Increase from 20mg to 60mg

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hi all, I was on Duloxetine 20mg (for depression/anxiety) for around 16 weeks, that was what my dr prescribed for me, last Friday I finally managed to get an appointment with a psych dr, he told me the therapeutic dose for Duloxetine is 60mg, and taken 20mg was like taking sweets, so thanks to my dr I feel like the last 16 weeks have been wasted in my recovery.

I have now been on 60mg for 8 days, now I know it's a big leap from 20 to 60 so I shouldn't be too surprised, but I feel dreadful. Does anyone have any information that may help me? I'm trying to 'ride the storm' but I'm not getting any respite.  Many thanks Luke

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • Posted

    I started similar to you. 20mg for a few weeks then up up 60. I felt really crummy for about 2 weeks. Anxious, trouble concentrating, shaky... I started using this forum to see if its normal. Good news and bad news... Good, it did go away for me. After 2 or 3 weeks it was like a switch flipped and shut off all the negative side effects. Bad news, I think all you can do is ride it out. Your doc may have better advice, but for me it was a rough 3 weeks followed by relief. My anxiety has been in check and benzo use has been very minimal.
    • Posted

      That's good to here, very reassuring.... thanks Jason for such a speedy reply, very much appreciated.

  • Posted

    Hi Luke.

    I'm on Dulox and when I first took it I felt like I had flu for about 3 weeks and was exhausted. It did settle down.

    These are strong drugs acting on our brains in ways even medicine doesn't fully understand, and some doctors are more cautious than others I think and, so start at the lowest dose because side effects can be nasty when you first start.

    If you are new to antidepressants or have other issues or are verybyoung or old, I think doctors are more cautious, but if you are switching drugs they may start at a higher dose.

    I hope you start to feel better and if not there are other ones to try.

    Take care.

    Sunny Dee.

    • Posted

      Thank you sunny, very much appreciated..... we're you on 60mg as well?

  • Posted

    Hi Luke. I'm going to say this once. Don't take this drug at all. It will f**k you up. You were taking 30mg. 30 mg is not like taking candy it's very potent.  Let me explain this drug to you and if your stupid to take it it's your problem. Your just making things difficult for yourself.  First your doctor remark is very stupid.  I was on 60mg first 6 weeks I thought this was a wonder drug. Then I started with symptons fatigue sweaty magnetic pull to bed mattress I couldn't get out of bed, real dry mouth, itchy skin, jaundice in eyes.  Does were basically my symptons. Then I went for blood work. My liver enzyme shot up to over ALT 700.  I've been on withdrawl on this drug for over a month my eyes got infected the infection went away and now it's back again. I can't get out of bed. Bad headaches, sweaty body temperature heating up in my body like hot flashes, insomnia, irritability, itchy skin dry mouth.  I am one but no one has to go through this kind of torture. I have no support from no one on the withdrawl except my family doctor. What a joke it is believe me.  Bottom line what this drug does to you is screw you up.  Luke listen here is the best part of taking this pill.  In depression lots of changes happen to you which you as a depressed person will not notice.  I suffer from severe depression/anxiety. I switch depression than anxiety then lapse or relapse.  But taking duloxetine now listen up this is what it is going do to for you. It is going to make you feel 3-5 times worst of you our normal feelings of depression. The drug will increase your symptons even though your not depressed.  I hope you understand what I'm trying to explain and I advice you best to stop cold turkey off the drug. Luke take blood work monitor your ALT and AST cause if you don't this drug can be fatal and kill you..if the company Mint Pharmaceuticals wants to charge me with libel slander come get me and I'll prove your drug is poison. Bring it on..  

