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comments please, stopping cymbalta

I've been taking cymbalta for almost a year now, but for the last bit it's not had the same effect as when I started taking it..So, with my body adjusting to it, plus the fact that I had my doc test my liver funtion, which came back elevated (not too bad, but not good, either), I've decided to stop taking it. My question is, has anyone else here stopped taking it, and what kind of withdrawls did you have? There's been a couple of times I went a day or two w/o it, and I had brain zaps, light-headed 'dreamy' feeling...will I avoid this by tapering down?...I know that people hardly ever have the same exact experiences with meds, I'm just asking for abit of input from others, that's all. Thanks, lacs

Hello Lacs and welcome to Neurotalk.

Doctors recommend tapering off Cymbalta and most any other Anti-depressant. Your doctor would be able to help you with tapering.

I had been on 60mg Cymbalta and decided to go off of it cold turkey......not recommended. I had a headache and felt a little light headed for about a week to a week and a half.

Hi. I have also been on cymbalta for more then 5 months I think. I started at 30 and then about 4 months ago went to 60. It has done nothing for my pain I feel and am going to talk to my doc about weaning off it. I want to start from scratch with meds. I have tried many others and they don't seem to help.I seem to not get any benefits from meds just the side effects. How did most people go off it in a healthy way? Did you still experience side effects?I know not to just stop cause I have experienced that withdrawl feeling. Does cymbalta elevate liver cause mine is high and before this med it was?
Lacs I'm not sure if you chose not to but how are you and did you switch to another med you found helpful?

The best way to do this is to taper the medication by 10 mg increments every week or two depending on how you handle the first reduction. You should have a doctor or pharmacologist (eg. pharmacist) work with you closely on this. Like sideeffects, withdrawl effects go away with time, and with a good taper you should probably not have many. We hear a lot about the horrible withdrawl effects of these meds, but in reality that only occurs in less than 5% of patients, who usually have been on a medication for a long period of time, and do not taper properly or at all.

Is difficult to taper down. The Eli Lilly company "conveniently" did not make dosage forms to enable this. Cymbalta only comes in 20mg, 30mg and 60mg doses. After 20mg there is nothing. I have read on the net many horror stories about it. You can Google it... Cymbalta taper

A drug similar to Cymbalta...Effexor, has tablet forms that allow for more customized tapering. I have seen and participated in this type of taper.
It costs the patient alot money... mixing the doses, more copays, etc. And it takes time. Weeks in fact.

A pharmacologist is not a pharmacist. A pharmacologist is not typically licensed by the state to dispense drugs to the public..unless he/she has a dual degree and has taken the licensing boards. A pharmacologist is a PhD research scientist who designs and develops drugs. And legally most pharmacists cannot design
tapers for patients. That is the doctor's responsibility. A pharmacist may suggest to you, to demand a taper, if your doctor does not offer it to you.
(which happens more than you would think).

There are psychopharmacologist/MDs who supposedly know more about psychotropic drugs and how to use them. But they are not common, and may be only found in a teaching hospital situation.

There are some Pharm D's who work in nursing home and hospital settings who can recommend (but not prescribe) therapy, oversee Coumadin, Chemo, and radio isotope use. But in the end the doctor must order what is recommended, and in my experience, the recommendations are often ignored! (yes, this is true and frightening).

I take exception to 5% needing a taper. In my experience EVERYONE needs a taper of SSRI/SSNI drugs, for comfort and quality of life. If one is only on Cymbalta for a month or so..that is different. But most patients use this for chronic pain/fibro conditions and have been on it for a while. Compassionate medicine takes a careful taper into consideration.

Thanks. If I choose to go off it I'm going to work with my docter. I have been on many meds like this for mental issues and I know the importance of tapering. The other meds I was on for the pain I was on for short term so wasn't an issue with the tappering.I have always felt my psych in the past has been very cautious. This med though wasn't through a psych but through the neuro. I read about people getting off this med being hard cause of the dosage. I heard some once get to the 20 do every other. I'm waiting for now I guess. Thanks

I cold turkey'd off Cymbalta. MAJOR headaches! After about two weeks, all seemed well. I've had headaches every day since March of 2006 anyway, but off the Cymbalta they reached migraine status. Now off the Cymbalta for over six months, I am considering going back on it to help regulate some sort of sleep cycle. It helped mostly with pain and anxiety. I have a two hour sleep cycle. I don't have the 30mg to ramp up, so I tried taking 60mg two days this week and felt VERY tired the day after. I take mine before bed. Hard to have a life and medicate chronic Lyme and function with chronic pain/fatigue and fog. Good luck!:hug:

5% have bad sideeffects. By pharmacologist I meant a psychopharmacologist such as a psychiatrist, prescribing psychologist or psych NP. You can get 10 mg by cutting them in half.

not encourage people to tamper with a 20mg capsule of Cymbalta.

Quote:

Cymbalta should be swallowed whole and should not be chewed or crushed, nor should the contents be sprinkled on food or mixed with liquids. All of these might affect the enteric coating.

from http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/cymbalta_wcp.htm

http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/InfoShe...oxetinePIS.pdf
from the FDA
1) do not stop suddenly, and consult your doctor
2) do NOT open the capsules

I'd like to see data that only 5% get withdrawal from Cymbalta. I have seen
that Cymbalta is very difficult and unpleasant to discontinue. (much like Effexor)

example:
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/cymbalta-withdrawal.htm

Quote:

BACKGROUND: Discontinuation symptoms are common following antidepressant treatment. This report characterizes symptoms following duloxetine discontinuation. METHODS: Data were obtained from 9 clinical trials assessing the efficacy and safety of duloxetine in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). RESULTS: In a pooled analysis of 6 short-term treatment trials, in which treatment was stopped abruptly, discontinuation-emergent adverse events (DEAEs) were reported by 44.3% and 22.9% of duloxetine- and placebo-treated patients, respectively (p<0.05). Among duloxetine-treated patients reporting at least 1 DEAE, the mean number of symptoms was 2.4. DEAEs reported significantly more frequently on abrupt discontinuation of duloxetine compared with placebo were dizziness (12.4%), nausea (5.9%), headache (5.3%), paresthesia (2.9%), vomiting (2.4%), irritability (2.4%), and nightmares (2.0%). Dizziness was also the most frequently reported DEAE in the analyses of 3 long-term duloxetine studies. Across the short- and long-term data sets, 45.1% of DEAEs had resolved in the duloxetine-treated populations by the end of the respective studies, and the majority of these (65.0%) resolved within 7 days. Most patients rated the severity of their symptoms as mild or moderate. A higher proportion of patients reporting DEAEs were seen with 120 mg/day duloxetine compared with lower doses. For doses between 40 and 120 mg/day duloxetine the proportion of patients reporting at least one DEAE differed significantly from placebo. Extended treatment with duloxetine beyond 8-9 weeks did not appear to be associated with an increased incidence or severity of DEAEs. CONCLUSIONS: Abrupt discontinuation of duloxetine is associated with a DEAE profile similar to that seen with other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressants. It is recommended that, whenever possible, clinicians gradually reduce the dose no less than 2 weeks before discontinuation of duloxetine treatment. LIMITATIONS: The main limitation is the use of spontaneously reported DEAEs.

5% is just my personal experience . I usually don't invite people to mess with capsules. Once they have been on it long enough, and are at a good steady state they you can take 1 20mg qod. I do this a lot with Prozac, and have had good luck doing it with Cymbalta as well. I certainly think everyone should be tapered, some drugs more slowly than others based on many factors that you are already aware of.