Paxil to Cymbolta - has anyone made that switch

In the new year, it is time for me to make the Paxil switch - got my asthma under control, my sleep apena and working on my GERD.
This will be 6th attempt off paxil - tried it all cold turkey, tapering, going on Prozac.With the Prozac - I had hallucinations.... yousa... spiders climbing the walls

I have say I'm scared.

The cybolta is to address my fribrom. In addition losing some weigth would also helpthe apena.

So my guess is that Cymbolta will have me bounsing off the walls - similar to prozac.

Did anyone have a similair switch?

I've been on Paxil about 6 years I think - 30 mg.

Anyone willing to lend moral support during the withdrawal process?

I'm determined to be successful this time.

Thanks Much....

There is really no relationship between these 2 drugs at all. Taper the Paxil slowly, and add in the Cymbalta when you are done tapering. Take the Cymbalta in the AM, and if you need help with sleep try AmbienCR or Lunesta.

I switched from 60mg Paxil to Cymbalta. It was not as rough as I expected. However, I did initially drop too quickly and had a few days that were uncomfortable.

My pdoc erred on the side of keeping my doses of Cymbalta a little high until I was comfortable with it. I took about 6 weeks to taper completely off the Paxil. I stayed at 10 mg of Paxil for maybe 3 or 4 days longer than I really needed to, just to make sure that I was at maximum levels of the Cymbalta before I dropped the Paxil completely.

I had been on Paxil for nearly 7 years. The Cymbalta makes me feel more awake, more alert, and less blank. But it isn't a hyperactive awakeness. It has also helped with my chronic pain (fibromyalgia).

I was just going to start a thread about this subject, when I saw Freewill's post. I am on 60mg Paxil, for about 5 years and I would like to switch to Prozac or Cymbalta. The reason? Weight gain.

I haven't tried to stop the Paxil yet, and in reading all the horror stories of Paxil withdrawal, I'm afraid to try. I know we are all different in how we react to these ADs/APs, but I would appreciate anyone here, who has been through the withdrawing and changing effects, to spill the details and what you did to make it less painful.

Thanks a bunch

Herself

Not everyone has withdrawal symptoms with a switch. I switched from 40mg paxil to nortriptyline with no withdrawals.

Good luck!

Agreed. We talk so much about how bad paxil and effexor CAN be, but realistically most people can come off of them or switch to another quite easily. Out of every 10 people I have done this with, only 1 or 2 will have sideeffects.

as has been pointed out over and over, we're all different and react in different ways to drug withdrawal. i don't think it makes much difference what drug it is, there can be withdrawal from almost any of these meds......as my internist said, "you can have a side effect from any med".......it's us/meds....xoxoxo pat p.s. i'll hold your hand through it....

I wish that I could be more positive but I can't. My history is painful with the paxil. I worked with my pyschriatrics so that I was under the care of a professional as well as a therapist. My body is very senistive to drugs. The medications that I'm severely allergic to is very long. Being a readhead, I hear makes you more senistive to many things. But the 5 times I tried, one time I got hallcuations - when I went on prosac - spiders walking the walls. The hot flashed, zaps, weakness, throwing up like the flu. Distorted thinking.I didn't try for 2-3 weeks and give up. I went for months.
My guess that the Dr. is trying to minize the effect so that it won't be as scary to go off paixl for other people. But for me it has proven very very difficult. I was looking for both support and help to go thru this process from the people in this forum.
It's thru that we are all made differently so someone else may breeze right thru but unfortuately I'm not one of them.
It truly is a horror story for me and I'm scared of trying again.

I have made the switch and like the Cymbalta way more than the Paxil... or any other drug I have tried... I have been on everything except Prozac and can say this is a better drug (for me).
I won't stop trying to find something that will allow me to be Me again..
Good Luck and God Bless,
ziggymuzik

I am not trying to minimize or mislead, but am just reporting what I have seen. I have directly removed thousands from Paxil/effexor and about 10% have a problem. Of course I have this done these changes correctly, and not how they are often done by PCP's or psychiatrists who won't see you for 2-3 months. As I have said before, most negative drug effects can be avoided or minimized by effective dosing, monitoring or supplementation. My best advice to you is to demand your doc listen to you and use their skills to help make sure your meds are used effectively...don't ask, demand.

Okay.... let me try to be more specific.... Keep in mind that I did this under the very strict supervision of my pdoc.

To start, I was on 60 mg of Paxil.

Day 1: Dropped to 40 mg of Paxil, took 30 mg Cymbalta.

Day 15: Dropped to 20 mg of Paxil, took 40 mg cymbalta.

Day 20: Dropped to 10mg of Paxil took 40 mg cymbalta

....at this point, the drop was too steep, so I stayed at this level for awhile.

Day 21 Took 10mg of Paxil, 50 mg cymbalta

Day 30 10 mg paxil, 50 mg cymbalta

Day 35(I think) 10 mg paxil, 60 mg cymbalta

Day 38 no Paxil, 60 mg cymbalta

There were days, as drug serum levels shifted, where I felt slow or tired. My doc wanted to err on the side of keeping the SSRI levels up until the cymbalta was at maximums.... that is why I remained on 10 mg Paxil after I went up to 60 mg of the cymbalta.

I am just guessing at the actual timeline. It took 5-6 weeks, I think. As long as I erred on the side of keeping the SSRI a little high, I didn't have brain zaps or really weird problems.

Keep in mind, again, that this was done under very close supervision by my pdoc (who has supervised my meds for the last 10 years). If I had shown more bad withdrawal symptoms from the Paxil, he would have slowed the switch even more. As it was, I think I pushed it too quickly. But after I reached the 60 mg of cymbalta, I rebounded, and I am fine now.

thank you for explaining to freewill how it was done. i can't explain that with the effexor, because we counted out the little balls and it's been too long since i did it to remember how slow/fast we went. but it did take a long time......

it really helps for a poster to get a first hand explanation of something that is scaring her so much. i know i'd never want to repeat the effexorxr withdrawal and i went into it blind.

you've really seen a lot of patients through med changes.

I see my pdoc ever 4 weeks and if I decide to to go thru the switch he would see me more frequenty. He is a highy respected member of one of major mental health hospitals in our city and a doctor of great expertise. I have been seeing him for about 4 years. He does see more frequently because I told him I need to have more contact with my Pdoc. My Pdoc before him I was lucky to see him every 3-4 months. My former Pdoc also was very vocal about the fact that Paxil withdrawal is nonexistent. Not surprising since he is the one that put me on it. I had even asked him if Paxil was in way shape or form additing prior to going on it. Hense my switch to the current Pdoc.

After a great deal of experience on my part trying to get off Paxil with the following Pdoc directions and having the support of the medical profession - the simple fact is that there is a percentage of the population though it be small that experience terrible side effects from going off Paxil. When I saw your post, it did make me feel very badly because for the very small percentage that Paxil withdrawl is difficult - we need ALL the support that we can get.

With no disrespect intended, until you personally have the problem that needs fixing, you can never know. Sort of like walking one step in another's shoes.

Again, not to scare other Paxil users that would like to withdrawal, the persentage is small that has the big withdrawal impact.

I have tried to be responsible in my postings for other members but sadly find the support lacking.

So again no disrespect intended.

Sincerely,
Freewill

freewill, i am supporting you. and i totally understand how you feel about this. it is very difficult for someone to understand something they haven't experienced. it doesn't make any difference how much they've seen......apples and oranges....

keep talking to me and posting here......it's awful to feel that you aren't getting the support that you need, but sometimes support is hard to give....for a variety of reasons.......

i'm here.....xoxoxo pat