Judy: Cymbalta / duloxetine

[Judy]

In my present state of mind I am so so overwhelmed by the amount of reading and information out there. I am however making my way through it. I have tried twice (unsuccessfully) to come off medication. 

I am supported by 2 naturopaths an a Integrative Dr.a psychologist and a Faster EFT practitioner.

I would like to know (if there is a section) where it gives you the exact formula for tapering. I’ve been on medication 16 years, originally (and wrongly) put on for post natal depression. I’m currently on 60mg of Cymbalta which is in itself causing me anxiety.

Many Thanks

[ChessieCat]

Hi Judy and welcome to SA,

 

You've come to the right place.  There is a wealth of information on this site.  SA exists because the medical profession do not understand tapering and withdrawal.

 

I agree that it can be overwhelming when you first start reading the information on the site.  Many members feel the same way.  I will break the information into separate posts.  Start with the first post and work your way through from the top down.  When reading the links you don't necessarily have to read the entire topic, just start at the first page and see what you can learn.  You might want to take notes and jot down which link it was so you can find it again if you want.  If you get overwhelmed, have a break and then come back to researching.  Understanding how the drugs work and what happens when they are stopped too quickly can help you to make informed decisions.

 

This is your own Introduction topic where you can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

 

To start with please create your drug signature.  Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please.  Thank you.

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

 

SA's recommends tapering by no more than 10% of the current dose with a hold of about 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.  Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

When we reduce a dose we can sometimes experience some mild withdrawal symptoms as the brain gets used to a lower dose.  This is reasonably normal.  If the withdrawal symptoms are more than mild then it means you are reducing too much/too quickly and will need to slow down.  It's important to listen to your body and your symptoms.  It's a good idea to keep daily symptom notes so that you can be objective about them.

 

This is your own Introduction topic where you can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

 

LINKS:

 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?
 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Tips for tapering off Cymbalta (duloxetine)

 

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms? 

 

Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Withdrawal Normal Description

[ChessieCat]

When we take a psychiatric drug, we are adding chemical/s to the brain.  The brain then has to change to adapt to getting the chemical/s.  It might have to change something to do with A and then once that change has been made it affects B so another change has to be made and so on down the line.  It is a chain reaction, a domino effect.

 

The same thing happens when we take the drug away.  That's why we can experience such a vast array of withdrawal symptoms, and they can change, and be of different intensity.  These explain it really well:

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

On 8/31/2011 at 5:28 AM, Rhiannon said:

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long.

 

AND

 

On 12/4/2015 at 2:41 AM, apace41 said:

Basically- you have a building where the MAJOR steel structures are trying to be rebuilt at different times - ALL while people are coming and going in the building and attempting to work.

It would be like if the World Trade Center Towers hadn't completely fallen - but had crumbled inside in different places.. Imagine if you were trying to rebuild the tower - WHILE people were coming and going and trying to work in the building!  You'd have to set up a temporary elevator - but when you needed to fix part of that area, you'd have to tear down that elevator and set up a temporary elevator somewhere else. And so on. You'd have to build, work around, then tear down, then build again, then work around, then build... ALL while people are coming and going, ALL while the furniture is being replaced, ALL while the walls are getting repainted... ALL while life is going on INSIDE the building. No doubt it would be chaotic. That is EXACTLY what is happening with windows and waves.  The windows are where the body has "got it right" for a day or so - but then the building shifts and the brain works on something else - and it's chaos again while another temporary pathway is set up to reroute function until repairs are made.  

 

[ChessieCat]

During any taper, there will be times of discomfort.  We strongly encourage members to learn and use non drug coping techniques to help get through tough times.

 

Understanding what is happening helps us to not get caught up with the second fear, or fear of the fear.  This happens when we experience sensations in our body and because we don't understand them we are scared of them and then start to panic.

 

This document has a diagram of the body explaining what happens in the body when we become anxious:

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/AnxietySelfHelp.pdf

 

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help ...

 

Audio FEMALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Audio MALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

dealing-with-emotional-spirals

 

Dr Claire Weekes suffered from anxiety and learned and taught ways of coping.  There are videos available on YouTube.