  • Posted

    Hi Luke. I'm going to say this once. Don't take this drug at all. It will f**k you up. You were taking 30mg. 30 mg is not like taking candy it's very potent.  Let me explain this drug to you and if your stupid to take it it's your problem. Your just making things difficult for yourself.  First your doctor remark is very stupid.  I was on 60mg first 6 weeks I thought this was a wonder drug. Then I started with symptons fatigue sweaty magnetic pull to bed mattress I couldn't get out of bed, real dry mouth, itchy skin, jaundice in eyes.  Does were basically my symptons. Then I went for blood work. My liver enzyme shot up to over ALT 700.  I've been on withdrawl on this drug for over a month my eyes got infected the infection went away and now it's back again. I can't get out of bed. Bad headaches, sweaty body temperature heating up in my body like hot flashes, insomnia, irritability, itchy skin dry mouth.  I am one but no one has to go through this kind of torture. I have no support from no one on the withdrawl except my family doctor. What a joke it is believe me.  Bottom line what this drug does to you is screw you up.  Luke listen here is the best part of taking this pill.  In depression lots of changes happen to you which you as a depressed person will not notice.  I suffer from severe depression/anxiety. I switch depression than anxiety then lapse or relapse.  But taking duloxetine now listen up this is what it is going do to for you. It is going to make you feel 3-5 times worst of you our normal feelings of depression. The drug will increase your symptons even though your not depressed.  I hope you understand what I'm trying to explain and I advice you best to stop cold turkey off the drug. Luke take blood work monitor your ALT and AST cause if you don't this drug can be fatal and kill you..if the company Mint Pharmaceuticals wants to charge me with libel slander come get me and I'll prove your drug is poison. Bring it on..  

    • Posted

      I had an adverse reaction to Duloxetine and my claim was noted with health Canada and accepted..
  • Posted

    hey Luke,

    just get off the s**t.......its nothing but Bad News.

    I've been off it 1 month.....live is better.

  • Posted

    Luke, find an IDT program in your area. Learn coping skills. Google CBT and DBT skills.  Don't poison your body.. 

  • Posted

    worse medication i was ever put on. quit cold turkey may 3rd 2018 after being on it a year. it robs you of your soul and smashes your brain flat. withdrawal was pure hell !!! for 2 weeks then slowly getting better
    • Posted

      There should be a law that doctors should have to try these meds before they give them out, cymbalta the pill from hell. way worse and addictive than any opiate. they took me off my hydro 7.5/325 i was on for a year, cant get a dr to write it anymore. but i can drive to Colorado and buy a drug that the feds still say is illegal and doctors will write you a 5 gallon bucket of cymbalta script. so you just suffer or become a drunk
    • Posted

      Vance how long after stopping Duloxetine did symptons completely stop. I'm one month and feeling terrible 

    • Posted

      2 months and was still having night sweats, vertigo, feeling crappy like a mild flu, was feeling like crying all the time ,nausea , real moody. 3 months still a few sweats very little vertigo almost gone, slowly starting to get some feelings back. dont ever start back up, it will get better, that stuff is evil
  • Posted

    Hi Luke

    Sorry you're feeling crap. I started on duloxetine last October after trying so many different antidepressants. I originally started on 30mg, increased to 60mg after six weeks, then 90mg after another six weeks and then up to 120mg (maximum dose). It's better to raise the dose gradually so you can stop when/if you feel it's working for you rather than just rushing up to the maximum dose which may be too high for you. By taking it slowly you should really be able to tell if each increase is effective.

    Each time the dose was raised I had 2 to 3 weeks of side effects - nausea, dizziness, upset stomach and sleep disturbances. But each time these settled down.

    I can honestly that this drug has quite possibly saved my life. Yes, the withdrawal is tough but if it works you don't need to worry about that. I came off of venlafaxine last year which was really hard but doable with the right support.

    Everyone reacts differently to different meds - some suit some people but not others. And you generally only hear the bad stories.

    • Posted

      Lucy., make sure you check your blood work AST and ALT. If your blood work I good continue on. My levels went to high which could have killed me.  I'm off it one month. And I only took it for 2 months. I still feel terrible.  

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