[LonesomeTonight]

I had been on 60 mg of Cymbalta for a couple months, went up to 90 due to continuing depression issues and started having myoclonic jerks in my legs and arms. I went back down to 60 mg, and she added on 150 mg of Wellbutrin. I still kept having some issues with the myoclonus (though a bit less), so she decided to taper me off Cymbalta and onto Zoloft, which I'd been on in the past. She dropped me to 30 mg of Cymbalta for 2 weeks while I got up to 50 mg of Zoloft, while staying on the Wellbutrin. I stopped the Cymbalta a couple days ago. (I'll next go up to 75 mg of Zoloft, then maybe 100.)

She says I shouldn't have any Cymbalta withdrawal because the Zoloft is working on the serotonin and the Wellbutrin on the norepinephrine. However, the past few days, I've felt really on edge, and tonight I yelled at my husband about something fairly minor, which is very unlike me. (And no, it's not my time of the month!) I'm also pretty achy. Could this be Cymbalta withdrawal?

Note that I saw p-doc today, which is when she said I shouldn't be having withdrawal symptoms. If it continues over the weekend, I'll call her Monday.

Wow, you've been on a rollercoaster of med changes.

I'm skeptical that just because an antidepressant (or combo) "works on" the same neurotransmitters as another antidepressant that that makes it exactly interchangeable with that other antidepressant.

The symptoms and events and feelings that you've described sound like your body is adjusting to the change in medications.

It doesn't sound like you're having full-blown Cymbalta withdrawal, though. That is very severe. It's very similar to benzo withdrawal. (I have been taking Cymbalta for about 5 years.)

If the edginess is bearable, and if it doesn't get worse, you may just need to give your body and brain time to adjust to the new meds.

I get myoclonus with any antidepressant I've taken that affects serotonin. It's a real pain. I take clonazepam/Klonopin for it, which isn't a happy solution, but neither are Parkinson's meds.

I hope things level out for you.

[*Laurie*]

Isn't it ridiculous when a p-doc says you won't have withdrawal symptoms from stopping an ssri because the new one is 'the same' as the old one? I mean, if the new one was the same as the old one, what would be the point of switching? Obviously, there are differences between one ssri and another.

If you go off an ssri completely and don't replace it with another ssri the withdrawal can be sheer hell (in my experience). BUT if you switch from one ssri to another withdrawal (again, in my experience) is milder. NOT non-existent, just milder. I definitely believe your mood issues can be from stopping the Cymbalta. Sounds classic to me.

[spring2014]

oh my lonesometonight,
I only been on Cymbalta 60 mgs since I went on it in February . I started taking the 30 mgs
of Cymbalta when I went off paxil cuz my therapist noticed it was ineffective for me. im on Cymbalta 60 mgs along with vistaril for my anxiety. my therapist wanted me to to go up on the Cymbalta but my psychiatrist said no . I didn't like Zoloft cuz my old psychiatrist jacked it up to 275 mgs !!!!! I got off the Zoloft cold turkey it didn't work for me I stopped seeing my old psychiatrist cuz of it and my old therapist at the same place that they were working at . im happy with my therapist and my psychiatrist now .

[LonesomeTonight]

Thanks for all the comments! I definitely feel more stable now that I've been off the Cymbalta for a few weeks. The myoclonic jerks/twitching are mostly gone, too. I feel more like myself again. I just feel like the Cymbalta was having a weird effect on my emotions.

My T didn't seem surprised that I was having negative effects from stopping the Cymbalta (she's not a p-doc but has been in practice many more years than my p-doc!) She also seems to agree with my theory that SNRIs (Effexor and Cymbalta) just aren't good for me.

Possible trigger:

I had my first thoughts about self-harm in like 18 years on the Effexor and then my first actual self-harm in that time on the Cymbalta

So I'm just glad I'm off it now and hoping that Zoloft/Wellbutrin will help me.

[AuroraBorealis75]

Personally, I think going from 30 mg Cymbalta to 0 mg is a bit drastic. When I was coming off Cymbalta I opened up the capsule and poured out half the contents so I could decrease more gradually. I used to be on 60 mg of Cymbalta, and i would often forget to take it because I had to take it in the morning, and the rest of my meds I take at night. If I went 4 or 5 days without taking it I would get violently ill with just a moments notice. Once, when I was out for a walk, I suddenly became ill and threw up twice before I was able to get home. Glad you are feeling better now.

[buttrfli42481]

You definitely went through Cymbalta withdrawals. I was on 120mgs of Cymbalta, it was working great, my liver enzymes went sky high and I had to quit the Cymbalta cold turkey. That was the worst week. I had the chills with no fever, body shakes and aches, violently ill, couldn't eat, my mood tanked. The only good thing was I was in the hospital already. I am now on Effexor XR and have heard stories about coming off of it.