I think I have a good idea about going off Cymbalta
 

:hug:I think I am going to go off Cymbalta 60 mg.:rolleyes:

I pray I don't go into the bad depression, and crying and in bed forever.:confused:

Yet, I figure the Lamictal with keep me stable, the klonapin will help with anxiety and the Trazadone is also a AD but used for sleep.:)

Maybe then I can see by process of elmination that the Cymbalta AD is the reason for my decrease in sexual desire.;)

That's my plan. :)

I am not going to tell my p-doc, since I don't have to see her until April.:rolleyes:

Nikko:grouphug:

Nikko

You have to go off Cymbalta VERY-VERY-VERY slowly or you'll get horrible withdrawal symptoms that can last for MONTHS.

I've written about this before: http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ighlight=taper

Cymbalta and Effexor are chemically the same drug. Some people who taper actually have to open the pills and take a few granules out during the taper process.

I've gone into horrendous withdrawals after just 7 days of not being able to get my Effexor XR prescription refilled. DO NOT COLD-TURKEY CYMBALTA!!

I'm telling you, Nikko, you'd give up ever having sex again to not have to go through what that withdrawal feels like :eek:

Love and hugs.

Barb :hug:

Expect bad withdrawl
 

I too went off Cymbalta and it nearly killed me. Ohhhh it was terrible. Expect bad diahreea if you do it cold turkey. Cymbalta did not effect my sex drive. Usually its the mood stabalizer that effects your sex drive. Good luck but be careful

I jsut read that welbutrin has the least sexual side effects of antidepressants.
I read that the way to taper off meds is to have small reductions in dose over weeks at a time.
say like 5-10% every 2-3 weeks.
You would need for your doctor to write scripts for your lower doses of cymbalta.
What do your therapist/counselors say about your desire to do this?
or is this something you are jsut thinking about?
bizi jsut worried about you.

I remember tapering off klonipin...I really did not have any side effects.
There are some folks who don't have side effects when they taper off slowly.
I think that you are right...the lamictal has anti depressant qualities....so maybe that would be enough protection for you.
It is worth a try... with your pdocs blessing!
bizi

go off it slowly
 

Dear Nikko,
I second and third what others have said about a slow taper.
Here is what Crazy meds suggests:

http://crazymeds.us/cymbaltaDosage.html

http://crazymeds.us/discontinue.htm


The other suggestion is to talk to your pdoc about taking a few days of Prozac. You can switch from Cymbalta to Prozac and then stop the Prozac. Prozac is much easier to go off of.

Definitely check with your pharmacist and your pdoc.
Good luck. I hope you feel better after this. http://www.thesmilies.com/smilies/expressive/huge.gif

Mari

cymbalta is also good for GAD generalized anxiety disorder. I only take half the dosage you take. I wonder if that is why I am constantly fighting depression. Did you check to see if cymbalta lowers your libido?
Bobby

Oh crap......I don't have any Cymbalta left, and they won't refill them for another week or more.

See, my mom takes Cymbalta and has to pay for it. So, when she runs out, I let her take mine, because I get mine free through Cope. We are both on the exact same dosage 60mg.

Now I don't have the money to have her's refilled until Wednesday. I will call for her to get some until I get my SSDI on Wed.

I'm so confused.

Hugs all.............Nikko

need to go back and re-read these posts....

Doesn't your Mom get a monthly Social Security check?? She should have Medicare Part D drug coverage and also maybe something from Medicaid for help with the drugs. Most women don't get a Social Security check that's large enough to disqualify for some sort of Medicaid assistance. She might not be eligible for total assistance, but, she might be eligible for something -- especially, help with the drugs.

Get yourself some pills ASAP. By Wednesday, you're gonna be suffering.

BIG HUGS (and love).

Barb

To do the taper you can ask your pdoc to call in 20mg pills, 90 pills for one month with instructions to take 3 a day. That way you can then taper and still have enough if you need to go back up. does that make sense...
bizi

She won't want me to go off them, unless they are replaced with something else, which I don't want to start something new.

I don't have one for tonight. I will be ok. I can't really get in touch with my p-doc, unless I call her private cell.

I have to figure something out.

Nikko:grouphug:

Well you would still need to taper off the cymbalta if you were willing to try...lets say welbutrin, the AD with the least amount of sexual side effects.
I have a girlfreind who takes welbutrin and is losing weight on it, a pleasant side effect for her.:)
bizi

call pdoc
 

Hi, Nikko,
Wednesday is too late.
Cymbalta has a short half life of about 10 to 15 hours.


Please, Nikko, call a pharmacist and find out how important this is.

Also call your pdoc. Maybe you have some other meds around that the pdoc says will be a good temporary substitute.

Mari

Nikko,
I completely understand your wanting to go off Cymbalta.
But I really hope that you go off it slowly.
You can call a pharmacist if you won't call the pdoc.

As you can see I am worried about you.

You are juggling many things and doing well. Keep doing well

Mari

How much of your anxiety meds do you have left?

I have tried to go off the Cymbalta twice, cold turkey.

Yes, I know. I didn't learn the first time.

But, by the second day I was in tears. Just absolutely unconsolable and my body pain was through the roof.

Today should be tough, but ok. But we need to come up with a plan by tomorrow for both of you. I understand this may not be the way you want to do this, but can you ask Dirk for a loan until Wednesday??

It really is too long to go with out the AD and the withdrawl is a *****.

I am on 120 now. I think I would go harry carry if I had to stop suddenly. (We shall see if my insurance screws me today. I may be in your same boat by the evening.)

I am going to call the pharmacy today and see how much it would be to fill at least half of my mom's.

They won't refill mine until the 28th of the month. See, because when my mom runs out, I give her mine, we are on the same dose, that way she doesn't have to pay, they are expensive, and I get them for free through where go to see my p-doc "COPE".

It's just funds are low right now. My mom is on a fixed income and gets her checks on the 1st and 3rd of the month, Me on the 3rd Wed of the month, and Dirk gets paid bi-weekly, so he won't get paid till Friday.

I didn't have one for last night, I am ok so far, just tired.

I researched Cymbalta last night and the side effects/withdrawal and wow it's scarey. I don't want to have to deal with it. I know once before I went off it, and was a mess, crying and in bed. It took a day or so for that to happen though.

Thanks for all your support. Now time to deal with the pharmacy, which is always such a joy....ugh

Nikko:grouphug: