From CHW: Symptoms – Health Without Antidepressants

PREFACE

Below this yellow text block are actual testimonials from the Facebook Group “Cymbalta Hurts Worse”.

The inventor of Cymbalta/duloxetine, Eli Lilly, delivers a product insert with the drug. These are excerpts from it (https://pi.lilly.com/us/cymbalta-pi.pdf). Some of the excerpts have been trimmed to make them shorter.

This is a summary of the most egregious issues that must be considered by the prescribing doctor:

Hepatotoxicity: Hepatic failure, sometimes fatal, has been reported. Discontinue CYMBALTA in patients who develop jaundice or other evidence of clinically significant liver dysfunction and should not be resumed unless another cause can be established. Avoid use in patients with substantial alcohol use or evidence of chronic liver disease (5.2)

Orthostatic Hypotension, Falls and Syncope: Consider dosage reduction or discontinuation if these events occur (5.3)

Serotonin Syndrome: Increased risk when co-administered with other serotonergic agents, but also when taken alone. If it occurs, discontinue CYMBALTA and serotonergic agents (5.4)

Increased Risk of Bleeding: May increase the risk of bleeding events. Concomitant use of antiplatelet drugs and anticoagulants may increase this risk (5.5, 7.4, 8.1)

Severe Skin Reactions: Severe skin reactions, including erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), can occur; Discontinue at the first appearance of blisters, peeling rash, mucosal erosions, or any other sign of hypersensitivity if no other etiology can be identified (5.6)

Activation of Mania or Hypomania: Prior to initiating, screen patients for personal or family history of bipolar disorder, mania, or hypomania (5.8)

Angle-Closure Glaucoma: Has occurred in patients with untreated anatomically narrow angles treated with antidepressants (5.9)

Seizures: Prescribe with care in patients with a history of seizure disorder (5.10)

Blood Pressure Increases: Monitor blood pressure prior to initiating treatment and periodically throughout treatment (5.11)

Inhibitors of CYP1A2 or Thioridazine: Avoid co-administration with CYMBALTA (5.12)

Hyponatremia: Can occur in association with SIADH; consider discontinuation (5.13)

Glucose Control in Diabetes: In DPNP patients, increases in fasting blood glucose, and HbA1c have been observed (5.14)

Conditions that Slow Gastric Emptying: Use cautiously in these patients (5.14)

Sexual Dysfunction: CYMBALTA may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction (5.16)

They then add the “Adverse Reactions” in people without pre-existing conditions:

“Most common adverse reactions (≥5% and at least twice the incidence of placebo-treated patients): (6.1)
Adults: nausea, dry mouth, somnolence, constipation, decreased appetite, and hyperhidrosis
Pediatric Patients: decreased weight, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and diarrhea”

If you discontinue the drug too quickly, these are the acknowledged symptoms, and notice they apply to “tapered” discontinuation too:

2.8 Discontinuing CYMBALTA
Adverse reactions after discontinuation of CYMBALTA, after abrupt or tapered discontinuation, include: dizziness, headache, nausea, diarrhea, paresthesia, irritability, vomiting, insomnia, anxiety, hyperhidrosis, and fatigue. A gradual reduction in dosage rather than abrupt cessation is recommended whenever possible [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7)].

Under Warnings and Precautions:

5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

5.1 Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), both adult and pediatric, may experience worsening of their depression and/or the emergence of suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidality) or unusual changes in behavior, whether or not they are taking antidepressant medications, and this risk may persist until significant remission occurs. Suicide is a known risk of depression and certain other psychiatric disorders, and these disorders themselves are the strongest predictors of suicide. There has been a long-standing concern, however, that antidepressants may have a role in inducing worsening of depression and the emergence of suicidality in certain patients during the early phases of treatment. Pooled analyses of short-term placebo-controlled trials of antidepressant drugs (SSRIs and others) showed that these drugs increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults (ages 18-24) with major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24; there was a reduction with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults aged 65 and older

Do you like your liver? Eli warns this:

5.2 Hepatotoxicity

There have been reports of hepatic failure, sometimes fatal, in patients treated with CYMBALTA. These cases have presented as hepatitis with abdominal pain, hepatomegaly, and elevation of transaminase levels to more than twenty times the upper limit of normal (ULN) with or without jaundice, reflecting a mixed or hepatocellular pattern of liver injury. CYMBALTA should be discontinued in patients who develop jaundice or other evidence of clinically significant liver
dysfunction and should not be resumed unless another cause can be established.

Cases of cholestatic jaundice with minimal elevation of transaminase levels have also been reported. Other postmarketing reports indicate that elevated transaminases, bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase have occurred in patients with chronic liver disease or cirrhosis.

Not a fan of falling down? Read this warning:

5.3 Orthostatic Hypotension, Falls and Syncope

Orthostatic hypotension, falls, and syncope have been reported in patients treated with the recommended CYMBALTA dosages. Syncope and orthostatic hypotension tend to occur within the first week of therapy but can occur at any time during CYMBALTA treatment, particularly after dose increases. The risk of falling appears to be related to the degree of orthostatic decrease in blood pressure (BP) as well as other factors that may increase the underlying risk of falls.

Don’t want to risk “life-threatening” syndromes?

5.4 Serotonin Syndrome

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), including CYMBALTA, can precipitate serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition. The risk is increased with concomitant use of other serotonergic drugs (including triptans, tricyclic antidepressants, fentanyl, lithium, tramadol, meperidine, methadone, tryptophan, buspirone, amphetamines, and St. John’s Wort) and with drugs that impair metabolism of serotonin, i.e., MAOIs, [see Contraindications (4), Drug Interactions (7.13)]. Serotonin syndrome can also occur when these drugs are used alone. Serotonin syndrome signs and symptoms may include mental status changes (e.g., agitation, hallucinations, delirium, and coma), autonomic instability (e.g., tachycardia, labile blood pressure, dizziness, diaphoresis, flushing, hyperthermia), neuromuscular symptoms (e.g., tremor, rigidity,

Bleeding can be an issue:

5.5 Increased Risk of Bleeding

Drugs that interfere with serotonin reuptake inhibition, including CYMBALTA, may increase the risk of bleeding events. Case reports and epidemiological studies (case-control and cohort design) have demonstrated an association between use of drugs that interfere with serotonin reuptake and the occurrence of gastrointestinal bleeding.

This list is getting rather long… But it continues:

5.6 Severe Skin Reactions

Severe skin reactions, including erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), can occur with CYMBALTA.

The one we see the most:

5.7 Discontinuation Syndrome

Discontinuation symptoms have been systematically evaluated in patients taking CYMBALTA. Following abrupt or tapered discontinuation in adult placebo-controlled clinical trials, the following symptoms occurred at 1% or greater and at a significantly higher rate in CYMBALTA-treated patients compared to those discontinuing from placebo: dizziness, headache, nausea, diarrhea, paresthesia, irritability, vomiting, insomnia, anxiety, hyperhidrosis, and fatigue. During marketing of other SSRIs and SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), there have been spontaneous reports of adverse events occurring upon discontinuation of these drugs, particularly when abrupt, including the following: dysphoric mood, irritability, agitation, dizziness, sensory disturbances (e.g., paresthesias such as electric shock sensations), anxiety, confusion, headache, lethargy, emotional lability, insomnia, hypomania, tinnitus, and seizures.
Although these events are generally self-limiting, some have been reported to be severe. Patients should be monitored for these symptoms when discontinuing treatment with CYMBALTA. A gradual reduction in the dose rather than abrupt cessation is recommended whenever possible. If intolerable symptoms occur following a decrease in the dose or upon discontinuation of treatment, then resuming the previously prescribed dose may be considered. Subsequently, the healthcare provider may continue decreasing the dose but at a more gradual rate [see Dosage and Administration (2.8)].

And for anyone who has ever been challenged with mania:

5.8 Activation of Mania/Hypomania

In adult placebo-controlled trials in patients with MDD, activation of mania or hypomania was reported in 0.1% (4/3779) of CYMBALTA-treated patients and 0.04% (1/2536) of placebo-treated patients. No activation of mania or hypomania was reported in DPNP, GAD, fibromyalgia, or chronic musculoskeletal pain placebo-controlled trials. Activation of mania or hypomania has been reported in a small proportion of patients with mood disorders who were treated with other marketed drugs effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder. As with these other agents, CYMBALTA should be used cautiously in patients with a history of mania.

Seeing is important:

5.9 Angle-Closure Glaucoma

The pupillary dilation that occurs following use of many antidepressant drugs including CYMBALTA may trigger an angle closure attack in a patient with anatomically narrow angles who does not have a patent iridectomy.

Has not even been systematically evaluated in patients with seizure disorder, so be careful:

5.10 Seizures

CYMBALTA has not been systematically evaluated in patients with a seizure disorder, and such patients were excluded from clinical studies. In adult placebo-controlled clinical trials, seizures/convulsions occurred in 0.02% (3/12,722) of patients treated with CYMBALTA and 0.01% (1/9513) of patients treated with placebo. CYMBALTA should be prescribed with care in patients with a history of a seizure disorder.

Those with hypertension, read this:

5.11 Increases in Blood Pressure

In adult placebo-controlled clinical trials across the approved adult populations from baseline to endpoint, CYMBALTA treatment was associated with mean increases of 0.5 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure and 0.8 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure compared to mean decreases of 0.6 mm Hg systolic and 0.3 mm Hg diastolic in placebo-treated patients. There was no significant difference in the frequency of sustained (3 consecutive visits) elevated blood pressure. In a clinical pharmacology study designed to evaluate the effects of CYMBALTA on various parameters, including blood pressure at supratherapeutic doses with an accelerated dose titration, there was evidence of increases in supine blood pressure at doses up to 200 mg twice daily (approximately 3.3 times the maximum recommended dosage). At the highest 200 mg twice daily dose, the increase in mean pulse rate was 5.0 to 6.8 beats and increases in mean blood pressure were 4.7 to 6.8 mm Hg (systolic) and 4.5 to 7 mm Hg (diastolic) up to 12 hours after dosing.

