Yemondo: Cymbalta - Need to come off within 7 days

[yemondo]

Following signs of significant liver damage I have been told by my GP that I must come off my Cymbalta within 7 days.

 

I have been on them for 4 years (and Prozac for 11 years before that) and am on 60mg - because of the timescale I have been told to reduce to 30mg a days for the week and then we need to find something else for the depression.

 

I am very scared and thought I'd ask for advice/help. Not just around the tapering but I did wonder if anyone else on here might be able to recommend an alternative to Cymbalta that will be as effective (I take it for Major Depressive Disorder, OCD & GAD).

Thanks in advance.

[Abilifyneedhelp88]

Hi,

 

Read your response, I would be highly wary of any dr. who says to get off Cymbalta in 7 days due to the high probability of significant withdrawals within such a short time frame and esp. since you have been on them for so long....you can see from this board and in doing your own research with "discontinuation"" syndrome that this is NOT a good idea...Many dr's are just NOT experienced enough in w/d and claim there "should" be no problem when there definitely are indications of severe w/d symptoms in coming off...I understand you are concerned about your liver but taking the "short road" in coming off may indeed cause you more harm than just liver damage....your liver may be damaged somewhat but I have heard that such things can hopefully be reversed in time( milk thistle I have heard is good)..you may be in for neurological problems..dizziness, nausea, electric shocks, etc..if you come off too quickly...As far as switching to "something" else for your "depression" I would again think twice as this is also not a good alternative in being that as the dr's will try to tell you that there are many diff. kinds, etc., but truly there are NOT...they may act on diff.. neurochemicals but basically the same.with too many side effects in general..I would try simple exercise, thought retraining, diet, sleep hygiene, vitamins, prayer, etc..before I would switch to another antidepressant....There are no magic pills for depression and often times you feel worse on them due to the mental "influence" and physical side effects....Please Do NOT come off in 7 days...just a word of warning....and look around this board for help and more assistance in educating yourself as to the risks involved to where I do not think  your well-intentioned MD has made you aware...try alternatives to the conditions you set forth in the realm of NON-chemical treatment...many of these "disorders" are and can be resolved otherwise...Let "Google" be your friend...Good Luck...

[Jemima]

Hello Yemondo,

 

None of us staff here at Surviving Antidepressants are medically trained, so we can't recommend an alternative medicine or advise you about how the liver damage should be handled. Can you discuss this further with your doctor and at least get some reassurance that there are other antidepressants you can safely take? It sounds as if your doctor has something in mind, and it might be a relief for you to know that you won't have to suffer through cold turkey.

 

If it's any help, many people find that a large initial reduction in dose didn't cause problems. The problems seem to start when reducing too fast at lower doses or just going cold turkey. I came off of Lexapro 10 mg. by first reducing to 5 mg., and I actually felt more relaxed until I halved the dose again.

 

In the meantime, you might want to browse our Symptoms discussion area for non-drug ways to relieve withdrawal symptoms. 

 

Welcome to the forum, Yemondo. You'll find lots of good information and friendly support here.

[yemondo]

Thank you very much Jemima, I really appreciate it and I'll keep coming back here over the next few days to read about ways to cope whilst weaning off the Cymbalta.

[Rhiannon]

Am I understanding correctly that you're cutting to 30 mg and then you're going to transition to a different AD? That may help prevent or at least moderate the withdrawal symptoms from Cymbalta.

 

Stay in close communication with your doctor and let him know if you have withdrawal symptoms, right away.

[NewMe]

Yemondo

 

HI and welcome. I think is is commendable you had the foresight to take control of your medication and post here. So many people find out once in crisis and no thanks to the doctors. 

 

I thank you for bringing this up as my mom is elderly and like you, taking cymbalta. She has advanced heart disease and is an alcoholic. Makes absolutely no sense as to why this drug was recommended. I need to act on this for her sake.

 

I am interested in your path forward. I wonder if your physician is assigning a different antidepressant while you are tapering from cymbalta.

 

Keep coming back and let the fear fall by the wayside. Fear won't help. Being proactive will and it sounds as if you have this under control thus far.

 

 

[yemondo]

Thanks all for your advice/words so far.

 

I do know that 7 days is very quick to come off after such a long time on them but due to the rapid deterioration of my liver, coupled with the fact Cymbalta shouldn't be taken by people with liver trouble, I'm being told that there is a no choice. Obviously I can challenge this if the withdrawal becomes unbearable but I know the GP/MD is more concerned right now about the physical side of things rather than the mental.

 

I'm going to go back tomorrow to see if there is an alternative timescale we can adopt and also if there is something else I can be offered this week to help me come off the Cymbalta.

 

I respect the advice to come off medication altogether but considering I may be about to go through some major treatment for my liver I think it might be something I need to address another time.

 

As for cymbalta being given to anyone with alcoholism then that sounds like it certainly needs to be questioned - cymbalta and alcohol don't go together and there are many posts across the internet suggesting it can cause significant liver damage. Unfortunately I don't even drink so currently have no idea what may have caused my own problems.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Yemondo.

 

I am sorry to hear you're in this position. But you've been on Cymbalta for 4 years -- when did the liver problems arise?

 

If abnormalities have just appeared, it may be a drug you've added recently is the problem. You may wish to check interactions between any drugs and supplements you're taking in this free online tool http://drugs.com/interactions-check.php and post the results in this topic.

 

If that's the case, you might minimize the risk of Cymbalta discontinuation syndrome by reducing or eliminating the other drug. (60mg Cymbalta is a hefty dose, for your liver's sake, you may wish to gradually reduce it to minimize it anyway. The less drugs you take every day, the better it is for your body.)

 

It could be that some combination of drugs, including Cymbalta, is affecting your liver, and substituting another antidepressant may not relieve the problem. Doctors are supposed to watch for drug interactions but often they don't.

 

(Given the liver warnings, which have been known for more than 10 years, whoever put you on Cymbalta was poorly informed.)

 

You may also have a genetically determined (but normal) inability to metabolize certain drugs. You should insist on getting your P450 cytochromes checked. This identifies the genetic variations that might cause you to be low in various liver enzymes. It may Cymbalta or another drug you're taking is blocking one or another of these enzymes, causing liver damage. Most antidepressants are metabolized by the liver; you need to make sure any new one does not do the same thing.

 

Abilifyneedhelp, sometimes there are emergencies where people do need to quit their drugs right away.