163 replies to this topic

[Cat]

Let me know how you do with the Zoloft because my doctor put me on 50 mg. of Zoloft because she said my symptoms were from the serotonin in my brain being off because I stopped taking Cymbalta too abruptly. I don't know yet if the Zoloft is helping or if it has even taken affect yet because I have only been on it about four days. However, I am up and down (extreme) every other minute, terribly aggravated and stressed about anything and everything, I am extremely fatigued and can't hardly stay awake, my eyelids feel very heavy and I am very unmotivated and dread doing anything that I have to do (housework, talking on the phone, everyday chores). The nightmare continues.



zoloft took almost 8 wks to really kick in, for me.

[angeltaylor8]

i need help. cymbalta has ruined my life, i'm a wreck, i tried to get off of it but omg the withdraws are bad. this drug needs taken off the market. i just got out of ICU last week because i tried to take my own life and its because of the cymbalta, it has changed who i am. its not a good drug to b on. now how does the company expect people to get off it without all the affects. IT'S NOT RIGHT i have so much more to say can anybody help me?

Hello Mazie74, I am new here in fact I just found this site this morning after googling help for Cymbalta withdrawal. I have been taking 60mg of this drug for almost 4 years and prior to that other antidee`s. I never knew how difficult it would be to just stop taking a medication but I knew I no longer needed it as I havent been depressed for a long time. My G.P never questioned when I just telephoned for my repeat prescription and never suggested perhaps it was time I came of it so I decided last week I would do it by myself. I started by taking one 60 mg tab every other day and then just totally stopped five days ago well OMG I am feeling so out of it at the moment and am probably going to have to take a different approach to going Cymbalta free! My head is constantly sore and dizzy and I feel disconnected and am barely able to function. How are you feeling now? Please dont feel you can no longer cope because there is always help along the way even if its just reassurance from somenone else who knows what you are going through. Please feel free to contact me if you need a little emotional support and any other way I can help

[kathyl]

I will write my story as soon as I can focus on the computer. I am to sick from Cymbalta at present be patient please

I am with you, step away for awhile and then try again. Kathy

[kathyl]

Yes, insomnia had hit me hard...almost 48 hours now with no sleep. And my feet have begun to itch badly. By brain zaps to you mean involuntary jerks or twitching or that weird "beside yourself" feeling? I never had depression before I started taking Cymbalta...now I am fighting to face the world every day. I left my house today for the first time in a week.

I'm in also, this is a horrible way to live, but I will never take cymbalta again, no matter how sick I feel.

[Cat]

I'm in also, this is a horrible way to live, but I will never take cymbalta again, no matter how sick I feel.

I will encourage you all to go to Erin Brocovich website....she has under Pharmaceutical..Cymbalta and wants people to write briefly what their story is and experience with the drug. The more people that do this, the larger the case grows and something could be done to get it off the market.
Cat

[Cat]

Well my name is Christie. I wanted to let everyone know that yes I am looking for an attorney to sue. I have actually gone 1 round myself with the Eli Lilly Legal dept. heres there number 317-276-5674. I was told by them they dont get calls that Cymbalta gets people sick and that it helps thousands of people. Well I want to thank this site for what I knew when I went my round with her LOL. I tore her apart. She asked me what I wanted. I basically told her this is a dangerous drug and that its going to kill people and started telling her what I knew. The only answer I got was UM pretty much. They have a claim process but they wont guarantee anything. Basically they wanted my Medical records to see why it wasnt Cymbalta.

I actually contacted Erin Brockovich because Im like it cant hurt. Her staff actually emailed me saying they believed she was looking into it because the firm she worked for did LOTS of pharmaceutical cases. Im trying to get people to email her and tell her your personal story of getting sick on and or going off this drug. I figure the more she hears the better the chances are she will get involved. heres her email <!-- e --><a href="mailto:erin@brockovich.com">erin@brockovich.com</a><!-- e --> or you can email me either. Ive decided Im not going to stop till the drug is off the market. I told Eli Lilly the one thing that they didnt want to hear they got the wrong person sick

I did send an amail to her, need more people to email her firm and tell their story.

