Ramping down on Cymbalta - any tips?

[PallasKat]

Hello Possums!

I have not posted for several years - life got in the way....which actually sounds like a good thing when dealing with CFS/ME/Fibro.....right?

I have been on Cymbalta for 7 years. It has vastly improved my life. It gave me to strength to re-enter the world of other human beings, and the ability to love them again. I was so isolated before Cymbalta and truly felt like another species of person living among aliens. It relieved so much physical and emotional pain. I was even able to create a nice little business in that time, that allows me to work from home and choose my hours.

But after having gained about 50lbs (approx 22 kilos) from the side effect of extreme carb craving AND after going through the torturous symptoms of withdrawal after missing just one pill, I've decided that I am done with this drug. The extra weight cannot be helping my ME/Fibro pain issues! It certainly doesn't help my self-esteem and depression.

I have successfully ramped down from 190mg to 30mg over the last 4 months. On 30mg the withdrawals have started and it's not pretty: flu-like fatigue, all over body pain, major brain fog, head and neck pain, sore throat, fever flashes, muscle weakness, sudden weepiness, and a very tender stomach. I have spent two full days in bed during the past week on 30mg. Some of this I realize, must be my "base-line"....but the rest is pretty intense.

One thing that is helps is that I started taking 2.5 mg of a cannabis edible every 3 to 4 hours during the day (normally I only use it for sleep). Luckily, I live in a pot-friendly state and I can purchase 10mg recreational edibles and break them down into small bits. This helps "round the edges" especially regarding the loss of energy and depression.

I have read several other posts about Cymbalta here on Phoenix Rising, and it seems to affect everyone differently - but the common complaint overall, are the withdrawal symptoms.

Any other tips? I welcome all suggestions...and thank you in advance

P-Kat

 

[Shoshana]

H, @PallasKat

I don't have the answers on that, but I want to say hello to you,

and I wonder if it might help to lower it more slowly, at this point/stage of decrease.

Such as either, going back up a little, for some days, till you feel better, and lowering in tinier increments over a longer time, than you did recently.
OR, perhaps, taking the 30mg every other day, and on the other days, take a little more, such as 50mg? It helps with some drugs but I don't know if it is a good match for that particular one. You might get more info on it from a pharmacist? And ideas from them?

I don't know the half life, or how long it stays in your system, each dose.
And I don't know, if you stick with this 30, how long till you might get used to it, and the bad withdrawal symptoms abate.

I hope that others might know those things.

I also wanted to congratulate you on getting down to 30 mg, from where you were. In my mind, that IS an accomplishment.

 

[PallasKat]

Thank you so much Shoshana for your kind words and encouragement!

I have read, on other forums, that you CAN open the caps and adjust you dose of Cymbalta slightly here and there. The caps only come in doses of 20, 30 & 60mg.

I do like your idea of upping it a bit on bad days, I hadn't thought of that!

I don't think my pharm. would ever advise this, so it's something I would bring up with my PCP. She is wonderful and very open minded. I have been in touch with her via email through this process.

Thank you again for the suggestion

P-Kat

H, @PallasKat

I don't have the answers on that, but I want to say hello to you,

and I wonder if it might help to lower it more slowly, at this point/stage of decrease.

Such as either, going back up a little, for some days, till you feel better, and lowering in tinier increments over a longer time, than you did recently.
OR, perhaps, taking the 30mg every other day, and on the other days, take a little more, such as 50mg? It helps with some drugs but I don't know if it is a good match for that particular one. You might get more info on it from a pharmacist? And ideas from them?

I don't know the half life, or how long it stays in your system, each dose.
And I don't know, if you stick with this 30, how long till you might get used to it, and the bad withdrawal symptoms abate.

I hope that others might know those things.

I also wanted to congratulate you on getting down to 30 mg, from where you were. In my mind, that IS an accomplishment.

 

[Shoshana]

My guess, and again, it is a guess, is that it might be better to go onto a regular pattern, whichever you decide on,
of a reduced overall weekly dose from your previous, but higher than the 30mg X 7,

having regular days that you take a bit more,
such as 2 or 3 times a week, or every 2 days, or every 3 days, for a month perhaps, that you add some,

rather than just taking extra on worse days. But yes, your PCP would know much about which option fit best for tht particular med.

I did think of what you did, that most pharmacists are bound by law, to say only, take it as its written on the script.
Though some are willing to give additional general info. That might help you to decide something.

And 2 of the smaller 20mg dose, equals 40, so maybe that is the dose you should be on, until you stabilize, I don't know.

I wonder if your doctor would say how long you would suffer so much, if you continue as you are on the 30mg.

Good wishes for you!

 

[hmnr asg]

hi there,
i am going through the same process right now: getting off cymbalta (duloxetine).
This is a very tough drug to get off of. So you have to go slowly. There are actual facebook groups dedicated to quitting cymbalta.
The trick is to get a high precision scale off of amazon and empty the capsule and go down REALLY SLOWLY.
the capsules are filled with these "beads" and some people just reduce their dose by one single bead per day (which would take a few months to quit).
Other than that, just hang in there, it wont be easy!

As for why im quitting cymbalta: i also had a very positive reaction to it initially. I took it for my trigeminal neuralgia pain. My side effects were constipation and severe reduction of libido (zero). But the worst part was that my OCD got worse (while my depression got better ! ). So i ended up having more intrusive thoughts than usual. But the final decision to quit came when i started getting MUCH more tired. I am not sure if this is a crash that has nothing to do with cymbalta or its the cymbalta, but i decided to ramp down my dose and quit. If the crash is not related to cymbalta then i really am shooting myself in the foot because the cymbalta had reduced my trigeminal neuralgia pain to an almost zero.

Anyways, good luck to you!

EDIT: i just realized i posted this five months after the last post! :| sorry and hope you have gotten off your cymbalta by now.

H

 

[lenin]

My side effects were constipation and severe reduction of libido (zero)

is the reduction of libido normal to all antidepressants?

I've been a week on 10mg amitryptiline and the first days I slept really good, almost like before of my CFS onset, however I have noticed that I have lost my libido these days... Im 30 years old and I dont know if it is worth to "pay this price"...

Im thinking about using cannabis for sleeping, I tried already and made some effect, not a solution but at least I dont have the libido issue.

 

[hmnr asg]

is the reduction of libido normal to all antidepressants?

I've been a week on 10mg amitryptiline and the first days I slept really good, almost like before of my CFS onset, however I have noticed that I have lost my libido these days... Im 30 years old and I dont know if it is worth to "pay this price"...

Im thinking about using cannabis for sleeping, I tried already and made some effect, not a solution but at least I dont have the libido issue.

Dear Comrade @lenin
Different antidepressants seem to reduce libido to varying degrees for different people. I have been on a few and the reduction on libido was different on each. Zoloft was pretty mild but Cymbalta is pretty severe.
I have a moderate case of CFS so sex always causes a crash, and so i see this reduction of libido as a plus.
Amitriptyline is a sedating one and does tend to make people feel sleepy.

Anywyas, good luck and long live the people's revolution!

 

[lenin]

Dear Comrade @lenin
Different antidepressants seem to reduce libido to varying degrees for different people. I have been on a few and the reduction on libido was different on each. Zoloft was pretty mild but Cymbalta is pretty severe.
I have a moderate case of CFS so sex always causes a crash, and so i see this reduction of libido as a plus.
Amitriptyline is a sedating one and does tend to make people feel sleepy.

Anywyas, good luck and long live the people's revolution!

Thanks for your response! I will keep an eye!