 

Claire Weekes' Method of Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System

 

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes

 

CBT Course:  An Introductory Self-Help Course in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

 

Resources:  Centre for Clinical Interventions (PDF modules that you can work through, eg:  Depression, Distress Intolerance, Health Anxiety, Low Self-Esteem, Panic Attacks, Perfectionism, Procrastination, Social Anxiety, Worrying)

 

On 4/28/2017 at 4:03 AM, brassmonkey said:

 

AAF: Acknowledge, Accept, Float.  It's what you have to do when nothing else works, and can be a very powerful tool in coping with anxiety.  The neuroemotional anxiety many of us feel during WD is directly caused by the drugs and their chemical reactions in the brain.  Making it so there is nothing we can do about them.  They won't respond to other drugs, relaxation techniques and the like.  They do, however, react very well to being ignored.  That's the concept behind AAF.  Acknowledge, get to know the feeling involved, explore them.  Accept, These feelings are a part of you and they aren't going anywhere fast. Float, let the feeling float off as you get on with your life as best as you can.  It's a well documented fact that the more you feed in to anxiety the worse it gets.  What starts as generalized neuroemotinal anxiety can be easily blown into a full fledged panic attack just by thinking about it.

 

I often liken it to an unwanted house guest.  At first you talk to them, have conversations, communicate with them.  After a while you figure out that they aren't leaving and there is nothing you can do to get rid of them.  So you go on about your day, working around them until they get bored and leave.

 

It can take some practice, but AAF really does work.  I hope you give it a try.

 

 

[Carmie]

Hi Judy, 

 

I’m struggling to think tonight but I wanted to welcome you to SA. 

 

FasterEFT is amazing. It’s helped me with so much. I have a friend who is a practioner and she’s helped me a lot. I also practiced it in my own.

 

I’ve been so slack with it lately though, even though I know it’s helped me so much with a lot of things in my life. I think you and I need to keep each other motivated to keep practicing it. Sending hugs🤗

[Judy]

Thank you Carmie for the lovely welcome.

yes I need to practice a lot more too. 

Sometimes it all seems so difficult and expensive.

I’m petrified to start the withdrawal process again but hopefully this time will be better.

xxx 

[WantoffVen]

Welcome to SA, Judy. Don't be petrified. If you follow this site's slow withdrawal guidelines you'll be okay. You just have to have the mind set it won't be fast. That's why so many get in trouble so often trying to wean off quickly. Now I weaned faster than recommended for a few months and then found this site and put the brakes on. I'm doing okay in spite of it so far but slow from the start is best. Good luck and welcome aboard.

[Gridley]

On 1/8/2019 at 5:54 PM, Judy said:

I am supported by 2 naturopaths an a Integrative Dr.

 

Just a cautionary note: unfortunately, alternative medical practitioners, like their allopathic counterparts,  generally know very little about antidepressant withdrawal and slow safe tapering.  They will tend to load you up on lots of supplements that are poorly tolerated by those of us in withdrawal.

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Judy]

Thank you. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful. 

Interisting re supplements, I’ll keep that in mind. I’m on quite a few hoping to get my body ‘optimal’ for taper. My naturopath was on ad once herself so understands. 

Im also addressing hypothyroid. NO Dr ever tests the RT3 (in Australia anyway)

Ticking as many boxes as I can before getting started. 😊

[Judy]

7 hours ago, WantoffVen said:

Welcome to SA, Judy. Don't be petrified. If you follow this site's slow withdrawal guidelines you'll be okay. You just have to have the mind set it won't be fast. That's why so many get in trouble so often trying to wean off quickly. Now I weaned faster than recommended for a few months and then found this site and put the brakes on. I'm doing okay in spite of it so far but slow from the start is best. Good luck and welcome aboard.

Thank you.

I am still figuring out how this site works etc.

But by the information provided I did it way too fast. I didn't experience any horrific effects until the 3 month mark though. Then all hell broke loose.

 

 

 

[Judy]

21 hours ago, Carmie said:

Hi Judy, 

 

I’m struggling to think tonight but I wanted to welcome you to SA. 

 

FasterEFT is amazing. It’s helped me with so much. I have a friend who is a practioner and she’s helped me a lot. I also practiced it in my own.

 

I’ve been so slack with it lately though, even though I know it’s helped me so much with a lot of things in my life. I think you and I need to keep each other motivated to keep practicing it. Sending hugs🤗

Whoops I replied to myself  still figuring out how this works.

Thank you for the lovely welcome.

[Carmie]

7 hours ago, Judy said:

Thank you Carmie for the lovely welcome.

yes I need to practice a lot more too. 

Sometimes it all seems so difficult and expensive.

I’m petrified to start the withdrawal process again but hopefully this time will be better.

xxx 

 

Hi Judy, 

 

I’ve been slack too with the FasterEFT. I haven’t done it for months, but it’s the one thing that really, really helps me with emotions. It works extremely well. I think you and I have to motivate each other to keep doing it. 

 

You don’t need to see a practioner, you can do it at home yourself for nothing. I do have a friend though, that’s a practioner, but I haven’t had any sessions with her for ages. She doesn’t charge me much. 

 

I know tapering is very scary, but we can do this. It’s all about going really slowly and having long holds inbetween tapers. Sending hugs🤗