[barney59]

[quote name='J' date='24 September 2010 - 08:13 PM' timestamp='1285373597' post='15820']
[/quote]


I'm so sorry you've been going through so much. I have a couple of questions. I am about 45 days off of Cymbalta and have experienced the classic symptoms: brain zaps, nausea, fatigue, palpitations, etc. What's been really concerning me lately is the extreme stomach tenderness and bloating that I've been dealing with. I've never dealt with anything like this before. My abdomen hurts so badly I don't want to touch it. I've been reading about conditions like ascites and increased liver enzymes and I'm a little worried about my liver. I don't have any health insurance right now and can't really go get checked out. How did you discover that your liver had been damaged?
[/quote]

Guest J,
I am now 1 year off Cymbalta. The withdrawlas were life chnaging for me. I too, had extreme bloating(to the point I had to buy pants 2 sizes up from what I was wearing). I also have liver enzymes that are high. Because of that, I have undergone a colonoscopy, endoscope(?), liver ultrasound, liver MRI and finally a liver biopsy. Nothing "life threatening" was found, so they are just keeping watch. I went back over my records and found that my liver enzymes began to show a higher level about 3-4 months after I began Cymbalta. Coincidence ?????

[Cat]

I have been on and off this drug all year and the side effects during and after are unreal..I am a quiet person i don't look to make money off anyone..but someone has to be accountable for these drugs.

While on the drug. Increased agitation, increased sucicidal paranoia thought. Very, very poor ..worse thought process, difficulty swallowing, thickness in my throat..never ate, never slept. Terrible speech, increased stuttering and ticks. and other effects.

Off it three weeks and I still haven't slept, my mind refuses to shut down. I used to only stutter in public/phone due to severe social anxiety and now I stutter all the time and increased ticks..I feel awful..lying in bed the last few weeks..exhausted and frustrated.

Myself I am not looking for a cure..just something to "edge off some of my symptons" so I can live the best I can. Cymbalta did not do this! Wrong drug for me Sadly both my GP reccomended it and my Psychiatrist also suggested I try to stay on it.

I wonder if I have suffered some neurological damage..awful drug..?
I am seeing a neurologist, what we experience on Cymbalta, thus far no permanent damage in ability to speak, getting the words out when they are on the tip of your tongue. I was on 120 mg plus 150 of Wellbutrin (for almost 2 years..went down to 60 mg overnight and stayed there for 3 weeks then dropped to 30 mg for 2 months and 4 days ago my dr gave me a pres for 20 mg and said 3 months at this level) can't wean off both at the same time or quit cold turkey, that is when a risk of real damage can hit.

heres a link that will really get you riled up!! clinicalstudies.gov. Still 178 clinical studies to be done on Cymbalta...what are we, clinical trial 42??
Cat

[cmommy2]

I will write my story as soon as I can focus on the computer. I am to sick from Cymbalta at present be patient please

I totally understand....I was on the couch all day, sick! I had a couple glasses of wine to relax me, and that's the only reason I'm on right now.

Good Luck, Hang In There!

[cmommy2]

My name is chrissy,I am 31 and i am still taking cymbalta after 4 years and 2 tries to get off of it. I read all of your posts and it all sounds like ive written them all! I last tried getting off cymbalta 8 months ago. After getting down to 30 mg for a week i then split beads in half for a week and then went off all. Within one week i was so sick with severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, the zaps and then came the bad thoughts. I knew id get depressed and was expecting it to get bad, but this was horrible, i came so close to hurting myself! By the time i noticed what was happening i was so scared for my life that i went right back on the cymbalta. It took 2 days for me to balance myself out enough to not want to hurt myself. This second try at getting off cymbalta is still better than the first time. The first time almost 2 years ago ended with my parents, husband and doctor taking me to the psych ward at the hospital and trying to get me to check in for observation. I left within a few hours,refusing to stay there. I went home and took the cymbalta, and i remember knowing right there and then that i was in big trouble from this drug! It took adding Abilify to my med regime to pull me out that time! Now after trying 2 times to get off this drug i am terrified to try again! I have 3 children who depend on me, i cant risk killing myself, but i cant risk the damage this drug is doing to me. Especially since i am noticing that it isnt working very well anymore. How this drug ever passed through the FDA is beyond me! I know that the pharma companies just want to make money, but shouldnt there be consequences for producing, advertising and selling a medication that is not as safe as they said it was? Who is to be held accountable for the damages this drug has caused, for the lives it has devastated? How do we make them take notice of their mistake and admit that yes, there is a problem, and cymbalta is not the great drug they thought it was, or pretended it was? Who is gonna be here to help me get off this drug next time, not them, just myself trying to hold it together while my body tries so hard to expell the poison they call Cymbalta!