Skipping a few, we get here:

5.15 Urinary Hesitation and Retention

CYMBALTA is in a class of drugs known to affect urethral resistance. If symptoms of urinary hesitation develop during
treatment with CYMBALTA, consideration should be given to the possibility that they might be drug-related.
In post marketing experience, cases of urinary retention have been observed. In some instances of urinary retention
associated with CYMBALTA use, hospitalization and/or catheterization has been needed.

And importantly:

5.16 Sexual Dysfunction

Use of SNRIs, including CYMBALTA, may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)]. In male
patients, SNRI use may result in ejaculatory delay or failure, decreased libido, and erectile dysfunction. In female patients,
SNRI use may result in decreased libido and delayed or absent orgasm.

And, in summary, here is their list:

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS

The following serious adverse reactions are described below and elsewhere in the labeling:

- Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions (5.1)]
- Hepatotoxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)]
- Orthostatic Hypotension, Falls and Syncope [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)]
- Serotonin Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)]
- Increased Risk of Bleeding [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5)]
- Severe Skin Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6)]
- Discontinuation Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7)]
- Activation of Mania/Hypomania [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8)]
- Angle-Closure Glaucoma [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9)]
- Seizures [see Warnings and Precautions (5.10)]
- Increases in Blood Pressure [see Warnings and Precautions (5.11)]
- Clinically Important Drug Interactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.12)]
- Hyponatremia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.13)]
- Urinary Hesitation and Retention [see Warnings and Precautions (5.15)]
- Sexual Dysfunction [see Warnings and Precautions (5.16)]

Now, we present posts from the Facebook group that confirm every one of these cautions, and present some symptoms that Lilly does not mention.

The following are posts from the Facebook group “Cymbalta Hurts Worse” that we have made anonymous. Some are slightly edited for brevity, clarity, or comprehension.

I absolutely HATE the person I am on these meds. They’re horrible. I feel horrible. And let’s not talk about the fact I can’t sleep and I’ve piled on a stone since I started them. I’m going to call my docs for a med review.

I have been on Cymbalta for approximately 6 yrs at 60 mg. I have lost the ability to cry. Originally I thought it was due to dry eye syndrome but I just read a few messages from members of this group that haven’t been able to cry either. Have any others of you experienced this? I came across an article that labeled this as “emotional blunting”…

I found this page, because I googled, “Why do I feel so much better Coming off of D“. Wow What a Shocker, I’ve been so ill over the last 18 months. Below is the long list of symptoms that have made my life feel like it is not worth living. I collated the list over a year to try and be heard by my GP.

[Ed. Note that most of these have been reported repeatedly over more than a decade by members.]

Dry eyes
Can’t see properly sometimes
Loss of smell
Weight gain
Numb Thighs
Deep pain in thigh bones
Painful Achilles
Psoriasis all over the body
Burning palms and hives
Itchy hands and feet
Brain fog
Swelling on both sides of knees
Horizontal ridge on nails
Itchy sore ears
Sore throat before, and during flare
Moon face
Growing Lypoma on base of neck, migrating to clavicles, that becomes inflamed when if I eat certain foods
Sensitive to Gluten/barley
Lactose intolerance
Contact dermatitis on hands and feet
Sometimes sensitive to cat, sometimes not?
Fungal toenail both big toes
Chronic fatigue
Profuse sweating
Constant sleeping
Alleviated on Fluclocacillin?
Sleep disturbance
Bowel problems IBS
Fodmap
Raised LDH levels
Ulcers in my mouth
Thunder clap migraines
Delayed skin healing
Weak immune system
Palpitations
Electric shocks in torso
Depression
Anxiety
Suicidal ideation
Persistent sores on the pubic area
Ice pick headaches
Headaches when climaxing unbearable!
Painful perineum during sex
Diverticulitis

I then find this page, that has made me feel very sad, robbed of my life over the last 9 years. I have gained 10 stone in the 9 years that I have been taking D. Not one GP, has ever said perhaps the meds could be causing the issues I’ve described. I tapered over 3 months and had taken my last tablet (instinctively, I opened the capsules and took half 15mg). The only reason I thought let’s get off this Stuff was because I was so ill.

Since starting 3 years ago my bp has increased significantly. I was taking 60mg and now 45mg but too early to evaluate BP.

