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(Message started by: Melissa on Feb 14th, 2006, 11:32am)

Title: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Melissa on Feb 14th, 2006, 11:32am
and I'm a little scared.  This is my 2nd day of my every other day taper for the next 2 weeks (yesterday I had a pill, today I have not) .  I have to try and remember that #1 it's only an antidepressant and #2 this is what I wanted.

I've gone off anit D's before and have been perfectly fine, but with all the horror stories you hear lately about people going off antidepressants, I can't help but be a bit nervous (especially since Cymbalta hasn't been around for very long).  

Anyway, I just wanted to tell a friend (or 50 ;)) about what I'm doing, because you know how important a support system is. ;;D

love u guys,
mel

modified cause i never know what day it is. ::)

Title: Re: First day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by vig on Feb 14th, 2006, 11:36am
we'll be watCHing...
if you go all haywire on us, we'll intercede...
keep smilin'

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by nani on Feb 14th, 2006, 11:57am
I'll keep an eye on ya. You may want some of us to have Jessie's number.
Don't worry, melly, things will be fine. It's always a good idea to prepare, though,  just in case.   :-*

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Ghost on Feb 14th, 2006, 12:02pm
Hang tough Mel, You can do it! 8)

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Melissa on Feb 14th, 2006, 2:22pm
Thanks you guys. :)

So far, I have some dizziness and irritability (which is compounded by "that time of the month" :-[), but nothing else.  I am supplimenting my off days with B12 and have some Xanax on hand if I need it.

I know there will be a significant drop in serotonin, so I was wondering if you know of a supplement to counteract that??

Thanks!
mel

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by pattik on Feb 14th, 2006, 2:29pm
A reputable brand of 5HTP may help...also St. John's wort is supposed to be of some use.  You may want to check them out.  Good luck. [smiley=hug.gif]

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Melissa on Feb 14th, 2006, 2:49pm
Patti, thank you for the suggestions.  I had forgotten about the St. John's, so I have added that to my list to pick up this evening.  

I appreciate it!

:)mel

P.S.  Hey, ya'll wanna see a list I found of Cymbalta withdrawl side effects??

http://www.psychdrugtruth.com/cymbalta.htm

it's nucking futs!!!

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Jasmyn on Feb 14th, 2006, 3:18pm
Hang ten Mel!

I'm going through withdrawal now, the irritability is bad but the dizziness and fainting is getting to me.  My serotonin levels also dropped steeply so I use L-Trytophan(Amino Acid) 124mg.  The only thing is, it only gets taken up by the brain when you stay on a high carbohydrate diet or eat absolutely nothing before taking it.

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by BikerBob on Feb 14th, 2006, 3:26pm
Mel,

For tapering off antidepressants, The Road Back program doesn't mention St John's wort or 5HTP. It does mention Power Barley Formula, Ultimate Omega 3, Vital Sleep, vitamin E and Apothe Cherry.

See: http://www.theroadback.org/antidepressants.htm

and: http://www.theroadback.org/supplements.htm

Good luck,
BB

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by E-Double on Feb 14th, 2006, 3:33pm
Take your time and keep good records my friend!

Feel good,

E

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by sandie99 on Feb 14th, 2006, 3:38pm
Good luck, Mel! I'm sure it goes well.  [smiley=hug.gif]
But my thumbs are up anyway. [smiley=thumb.gif]

Sanna

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Ghost on Feb 14th, 2006, 3:47pm
thumbs way up!!!!

[smiley=thumb.gif] [smiley=moonwiggle.gif] :o [smiley=crackup.gif] [smiley=inlove.gif]

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Margi on Feb 14th, 2006, 3:59pm
Hi Mel,
Please be careful adding St. Johnswort into the mix, ok?  It, and all "natural" meds out there do have side effects.  Are you on any other prescriptions?  There could be interactions with the St. Johnswort, if you are.  Please talk to your doc before you try it, ok?  Here's a link to an article on this very subject today actually:

http://healthandfitness.sympatico.msn.ca/News/ContentPosting.aspx?contentid=1b2fb341c55142f1bc7f014836bacbfb&show=True&number=3&showbyline=False&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc

Horrific withdrawal side effects, aren't they?  Kind of a double-edged sword reading about them - you want to know what to look out for, but you also don't want to talk yourself into developing any of those side effects just because you now know it's possible.  Damned if you do, damned if you don't. My doctor gets so mad at me for reading about stuff...LOL...power of suggestion?  

All the best to you, darlin - I know this is a scary step for you but good for you for taking it.  Please do involve your doc in the withdrawal process though - he/she may be able to offer you some ideas you may not have thought of yet.

