16 replies to this topic

[neveragin]

I am wondering if anyone else has experienced - either while on it, or after stopping cymbalta - changes in their vision? Or, just general eye discomfort? While on the drug my vision would frequently go blurry, mostly after spending too long reading, or on computer. My night vision is seriously decreased, and the blurry issue is now worse than before...I am clean off 60mg/day cold turkey now for about 50 days, give or take...so a lot of the more debilitating and crippling effects are subsided, and less in the fore of my perspective... Now, my eyes are consistently dry, itchy, feeling gritty, and the blurring seems to come sooner, and more frequently than before...I avoid driving at night if at all possible now

Seems probable it is due to the cymbalta, but I am of course, not sure...anybody else have any changes or problems with their vision?

Please advise your experiences. I appreciate the input.

Thanx,
Neveragin

[pitalee]

I found your post very interesting. I have had the same eye issues that seemed to start about the time I started the Cymbalta now that I think back on it. My eye issues have been treated separately and I never made a connection. I have blurry vision, itchiness, dryness, grittiness and headaches. I have been diagnosed with dry-eye syndrome and ocular rosacea. While I was on Cymbalta one of the side effects I had was dry mouth. Maybe there is a connection.

I will definitely keep an "eye" on the outcome of this suspected side effect. I have been totally off the Cymbalta for a week now and my eyes are as bad as ever.I would advise you to see your eye doctor for relief or just to make sure it's not something else. Good luck!

[neveragin]

what you describe sounds like sjogrens syndrome...dry eyes, mouth, etc... there is a blood test to confirm or rule out this condition...it is an antibody test which will tell you if your immune system is out of whack, causing the symptoms/condition... I will see an eye doctor as soon as my new job grants me benefits, 90 days from now... I would consider the blood test for Sjogrens if I were in your place.

Best to you!
Neveragin

[Blackapple]

I definitely have dry eyes and blurry vision that comes in waves. It started when I stopped the cymbalta. My eyes are watering constantly and I am very sensitive to light. I too am avoiding driving at night, I tried the other night and could hardly see the road, and when other cars cam towards me I couldnt see at all. I think I am defiantly going to make an eye appointment when I am feeling good enough to go.

[OMGthisiscrap]

I had an eye exam in Sept 2011 and my script did not change much but the dry eyes increased. No biggie until I went off the cymbalta. I went off Feb 24,2012 and started feeling last week like my eyes were getting worse so I decided to get new glasses ( I didn't get t hem in Sept). They made my glasses based on Sept script but I could see out of those glasses. They thought they wrote it down wrong so the sales lady said let's have you see the dr just to make sure. Well low and behold my eyes got worse after going off the cymbalta and need a totally new script. I told the dr and she said this type of thing is pretty common with this drug. Is there anything this drug doesn't mess with?! Its so frustrating.

[Uriel]

Not to discount anyone's thinking it oculd be cymbalta but dry eye condition is a condition on it's own . I have had it most of my life and it's also part of fibro which i have.
Also age is another factor my script changed 2 times the yr i turned 50 and i was not on any medications then. Just sayin...

[deepbreath]

Vision is one of the side effects that have driven me to stop cymbalta, too! My vision changes an unbelievable amount throughout the day. Sometimes when I wake up I cannot read anything at all for quite a while. This variability in my vision, and the severity of it, definitely came from the Cymbalta. I am hopeful it will leave with it as well!

[Lisaw]

Wow the more I read on here the more pissed I am about this so called medicine..before taking this I only used my glasses for computer at work and reading..now I have to wear them all the time or I feel blind..btw ..only on this crap for a month..and getting off it now

[Uriel]

Hi
I have severely dry eyes and my vision has also changed alot.

[Sage]

This happened to me as well. I had better-than-perfect vision my entire life until I started taking Cymbalta. I now have to wear glasses to read, and using the computer (for work) tires my eyes out. I also had a number of behind-the-eyes headaches as well as often having itchy/dry eyes.

I am in the process of weaning myself off of Cymbalta, and I have to say that my eyes SEEM to already be feeling better (they aren't as tired after a day of work), but I do still need glasses to read.

I also turned 40 years old the same week I started Cymbalta, and both of my parents started using reading glasses in their 40 years, so that's a possibility as well.

My guess is that Cymbalta does indeed affect some people's vision.

[Ablesugar]

Wow, I am glad I found this forum.
I would not have thought about the connection since I didnt see blurry vision as a side effect on the rx paperwork.
I have been on it (30mg) since July 2nd.
I cannot believe how blurry my vision has become but luckily I can still read without glasses.
Yes, I will go back to the eye doctor (my eyes were fine at my last apt in January) but I am stopping taking that stuff today.
Besides, (hope this isnt TMI) I started having some difficulty urinating within the first week on the stuff.

[monsta]

I also experience blurred vision ,it is random but it does get worse at night to a point that I can hardly focus on anything.

The back of my eyes also have dull pain like a mild headache, I take ibuprofen when I notice the pain and it helps.

It angers me that this drug causes the blurred vision.

I also have difficulty urinating at times Ablesugar. Sometimes I do not have to go for hours as the sensation to go is not there.

[Ablesugar]

Glad I checked in again monsta.
Yeah, the urinating thing is hard to talk about but is irritating.
Regarding the urinating, Luckily after about 10 days off the stuff I noticed I was back to almost normal.
Unfortunatly, My eyesight has not gotten better (but has not gotten worse).
Keeping my fingers crossed on the eysight issue because I really feel it was more than coincidence that my vision started going to heck after I started taking the stuff.

I am now on day 13 off the stuff. It really seems like it has been longer so I guess I need to be patient. My "brain zaps" are not as frequent but I still feel loopy and even have to double check my spelling and have been doing stupid things like changing the oil in my lawn mower and dumping the new oil into the gas tank instead of the oil tank.
That really is something I would never had done before this withdrawel stuff.
Anyway, tomorrow is another day.

[monsta]

Great to hear the urinating problem is decreasing and you are getting better.

I am also concerned about the blurred vision. I find myself double checking things , and squinting to focus. I did notice the first night of going cold turkey that my vision was at its worst, and my vision would blur mostly when I was really tired. I beleive it could get worse before it gets better. God knows what the hell they put in this drug. Give it more time, think we have a long road ahead of us to recovery, but quitting is the only way.

I haven't experienced the brain zaps yet , I do get a strange slow wave sensation if I turn or look up too quickly, but with out that Zap, like slow motion for just a second or two.

Tommorow is another day , one day at a time, soon this withdrawl will cease and we can get back to our usual and healthy self.

Goodluck , you are at 2 weeks tommorow

[Ablesugar]

Thanks. As I posted in the other thread, good luck to you. Also, at this point it doesnt sound like you could do any harm by letting some of your family and friends know about what is going on. Later, Able

[Ablesugar]

Well, I am doing pretty good except my eyssight is still blurry. I have to go for two months. I will check back. Hope everybody is fine.

[8yrs2long]

I KNEW the blurry vision had to be one more side effect! Does anyone else fear their doctor doesn't believe them? I wish this wasn't a problem for me but my doc tells me I'm reading too much BS on the internet and that my "similar" symptoms are not in fact a result of Cymbalta.

I also have the urine delay. That has only begun in the last 6 months and I've been on the drug 8 years. I don't think I had the vision problems until the past year. I can't believe I have to brace myself for the vision problem and who knows what else - to worsen as I detox.

HATE this drug and the misrepresentation. Think I'll discuss it all with the Walgreens Pharmacist today.