My doctor started me on 30 mg for nerve pain. Didn’t help so he kept increasing it to 60-90-120. He was “sure” that 120mg would help! [ed. Lilly says clearly that doses above 60mg are not tested or recommended] I ended up curled up in bed with paralyzing anxiety and nonfunctional. When I wasn’t in bed I was failing around on the floor in panic attacks. Then the idiot put me on a super fast taper back to 30. I switched doctors and found this group. I learned to count beads and calculate % and it took me almost years years of horrible symptoms to get to 0. Thankful for the moderators here. Do not let anyone talk you into this for nerve pain. If it helps it will eventually stop and the taper can be brutal. Dr. Mark Horowitz, an expert in deprescribing, said in a video that Cymbalta is the worst AD to come off.

I have fibromyalgia too and was prescribed it for pain. It helped for 4 months and then just stopped. It took me over 3 years to get off of it. I had extreme anxiety and deep depression that I had never knew what that was like. I regret taking it, I lost my job, almost lost my marriage and suffered terrible. Unfortunately, doctors will tell you I’m a rare case. Not so at all. Just look at all the people on this site alone that truly suffer. I know others will be along with studies but coming off of this is pure torture. It never did help my true pain anyway.

It damned near killed me. Gave me serotonin syndrome.

I was prescribed cy for fibromyalgia, I took it ONE TIME and did not sleep for 48 hours. Fortunately I joined this group and never took it again

How about it doesn’t work for pain. Well researched studies are great but they don’t trump patient experiences.
I have Fibromyalgia, migraines, and other chronic pain and it did absolutely nothing except possibly trigger POTS for me.

I was moved to C when I was diagnosed with Fibro. I was told it was an AD that also manages pain. It has NEVER lessened my pain, or managed my moods. C has only ever triggered Fibro pain and flares, far more so when i began tapering. And u will begin tapering because u will realise you develop more and more issues. But then u will be trapped in the tapering nightmare because u cant just stop cold turkey and with tapering comes even MORE side effects as u hit withdrawal.
Run far and fast from this ‘medicine’. Now that I know what it does, not even on my worst day…at my lowest point…when I was desperate for anything that would help

Tell any Doc who thinks he/she is right…as a friend does… ” I was part of a semi-casual group of ppl. with Fibro, and when we met every week / month/ 2 months, C was repeatedly being mentioned by a majority of patients as the worst thing they had ever encountered. These ppl. had sooo many awful side effects, and could NOT stop the medication (C) . It was life-destroying. I did not hear ONE POSITIVE WORD about it. There were suicides in the group of seventy five or so… I simply CANNOT go from bad to worse to worst. The F is horrid enough. Please try to respect what I have seen.

I was put on it for nerve pain due too back injury and anxiety. It worked for a while. The associated side effects, mainly unexplained heart issues and weight gain. Emotionally it dumps everything. Forget a tablet and brain zaps.

I have Complex regional pain syndrome and have been on so many antidepressants, none helped with pain even a tiny bit. C was a horrific drug, only causing more terrible problems not to mention months of withdrawal. It’s taken 14 years but I have learned how this and I believe most chronic pain works. It is trauma and stress, both past and present. If I control my environment I don’t get sick. That has led me to having to make very hard decisions for myself. Letting toxic family and friends go and learning to set boundaries. A part of this and probably all doctors know the source and so they give people antidepressants to try to fix it. But to be well we have to commit to doing the hard work and choosing ourselves for possibly the first time in our lives. I suggest reading When the Body Says No by Gabor Mate’

I was prescribed C for nerve pain and it very nearly ruined my life and marriage. I understand that doctors love throwing this at you and you will get push back from every single one but stay strong please, my friend. I am begging you. If I had a time machine to go back and refuse this, I would. C will leave you with the same problems you had going in and about 1000 more you wouldn’t wish upon your worst enemy.

It helped at the beginning but not for long. It made me gain a lot of weight, it made me sweat and also loose all my emotions. I just felt numb. It is also really hard to stop taking it. If I knew then what I know now I wouldn’t have started taking it.

Helped me as well at beginning for about a year. Then it started getting worse and worse each year. Weight gain, feeling numb, hopelessness, anger, etc.. now serious neurological issues after a year of stopping.

My side effects while on it were flattened feelings and loss of pleasure in sex. The wake up call for me though was when I got a stomach bug and couldn’t take it for a couple days. Withdrawal symptoms kicked in: headache and “brain zaps” (disorienting noisy shock sensations in my head). I couldn’t function for more than 6-8 seconds without another zap throwing me off. I found this group and got guidance on how to get back in control and how to wean off Cym.
I’m an M.D. and was prescribing this med at times. The reason we are ignorant on this is that the information that looks bad is not presented to doctors.

I was on it from 2009 for pain/depression and anxiety. I am tapering slowly off this evil drug. It as taken me to places you would not believe. It helps at beginning then turns on you and changes you completely. My hair/teeth/eye sight have all been destroyed. Brain zaps and noise sensitivity are crippling. Fatigue and weight gain are debilitating. These Dr’s throw meds at problems instead of curing and understanding what causes it.

This drug physically shrank my brain, damaged my liver and stole my life. Parts of me are gone forever. I lost friends and people I loved. I can’t do math, write, no short term memory, emotions forever altered. All because of this drug. I am rebuilding a new life finding small joys everyday since ending my years of horror. I wish this drug never existed. Now you have the facts.

