How To Wean Off Cymbalta Succesfully

Hi. I've been taking Cymbalta (60mg) for fibromalgyia for a few years. I've tried to get off of it twice. The first time I just stopped, not knowing that doing so would come with such consequences! I had no idea that there would be withdrawals, and such terrible ones at that. The second time I did it with a weaning off schedule from my doctor (which I've since forgotten). Even doing the weaning schedule given to me, the side effects of withdrawal ended up being more than I could take. When I was over the toilet, puking, and rationally thinking how it would be the best idea for everyone if I just killed myself, I knew I wasn't strong enough to go through the withdrawal process.

So here I am, over a year later since my last attempt to get off it, and I'm so over being on Cymbalta. I'm ready to get off of this stuff, but need some real life advice from people who've successfully gotten off of it, and how they did it.

Being a half-life med, I'm not sure that the 'take every other day' weaning process is the best idea - it had my emotions all over the place!

Your ideas are greatly appreciated!

Oh, BTW, doctors and pharmacists don't seem to understand just how hard it is to get off of Cymbalta!!

Thanks for listening, and I look forward to your advice.

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If you've been taking them for awhile, it is very hard to get off of any medication that has an effect on brain chemicals, because your body gets dependent on the medication to regulate them and basically stops doing so itself.

Thus, if you stop abruptly, you get the withdrawal and rebound effects for awhile, until your body starts regulating them again on its own.

Learn more Cymbalta details here.

A slow taper of gradually lowering the dosage on a weekly or bi-weekly basis usually seems to work for most people.

Additionally, you could talk to your doctor about using some other medications in the meantime to help prevent some of the withdrawal/rebound symptoms, such as something for nausea and a low dose Benzodiazepine for anxiety.


Learn more Benzodiazepine details here.

Are you seeing just a regular, general practitioner?

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Hi, thank you for replying, I really appreciate it. During my internet searching for ways to get off I came across a forum where someone had posted their taper process (involves bead counting) and it sounds promising, so I'm going to give that a try.

I'm actually in-between doctors right now - was seeing a rheumotologist then my ob/gyn was giving me the script for the Cymbalta - but I moved cross-country and don't have a new doctor yet, but I need to get on that, probably asap.

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I went off cymbalta after being on it three years. I started out by taking it every other day for about two weeks then went to every two days then three etc. I used an over the counter supplement called Sam E for the roller coaster emotions and advil pm at night to help me sleep. It took about three months to feel normal again. I did take klonopin on rare occasions. Currenty I only take a tylanol or advil if needed. Good luck to you.

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