Bipolar Treatment Update - Withdrawal Wars

Changes are underway with my treatment plan.  I'm getting off of my antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine).  I've been on the drug for over 5 years now.  The reason for withdrawal is not for side effects, but for efficacy and safety concerns.


Cymbalta  

I've determined Cymbalta is no longer helping my bipolar depression.  And I recently discovered there are serious adverse effects from taking both Cymbalta and Wellbutrin (bupropion) at the same time, which I do.

I used an online drug interaction checker tool from Medscape.  It said "Serious - Use Alternative duloxetine + bupropion duloxetine increases toxicity of bupropion by unspecified interaction mechanism. Serious - Use Alternative. May lower seizure threshold; keep bupropion dose as low as possible.  Oh, my.


Psych Meds

• Cymbalta:  Remove.  Starting 3/20/12 I am tapering from 120 mg/day to 60 mg/day over three weeks (20 mg decrease each week).  Evaluate, then continue tapering until 0 mg/day.

• Lamictal:  300 mg/day.  No change.

• Wellbutrin: 450 mg/day.  No change.

• Xanax: 0.9 mg/day. Slight increase in use.

• Abilify: Completed withdrawal in December 2011.

Supplements

NAC: 2000 mg/day, started two months ago. Not sure of response really.  Will continue during Cymbalta withdrawal; fish oil - 300 mg/day; multivitamin; aspirin; and caffeine.


Additional Information

• Psychotherapy.  My therapy sessions are going well.  I go once a month.  This therapy gives me a clearer sense of what's really going on with me and I receive helpful feedback and insight.
• Withdrawal effects.  I am concerned about possible adverse effects from Cymbalta withdrawal.
• Supplement interactions.  Possible adverse health effects from supplements with psych meds.  I need to figure this out myself.

Conclusion

I am continuing to actively manage my medication treatment. I have some alternative/novel antidepressants I am interested in trying after Cymbalta withdrawal.  However, the pdoc is not so hot on it.  Something about side effects and hallucinations or something.

I am fortunate.  Because of high tolerance to psych meds I am able to use them and stop them with minimal adverse effects.  But who knows with Cymbalta?  This could be a protracted, agonizing period in my life like it is for an unfortunate percentage of those who suffer severe (sometimes debilitating) withdrawal symptoms.

I don't expect that, but then again this could be just the beginning of my fight against adverse withdrawal effects.  Could this be the start of "Withdrawal Wars?"