I'm in the same boat....my marriage is all messed up, because I'm now crazy! My kids don't have their mom, because all I do is cry and scream, and later tell them I'm sorry! All, I know is getting off this horrible drug that should have never passed FDA....is KILLING ME! AND MY FAMILY! I hate it and want it out of my system forever! This is my second time to try and get off it, and tonight after 2wks of hell....I went to the med. cabinet and took a 60mg cymbalta, hoping in a few days I might not want to kill myself!!!! How long does this take??? We all need to bond together and get this drug off the market!!! Hang in there ...Your Not Alone!

[UnitedWeCan]

Why are we all still working independently???? Why are WE not the class action lawsuit? I have posted on here asking for names, stories and contact infor so we can actually DO something. We need to get the withdrawal studied and get a protocal written for people like us. Right now they say we are only 1-3% of people who have trouble getting off the drug. Do you think that is true? My doctor thinks I am crazy. Does yours? They know nothing about this either. My name is Pam Ward, pamward36@hotmail.com, phone 513-254-6584. I have sent many letters but I will be ignore until I have hundreds of names who will speak out when contacted.

[I am who I am]

I have had MANY illnesses since being on Cymbalta- including now a tumor in my liver, kidney stones, and cysts on my ovaries..

This needs to stop. I hate it. They should not only be sued.. that's just a penalty.. they need to be stopped.

I'm on the sue bandwagon and would testify with ALL of my medical bills and results... which I have only had since being on Cymbalta. I HATE IT.

This drug made my mind temporarily better, and my body worse.

[Hol]

We are not trying to make anyone feel bad. We are trying to help each other because we need advice on how to get through the withdrawals (most of which no one ever told us about).

I tried for five years hoping this would help me control my chronic migraines, cluster headaches and daily headaches. Chronic migraines cause lesions on your brain when you cannot control them – When I had my last MRI, I had lesions on my brain. Yes, I try pain medication to control them, but for people like me, drug tolerance becomes an issue and so does allergic reactions. I have also tried acupuncture and nerve blocks.

I still have headaches everyday. I have tried since the age of 19 to control my headaches. I recently turned 35. I have tried many medications and nothing has been as toxic as this. I also have fibro and Cymbalta does not help me with that. I also developed hip bursitis in 2008. For these reasons, I concluded that I have to get off this medication. I have other postings under “Weaning Off Cymbalta” if anyone would like to read them.

[mar48]

Hi everyone: I have been on and off mood stabilizers and antidepressants since 2000. About 6 months ago I was taken off seroquel (may have developed drug tolerance) and put on cymbalta. The dr thought that the cymbalt would help control pain (rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders), as well as my bi-polar. While taking it I was experiencing severe sweats all day and all night to the point where i dehydrated. I was hospitalized for a week with unexplained flu like symptoms and to rehydrate me. My potassium levels were quite low and i suffered from severe diarrhea. It helped stabilize my moods but was killing my body. I lost over 15 lbs and still cant eat properly. (i don't need to loose anymore weight i already look anorexic) The dizziness just keeps me immobilized. So again I went to the dr explaining all the symptoms but all blood tests were normal. Also my blood pressure fluctuates considerably. I have been taking 60-90 grams at bedtime. After the explaining to the dr he decides to up the dose to 120mg. I have only taken one dose at 120 and I couldn't handle all the side affects and the brain fog and all the stupid thinking. (i call it stupid thinking cause it seems all the negative that has ever happened just continually plays in my head like a broken record player). So it is now day 4 of stopping cymbalta cold turkey. I still can't eat food due to severe stomach, bowel irritability. My dizziness, well it feels as though any exertion i have to lay down and rest for hrs. Just getting up to go to washroom, I have to go back and lay down for hrs. My body is in so much pain. I feel alone and trapped. I would love to hear from as many people as possible on how I should go about handling this. I have read about the slow weaning, but with this either way I am immobilized. Please Help. Thank you.

Marie

[petpal]

At the moment there isn't a class action against Eli-Lilly about cymbalta...... It would take one heck of a powerful firm to take on Lilly. I'm sure it's going to happen at some point. Don't go trying to chase this one down yourself with some local lawyer, chances are that lawyer would get torn to pieces by Lilly's team of lawyers.

I don't know where the Paxil litagation is at the moment, There is a short post here.... https://www.cymbalta...c.php?f=2&t=457 about the Paxil case. This cymbalta case would have to be just as huge and the Paxil case has been going on for years.....


