Tapering off of Cymbalta, Celexa

[starlily88]

THE FOLLOWING 3 POSTS HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM THE ABILIFY-STANFORD CLINIC PATIENTS THREAD AS THEY WERE OFF-TOPIC

I'm on Cymbalta, max dose 120mg, too. When I looked it up, it said there was "moderate" interaction between Cymbalta and Abilify. Yes, it is SOOOO difficult to wean off Cymbalta. If I'm even a couple hours late with my dose, I can start to feel brain zaps. Maybe 6 months ago, I read an article about a man, a physician I think, who wrote all about Cymbalta and getting off of it. He was literally opening up the capsule and taking out 1 bead at a time. If I remember correctly, he gave himself a 5 year timeline to titer down (!) I really feel for you doing this.

I don't know if Cymbalta is the same drug as Celexa - but I was on low dose of that for I think the pain I have, and then years later realized it was making me worse.
Did not know one could not "cold turkey" - which I did.
OMG - I felt like I had terrible flu for one month - this was from stopping Celexa - so it took me ONE year to get off it - never again................... it was awful.
So many drugs are so hard to stop.

 

[starlily88]

I completely agree, but some of us are quite willing to try these medications even if they are dangerous. The doctors that prescribe these medications to us are only trying to help us in any way they can. It just sucks that there are so few options for us. For most of us, LDN is about the safest thing we can take.

Totally agree with you. My Neurologist wanted me to take a tiny dose of anti-psychotic, and I refused for years due to knowing it would harm me - perhaps tardive dyskenesia.
My Insomnia is so bad now- I used to take "drug holidays" so sleep meds would work.
Since nothing worked - I did try 1/2 of Seroquel - and that helped me sleep - not my regular long hours of sleep,
but I can get 5 hours now.
I can stay awake for 2 days, am exhausted, and nothing worked.
In first 5 years of my disease, I slept 12 hours, then awake 12 hours.
Since getting rare thyroid disease - my sleep went away for good, so sad. Starlily88

 

[starlily88]

Hmm, so remember how i said i was going to get off cymbalta in 3-6 months? well thats not going to happen. Getting right back on it. I went all the way down to 5mg and then stopped and then had something close to a nervous breakdown. I dont mention the details. But im back on this damn pill and wont be trying to get off for a loong time.

Don't be sad - I spent literally ONE year getting off not even a big dose of Celexa. I could not believe it took that long - but anytime I tried to "rush" it - I get horrible side effects.
My body got so used to it.
So I titrated on my own - till I got down to almost specks of it - and believe me this ONE year was long.
I was shocked at how little of a dose, made my body so reliant on it, that rushing titration would backfire, so I did
tiny titrates for 3 months at a time, then would go down tiny bit for another 3 months - until one year passed, and my body got used to one speck of it, and I could stop.
Don't give up - it just takes all of us much longer to detox .............. I think, but I never consulted my dr on this.