I was on it for a year and gained 20lbs. Always hot and a lot of night sweats. It helped when I needed it in the beginning because I was so deeply depressed but it was terrible trying to get off of it. I mean terrible. Had to count beads to get off and even after I was off of it for a few weeks I was still feeling terrible. Also makes dry mouth worse.

Anger is my default emotion. I don’t feel compassion or love. I can’t cry. It’s as though my “me” switch has been turned off. C has done this to me. I want my brain back.

So I know fatigue can be a symptom of withdrawal from Cymbalta – but do many of you feel like you can hardly get through the day? Lately I’m needing a lot of lie downs to manage and I’m missing a lot of energy.

[…fatigue…]

I hear you sister… staying in my PJs all day every day, barely able to walk to the mailbox for mover a year!! ..no motivation to clean, or do anything*. on the bright side my slow taper may be paying off after few months. Yesterday I had the first day in over a year that I was positive and engaged all day! my dose is 20mg 2x a day… I went from the (estimated) 105 beads per) and now at 78 beds.. today I also felt much better than even last week… if this is the GIFT of a good taper I am thrilled to continue slowly. (* too many accident related long term joint pains, and a bad fall that fractured my spine last year. This drug was to help!! didn’t do anything but make me a zombie of uncaring!)

YES! Exhaustion so severe I could barely walk across the floor!

Yes, it’s horrible, I went from 90mg to 60mg on May 19th, 2020, I’m still dealing with horrible fatigue. I won’t do that again.

6:00 am USA time. As I sit here unable to sleep. I don’t remember the last time I did sleep. I can’t stay still (Tardive dyskinesia and Akathisia.) I am so restless. I don’t remember the last time I was me.

“Behind my smile is a hurting heart. Behind my laugh I’m falling apart .
Look closely at me and you will see , the person I am isn’t me.”
Unknown

This is definitely me. No one understands. I lay here on the couch every night praying for sleep. I so miserable from not sleeping. How I wish I could go back and been more aware of what these drugs did. Thank you admin and moderators for all your help and support. It really goes along way. 😢

I just started C today for pain management when my sense of smell and taste both abruptly disappeared. This has never happened with a medication before or ever in general. I messaged my Dr that I don’t want to continue taking it. Hopefully one pill once won’t cause withdrawal symptoms but after reading comments in this group I’m definitely not continuing. I haven’t heard of any other drugs that people have to taper off by reducing bead by bead.

Now diagnosed with chronic liver failure 😞

I am sorry to hear that. I have very high liver enzymes and pain on the right side under my ribs. Waiting for ultrasound and blood test results. I was on C for 8 years, prescribed for neuropathic pain. I wish I never started taking this horrible poison 😥
Can anything be done at the stage where you are? I am now tapering slowly, not the way doctors believe in.

This summer I lost both my in laws and I didn’t cry but I really loved them and I miss them. Then my dog died, he was old and sick and I cried. I don’t know why I could cry because I used to cry all the time but since I’ve been on cymb.. I don’t cry anymore. It feels like the emotions are inside but can’t get out

I currently have no emotion anymore. I wish I could cry.

Besides the horrible effects when coming off this there is also side effects while taking the full dose prescribed. I had side effects just from taking. The worst being the effect on my vision. I am now a retired dental hygienist because of this. It caused me to this day to have trouble focusing. I had to take a leave of absence from my job in 2016 and have never been able to go back. I also went to the neuro visibly shaking and they upped my dose. Made things worse. Then they Dr prescribed a horrible recommendation for tapering and I almost hurt my kids acting like a crazy person. I found this group and they saved my life.

Have put 3 stone on since taking this drug 😕

It’s so hard gaining the weight and not being able to lose it very easily. I gained 60 lbs and it is just starting to come off.

My doctor told me that most of his patients gain 100 pounds on it and that I shouldn’t complain about gaining 30 or 40 pounds (I dropped that doctor). It does come off when you stop the med, though it was extremely slow for me.

Once you get into your taper for a while, you’ll start to lose that weight you put on. It takes time, but it will happen. I lost 50 pounds and still have 16 beads to go. Hopefully will lose another 10 before I’m done.

Have lost 15 kg so easily since stopping this drug. I’m simply eating whole foods and getting out of bed (I was bedridden for 3 years) and doing chores, cooking, walking the dogs minimally, tai chi. I think it’s a) not eating gluten or ultra processed foods in combo with b) not taking C and c) getting moving moderately. Hang in there, it gets better.

If I’m two hours late on taking my pill, I have brain zaps all evening. That being said, I haven’t started my taper because of this.

If I’m even 1 hr late w/ my dose they start in. Yesterday I started having a few zaps in the afternoon! I take mine (dul-**-tine) in the morning. I believe my manufacturer is messing with the dosage.

