Hi-I’m cross tapering Lexapro to Cymbalta. I was on 12.5 mg of lex and tapering to 10 mg for a week (on day five) then 5 mg for a week. At the same the time, I’m taking 20 mg of Cymbalta. I’m taking Cymbalta at night. I also take 25 mg of traz and .5 of Ativan for sleep. I woke up today super out of it and had bad headache. Also feel a bit jittery. Are these normal Starting side effects? Super nervous about switching meds.
I’m on day 5 of duloxetine and tapering off mirtazapine. Still feel sick and jittery but it passes through the day . Mornings I feel sluggish and weird
Yes I’m on day five too! What is your taper like? Do you feel any diff w anxiety yet? Why are you switching? Def feel outta it in the morning and headaches.
I’ve been on mirtazapine for 10 years and it’s not doing anything apart from helping me sleep and much say that’s the only withdrawal symptoms you get with it is insomnia. The duloxetine is making me feel crap in the morning
Like how? I’m not feeling great in the morning either.
Not a Dr, but maybe try the Cymbalta earlier in the day? I was told it can have more of an uplifting effect than other meds. Having said that, I did have trouble sleeping the first few weeks. Started at 20 mg and worked up to 60 over about a month, and still taking the 60mg Prozac I've been on for years. I took melatonin to get to sleep, but found myself waking and unable to get back to sleep in the middle of the night. Also had some shakyness and trouble focusing, but I was also tapering of benzos. Side effects seemd to peak about a month and i was considering telling the Dr i didn't want it, but they disappeared very quick after week 4 when the positive effects kicked in. I've used Lex, Prozac, and now Cymbalta. Having gotten through the initial side effects of Cymbalta, I really think it's a good medication and I feel very stable on it now. Hoping it keeps working this well long term! In short, stick with it for a few months and let the positive have a chance to kick in befoe you give up on it. I'm glad I didn't. Those initial effects are what got me on this forum! Hopefully this gives you some relief knowing someone else has had a rough first few weeks and gotten through it. Don't hesitate to talk to your doc though if you think it's too bad. Good luck!
Is the trazadone new, or something you've used for awhile? I've only had it a few times and only very short term, but it's alwase made me wierd in the am. Personally would rather just take benadryl. Used plenty of Lorazepam and doesn't usually cause groggyness in the morning, especially at that low dose. Just curious. For me the trazadone was alwase in a medical setting. At home I'll take the occasional benadryl and it works just fine.
Thanks for the response!! My doc wanted me to try it in the evening because she said it can cause drowsiness, I’ve been taking around 7:30 pm. No idea if it’s making me drowsy or not. I would rather take in the morning to be honest, when I take vitamins etc. I’ve had issues waking up at 4:30-5 am for a few weeks, since lowering the traz from 50-25 mg. It sucks, I usually can’t get back to sleep. I felt not as out of it this morning so?? I’m def jittery and feel a bit nervous but that could be from anything.
How long were you on 20 mg? I have another 10 days or so of cross tapering the lexapro.
The traz I’ve used on and off for a year but I’ve recently started getting dizzy so I’m tapering off. I’m hoping that solves the issue, it’s pretty terrible. I could try unisom, have a history of bad insomnia.
Glad to hear you are doing well on Cymbalta! I’ve heard good things but just need to get the right dosage going.
When I started i had weekly visits with the psych and he did 20 for a week, still having anxiety issues, went to 40 on week 2, told him the jitters and anxiety seemed to be getting worse and he put me at 60 at week 3. By week 4 or 5 jitters were peaking and I was going to tell the doc I didn't like it, but by my next appointment they had started to pass and i was feeling good. Told him "in my professional opinion I wouldn't change anything"! So for now we're sticking with it. I think we're going into month 3 now. I'm taking for anxiety. I had been takeing benzos more than I was supsed to and not telling doc. Finally came clean and we started addressing the underlying anxiety. I've been able to go without daily benzos for about 2 months now. I really think it's helping. I hope it works for you.
Side note...i wasn't on lexapro long enough to have issues getting off, but I've heard from a friend Cymbalta can be hard. Lots of "brain zaps". I'm not worrying abouy it til the time comes. Seems worth it for now.
