BeachLover Posted April 10, 2017 Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 Hi! I have been on Cymbalta for my POTS (and to kill two birds with one stones as it was also prescribed for pain due to multiple surgeries) since around January 2010. If I miss just one dose I feel sick. I went from 30mg to 20mg about 1.5 years ago and it was a nightmare --dizziness, nausea, mood swings (sadness), crying, etc. In order to keep tapering down I had to keep telling myself that the withdrawal symptoms wouldn't last forever and that if I went back up to 30mg I would eventually have to do the process a second time because I don't want to be on this for the rest of my life. I had been very thin before being put on multiple medications for POTS and gained about 40 pounds very rapidly. I want to get off the Cymbalta as I want to know how my POTS can do without any medications (I've weaned off everything else such as Florinef). My POTS was most likely exacerbated due to other health issues going on at the time. The cardiologist is supportive of me stopping the Cymbalta but wasn't able to be very helpful when I went from 30mg to 20mg. I believe at this point Cymbalta is keeping me from losing weight. Every time I go to the doctor I'm told I'm overweight and it's very frustrating because I work out frequently and hard, and eat healthy, but haven't been able to get the weight off. Does anyone have experience getting off Cymbalta? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted April 10, 2017 Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 I don't have the experience getting off of Cymbalta, but I tried to get off of Paxil several times. It turned out that POTS-wise I can't do without it so my docytor and I decided that I should stay on it for the rest of my life. I'm very fine with that as I tried my best and it just didn't work. We recently discussed it again and came to the same conclusion. If I hád to get off it for some very specific reason (not that I can think of any haha) I would try by taking off a sliver per week, per 2 weeks or even per month and always under doctor's super vision. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KiminOrlando Posted April 10, 2017 Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 This isn't going to be very helpful, but my doctor took me off of Cymbalta about 10 years ago. I just didn't take it one day, no tapering off, and I didn't have a problem. In fact, I felt better without it. THIS DOES NOT MEAN ANYBODY ELSE SHOULD DO THIS. I did this at the instruction of my physician. I think that means we have different kinds of POTS and your symptoms may not be withdrawal from the med, but actual symptoms of the disease. I was initially put on it because I was misdiagnosed as having anxiety instead of POTS, and even though I didn't agree with the diagnosis, I was so desperate to feel better and keep my job that I took the Cymbalta. For me, my doctor said it made me worse because it lowers your BP. No wonder I ended up losing my job! I think if you have the hyperandregenic (?) type, this class of med is recommended. I don't know what kind you have. Has your doctor talked to you about it? I think this is what Corina was talking about with her experience. I'm really out of my depth here, but I noticed you didn't have very many responses. I'm sorry I couldn't be more help. I gained a lot of weight too when I was diagnosed. It didn't go away when I got off Cymbalta, even though I used to be much thinner. My doctor told me that is an unexplained phenomena in people with autonomic dysfunction. Maybe it has something to do with how food is converted to energy since I feel like I never have any. Wish they would figure that out. Good luck but be careful. Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachLover Posted April 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 Corina, Thank you for replying! I was put on Paxil previously because, like KiminOrlando, I was misdiagnosed as having anxiety. I got sick weaning off the Paxil too. Have a great day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachLover Posted April 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 Kim, I'm not sure what kind of POTS I have. I'll have to ask the cardiologist next time I'm there. Yes, the cardiologist is aware I want to go off the Cymbalta and agrees. Basically my POTS was really bad and they put me on a ton of stuff but I've been stable and have been weaning off everything for about six years now. They think that my POTS was so bad because I was having other physical issues at the time as well so my body was under a lot of trauma and stress, and I wasn't properly diagnosed for several years (which means I didn't proper treatment initially so I kept getting worse). I want to see what my body can do by itself now, and if certain things are side effects of the Cymbalta. I've been told by multiple pharmacists and doctors that the withdrawal effects of Cymbalta are the same kind of side effects as POTS. So people without POTS will get POTS-like side effects but people with POTS get really sick because we already deal with those symptoms to begin with. That really stinks about the weight gain. Thank you very much! I appreciate you replying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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