When do the sweats stop 😭

I’ve been tapering for 4 years at least from 30mg and down to 88 beads. My sweats are as bad as ever. I’m sitting here at the moment with perspiration dripping from my head onto my Ipad screen!! Not nice at all.

Yeah I was chronic fatigue before Cymbalta. Then cymbalta triggered terrible insomnia. I function in a 9-5 but have to check my grumpy attitude often and on weekends always nap. 😞

I’ve never really told my story but I was only on Cym for 17 days and in those 17 days

Burping
Sweating
Dry mouth
Cough
Constipated
Peeing delayed or not at all. I have had to hold it a long time, in order to pee.
Extreme tiredness to the point of passing out in the car at a stop sign n such if I didn’t move my body.

But the worst…
Fell on 2.7.21 got tunnel vision, ears rang, took a step back, fell everything went dark, crashed into cat tree and broke it, knocked over a tv tray, broke it, almost broke our tv, with extreme shaking, to the point that I could tell my husband it wasn’t a seizure, because I was talking. I was aware of everything going on. After 20 minuets of shakiness and light headedness, it finally stopped. That was the weekend that we were supposed to be in our son’s town for our son and daughter-in-love’s baby shower… it snowed heavily, so we stayed home. I could have been holding my oldest grandson, who at that time, was 2.5 years old. I would not of had time to tell someone to grab him, before we hit the floor… this is the first time I’ve told this story and not started bawling at the fact that I could have dropped my grandson…
Its been 3 years… 3 years of crying every time.

I’ve been on 120mg for past 6 years or so, all up have been on C for 7yrs…I feel no joy, feel extremely depressed, can get very easily irritated…I have to try so hard not to be, as I have elderly parents with alzheimer’s and behavioral issues. If I take my med late, I am in extreme fibro pain within a few hrs on top of my RA pain. Was originally prescribed for depression and fibro… definitely not working for depression any more…I feel trapped as I can’t afford side effects of reducing my dose…too much on my plate

A good friend died a few years ago when I was on C. His wife called me when she found him on the floor. I rushed over there. She was hysterically crying and as we sat there waiting for rescue, I could not squeeze out one tear. That’s when I finally decided to get off C. C robs you of emotions. No doubt.

I couldn’t tolerate the numbness anymore. I lost myself and had no emotion, drive or interest in anything in life. I used to be so artistic and creative and it was all gone. I didn’t even cry at my mother’s funeral 🤷🏻‍♀️ . I also suffered quite a few other side effects. I came across this site and did my research and haven’t looked back. I’m optimistic for the future even if the journey is a little rocky at times.

oh wow!!! The exact same thing has happened to me [Ed. no emotions] and I didn’t realize it was the Cymb…. ( i’m on a few other meds) I use to be so active and creative and so fun to be around and now I barely leave my house and I have no creativity or motivation whatsoever. Thank you for your honesty I needed that. 💕

I felt like a bump on a log. No emotions at all. After slow tapering its much better now. I cry all the time. My son told me it’s ok cuz I’m just making up for all the times I wanted to cry and couldn’t due to this awful med. Also I feel joy again too!

Yep, I too remember those sweats and didn’t realize it was the poison. Now & then I’ll heat up & cool off but I no longer go through those sweats… gosh, when it was bad, I remember my face would be dripping & hair would get soaked. Not one doctor advised me of that side affect. My kids would always ask me why I was sweating so bad…. Anyway, hang tight, keep your slow taper and this too shall pass.

Yes, nearly ruined my life. I’m tapering and getting emotions back.

Couldn’t even cry happy tears at my only child’s wedding or birth of my grandchild. Emotion is starting to return, but it’s a different (less emotive) version of my pre-cym self.

I’m on 50mg for the past 5 years and the sweats have always been the same never change x

DONT TAKE IT! PLEASE 🙏 IT WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE AND IM NOT EXAGGERATING ONE BIT! Trying to come off it is HELL!
My teeth are dying and I had one extracted up the back and it’s so sensitive on my gums. Now on the other side all the enamel is dissolving and I can barely eat on either sides. I have to go back to get them fixed asap! Weight gain of 40 kilos. I was driving the other day and my limbs went numb and just collapsed and I quickly pulled over.
It literally clashes with all my other medications. There are so many more side effects, the list is crazy. Please please please 🙏
DONT TAKE IT!!! ITS RUINED MY LIFE……I was sooo overwhelmed by my whole situation and i honestly just wanted to throw in the towel, take a bunch of 💊 and sleep forever!
So I’m actually going to rehab soon for a month to try and it my life back! Cause I see no light at the end of the tunnel!

Getting derealization depersonalization. Constantly I only took it for 10 days. It feels like it’s an never ending battle. I just put my hope the high one to help me bounce back! 🙏

Assisting a loved one (“pt”) in early 30s with this. Dr. Rxed C in addition to regular meds for pain issues. It has been a disaster from the beginning with numerous side effects, but pt was so desperate to feel better, pt continued. It was affecting cognition, speech, body temp control, muscles, digestion (nausea and bowl movements). Now experiencing additional side effects including electrical zaps throughout body (not head) especially with movement, sleepiness, but the stuttering speech and temp control, from my observations, seem to be improved from when pt was taking the med. It has been 6 days since discontinuing. I am reading about the slow taper. I don’t know what to do in this moment.