Peace,
Greybeard

[petpal]

The Nation is suffering not only with the side effects but the withdrawal effects of Cymbalta...Many BIG companies are taken to court.Whay not us?

[Michelle Hinton]

Hi everyone: I have been on and off mood stabilizers and antidepressants since 2000. About 6 months ago I was taken off seroquel (may have developed drug tolerance) and put on cymbalta. The dr thought that the cymbalt would help control pain (rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders), as well as my bi-polar. While taking it I was experiencing severe sweats all day and all night to the point where i dehydrated. I was hospitalized for a week with unexplained flu like symptoms and to rehydrate me. My potassium levels were quite low and i suffered from severe diarrhea. It helped stabilize my moods but was killing my body. I lost over 15 lbs and still cant eat properly. (i don't need to loose anymore weight i already look anorexic) The dizziness just keeps me immobilized. So again I went to the dr explaining all the symptoms but all blood tests were normal. Also my blood pressure fluctuates considerably. I have been taking 60-90 grams at bedtime. After the explaining to the dr he decides to up the dose to 120mg. I have only taken one dose at 120 and I couldn't handle all the side affects and the brain fog and all the stupid thinking. (i call it stupid thinking cause it seems all the negative that has ever happened just continually plays in my head like a broken record player). So it is now day 4 of stopping cymbalta cold turkey. I still can't eat food due to severe stomach, bowel irritability. My dizziness, well it feels as though any exertion i have to lay down and rest for hrs. Just getting up to go to washroom, I have to go back and lay down for hrs. My body is in so much pain. I feel alone and trapped. I would love to hear from as many people as possible on how I should go about handling this. I have read about the slow weaning, but with this either way I am immobilized. Please Help. Thank you.

Marie

hi. i just feel for you so much! its a crime that this drug is doing this to so many people and their is NO support to help come off it!! as you might have seen, some have decided to go cold turkey off this drug, others have weaned themselves off it. from what i have read on this forum, the cold turkey method is faster than weaning, but the withdrawal symptoms are EXTREMELY SEVERE. when i decided to go cold turkey i reasoned that if i couldn't cope then i could take a small dose every other day, and come off it slowly. but it sounds like you are really very sick, so weaning might be the best option for you, but then you did get through 4 days, just be careful.. make sure you continually keep in touch with your doctor, and ask him about some other medication to ease some of your symptoms. a few on this forum have found NSAIDS to be of benefit. i was also given panadeine forte, and diazepam, and they helped also.

i personally was glad i kept up with my cold turkey., i didn't want to prolong the withdrawal process one second, but we are all different, so just be careful.

[jennyo1960]

You people make me sick. Cymbalta has probably helped you cope with a very difficult time in your life. Now, all you can think about is how to sue Eli Lilly for providing the medication you needed when yoy needed it. Lets make some money off of this company. They can afford to pay. So what if there are withdrawal symptoms. Big deal. That's gratitude for you and that's the American way.

how can you talk to us like that you shouldnt be on here unless you have withdrawel or sideeffects i may be dying from mine is that serious enough i live in west virginiai just turned 50 in september and i think i may be slowly dieing from cymbalta i started taking it after yrs of depression unsuccessfully treated with other drugs ive taken it for 2 yrs after a hospital stay for the past yr ive been so nauseated and had right side rib pain my enzymes slowly went up my endocrenologist wanted to put me on colesterol meds but he had to do a sonogram first they did the sonogram i had gall stones a fatty pancreas and what they thought was a fatty liver well i had my gall bladder out the 25th of october he took pictures of my liver it turnes out i have CIRRHOSIS now and it took 2 and a half hours for me to wake from the anesthesia i could here everyone but couldnt talk or wake and my oxigen went real low all i think is i came close to death after that i went to my phyciatrist and told her i have to go off of this medicine the first 10 days i took 60 mg instead of 90 the next 10 days i took 30 mg instead of 60 the next 10 days i took 30mg every other day its driving me nuts i have horrible brain zaps i think some could be seizures im still nasuated from waking to sleep if i get any sleep im an insomniac now and im itching all over my body but no rash it may be my liver i fought for yrs to not be in this world from depression isaw my 16 yr old dead in bed had post tramatic syndrome lost my husband of 25 yrs to another woman but now i thought i was over the suicidal thoughts and was going to live but i dont kno how long i have with cirrhosis i cant believe it .i saw you on a discussion about cymbalta and you think we r all out for money im looking for someone to fess up to the dangers of this terrible drug i cant work now and i only make 400 dollars ssi i cant hardly live like this i kno they have law suits reguarding cymbalta i may need a transplant i just wanted someone to kno my pleight this is the most i have typed in a long time my eyes r drifting as i get zapped while i type sincerely virginia gue OH P.S. I DO NOT DRINK OR TAKE PAIN PILLS NOT EVEN after GALLBLADDER SURGERY

[Lady C]

My husband keeps telling me that anyday now we are going to be seeing ads on the tv saying "call us if you have ever taken the drug Cymbalta". I was never warned about the hell I would go through on this drug or getting off this drug.

