Hi, I'm JoanLare

September 25, 2026

I am hoping to find support in tapering off this medication. Am currently on my first day of tapering 15 mg to 7..5 mg and am feeling a little depressed and foggy.

15 mg — 1.5 years — actively tapering

6 Replies

DuloxiSep 25

Community AnchorCymbalta · holding

Hi Joan Lare, Welcome to the community! You made a 50% reduction! Hyperbolic tapering recommends reductions of 10%, or only 5% of the previous dose for people who are more sensitive. No wonder you’re feeling so bad. A 50% reduction is far too much for the nervous system! Please take some time to read through the Resources section and document your symptoms so you can recognize patterns and trends over time.

Cymbalta — 20mg(12mg) — 17 Jahre — holding -with clinician - 90 mg – 2021: First tapering attempt.
60 mg – 2023: Second tapering attempt.
With a doctor's supervision—but unfortunately, a doctor who doesn't know how to properly taper off an antidepressant.

⭐

CatinaSep 25

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi @JoanLare, welcome! Yes, as Duloxi kindly mentioned, you did quite a large reduction. You have two choices - you can either stick with this dose and hold as long as necessary until any symptoms resolve or you can updose a bit so your reduction is only 10%. You've only been at this current dose one day. What are your thoughts?

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 16.64 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Synthroid - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

JoanLareSep 26

Mirtazapine · active

I am on the second day and feeling depressed a little and groggyish. Keep telling myself that the drug is leaving my system and to go with it.

15 mg — 1.5 years — actively tapering

JoanLareSep 26

Mirtazapine · active

That was my doctor's recommendation about tapering. He then told me to do that for 2 weeks and then take a pill twice a week.

15 mg — 1.5 years — actively tapering

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CatinaSep 26

Community AnchorEffexor

"That was my doctor's recommendation about tapering. He then told me to do that for 2 weeks and then take a pill twice a week." — @JoanLare

Yep, that doesn't surprise me. Their training is sorely lacking when it comes to safe deprescribing. Rapid linear tapers and skipping days to taper are both harmful pieces of advice. So glad you're here so you can learn the proper way to do things!

DuloxiSep 26

Community AnchorCymbalta · holding

Yes, that doesn’t surprise me at all. It confirms what I suspected. This kind of tapering can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms, which often results in people going back to their doctor and being told that their original condition has “relapsed.” That’s exactly why so many people end up here. Unfortunately, these medications can’t simply be stopped that way, and nobody told us that beforehand. But you were lucky to find this community so early. It took me 17 years and several failed tapering attempts before I got here.

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