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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jessers11581 on March 26, 2006, at 16:19:12
Well, I've had enough. I feel like a complete zombie most of the time: I have no motivation to do anything whatsoever, no emotion, and (most importantly) zero sex drive. I'm tired of it. I've been on antidepressants for the last 10 years of my life and I don't want to do it anymore. I accidentally skipped my Cymbalta dose yesterday, and today (despite the odd sensations in my head), I feel so ALIVE!!! I feel like a person again. So I've decided to discontinue this drug.
I've tried stopping AD's in the past with no success. However, I never did anything to supplement the process. This time, I plan to maintain a strict regimen of SAM-e (800 mg. daily), high EPA fish oil, and l-theanine. Has anyone had any success using supplements such as these to make the withdrawal less noticable? I have high hopes for SAM-e, as it has worked for me in the past as an adjunctive remedy for depression. Fish oil is also good for mood, and l-theanine is supposed to help anxiety. Can anyone offer me any additional suggestions for quitting? How quickly should I taper, and how do I do it? Is it okay to take one pill every other day at first and then begin to decrease the amount of each pill that I take? Thanks for any info you can provide! Jess
Posted by john berk on March 26, 2006, at 17:18:23
In reply to going off Cymbalta...any suggestions?, posted by jessers11581 on March 26, 2006, at 16:19:12
Hi jess,
Your plan sounds good, i'm hoping to do the same soon with prozac, [withdraw]. i've used l-theanine a few times, I got great results, relaxing but not sedating, excellent if you drink tea or coffee, it counter-acts the effects of caffiene, it raises GABA levels, like some benzo's!! SAM-E was very stimulating, since you've tried it in the past, it should help alot, i've taken just 400 mgs. and felt energized all day.
i just want to wish you so much luck, it is a scary ordeal, but it may well help you gain back your zest for life. after 6 days off prozac last week, i felt really well, but my p-doc convinced to slow the process down. keep us posted on your progress please...john
Posted by jessers11581 on March 26, 2006, at 20:19:11
In reply to Re: going off Cymbalta...any suggestions? » jessers11581, posted by john berk on March 26, 2006, at 17:18:23
Thanks so much John! I appreciate the support. I am very excited about doing this. In the past, I've had terrible withdrawal problems that I was not able to stick out. But like I said, I plan to use some things to help get me through it this time. Hopefully it will work! When you used l-theanine, how much did you take? Also, is it possible to get the same benefits by drinking a lot of decaffeinated green tea?
Posted by john berk on March 26, 2006, at 21:23:47
In reply to Re: going off Cymbalta...any suggestions?, posted by jessers11581 on March 26, 2006, at 20:19:11
Hi Jess, green tea is definetly an option, it does contain theanine, but i prefer the capsules, they are not real expensive, 1 100 mg. capsule is
very relaxing, you can take between 50- 200 mgs. at a time, some people take it twice a day, it also is supposed to actually effect brain waves, [i know that sounds far out, but true] and gives you a brain wave state like seen during meditation.