Oh yes your husband is right.........Been off this for 3 weeks, was on it for almost 4 yrs. I'm having gross withdrawals........sick to my stomache, freeze then hottttt, dizzy, oh ya, Brain Zap,I had them while on the drug, and did not tell anyone what my head was doing.How do you explain Brain Zaps. told my Dr. she did not answer me. I guess she doen't know what a terrible drug, CYMBALTA is.........thank God I have Jesus..... Good luck...

[Michelle Hinton]

wow 2 days and all that! i took it for six days and have been suffering the "withdrawals" for 3 WEEKS now. i am so happy for you you gave it uso quickly, and i feel so sorry for all those who have taken it for longer.

are you having any 'withdrawals'? you'd think not, but i thought i'd be fine after taking only for 6 days. WRONG!

have you tried any SSRI antidepressants. they are a different class of antidepressant than cymbalta.( cym. is SNRI) i know what you mean about being hesitant about taking anymore antidepressants though. it sux to be so depressed you cant get your self out of it. i hope you can find an option that suits you.
[/quote]

[Michelle Hinton]

foreigner in japan here. male, 36. have been fighting a depression and anxiety for several months that was brought on by rapid weight loss from a low-carb diet. stupid, very, very stupid and i wish like hell i'd never done it.

after trying and fighting this by coming off the diet, putting weight back on and exercising i finally gave in and saw a psychiatrist a few days ago when my depression started lasting all day instead of just mornings. he prescribed 20mg cymbalta once daily in the mornings. day 1: slight headache, loss of appetite (forced myself to eat), increased night time urination and agitation. day 2: worsening of headache and general feeling of being "out of it", agitation was gone. 3.30 a.m. today i get up to go to the bathroom after having been asleep only 3-4 hrs. slow, painful urination, extreme nausea, passed out. don't know for how long. came to, feeling very disoriented and still nauseous. made it back upstairs only to pass out again at the top of the stairs. came to again, made it back to bed and back to sleep but with the sound of cicadas in my ears. woke up again at 7.30, again bad urine flow and nausea. barely made it back upstairs.

all of this after only 2 20mg capsules. it's a sunday but another doc was kind enough to contact me after we called the hospital and advised me to discontinue. i will *not* be going back on this medication and am now very apprehensive of anti-depressants in general but don't know what else to do. i'm counting it as a blessing in disguise that shit hit the fan so quickly.

wow 2 days and all that! i took it for six days and have been suffering the "withdrawals" for 3 WEEKS now. i am so happy for that you gave it up so quickly, and i feel so sorry for all those who have taken it for longer.

are you having any 'withdrawals'? you'd think not, but i thought i'd be fine after taking it only for 6 days. WRONG!

have you tried any SSRI antidepressants. they are a different class of antidepressant than cymbalta.( cym. is SNRI) i know what you mean about being hesitant about taking anymore antidepressants though. it sux to be so depressed you cant get your self out of it. i hope you can find an option that suits you.

[Pattie]

Doctors have kept my on antidepressants for 12 years, a lot of different ones, Cymbalta being the last (was on it for 4 months0. Have had it with all antidepressants. Quit Cymbalta cold turkey around 11-8-2010. Now for the last week I've been in hypomania, with the inability also to sleep, at all. Went into afer hours clinic two days ago and was put on Klonopin. I found a psychiatrist who I will be seeing the day after tomorrow. I need some type of medical treatment and a diagnosis as to whether I should have been on depressants all these all those years or have a bipolar disorder (which I suspected for a long time), or is it just the cymbalta withdrawal only that caused this. I can now look back and see there was some hypomania from the time I started Cymbalta. Afterall, I have been extremely frugal for years and years and years. All of a sudden I start cymbalta and go through $26,000 dollars while I'm on the drug. That was 75% of my life savings for retirement, and i retired 1-1/2 years ago. I'm screwed. I am researching everything I can and will most definately contact erin brochovich and join any class action lawsuit if I feel convinced cymbalta is responsible for my problems. And since I've only been of cymbalta a little over 5 weeks, who knows what's next to come.