I only took dulo 30mg for 7 days for knee pain. It actually caused new pain in my back along with stiffness, couldn’t stay awake, blurry vision, and incredible mental laziness. Although I didn’t have depression, I felt really sad on some days. I quit CT 4 days ago, and my vision is fine, but I still sleep a lot, feel lazy and tired, and the back pain is still there! Instead of solving my knee problem, I got even more problems to solve! In fact, my knee pain seems secondary now!

I sweat like a beast when I was on this drug. I used “clinical strength” deodorant and still had to reapply it at mid-day and change shirts. After I got off the drug, stopped using aluminum antiperspirant/deodorants, and let my body naturally detox, I quit using deodorants all-together. I use the natural salt deodorants now, and only during the hottest months of the summer.

Cym is the last thing you should be taking for dental pain! It caused over $10,000 and 1.5 years worth of dental work for me. I’m still battling it daily while tapering and now I have PTSD at the dentist from so many procedures and developing a tolerance to the numbing medicine and not being able to use the gas in the first place because of the serotonin syndrome Cym also possibly gave me. Really bad idea from your doctor.

I’ve been holding for a little over a year, was okay for a little then all the horrible symptoms hit me again. I feel like I have seratonin syndrome every day and night, it’s never ending. It’s like I have no control of my body. Horrible panic. Sweating with tremors. Unexplainable feelings with my nerves and muscles. Can never sleep. Unable to really do anything. I wish we didn’t have to live like this, it’s unbearable.

Right now start tapering off or you will regret it. I’m down under 60 MG after 18 months on it..as I’m on 38 beads now and I’ll do that 6 weeks and then take out 1-2 more beads as it works like this for me. This drug is absolutely 💯 horrible what it has done to me. Please think about it but always talk to your doctor. Just telling you what has happened to me.

I am now on this for 4 years for fibro and wish with all my heart I never ever even heard of this drug! The “side effects ” does not show early… in fact it might even seem like it is helping but then slowly it starts to turn… And then you think it is the fibro that’s getting worse when it is actually the meds.. that was my experience…

Fibromyalgia warrior here. If it helps, it helps for a short amount of time. When it stops the fibromyalgia pain is worse, so you have worse symptoms AND side effects AND a med that’s a nightmare to come off of. I recommend you consider stopping now as two weeks is the window before you have to go through several years of tapering. Sorry to be the giver of bad news, but I wish I’d known this over a decade ago. Side note, even a 2.5% drop causes withdrawal symptoms for me. Because of this, it will take me more than 5 years to come off of it.

I went off recently as well!! Tapering and still need my scrips but my doc moved and they have “protocol” needless to say days without it and I called and went through every single withdrawal symptom I was feeling and demanded someone call me back. I also told them that my kids were told who to sue if anything were to happen to me! I got the fastest response. I truly felt like I was dying… but we all know how this stuff makes us feel… 🤬😭

I had previously been on it for a few weeks and my mind told me this is wrong. But then went to a rheumatologist that really believed it would be effective and I tried so hard, but it made me crazy and changed me completely. I went from a gregarious, loving person to someone who just wanted to hide. My husband said my personality was unrecognizable. 😞 I’m so much better now, but still hey the brain zaps. And the anxiety.

Stop taking it it will literally ruin your life and health no lie. This toxic med read the story’s of what this poison does to you by reading peoples lives from taking this poison med. Read save your life not kidding is one of many toxic antidepressants the worse on the market no matter what sickness they tell you it helps nothing not one thing. It just destroys your mental and physical health. Read and learn about this med that doctors know nothing about never taught one min about.

this poison has changed me 💯… when my anger kicks in an I can settle down some, I just cry… I hate this med an the doctor that put me on it, I was so trusting back then, so loving… I have a long way to go, but I’m going to make it one day, an be free of this hell…

I’ve been on 120mg for about five years. No emotions whatsoever. I’m terrified to go off it though.

I’ve been off for 2 months now and I’m still getting Brain zaps 😳

[Brain Zaps] I’ve been off for 5yrs and still get them periodically

I have fibro n it has never touched that pain or my chronic pain. My teeth are ruined and I can’t get off of it for nothing. It should be illegal. I was able to get off narcotics but can’t get off this… we should be able to sue for the horrible affects it has on your body. High blood pressure, diabetes, extreme sweating, horrible dry mouth, headaches etc… not worth it one bit.

