Hi, I'm LuLuLiz

Hi LuLuLiz, Welcome to the community! The decision to come off a medication is a very personal one, and it's not something anyone else can make for you. Some people find that the medication no longer serves them well over time, while others continue to do well on it. Have you ever tried tapering off before?

I tried cold turkey and felt the anxiety return which I now understand was probably an effect of abruptly stopping and not necessarily a return of a previous condition.

Stopping abruptly is generally not a good idea. This is my second time tapering off duloxetine. During my current attempt, I started having prolonged withdrawal problems once I reached 12 mg, even though I had an eight-week window where I was almost symptom-free. It's extremely important to learn about hyperbolic tapering and to keep a daily symptom journal. That way, you can identify long-term trends instead of judging everything by a single bad day. My advice would be to go slowly, especially if you've been taking the medication for many years, as I have. Unfortunately, duloxetine usually isn't a medication that can be stopped quickly, even if some healthcare providers say otherwise. Feel free to ask me anything. I'm always happy to share my own experience. How many days had you been off the medication before the anxiety started? And how long have you been back on your full dose now?

Hi @LuLuLiz, and welcome to Taper Community! I understand your desire to taper off your drug since you're at a different place in your life. I can relate to this! I agree with @Duloxi84, it's best to go very slowly, especially if you've been on antidepressants long-term. Here are some links that I hope will help you with your upcoming taper: https://taper.community/drugs/cymbalta https://taper.community/resources/blog/cymbalta-tapering-guide https://taper.community/thread/d41182b4-060b-4c2e-a1e8-da9e6777d7e5 https://taper.community/thread/57d0fb51-6e6e-4517-9d3d-1dd2f2e3880c https://taper.community/resources/blog/tapering-after-decades-use We look forward to supporting you on your tapering and healing journey off Cymbalta! Catina 🩷