[ScottC]

Confession: I have not gone through the totality of the posts on this subject. However, as one who has been personally, financially and otherwise devastated by this horrific drug I came across the web site link below in my exploration of this drug on the Internet. I am not sure of it's legitimacy or if it has been debated on this post but there has to be something done about this drug. I could not imaging the untold pain this has caused in countless people's lives including mine. Any insight on this website would be welcomed:

http://www.cymbaltasideeffects.com/

[jmaniex]

I am having brain zaps, cant sleep at night, I get dizzy if i move my head to fast. I am always angry and I have started cursing my kids and husband. I feel really bad for a lot of reasons. I even got angry with my mother today and seriously thought about never speaking to her again. I am constantly thirsty. I want to fill my prescription just so that I can feel normal again but I know if I do, I will have to do a repeat of feeling like a crackhead coming down from a crack-escapade on a sunday night. I have been taking Cymbalta for nerve pain stemming from a back injury that I sustained from work. The nerve pain is back and im not sure if the pain is because I stopped the Cymbalta or if its part of the withdrawls.

[jmaniex]

Confession: I have not gone through the totality of the posts on this subject. However, as one who has been personally, financially and otherwise devastated by this horrific drug I came across the web site link below in my exploration of this drug on the Internet. I am not sure of it's legitimacy or if it has been debated on this post but there has to be something done about this drug. I could not imaging the untold pain this has caused in countless people's lives including mine. Any insight on this website would be welcomed:

http://www.cymbaltasideeffects.com/

Thanks for posting this because I went and submitted my information.

[freedom]

i am sad to see we are all suffering but what a relief this is not just in my head. i replied to another post today as i had similar brain zaps from getting off zoloft. i cant believe that this is not one of the first thing doctors tell us when they decide to take our lives in their hands. it seems that everytime i complained about the nasty side effects and withdrawals they would just say something like "well you probably need a higher dose. its allabout finding the right dosage." or they would say that i need a the right cocktail of meds like maybe cymbalta and bupropion. a cocktail? im not looking to get a buzz here! i feel like this is a tragedy. i wish i had never taken any. I have been trying to be completely off meds for years and the withdrawals like the zaps are to extreme for daily living that to stop may cost me a job. im afraid to live. if there is a lawsuit i would be happy to be involved. something needs to be done for the person who is in the waiting room right now about to be perscribed this awful drug. they at least need to know what they are gretting themselves into. i feel abused. no one warned me of this. i traded sadness and depression for sadness, depression and pain.

[Red.Headed.Blonde]

I have a Biology degree and I worked in a microbiology lab quality control lab testing pharmaceuticals and I eventually sold pharmaceuticals a veterinary distributor. I am currently a nurse and I use to work in the cardiac ICU until I became ill. One of my neurologist placed me on Cymbalta. I did not fill initally that it worked for me, but my case was complex and the doctors insisted it be one medication I continue to take. That has been a year ago. I was actually better a year ago than I am now. I decided to wean off the cymbalta but I had no idea the hell I was getting into. It has been the worst expereince.
I do not believe in sueing, but I am interested in pursuiing a class action law suit against ELI Lilly. Lilly had to know the withdrawal effects from this drug in the patients it studied and did not disclose these withdrawl side effects. While they are not legally obligated to disclose these, ethically and morally they shoould have felt compelled to (I know that is a joke). I think all patients have to take an active role in their healthcare. I choose to take cymbalta. I educated myself about the drug from the research literature and PDR. I did not read anything about these horrible withdrawal side effects and was not told by my physicians about them. This lack of disclosure of important information by Eli lilly is the reason I feel they really need to be sued. If the pharmaceutical companies are going to continue to have no concsious then the legal system is going to have to keep them in check. A large fine and order to disclose these withdrawal side effects clearly needs to be put in place by the leagal system. Otherwise Eli Lilly is going to do nothing to correct the problem. I don't however believe in pulling drugs off the market. There may be those few people that desperately need this drug and it may be there last resort and the only thing that works for them. I believe the drug should be available for that person. It may be the drug that saves a persons life and they should have the choice to take that drug. However all information about the drug and withdrawal and long term side effects should be disclosed. Then it is up to us as individuals to make our own informed decisions. Are this drug's risks and withdrawal symptoms worth the benefits I gane from it. In my case the answer was hell no. You couldn"t pay me a million dollars to go back on that drug. But I know each of us are facing different medical issues and some person out there may feel the benefit is worth the risk. So I think for that person the drug should be available, but all the facts need to be avaiable for the patient to make an educated informed decision about taking Cymbalta.
Just remeber all drugs are approved by the FDA based on safety and side effects while the patient is taking the drug. The withdrawal side effects in many drugs are not the criteria by which a drug is approved. This is something that is just now being addressed in many drugs. After the drug has been in the mass population and problems become apparent.
.

