Q. I have been taking the antidepressant duloxetine for a long time, starting with brand-name Cymbalta.

Ten years ago, I wanted to get off it, so my psychiatrist halved my dose to 30 milligrams. I turned into a maniac. When I went to the dentist, they asked me to sign a paper I didn’t agree with. Quite unlike my usual demeanor, I screamed at them and threw the paper and other things at the hygienist, making a fool out of myself.

To get back under control, I had to restart Cymbalta at 60 milligrams. I don’t think I’ll ever try to go off it again.

A. Your doctor tapered your dose far too fast. Many other readers report that a very slow reduction in dose can be successful.

Because this antidepressant comes in a capsule containing many tiny beads of active medicine, people have resorted to

See Full Page