i wish you all the best, i have been excited about stopping prozac for quite awhile, i have been on the same 20 mg. dose for 4 years, i don't think it helps much anymore, and i can't tolerate a higher dose. i am thinking of sam-e or st. johns wort, i also take L- tryptophan cap at night, 500 mgs., it raises serotonin, good luck...john
Posted by Phillipa on March 26, 2006, at 21:27:12
In reply to Re: going off Cymbalta...any suggestions?, posted by jessers11581 on March 26, 2006, at 20:19:11
Well first you didn't say high dose the cymbalta was. I myself was up to and taking 60mg of cymbalta last year. I dropped down immediately to 30mg with no side effects. Then I stopped it no side effects The only thing I noticed was that now i had back pain didn't notice it while on the cymbalta. Tried it again this year 30mg and I was jerking my legs all over the place and the sweating and anxiety . So I stopped it. Now I'm trying luvox and I am also going down on it too now I sleeping to much and no energy. I'm taking my vitamins. MVI, B complex, Omega 3,Gaba, ltyrosine .I'm still tired going to go even lower. How can something that is supposed to make you less depressed make you feel depressed. And no they are not start up effects. Been on it too long. Love Phillipa
Posted by CEK on March 26, 2006, at 23:18:15
In reply to Re: going off Cymbalta...any suggestions? » jessers11581, posted by Phillipa on March 26, 2006, at 21:27:12
In Nov I was put on Cymbalta and taken off of Effexor. I started out with the 30mg and then was upped to 60mg when it seemed like it was no longer working a month later. At 30 mg, it did help all the pain I had in my neck and shoulders from all my tension and anxiety but that was all. I think it's better used for pain than as an antidepressant. In January I was committed into the hospital for wanting to committ suicide. On the Effexor things didn't seem so bad and I could tolerate much more. On the Cymbalta I found my voice again and was wanting to tell everyone off instead of putting up with everything. Everything got to where it felt like life was spinning out of control and I couldn't take it anymore. Even in the hospital, my psychiatrist made me stay on it, saying it was a good drug and the things going on in my life was what caused me to get in this condition, that the Cymbalta was not to blame. But hey, it sure didn't help none! I finally went cold turkey off of it a month out of the hospital. Besides not taking the edge off I had bad night sweats, could not pee much at all even if I drank lots of water and diet Pepsis all day and had trouble swallowing. Oh, but the doctor said this was a good drug for me. Sure, really good, if wanting to kill yourself is good. Anyway, after 4 days off of it,( the first four were fine) I spun completely out of control. Bawling all the time, shaking suicidal the whole nine yards. Then after the bawling stint was over then the anger came. I felt like hurting people! I wanted to cus out everyone I looked at. I stuck it out for 2 more weeks, 3 weeks in total until a new doctor but me on 3 new medicines. Still not much better, but at least I'm not a threat to society anymore. What my whole point is, don't let the first couple days fool you. You can miss a day or two without the drug but once it's completely out of your system it can back fire on you. You really need to take it slow when coming off.
Posted by Racer on March 27, 2006, at 1:17:29
In reply to going off Cymbalta...any suggestions?, posted by jessers11581 on March 26, 2006, at 16:19:12
> Is it okay to take one pill every other day at first and then begin to decrease the amount of each pill that I take?
NO, you don't want to do that. See, Cymbalta, like Effexor, has a short half life. Taking one pill every other day would mean wildly fluctuating blood levels, and be worse than useless for discontinuing the med. Much better to get the 20mg capsules, and reduce that way. Say, from 60 to 40 to 20 to 0. You can do it more quickly than with Effexor, but you'll still want a few days, maybe a week, at each dose. And taking one 10mg Prozac at the end can also help a lot.
I stopped Cymbalta after nearly a year and a half, and it wasn't bad at all. The last bit, stopping the 20mg, was nothing. And when I stopped Effexor, it took 8 months to taper down from 225mg, so it's not that I'm some sort of super trooper about withdrawal. Yes, there's some with Cymbalta, but it's not nearly as bad as with some of the others.
Good luck to you.
Posted by john berk on March 27, 2006, at 18:10:08
In reply to Re: going off Cymbalta...any suggestions? » jessers11581, posted by Racer on March 27, 2006, at 1:17:29
http://www.web-us.com/l-theanine_anxiety_reducer.htm Hi Jess, Here is more information on l-theanine, hope u are well..john
Posted by jessers11581 on March 27, 2006, at 23:01:22
In reply to Re: going off Cymbalta...any suggestions?, posted by john berk on March 27, 2006, at 18:10:08
> http://www.web-us.com/l-theanine_anxiety_reducer.htm Hi Jess, Here is more information on l-theanine, hope u are well..john
Good site--thanks John! :)
Posted by Karla on March 29, 2006, at 7:47:20
In reply to going off Cymbalta...any suggestions?, posted by jessers11581 on March 26, 2006, at 16:19:12
I was taking 30mg of cymbalta and I just quit taking it cold turkey for an upcomming surgery. I had no problems whatsoever and felt wonderful being off of the stuff. But a couple of months latter after the surgery I was feeling depressed. So I went back on effexor because I didn't like the way cymbalta interacted with a med I was on.
This is the end of the thread.
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