Stress Center Peer Support

Hi All,

I'm on week 3 of the program and I've also taken Cymbalta and Klonopin for years. With my psychiatrist's permission, I'm going off of my medications. It's not that I feel like I'm all better and totally ready for life without medication; I'm definitely still scared. But it's something I've been wanting to try for a while now because I'm not even sure the medications are helping me. I'm going off the Cymbalta first (was at 40 mgs) and I've been completely off it for 5 days now. I'm still on the klonopin. But I'm going through horrible withdrawal from the Cymbalta. And anywhere I look online just scares me more because it seems that there are only horror stories about going off this drug. I'm feeling horrible myself, but I'm hoping that the physical symptoms will pass and that the mental symptoms are just "rebound" from going off the drug. Does anyone have success stories from going off Cymbalta? Or did you have a bad withdrawal from a drug but it went away and turned out to be a good thing?

I know my doctor said Cymbalta has a short half-life, so it's out of your body quickly. But it changes your brain chemistry while you're on it, so I'm just wondering how long it takes for our brains (and bodies) to readjust to function normally on their own?

Thanks for any insight! Best wishes to all of you!!

I was on a lot of different antidepressants. The last one was effexer and when I tried to quit cold turkey I was like the tanzmanian devil. I fluffed pillows and ran arround the house and couldn't hold still. I even tore up my boyfriends shirt because I "knew" he didn't like it.
Later, I heard of a man who was told to very very gradually lower the dose to keep from having these withdrawal symptoms. It took me 8 months but I am now off antidepressants! I find that I can now think my way through many problems that I just suffered through before. Antidepressants didn't help me. They hurt me and I won't go on them again.

i think you should be very proud of yourself. going off meds is a tough process but that is what we shouldall strive for.i am currently going off paxil cr 25mg. i went from 25(8 yrs)to 12.5(2 months)and now i am on 10 mg(3 months) of the straight stuff not the cr (controlled release). wow you are not kidding when you say symptoms. i was on paxil for anxiety now coming off i am experiencing depression\, not fun. but we can do it. lets float through these feelings and they will diminish. i dont know about you but i feel every feeling 20 fold so when i feel a little different my mind is working overtime. i was told yes our bodies do take time to adjust. our bodies and minds are amazing. lets trust and i know things will work out.

I was on several different meds in the years before I learned CBT and was able to wean my self off (slowly) soon after I became proficient at using the TEA form and Counter exercises.