![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Phillipa on December 24, 2004, at 0:09:57
Need advise on how fast and at what doseages you may have weaned off Cymbalta without side effects. Did you have to take other meds to help? Please respond if you have done this because I am in the process of beginning myself. Thanks, Phillipa
Posted by Cairo on December 25, 2004, at 8:24:22
In reply to How Did You Wean Off Cymbalta?, posted by Phillipa on December 24, 2004, at 0:09:57
I started on 30mg Cymbalta and had horrible side effects despite staying on it for weeks to see if they would go away. I got a prescription for 20mg, but I couldn't tolerate that dose, so I opened the capsule and found out that there were 188 granules in each capsule. I started weaning by decreasing the daily dose by 5 granules per day. At 5mg (47 granules), I discovered that the side effects were gone, but I had more energy and was not ravenously hungry all the time. There was also a very slight analgesic effect for me (I have Fibromyalgia and was trying the Cymbalta for pain).
So you can taper off slowly by opening up the capsule. Just be sure not to chew or crush the granules as they are enteric coated.
As I was on a relatively low dose (30mg) when I started, the tapering didn't take too long, but if you are on a higher dose, I would suggest tapering more slowly. Try decreasing by 5 granules a day, but if that brings about withdrawal symptoms (which to me are just like the horrible side effects I get, so it's hard for me to tell) go slower.
It makes sense that instead of starting at a regular dose then going lower to get ride of side effects, one should start low and go higher until they experience side effects. I've had too many problems with meds and SE to listen to the doctors and do it "the way the package insert recommends."
Cairo
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.