Has anyone done an AD taper after benzo taper?

If so, how long did you wait to start the AD taper after jumping off the benzo?  What was the AD taper like?  What AD were you on? 

 

I have 48 mg of Cymbalta yet to taper and am in withdrawal from a benzo taper completed on Jan 11, 2018.  The Cymbalta has always made me feel agitated, but I'm very unstable from the benzo taper.  I'm pretty sure the Cymbalta is making me worse, but I'm too sick from the benzo to do anything about it. 

 

I'd love to hear about the experiences of others who have faced this dilemma. 

Hi Garden,

 

Like you, I am also taking Cymbalta as I heal from the benzo withdrawal. I was feeling better and having some windows and I got over confident and decided to try to taper from 30 mg. of Cymbalta. Bad idea!!! It sent me back and I had horrible wave. So I went back on it. I will taper off when I'm feeling better with the benzo withdrawal.

 

I am about 9 months off benzos.

 

After talking to several people it seems that it is better to wait until you are feeling almost 100% better before adding or taking away any other medication. Our CNS is just too unstable in recovery.

 

Hope you're healing and seeing more windows!!

 

Best,

va

 

 

 

Hi,

 

I waited about 10 months after the day I took my last benzo before I began my AD taper. I did not need to be on the AD as I got on it (50 mg Pristiq) before I found out all my issues of anxiety were from being in benzo withdrawal. After I had found out I was already on two months so I just stayed on because I was terrified coming off would make things worse and I was hoping to stabilize. To compiocate matters  pristiq cannot be cut or crushed so I  had to go to a compounding company to have prisiq compounded into .25. 5 and 10 mg pills which is expensive but I am live in Canada and most is covered by my work insurance. I am currently at .25 mg and I am decreasing by 5 mg every 3 weeks to a month.  I initially went from 50 to 40 and then started in 5 mg decreases. It is going very well and have had little side affects. I am still having benzo tinnitus and other minor symptoms so it is hard to distinguish if it is new or just the old and usual benzo issues. 

 

I hope this helps.

Thanks, vaartist and Riversedge, for your responses.  I am wondering if I should try a micro taper of the Cymbalta.  It's very dicey because I'm so unstable from the benzo taper.  But, I've been agitated ever since my doc put me on Cymbalta, so fear that it's making everything worse.  Of course, I could make it even more so by trying to taper it too soon after the benzo. 

 

I wish I knew what to do.  Thanks again for your replies.  I wish you both the best in your recovery and AD tapers!

Hi gardenlady, I plan to taper Effexor to 50% while holding the benzo at 0.25mg (25% my initial dose). First, I'll stabilize at the 25mg during one month or so. Then, I'll cut the Effexor dose every month. I still need to decide how much I'll cut each time but I still have plenty of time to do it. The most important is to devise a method that is safe but practical and not too slow, as well as applicable to slow release pills which is the case of Effexor. Not easy...

Are you sure that the Cymbalta is making you agitated?

Are you sure that the Cymbalta is making you agitated?

Pretty sure as I've been agitated ever since crossing to it from Lexapro.  However, I've been tapering a benzo the whole time, too, so it's hard to know for sure.  But I have a poisoned feeling that just won't go away.  Cymbalta is the only psych drug I'm on, so it's either that or benzo withdrawal or both.

In my opinion, I would not start tapering the AD. It's too early.  In the alternative, I would micro taper it with the idea that if things get worse, you either hold or reinstate the full dose.  Is there any possibility of transferring back to the Lexapro?

 

I feel for you and I can relate!

 

In my opinion, I would not start tapering the AD. It's too early.  In the alternative, I would micro taper it with the idea that if things get worse, you either hold or reinstate the full dose.  Is there any possibility of transferring back to the Lexapro?

 

I feel for you and I can relate!

 

Thanks, CJ!  Unfortunately, it's very difficult to cross taper off of Cymbalta.  It's one of those nasty drugs that once you're on it, you're stuck on it.  The withdrawal effects are nasty and occur even if you taper to another AD.  There is also the risk of serotonin syndrome which is very scary.  If one wants to try to cross from Cymbalta to another AD, conventional wisdom is that you have to be down to 20 mg or so  to do it. 

 

I'd love to hear from anyone else who has successfully crossed from Cymbalta to another AD.

I had zero problems with Cymbalta, either being on it or tapering off (maybe a little). But we are all different.

I had zero problems with Cymbalta, either being on it or tapering off (maybe a little). But we are all different.

keagan, I'm really interested to know more details about your tapering off of Cymbalta.  Did you do this after tapering a benzo or before?  What dose of Cymbalta were you on and at what rate did you taper?  Did you weigh or count beads?  Thanks for any details you are willing to share!

Hi GardenLady!

 

Congratulations on being benzo-free 

 

I wouldn't advise doing what I did, rapid tapers or cutting big chucks at a time  I agree with Jean-Carol, micro-tapering is most probably the safest option  BUT I would also advise you to wait another few months as your system recovers from benzo-withdrawal.

 

Do you know of survivingantidepressants.org? They have lots of good info and a forum where you can discuss your options. In my opinion, we can never get enough info and points of view when it comes to brain-chemistry drugs.

 

Take care! 

Julz xx

I was long off benzos before tapering Cymbalta. Counting the beads in best. Basically I did a daily microtaper of one or 2 percent. Maybe a bit quicker at times. The key thing is after you pull out a few beads, you need to put the rest back in the capsule and close it snugly and make sure it wasn't damaged during the process because the stomach acids will destroy what is left.

I was long off benzos before tapering Cymbalta. Counting the beads in best. Basically I did a daily microtaper of one or 2 percent. Maybe a bit quicker at times. The key thing is after you pull out a few beads, you need to put the rest back in the capsule and close it snugly and make sure it wasn't damaged during the process because the stomach acids will destroy what is left.

 

Hi keagan, what do you think it's the best method to put the rest back in the capsule? My hands are a bit shaky

Piece of paper bent into a funnel. You can figure that out.

Piece of paper bent into a funnel. You can figure that out.

 

Thanks, that's the most obvious way but I saw a video at Surviving Antidepressants where they recommend using your finger to stick the granules.

My response probably isn't the most helpful because I didn't taper, but here to say that I probably should have...

 

I was on 10mg Prozac and decided to give it a try going without it once I hit 7-8 months off Klonopin (especially because it was a lower dose). I had also read that Prozac supposedly doesn't have as bad withdrawals as some other ADs, so thought it was worth a shot.

 

It's strange because, in my research, I read that Prozac withdrawal comes after only a few days of not taking it. I guess it's a testament to how long my body takes to detoxify, because I typically don't get AD withdrawal symptoms until a few months after I've quit.

 

Anyway, I stopped in November but had a ton of head zaps/dizziness that lasted most of January. Now I'm extra foggy, dizzy and have been VERY fatigued ever since - I manage going to work but pretty much stay in bed/on the couch otherwise. I was having some trouble getting adequate sleep as well but luckily, that's started to normalize. I used to be able to manage some exercise which did help with my benzo withdrawal (and to try to mitigate the benzo withdrawal weight gain), but it's been really difficult lately.

 

I definitely don't want to go back now, but I really wish I had taken it more gradually because I haven't seen any positive changes yet.