Posted by bleauberry on May 15, 2008, at 19:59:40
In reply to Prozac used to get off Cymbalta, posted by Momcounselor on May 15, 2008, at 15:25:00
Prozac won't completely eliminate withdrawal discomfort, but should lessen it. While getting off cymbalta, serotonin levels will drop fast. Norepinephrine levels will drop fast. Prozac will help keep serotonin up some, and norepinephrine up a little bit, and gently lower them, rather than how stopping cymbalta would just drop them off a cliff.
There are other complicated mechanisms of all these meds, so serotonin and norepinephrine are not the only issues going on. But prozac should help with those. Halflives of medicines...either short or long...have an impact on the withdrawals, but don't completely explain the whole story. The theory with prozac is that its long halflife will partially cover the gap as the shorter halflife of cymbalta fades quickly. Cymbalta halflife is about 12 hours, where prozac is about 7 days and takes about a month to be completely gone from the last dose.
Longterm users of prozac definintely have withdrawal problems from prozac as well. That is usually longterm use though, like years. But even at its worst, it is not even close to the hell of cymbalta, paxil, or effexor.
poster:bleauberry
thread:829265
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080510/msgs/829313.html