You're in my prayers, my friend.  Stand strong.

hugs and love,
Margi

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Melissa on Feb 14th, 2006, 4:09pm
Margi, ty for your concern sweets, as I know what the worry wart you are! :-*  BUT, you know me better than that, don't ya hon? ;)  I didn't start this until I spoke with my doc and it was his nurse who suggested the St. Johns Wart when I went in to see him when I had anxiety probs to begin with.  Also, I am on no other meds, so after I'm off the Cymbalta, I'll be RX free.  (omg I cannot WAIT! ;;D)

TY again for bringing up the fact that things should be thought through before taking action and that your doctor should be involved.

hugs 2 u!
:)mel

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Karla on Feb 14th, 2006, 4:11pm
Mel, I just quit taking 30mg of cymbalta at the beginning of Jan. to make sure there was no interaction with my pain meds or anastesia.  I had no problems going off cold turkey and my anxiety actually lessoned to wear I went off the xanax also.  I feel great!  There is no way I am going back on that antidepressant.  To many known potential problems with it. I am praying for you and hope all goes well.

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Charlie on Feb 15th, 2006, 12:06am
http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/gifs/caveblob.jpg

Yer gonna be all right kid. That is how I see myself in the mornings.

You're pretty tough. http://www.kolobok.wrg.ru/smiles/personal/snegurochka.gif?SSImageQuality=Full

Charlie

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Lizzie2 on Feb 15th, 2006, 10:07am
Hey Mel,

Thought I'd bump this back up and ask for an update on how it's going?  Gotta check in and make sure you're still doing okay!!

I may have told you I had some sort of exact opposite effects on cymbalta.  I actually took it for migraine prevention, but I got a lot of side effects and had to come off it.  I was very jittery, my heart was racing, and I think I cried pretty much every day I took it!!  So for me, coming off it was a breeze because I actually felt more depressed on the antidepressant...  LOL

I don't remember how high I got on the dose, but when I came off it, I didn't have any bad effects.  I forget how long I was on it though...maybe 3 months?  Not sure!!

Hope you're doing well!  Give us an update, please!! :)

Hugz,
Carrie :)

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Melissa on Feb 15th, 2006, 10:21am
Hey Carrie, thanks for asking!

I'm doing very well so far, but have noticed that after not having a pill yesterday, and taking one this morning, I am having some nausea and anxiety.  I was doing GREAT yesterday, so this is a disappointment having to have these side effects. :(  If I keep going in this up and down mood, I'm going to seriously consider just stopping it all together.  I will let my doc know, of course, of what I'm doing, but he really can't tell me to keep up with the every other day thing when it's making things worse than just quitting it all together. :-/  Anyway, I'm only on a 30mg a day dose and have been on it since Sept. 23rd, 2005.  

I did check on the half life of the Cymbalta, and it is out of the system within 2-3 days, but it still remains in the brain for longer.  That is where the concern of serotonin levels dropping, from coming off abruptly, come from.  

See?  I understand some of this scientific crap, LOL!

But seriously, I will give it a couple more days of the taper, and if I find it's playing with my system too much, I'm just going to stop taking it.  I have some suppliments I can take to help with the transition.  

Oh, and I also forgot to add in yesterday's post, that I have not had a Xanax in over 3 weeks already.  So I'm doing really well!

:)mel

modified for punctuation

Title: Re: 2nd day of Cymbalta taper...
Post by Lizzie2 on Feb 15th, 2006, 10:40am
Mel -

Glad to hear things are still going well for the most part!  Also - congrats on not needing to take a xanax for 3 weeks!  That's awesome! :)

So even with the anxiety from the taper side effects, you're still not needing to take a xanax to treat it, which is awesome.  Looks like you've developed some good skills to help combat the physical anxiety symptoms so that you don't have as much need for the xanax, which is a really good thing to have in place when coming off a med like cymbalta that may have helped ease anxiety symptoms, too. Very cool.  :)

When I was tapering onto Zonegran, I used to have to take it every other day because it has a very long half life, and if I started taking it every day right off the bat, then it may have been too much for me.  Well - because the peak hits about 24 hours after taking it, I used to wake up on the day I didn't take the med and throw up every single time because of the nausea from the med.  It took me the longest damn time to connect the vomiting with the med because it was occuring on the opposite day...until I realized that I was getting sick at the peak time of the med's effect for me! haha  Side effects will make ya nuts...   ::)

Glad you have a plan to keep communicating with your doc - esp if you decide you want to just get off it more quickly.  I've gotten off meds more rapidly than planned many times, but always had to contact my doc first.

Hugz,
Carrie :)



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