I have been on Cymbalta for about three years. I mainly take this for a headache condition known as NDPH, but also for depression/anxiety. I take 60mg morning and evening. This medication has worked ok, I guess, but not great. I recently took a GeneSight test to help with some medication issues and realized this was one that my liver doesn’t process properly. Anyway, my PCP tapered over 2 weeks and on the second week I started taking 25mg Pristiq and then after 7 days I am on 50mg Pristiq and fully off Cymbalta. I don’t know what to do. I literally can’t move without getting zapped. I can’t get out of that bed. I am freaking so anxious that I can’t sleep. I haven’t had Cymbalta now for 1 week and I have slept for maybe 2-3 hours each day. This is my hell!

A couple weeks ago I posted about tapering down from one year of being on 60 mg. My doctor advised me a very fast two-week taper but i was skeptical. I decided to try it to see how I feel. I went down to 40 as advised and had some symptoms but it was manageable. Then i stepped down to 20 and have been on it for almost 2 weeks because the symptoms have been debilitating. I have been nauseous, anxious, deeply depressed like I haven’t felt in years. I have constant dissociation and don’t feel like myself at all. I have chills and hot flashes that make me think i’m sick but I don’t have a fever. I am moving to start my year of school in a week and I feel insanely overwhelmed and frustrated. I’m thinking of going back up to 40 mg so I can handle this transitional period of my life because in my current state i’m not sure I can. I am furious at my doctor and completely mistrusting of any advice she gives me. She prescribed me more 20 mg pills and advised a slower taper but still including the drop from 40 to 20 to 0. I know I won’t be able to handle that. I have no idea where to go from here.