Wasn't their study on Cymbalta only a 9-week study, not even long term? I thought I read that earlier today.

[Michelle Hinton]

Dear Heidi,
Oh so glad to hear that you are having a wonderful experience with Cymbalta, as I thought I was too until I lost my job, lost my insurance, lost my ability to pay, so I was given 4 months worth of Cymbalta by the patient assistance program, then I ran out before I could get more. Ended up in the ER. thought I was going crazy literally and between the loud buzzing "brain zaps" in my head the extremely painful headache, nausea, dia, thought of you know what...so the ER doc put me back on Cymbalta so I could ween off it properly. Did as my doctor told me. But when I would come to the day I was to be off of it and then on for 1 day for a week, every day I was off of it was pure hell. Then when I came off it totally, ALL the withdrawal symptoms came back in full force.
I'm not one to dare people, but i do dare you to try to even ween yourself off of it for ONE DAY and see if we are all full of sh*t!!! Trust me! We know exactly what we are talking about. It is HELL on Earth! Don't wish this on anyone. That is why I think it needs to be pulled, so that another trusting patient doesn't go thru this hell like so many thousands of us are.
When does it end? Don't know??? Still going thru hell!! Just don't want to lose my job, my boyfriend, by friends. I fear these things all the time...that going thru these withdrawal symptoms for 3 to 6 months, like I've heard, is not going to work for me!!! I need to get better TODAY!
signed, "desperate" in Colorado,where it is sunny so many days in a year,who could be depressed???

hi there, sorry to hear how you are feeling. i can empathise, i too was sooooooo sooooooo sick and just absolutely miserable. never ever felt worse in my life.
i went cold turkey, and 4 or five weeks now and i am finally better.
i took valium and nurofen plus to help ease the withdrawal symtoms,
then by week three i started on zoloft. i think the zoloft took away the final symptoms, it has taken time for that too, i have been on zoloft for three weeks now, but i can finally say i am alright!!!! woo hoo!!
unfortunately, you wont get better today, but i am glad i stuck with the cold turkey, as i did not want to prolong to misery by weaning...
the valium and nurofen plus really was the key for me though. if it wasnt for that i think i would have gone back to the cymbalta just to feel better, i was tempted quite a few times, even though i was determined not to take another drug in my life!!!
cymbalta has turned me off medication, as soon as i am able i am going to come off zoloft, i have been medicated for 14 years, and i would like to know how i am without it!!
take care, hope all goes well for you!!!

[barney59]

