Anyone have advice dealing with withdrawal symptoms while switching from Cymbalta to Lexapro? This does not feel good. I'm dizzy, like my head is under pressure and kind of throbs when I turn my head or move my eyes too fast. I'm feeling very moody, going from happy, to crying, to pissed off pretty quickly. I can barely speak a coherent sentence and feel like it is a real effor to talk to anyone. Feel on the brink of tears pretty constantly. I was taking 60 mg for fibromyalgia but started having worsening depression, so my doctor lowered the Cymbalta to 30 mg for four days and then two days with nothing, then started on 10 mg of Lexapro. When I told him about the trouble I'm having he said I could stop the Lexapro, wait a day or two and go back to the 30 mg Cymbalta for a bit, then try again. But I don't know if I want to have to stop, go back to the Cymbalta, then possibly go through this again in another week. Any suggestions? Maybe I'm through the worst of it and just stick it out?
Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms Suck?
Question posted by goofgirl on 3 June 2012
Last updated on 20 July 2018
Update: I broke down and took a 30 mg of Cymbalta tonight. I just can't go on feeling this way, even for another couple of days. I don't want to talk to anyone, and I don't eve want to be around my 17 month old daughter. What a horrible drug! Guess I'll stay on tow lower dosage for another week, then try the Lexapro again. My concern now is that if 30 mg will be enough to keep my depression at bay, which is why we decided to make a switch to begin with. If 60 mg wasnt cutting it, I'm afraid to think of how I'll be at only 30 mg, but we shall see. I appreciate the feedback so far. Thank you!
Added 17 July 2012:Update as of July 17: I've been off of the Cymbalta completely for almost 2 weeks and taking Lexapro now. I still feel a tad dizzy on occasion but it seemed easier this time. I ended up going on disability leave from work for a while, so the lack of the additional work stress may of helped with the transition. What yucky stuff. And I don't feel any different with my fibromyalgia pain, which is why I started it in the first place! Sometimes I wonder if any of these drugs are even worth taking with all the other problems they cause. Oh well, I'm not as depressed as I was, so I guess something is helping!
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
18 Answers Page 2
I missed a dose this past Monday because I was so busy with my son's dinner dance and I am still feeling horrible. I cannot believe that a medicine that is supposed to help you can make you feel so sick and out of your mind. I am seeing my psychiatrist on Monday so I can start weening off of this medication. I haven't felt like myself for some time and it's gotten really bad recently & after reading all the different posts about Cymbalta I am sure it's the medicine. I have turned into a green eyed monster! Thanks for your posts and I'll check back in again to update how my weening process is going.
What you are describing is called withdrawal, & for that reason my doctor won't prescribe cymbalta at all. Please read the following paragraph taken from the prescribing information on Drugs A to Z at the top of the page, & have another talk with your doctor about loweing your dose more slowly if he will. I wish you the best & hope you get to feeling better soon...
Withdrawal of Therapy
Possibly severe withdrawal reactions (e.g., dysphoric mood, irritability, agitation, nausea/vomiting, dizziness, sensory disturbances, anxiety, confusion, headache, lethargy, emotional lability, insomnia, hypomania, tinnitus, seizures); avoid abrupt discontinuance of therapy.1 Taper dosage gradually and monitor patients for possible withdrawal symptoms when discontinuing therapy.1
One of my worst experiences with medications was with Cymbalta. My doctor was able to help me transition with Valium therapy. Maybe you should ask your doc if he/she can assist you (I would not recommend you suggest Valium though, let the doc come up with their own solution). Hope this helps.
I, too, call this one of the worst experiences of my life. I'm on my 7th week, not taking Cymbalta. Oh my gosh, the dizziness, upset tummy, brain zaps, not being able to think, work or talk was very frightening. NO DRIVING! HANG IN THERE! I had to reach way down inside myself and just keep striving to achieve my goal. I knew this had to end. I, once again, can function. Not perfectly, but it keeps getting clearer. I do have to stop and take a nap in the afternoon. My symptoms were very similar to being seasick, 24 hours a day. Don't stop eating though. Don't give up. There should be advertisements, tons of information on this medication BEFORE you go on it. Now, this medication really helped me. I did need it. Every life crisis there ever was, except losing a child to death, I went through. I needed this medication. HOWEVER, there should definitely be warnings about when you do not need it any more and stop taking it. I was under the watchful eye of my doctor.
However, he didn't even know of the withdrawal symptoms that normally occur when you not only stop taking this medication, until me. When you lower the dosage, which is when I starting get the withdrawal symptoms, it all begins. Luckily, I own my own business, therefore, I could pretty much work my own hours. Another maddening symptom is not being able to withstand noise, TV, too much stimuli or stress, and just feeling like you cannot participate in life. I pretty much stayed in bed, a lot. It does help to have an understanding spouse, which I did not. Dispite even that, I made it! I'm proud of myself. Just a little of those old feelings throughout my days now. I do know, I need to just go and lay down for a bit when this happens. Helps immensely. Good luck to all of you. Hang in there. There is a good life after Cymbalta. Be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself. It will be okay.
