Hi, @jeanne51 - that sounds challenging coming off the duloxetine (Cymbalta) and feeling like your brain is taking a long time to readjust without the drug.

I'd also like to tag @popolopo @coralbells1 @lioness @kimspr3 to speak to their experiences tapering off of this medication. @artscaping may also have some input for you.

@jeanne51, Good afternoon. I have read with dismay your post about Cymbalta side effects and your struggle with the cognitive issues. And I have read posts on the referenced FB page re: Cymbalta. Maybe because I never have been a medicine taker, or because I am generally distrusting of medications and/or the drug industry I am cautious and a true doubting Thomas. It has now become second nature for me to build on experience, trust my assessments and keep things as simple as possible.

Based on years of questionable experiences, I now am labeled as highly sensitive to medications. In my simple language, that means that I do not tolerate new medications unless the dosages are delivered in stages over a 3 month period. It takes a while for our bodies to adapt to a new chemical....especially if it has to get along with everything else we swallow daily. This "Connect" forum has taught me to be my own advocate and my mantra for every day is "May I be free and protected from both inner and outer harm."

What has amazed me is that with this 3-month plan, most of the listed side effects do not pay me a visit. So a foggy brain on an initial dose of 60 mg of duloxetine is just a forgotten item at the grocery store because you start the first month at 20 mg. My PCP and I worked this out and our first test was duloxetine. It worked beautifully. The side effects have all been positive in terms of reducing my anxiety induced pain. I do need to mention that after becoming familiar with medication at a certain dosage....it does happen that after a while, our bodies are quite comfortable and the desired effects have decreased or dimmed. Then, we will complain that a medication isn't working for us and request a higher dosage. Or, we learn that there is something else and perhaps something better just coming out and we want to give it a try. So we wean ourselves off one and take on a new pharmacological challenge.

That behavior is certainly justified for those of us who are in chronic, all the time, pain. We are anxious to believe and to experience those cherished pain-free moments. I hope you find peace. And I will share one last example. With a recent diagnosis of osteoporosis, I was given the monthly capsule of Boniva. There was no way to build tolerance so I went for it. That experience turned out so poorly, with pain in my facial bones e.g., eye sockets, and jaw, that I was begging to have all of my teeth pulled just for a few moments relief. We are now in negotiations for an exception ruling so that I can give myself daily injections for the next 18 months at an unbelievable financial cost. Still, I want to live as well as I can at 77. I have my fingers crossed for both of us. Chris