I’m hoping since I’m cross tapering, I won’t have any real issues getting off the lex, but I’m scared! My doc wants me to hold at 20 mg for a while. I don’t feel any different at this point. When did you start to feel something? So, you are still on Prozac? I also think my doc wants to stop the traz too, so a lot of changes. I’m hopeful the Cymbalta will help. I’ve been on SSRIs and they don’t do it for me.
Also, I’ve heard bad things about getting off of Cymbalta too. Makes me nervous but I shouldn’t worry about it now. I’m taking Cymbalta for anxiety as well.
Yeah I was kindof surprised that he don't stop the Prozac. It did work initially, but just wasn't cutting it and I was self medicating on top of it, which led to new issues. I'd like to be med free eventually, but right now I'm happy not feeling panicky from wake to sleep (and sometimes during sleep!) and only taking prescribed meds, as prescribed.
I think I really noticed it was working around 5ish weeks maybe. The jittery feelings went away over the course a couple days and when they were gone, I had a day where i just felt really good, like I was looking forward to taking meds the next day! Unfortunately that little euphoria didn't last, but I have felt like a normal person since. Not an anxious wreck. I think that little euphoria might have been a mix of it "kicking in", mixed with the bad feeling being gone. But the reason I've stayed on this site is to hopefully help some of the others that have a hard time getting on the med. I think it does work but starting sucks! You might be well off to stay at 20 for awhile. I wonder if part of the reason I had such bad reaction at first was because he rushed me up to 60 so fast, or maybe thats why it's working so well. Idk. I've been to at least one total quack psych, and I trust the one I have now. If you trust your doc, stick with it. Time will pass and you will get through the crap feeling and hopefully experience some relief. You can do it! Keep us posted.
Thanks for the support!! I seem to feel worse right now. I’m lowering the lex to 5 mg tomorrow. I guess I’m hoping I’ll feel a little better in the next week or two. I’m def having physical anxiety symptoms, like shaky hands, dizzy etc. one of the main reasons I’m getting off lex is that I’ve bern feeling very dizzy since I had my baby 12 weeks ago, but it could be anxiety.
I bet the jitters was upping too quickly, but it sounds like it settled. I’m very sensitive to meds so I think she will keep me at 20 mg for a while. I’m assuming I’ll prob need a bit more since that is a really low dose. 60 mg is the highest right? Do you take at night? I would like to be med free too but in this postpartum time, I need something to help!
I’m on day 8 now and been really low and agitated today also exhausted even though I’ve been sleeping well
I used to take the Prozac at night, just as part of my nightly routine and all was well. Only reason I switched to morning was because I heard that it can have a stimulating effect, and I have issues sleeping occasionally. Its working for now so I'm just taking both in the morning now.
You said "physical anxiety symptoms". Just curious, are you feeling a lot of actual anxiety? Like panicky, or the mental anxiety symptoms? I noticed personally that the symptoms for me were more physical, and I didn't have the same level of mental anxiety. That kind of made me think that the med was already working a little because normally just having those physical symptoms would be enough to cause the mental symptoms! But it seemed much more physical and less mental for me. Similar with you?
What dose are you on? Tapering from something? I feel super jittery today!!
Not panicky. More Wondering why I’m so anxious...like shaky hands, heavy legs, lightheaded. The whole nine yards. Kinda out of the clear blue. Wtf?! It’s been a week since I started 20 mg and dropped to 10 mg of lex.
I forgot you said you were tapering off of remeron.
I’m tapering from mirtazapine and have 30mg at night , the duloxetine are giving me anxiety today and the bad jitters 😬 I’m dreading the thought of going out tomorrow, got major sweats too
Anyone following this thread...have you noticed the jitters and anxiety symptoms are mostly physical and less mental (like panic)? Have you noticed that it seems kind-of anxiety induced at all? For instance, all day at work, and when I was around people or had attention on me, the jitters, inability to focus, dizziness were bad, but at the end of the day in the comfort of my home and with family, it was much less severe. Just curious if its the same for others.
That did all change after a few weeks when these symptoms passed. Actually now I feel like its much easier and comfortable to look a person in the eye as I'm speaking with them. In the past, even on the Prozac Ive taken for years, I would still get nervous and look everywhere but in the face of the person I was speaking to! Now that I feel the med is working, that social anxiety really seems more in control.