Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome is a medical condition in which individuals experience  flu-like symptoms, trouble sleeping, and mood changes.

These side effects should disappear on their own within a few weeks. However, Cymbalta withdrawal side effects have shown themselves to be significantly worse. The medical community named the condition Cymbalta discontinuation syndrome, separating it from other antidepressants.

Cymbalta patients have experienced Cymbalta discontinuation syndrome anywhere from weeks to months to years after drug use has stopped. Many Cymbalta lawsuits have been filed against Eli Lilly, the manufacturer.

Lilly has been accused of failing to warn users against the severity and occurrence of Cymbalta withdrawal side effects. One Cymbalta class action lawsuit stated, “Instead of honestly disclosing the risks associated with Cymbalta withdrawal … Lilly engaged in unfair and unlawful marketing practices,” which caused Cymbalta to be heavily prescribed across the nation.

Cymbalta Withdrawal Side Effects

Studies have suggested that between 50 percent and 78 percent of Cymbalta users will go through serious Cymbalta withdrawal. This goes against what the Cymbalta label states: 1-2 percent.

Cymbalta discontinuation syndrome occurs due to the medical makeup of the drug. Cymbalta has a 12 hour half-life. The half-life of a drug is the amount of time it takes for the drug’s effects to be reduced by half. For many antidepressants, this number is several days. For Cymbalta, it’s just 12 hours.

This means that an individual must take Cymbalta every day in order to maintain the effect. If a patient decides to stop using the antidepressant or even if they just forget for a day, they have a strong chance of experiencing severe Cymbalta withdrawal side effects.

Cymbalta is prescribed in a capsule form that may be given in several differed dosages. The lowest is 20mg per day.

Cymbalta’s instructions also clearly state that the pill is to be swallowed hole and is not to be broken or cut in half. This makes it impossible for a patient to wean off of the medication slowly, especially if Cymbalta discontinuation syndrome can happen after only one day without drug use.

Patients have experienced Cymbalta withdrawal side effects such as:

• Severe nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness, light-headedness, vertigo
• Headaches
• Hot and cold flashes
• Mood swings, anxiety, irritability, hostility
• Nightmares
• Brain “zaps” (electric-shock-like sensations in the brain)
• Paresthesia (sensation of tingling, tickling, prickling, pricking, or burning of a person’s skin)
• Tremors, shaking hands
• Visual disturbances