I have been reading all of these posts being made for the last couple of years. This is my first time on this forum. I would like to tell my story too . I was put on Cymbalta 3 years ago. I went to a new Dr. that took my ins. I have Fybromyalgia, Pmdd, panic disorder, and Ocd. My last few Drs. I went to was treating me with Neurontin, .25 Xanax as needed, and Adderall. It all seemed to work ok, but when I asked the new Dr. she said, and I quote " What would you say if I could give you a drug that would treat all of your issues ?' I said sure what ? She said Cymbalta. I said, but I am not depressed. She said that she was not labelling me. I was stoked. I still took the neurontin because it is not a narcotic and it helps keep my muscles soft. She gave me a years prescription and sent me on my way. She never went over anything about the drug. The first year and a half it was my hero. I was so happy. I lost weight, I had no Pmdd at all, and my house could be messy without me getting mad. I also had no panic attacks. After the second year I had to go up to 90mg from 60mg because like any drug, you get used to them. I ran out a few times due to ins. changing and no money. The side effects are instantly. My face would get numb and I would get dizzy. Eventually I started sleeping a lot. I mean so much that I had to get Fmla because I was missing so much work. I looked online at Fybromyalgia and saw that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was associated with Fybro. The most horrible year in my life started in May 2010. I was sleeping so much that I was maybe getting 2 to 3 days of work a week.Sometimes I would not move for 24 hours. I thought it was CFS. The end of my Cymbalta journey was December 2010. I had no money to go to the Dr. I had no money for Cymbalta. So I had no choice but to quit cold turkey. I DO NOT EVER RECOMMEND THIS ! It was a nightmare.I was so thankful that I had an Angel who gave me xanax. I swear, without it I would have killed myself. The dizziness, the facial numbness, the brain zaps, was nothing compared to the need for PAIN. I started scratching my inner thighs and arms because I wanted , no I needed to feel pain. I am not some 20 year old cutter. I am a 40 year old Mother and Mate. I could not stop crying all the time. I took pictures of my scratches because I was so appalled and also amazed that I was behaving like this. After Christmas I decided to actually leave the house to go to dinner with the family. While at the restaurant, I heard a song on the radio " Everybody Hurts " by Rem. It was so sad and horrific to me that I had to excuse myself and go to the restroom and scratch my inner arm till it bleed. THIS IS WHAT CYMBALTA DID TO ME. HOW DARE DOCTORS PUSH A DRUG WITHOUT TELLING THE PATIENT ABOUT THE MIND ALTERING EFFECTS !! I have been off of it for one month now and I still get dizzy, face numb, headaches, and the instant black outs that last a mili second. Those I cannot explain. I no longer hurt myself. That was only a 4 day thing. I almost feel like me again, however I will never get the last horrific year of my life back.About 2 weeks ago, I went online to see if there were law suits on Cymbalta and I came across this one forum.The first post caught my eye because it was a Husband begging for help. He explained all about his wife. I thought I was reading my story. What got me was when he said that she was sleeping 15 to 18 hours a day. OMG ! I was blaming CFS ! He said that she was detaching herself from the family, yes that was me, he said that she even went as far as renting a room from the neighbors. I was going down that road as well. THIS DRUG IS BAD AND SHOULD NEVER EVER BE GIVEN. I know you are not supposed to quit cold turkey, but when you have been sleeping for days at a time, you have no money for the Doctor, and no money for your medicine. I could not get samples either. They had none. I took the "metal" route and said fuck it ! I want to sue my Dr. for giving me a mind altering drug without explaining to me the horrific side effects, and withdraws. When I was on it, the only side effect I had was constipation. The withdraw side effects are constipation. I just got to say that my booty is killing me. Yes really. I HATE YOU CYMBALTA !

--
Debbie A Black

Debbie,

I just read your post from today, along with many others and my heart aches for you. I am not new to this site. My "Cymbalta Hell" was Sept. - Dec. 2009. I too was taking Cymbalta for my Fibro. I also have CFS, Chronic Daily Headaches and many other "issues" that go along with them. I won't go into to alot of detail about what I went thru (you can read my many posts during that time period)but I will tell you...IT WILL GET BETTER! I can't speak to your doctor and what he/she knew about Cymbalta, but what I found was that most doctors DO NOT KNOW that withdrawals are even a possibility. My Neurologist had no idea. I didn't fault him at all. Eli Lilly and their Reps DO NOT tell the doctors about the withdrawals. My Dr. tried to do the right thing by "weaning" me off over a 4 week period. But, even with that, within one day of my last dose, I went into full withdrawals. The fault clearly rests on Eli Lilly for not being forthcoming with the public & doctors about the severe withdrawals associated with this drug. I live in Lilly's hometown, and have written to the local paper several times about this drug. Unfortunately, like so many other large companies, Lilly has the local paper in their pocket. My doctor even filed a report about what happened to me with Lilly. He never received a response. It is up to all of us who, unfortunately, have suffered from the effects of Cymbalta. We must join together to spread the word. I tell my story to anyone who will listen! We must also unite when (not if)a class action lawsuit is finally filed. In the meantime, Debbie, please know you are not alone. This website really helped me thru my darkest time. Please stay strong and you WILL get thru it. When you emerge on "the otherside" you will be better off for what you went thru! A Cymbalta Withdrawal survivor!
Barney59

[Sam I am]

i need help. cymbalta has ruined my life, i'm a wreck, i tried to get off of it but omg the withdraws are bad. this drug needs taken off the market. i just got out of ICU last week because i tried to take my own life and its because of the cymbalta, it has changed who i am. its not a good drug to b on. now how does the company expect people to get off it without all the affects. IT'S NOT RIGHT i have so much more to say can anybody help me?

Peace to you