I just off Effexor and onto cymbalta. I had extreme sweats and hives with the cymbalta . I was taking this because I have lost my entire family including my only child. So when my dr learned I had hives she took me off the cymbalta cold turkey. I cannot believe how bad the withdrawal is. I am afraid to even go out. Thank you for your post as I was wondering how I could feel so sick. Now to just get through this
To Zetalana, I am so sorry for your loss. Really, I am. I cannot remember if I ever got hives taking Cymbalta, but oh my gosh, the sweating was horrible. I still have that symptom, although not as bad. Really hoping that goes away. Again, Cymbalta really helped me and I would be willing to go through the withdrawal again, because it really helped me. But it was definitely not easy to do. I found that doctors just really do not know of the withdrawal symptoms and I was glad to see other stories of what they went through. These sites really helped me. I can finally say, I'm on the upward side of life after Cymbalta. Hang in there and please, don't dispair. These on-line support groups let you know you are not alone and that there are others struggling, too. I found that very helpful. Take care.
CYMBALTA WITHDRAWAL, THE WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE!!!
I hope someone who reads this can help. I was taking 60mg and the med did a flip on me, I started experiencing horrible side effects. My GP gradually reduced me to 10mg and then I stopped completely, this was about 8weeks ago and I'm still struggling to get through each day! I have lost the ability to organise and problem solve and I'm constantly light headed/feel like I'm in a fog. Have been taking valium/diazepam to reduce anxiety and recently requested to see a psychiatrist. He increaseased my valium to help and has suggested my metabolism may be extremely slow but couldn't give me a certain answer. Please if anyone else has experienced this hell for as long or longer, let me know so I can be hopeful it will end. Any advice or info appreciated, many thanks.
I'm 7 weeks off cymbalta. Still suffering the after affects. I've been on antibiotics for over 2 weeks for sinus infection and swollen glands under neck. Hot flashes haven't gone away. Nausea so bad some days. Ther should be warnings about this drug when coming off. Also have had to triple my blood pressure medicine for high blood pressure. This has been the summer from hell. I'm 70 years old and hate myself for going on this drug several years ago. I was on 30mg a day. Don't know how anyone could withdraw from higher amounts. Don't know how much longer I have to go through this. One of my doctors said some last 6 months.
Dot
I have been on 60mg of Cymbalta for over 4 years. I knew I would be losing medical insurance with the year, so I began to do a long term weaning off of this drug. I went to 30 mg for 3 months without a problem. I then went to 20mg for 6 weeks without a problem. Then I was told to go to 20 mg every other day and that turned out to be a complete nightmare. The ups and downs, headaches, dizziness etc... I decided that this would only prolong my misery, so I stopped completely. This was three weeks ago and my symptoms were horrible, the brain zaps, dizziness, loss of balance, inability to think, fatigue etc,,, so I decided to try 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), also known as oxitriptan (INN), is a naturally occurring amino acid and chemical precursor as well as a metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin from tryptophan.). After taking 5-HTP for a day I felt remarkably better (but still not normal).
I took one bottle of it and thought I would stop taking it to see if it actually helped or if the side effects of Cymbalta withdrawal had just gone away. WOW, what a mistake that was. Within 12 hours, my symptoms had returned full blast and I felt absolutely horrible. So, I stopped at the store and picked up another bottle of 5-HTP and within 12 hours I was feeling better. This morning I forgot to take my morning supplements, including 5-HTP, and I was an absolute emotional mess with headaches, dizziness, inability to think etc... I took my supplements and within a few hours I felt better. I felt it necessary to share this, because 5-HTP has helped me get from a point of being non-functional to functional. I do not feel great, but I can smile and participate in life until this nightmare passes.
I was previously on Zoloft for many years and getting off of Zoloft was not easy, but no where near the nightmare that getting off of Cymbalta has been.
God bless and good luck to all of you.
I was glad to find out that what has been happening is withdrawal symptoms. I didn't know what was going on. Brain zaps, mood swings, restlessness, extreme anger, hard to get words out, etc. After at least 5 yrs I told my Dr. I wanted off. He's been weaning me off. After 30mg 2x a day I went to 1 a day, then after 2 weeks, 1 every other day, then every third day, now I'm working on every 6+ days. Right now day 6 gets kinda hellish (still each tab is 30mg). I'm going to try to stretch it out a few more days. I wish there was stuff I good get at the store to help with the withdraw symptoms and a local support group. The one thing driving me crazy right now is that my 14yr old son cut himself at work (nothing I could've done to stop it happening, and it's a minor cut on his leg) and I'm not only blaming myself but I'm obsessing about it.
Related topics
cymbalta, lexapro, depression, fibromyalgia, withdrawal
Further information
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.