Nancy1968: switching brands of Cymbalta / duloxetine

[Nancy1968]

Hello, im new here from Ontario, Canada and I was on the apo-dulexitine that has the small flakes/chunks. I was successfully tapering until I switched to bead counting 2.5 weeks ago. I switched to brand name cymbalta and having a lot of issues.  I know it’s not recommended to switch brands, now I know why.  However since I’ve been on generic for so long, I’m wondering if anyone who is on here from Ontario could tell me what they use for bead tapering?  My stomach is constantly upset, nausea, pooping all the time, lethargy.  I was doing fine on the apo-duloxetine until I switched.   Please anyone, if you’ve gone through this in Ontario, and had to switch - what did you switch to?  I know it’s not recommended, but i think there has got to be someone out there that has gone through this mess in the past.  This is so hard on my husband because he doesn’t understand how such a change could do this.  I must be allergic to something in this brand name.  

I appreciate your time and patience with me.

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a peer owned and run forum of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  It sounds like you were taking the duloxetine that had the mini-tablets inside the capsule. We will need more information about your drug history.    Please read the link below for instructions.  This will allow us to give you the best guidance.  We need specific dates and doses for each time you made a dose change, especially over the past 12 to 24 months.  

 

1) generic: How many milligrams was in one capsule?  How many mini tablets were in one full capsule?  

2) name brand Cymbalta:  How many milligrams in one capsule?  How many beads are in one full capsule?  

 

It may be that you are having withdrawal syndrome from tapering too fast, or making a mistake in your tapering calculations. We will need more details. 

 

How to List Drug History in Signature

 

Here is some information about how these drugs actually work.  

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?

 

Tapering is best done extremely slowly, and we taper by 10% of the current dose, so that the taper becomes exponentially smaller.

 

 Why Taper by 10% of my Dosage  

 

Also, as we are tapering, we suggest keeping things slow, simple, and stable. 

 

Keep it Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

When we recover, there are times of feeling OK mixed in with times of feeling bad.  This is called windows and waves.

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms: 

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

 

Magnesium

 

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

I've given you quite a bit of information here.  Please read through it, and mull it over, and we will take it from there. In the meantime, take care of yourself, and take heart.  We in this forum have been through this, and we understand first hand the pain and discomfort you are going through.  Please know that the brain is amazing in it's healing abilities.  It takes time, but healing can and will happen. 

 

Edited April 11, 2021 by getofflex

[Nancy1968]

I’m hoping I’m replying to getofflex in response to my post. I couldn’t type a lot in the signature line so I wanted to add that the apo-duloxetine I am on has the tiny chunks which are all irregular in size.  Since my original post, after 2 weeks I went back to my original weight of duloxetine and trying to restablize where I was before I switch to cymbalta.  The nausea has gone away, but the tiredness, irrational thoughts and irritability is still here. Since then, I’ve had to take 0.5mg of colazapam  daily to get through my days.  
 

thank you for listening. 

[Altostrata]

Hello, Nancy. I am unfamiliar with this form of duloxetine. The capsules are not filled with beads? The particles would need to be coated for proper delivery of duloxetine.

 

Usually, people taper duloxetine by counting out the beads.

 

Are you taking clonazepam? How often do you take it during the day?

[Altostrata]

Nancy, our friends in the Facebook group Cymbalta Hurts Worse have indeed heard of this generic form of duloxetine, see https://www.healingamericanow.com/chw-tapering-guide/#chapter10

 

They say it must be tapered using the weighing method. See Using a digital scale to measure doses

[Nancy1968]

Yes I belong to the cymbalta hurts worse site as well and they were the ones that recommended I switch to the beads, which I did so by taking cymbalta.  

I’m in Canada and I guess this brand of generic has tiny irregular chunks which I have been weighing.  However as I go down in dose, the scale will not register the low weight, that’s why they suggested I switch to count out the rest of the beads. Taper has been going well since may 2019 until now. 

 

I’ve been taking .5mg of clozapam a day, on bad days two tablets.  I still need to function at work and this is getting through the rough patch.  I don’t like taking it, and have done well without it before.  So I know it’s temporary. 

I do also believe a lot of this ‘anxiety’ has to do with my hormones, I’m peri menopause as well I have hashimotos (thyroid).  I’ve got an apt with an integrated dr for Monday and hoping she will be able to help as well as she has supported people through tapers. 
 

I wanted to up my dose slightly to stabilize better, but chw site discouraged this move.  
 

I was just hoping to hear from others that have been through the same experience as me. 
 

thank you for responding.