Melissa LaFreniere  |  August 21, 2015

Category: Legal News

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cymbalta-withdrawal-trialThe first of 250 Cymbalta lawsuits claiming that manufacturer Eli Lilly did not fully warn patients of Cymbalta withdrawal risks is being presented to a jury.

Plaintiff Claudia H. filed the Cymbalta withdrawal lawsuit in 2013 alleging that she experienced serious withdrawal symptoms including brain zaps, extreme fear, suicidal thoughts, muscle spams, and feelings of objects crawling inside of her skin.

The result of this Cymbalta lawsuit will be closely examined as it may help show how a jury will respond to the similar evidence in the cases. It could even lead to settlement negotiations with hundreds of Cymbalta plaintiffs.

The Cymbalta trial begins at the same time the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation is being asked to reconsider centralizing hundreds of Cymbalta lawsuits into a MDL. The JPML originally denied the request claiming there were not enough cases to combine into a Cymbalta MDL, but a group of plaintiffs filed an additional motion in July asking the panel to reevaluate the need.

Cymbalta Withdrawal Side Effects

Cymbalta was FDA aproved in 2004 to treat depression, anxiety disorders as well as nerve and musculoskeletal pain. Since its release on the market, Eli Lilly has generated more than $18 billion in Cymbalta sales.

The medication was designed to help regulate mood by increasing levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. In addition, Cymbalta manufacturers also claim the drug can stop pain signals from traveling through the brain which can help certain nerve pain conditions including fibromyalgia.

Eli Lilly warned Cymbalta consumers that withdrawal side effects would only occur if patients stopped taking the medication abruptly but even then the company claimed withdrawal symptoms only occurred one percent of the time.

However, up to 78 percent of Cymbalta patients allege that they experienced what is referred to as Cymbalta withdrawal syndrome. According to consumers, the Cymbalta side effects can take weeks and, in some cases, months to end after discontinuing the medication.

Some of the most commonly reported Cymbalta withdrawal side effects include:

  • Brain zaps (electric-like shock sensations in the brain)
  • Tremors
  • Dizziness
  • Paresthesia (sensation of tingling, tickling, prickling, pricking, or burning of a person’s skin)
  • Mood swings
  • Hot and cold flashes
  • Nightmares
  • Severe nausea
  • Vomiting

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration set up an advisory committee which found that not only is Cymbalta withdrawal syndrome more common than Eli Lilly admits but the manufacturer has not developed a safe protocol for discontinuing Cymbalta use.

While Eli Lilly recommends tapering off Cymbalta slowly, the company does not offer a lower dose of medication in order for patients to achieve this. Cymbalta patients allege that they feel forced to open up capsules and count the beads to create a smaller dose on their own or simply stop taking the medication all at once.

 

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The Cymbalta attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or Cymbalta class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Cymbalta withdrawal lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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Join a Free Cymbalta Withdrawal Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you attempted to stop taking Cymbalta and suffered withdrawal symptoms, you may have a legal claim. See if you qualify by filling out the short form below.

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Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.