Hi, the only thing I take is Cym. I can’t take anything else at all, no medication, nothing natural no vitamins. I get the worst reactions that last for so long. I used to take Advil PM because it would help my nausea, help me sleep a little, help my cramps and even help my panic attacks. I can’t take it anymore, and have so many food intolerances as well since being on Cym. It’s like now my body rejects even good natural things. I drink water and a little bit of Gatorade each day and thankfully my body can take that. This is just one of my complaints from this poison, it really ruins your body.

I got a permanent brain damage from this drug. Since then I’m longer capable of falling asleep. I have been sleepless for almost a year now. I’m feeling extremely tired and exhausted since I can’t sleep at all. I can’t function like a normal human being and I’m bedridden. Sleeping medicat2ions are not able to knock me out, they have no effect on me. I am very sacred that I got fatal insomnia from this drug.

…my psychiatrist was helping me with love. She had to move away suddenly. I was unlucky enough to get a movement disorder from this med. I have functional seizures now and full body paralysis from it. And now tapering it’s flaring those symptoms. I’ve been trapped on it coming up on three years. Hopefully after I taper off and get better I can use my own medical status to help more people in the medical field become aware of the risks.

I’ve posted several times in the past few months, about the torturous withdrawals I was experiencing after a surgery in March completely threw my tapering into a tail spin I never saw coming. I literally was hanging on by a string each minute of each day. I was somehow able to go to work everyday. I’d sob in the bathroom several times a day and do everything I could to distract myself from the intrusive thoughts that would not stop. It felt like I was crouched down in a corner with someone repeatedly beating me down, metaphorically speaking. My head just wouldn’t stop. I truly did not know if it would ever stop.
Thanks to the love and support of this group, my loving and supportive family and friends and God, I’m happy to say (although I’m afraid of jinxing myself) I believe I have finally stabilized. The intrusive thoughts are pretty much gone with the exception of a few weekly. I have gotten back on track with changing my diet, exercising, trying to get outside more, not isolate (though difficult) and started therapy. I’m not doing it perfectly by any means and have a long way to go but it’s nothing compared to the absolute living hell I was in.
And while it’s critical for us to come on here and reach out for help, I felt it just as important to also post when things get better. For me that’s where the hope comes in that I often need to be reminded of. And to hopefully help someone else on here that may be going through the same thing. If anyone is struggling, you HAVE to hold on. Do whatever you have to do to get to the other side no matter what it is. Do not be prideful. I was for a time and it made me isolate even more. This group and the tapering plan on how to get off of this stuff, is literally saving lives and I’m truly grateful to be part of it. If anyone ever needs to talk always feel free to PM me anytime. We can do this but we can’t do it alone and thankfully we don’t have to. ♥️

On top of feeling like a zombie I had extreme diarrhea for 4 months straight while taking it!

C wrecked my jaw joints.🤬

It caused me jaw pain and clenching and gave me IBS…

I have struggled with diarrhea for years since I started taking this. I’m now off and it’s gotten a little better. This drug saved me for years. But at the end of the day it isn’t worth it. It took me just as long to get off with horrible side effects

I’m in such a bad way mentally, I don’t know why I keep fighting, for over 15 years this med was changing me Lil by Lil off and on it and my kids don’t believe it was meds or that my wd could last this long. They don’t call. We were talking until Dec and just stopped, I tried to tell them the CT of cym, klo, reme did something to my brain, i can’t remember past a few hrs, I’m not able to budget I can count still but making the pay line up with the bills not registering and my sight is getting worse, I can not see at night I must put a flash light by eyes to see..2 years everything added to Cymbalta blew me up but Cymbalta had been changing me and my babies don’t remember the mommy b4 it, This outcome was not worth the fight over done 19 months I see so many stories of what this med has done why was it still available, why is it still available. I can’t stop crying . This is so Bad so so bad.

It worked [for pain] until it didn’t… I’m so sorry to hear your doctor put you on this . It should be illegal.

I worry about some of these doctors. My primary care physician doesn’t believe that serotonin syndrome is real because she’s never seen it in 40 years of practice. Well honey maybe it’s time to retire…

It is a horrible drug. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy

I wish in my 1st week of taking it someone has told me to stop!!! Instead I took for a few years. And then spent a couple of years tapering off. I started taking for Fibromyalgia. I also have General anxiety. It did help for a while, but then didn’t & then I had side effects from med that made me feel worse than before!! Can’t say for certain this is related, but I have also heard it can cause dental issues (because of dry mouth & clenching) In the last couple of years I have had to have retreatment of a root canal done years earlier – which then still later abscessed & then to have extracted & an implant. Just had to have root canal on other side of mouth a couple of weeks ago. And I have dental anxiety!!! I do sometimes take a med for anxiety for dental procedures and:or get the gas! I know they don’t recommend any drugs- but my opinion is- CYM is one of the worst!!!!!

I was prescribed C for pain, it didn’t help, and I suffered side effects that did not go away. If you are only on your second week, (two weeks is the cutoff) you could very likely quit cold turkey with no ill effects and if I were you, that is exactly what I would do, rather than wait for side effects to develop or the nightmare of trying to get off this drug.