Duloxetine-irritation & rage symptoms GP said go cold turkey for a month?

[Acorinthian]

I’ve been on a low dose of duloxetine for a couple of months (previously sertraline but unmanageable migraines) and the past 2 months I had bouts of intense irritability and rage. Asked GP for help as affecting all areas of my life now and their only suggestion was stop medicine now for 4 weeks, if you feel better great if not call back at review and we will see what we will do.

any opinions on this advice? I’m not confident with it…

I am on duloxetine and if I don't take it I will feel dizzy and have headaches that will last for a week... I only take mine at night

Uncommon side effect, there’s not really a great deal of alternatives to stopping it, ideally antidepressant’s would be tapered off but you say it’s a low dose presumably 30mg, just stopping it may result in headaches, some anxiety, dizziness, nausea, so alternatively take it every other day for a week which should reduce that, then stop, depends really how bad this rage/ irritability is compared to possible withdrawal effects

The rage and irritability have been really bad…I don’t know what else to do

Then you should stop taking it, you said you were on sertraline before so guessing it’s for depression, if so and it’s 30mg then it’s not a therapeutic dose anyway.

Can you suggest to me an alternative then?

I wouldn’t stop the duloxetine cold turkey. You’ll probably need to phase it out.

At 30mg you may be able to do every other day.

That's terrible advice. When i was on duoloxetine my psychiatrist told me explicitly to come off it slowly ie over 6 months, under supervision by GP, preferably supported by another drug eg Prozac.

I ended up going cold turkey because of supply issues and felt very sick, had horrible mood swings.

I came off a low dose of duloxetine cold turkey because of the side effects and the impact it was having on my mental health. I eventually settled on trazodone which has been so much better.

Im a mental health nurse and i also take Duloxetine.... that is terrible advice.

Dont ever come off an SNRI cold turkey.

Oh wow I take duloxetine for pain, I had no idea. I struggled to take Gabapentin, it turned me into a rage filled maniac and I'm such a chilled person. Naproxen makes me projectile vomit.

Here's info on the NHS page which suggests to come off it slowly www.nhs.uk/medicines/duloxetine/how-and-when-to-take-duloxetine/

Good luck with it xx

An alternative to Duloxetine or an alternative method of stopping it

An alternative medicine to help me with depression, anxiety and this feeling of just being hyper vigilant and ‘fight’ mode all the time. I’m feeling like I’m losing myself

Prozac perhaps