads

we have determined 6 beads equal 1mg. by counting beads

[Gloria]

We averaged out the beads as suggested and worked from there counting beads.

This is how we know I’m at 6.5 mg presently...For us 6 beads equal 1mg. Nothing is exact

because the beads are different weights. 
 

[Altostrata]

What was your prior reduction?

[Gloria]

It had been a month of holding before we started reducing again. 
My normal reduction has been 2-3 weeks removing 2 beads.

That was going well . We messed up thinking I could reduce faster since I was doing so well☹️

[Gloria]

Still hoping for a reply and any advice

[Gloria]

Need help tapering lyrica

 

I started lyrica  at 25mg January 2022 and slowly worked up to 125 mg. I was prescribed 150mg but started having side effects  at 125mg so  I reduced to 100mg. I noticed it helped a little with my neuropathy and was hoping the side effects would subside so I continued  at 25 mg Every six hours four times a day. I have  dizziness, my eyes are blurry, I am experiencing confusion, can’t drive or walk straight. I am 76. and never should have been prescribed this. I have kidney problems.

 

I have made several attempts to taper. I cut out one dose to 75 mg three times a day and two days later went into withdrawal.  Reinstated and after several days it  stopped, just the terrible side effects continue.

 

So my husband got the liquid form and is using a syringe to measure my dose.  We have divided it in three doses 8 hours apart. It’s been 2 days

 

How long should I wait to get stable from these changes before I start to taper?  I don’t feel too bad right now but never feel 100% anymore.

 

Just really need to get off this. 

Thanks for any advice, help, etc

 

Gloria

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

[ChessieCat]

I've moved your post to your original Introduction topic so your history is all in one place and you don't need to repeat your story.

 

@MerryJayneFriday Are you available to assist Gloria please?  Thank you.

 

 

[Gloria]

Hi, I woke during the night having nausea and bad headache. This morning my body aches and  I feel much anxiety.

I am trying to get off Lyrica as soon as possible for many reasons and I am not sure how to. My nervous system seems so sensitive 

to any small changes.  We switched from pill to liquid five days and changed my dose from four times a day to three times a day still

at 100mg. Every twenty four hours.

Yesterday we decided to start tapering as I was feeling kind of ok. My husband is doing the dosing with a syringe. He took 4mg off of each dose. My second tapered dose was last night. This morning after a restless night with body aches, headache and nausea it is clear we need help.
 

My questions are:  Since I have always taken 25mg. four times a day did switching to three times from pill to liquid cause this? 

Should I put the 4 mg. back and stop the taper?

If anyone sees this and can help, tell me how to fix this and what approach to take I waould be grateful 🙏🏻
Gloria 

 

 

[Altostrata]

@Gloria what times o'clock do you take your drugs, with their dosages?

[Gloria]

I take all transplant  meds 830 am and 8:30 pm; ambian 5mg 10:30pm

Switched to the liquid lyrica 6am, 2pm  10pm recently from capsules  4 times a day hoping to taper off asap
Holding still at 100mg needing advice

[Gloria]

I take all transplant  meds 830 am and 8:30 pm; ambian 5mg 10:30pm

Switched to the liquid lyrica 6am, 2pm  10pm recently from capsules  4 times a day hoping to taper off asap
Holding still at 100mg needing advice

I feel like no one sees my posts about lyrica because I’m posting under my cymbalta subject. Is there another place to post 

for Lyrica?

[Gloria]

I have been holding my cymbalta at 2 beads from 3. I’m afraid to jump off and it’s been going on a year. How long can I safely hold I wonder?.
Really messed up with starting Lyrica in Jan.  I was almost there😢 . But there was so much pressure to start Lyrica after drs. diagnosed me with nueropathy . They said either gabapentin or lyrica that there is nothing else for it. I caved. Now I beat myself up every day. It’s a very intense,  bad drug for me. Many side effects.
Without the moderators on this site I would still be struggling with cymbalta. Chessiecat 😇and Altostrata 😇. Others also!
I could never thank you enough. You are all amazing that you care so deeply!
 

I have got down to  100 mg. Lyrica. Started at 125mg. Currently holding.