Cymbalta (duloxetine) is a prescription antidepressant also used to treat a variety of other medical conditions, including: chronic muscle and bone pain, anxiety, fibromyalgia, musculoskeletal pain, neuropathic pain, osteoarthritis, and pain related to diabetes.

Manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company, Cymbalta is the pharmaceutical giant’s best-selling drug with nearly $24 billion in sales since its introduction in 2004. The drug remains hugely popular, even amidst reports that patients who stop taking Cymbalta may face an increased risk of severe antidepressant withdrawal symptoms.

Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms

Cymbalta, a widely-prescribed antidepressant, has been reported to cause severe withdrawal symptoms when users attempt to stop taking the drug. Although the drug’s warning label states that symptoms of Cymbalta withdrawal “occurred at a rate greater than or equal to 1%,” recent studies have determined the symptoms to be much more frequent and severe.

Data from a study published by the Journal of Affective Disorders showed that more than 44 percent of patients who abruptly discontinue Cymbalta experience serious withdrawal symptoms, such as:

• Seizures
• Tingling skin sensations (paresthesia)
• Electric shock sensations (brain zaps)
• Vertigo
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Nightmares

Typical Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms last for several weeks after a patient stops taking the antidepressant, or are so severe as to prevent the patient from being able to stop taking the drug in the first place.

FDA Reports Severe Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has investigated Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms, and released the results of an agency study that found:

• Clinical studies of abrupt discontinuation of Cymbalta show that withdrawal occurred in 44 to 50 percent of patients
• Of patients suffering Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms, 10 percent of those were severe
• Half of the patients who reported Cymbalta withdrawal had not resolved the side effects at the end of the two week study

Patients in the FDA study displayed a wide array of physical and emotional side effects as a result of abruptly discontinuing Cymbalta use, including: suicidal thoughts, tremors, appetite changes and weight gain, insomnia, full body shaking, and tunnel vision.

The FDA’s study also pointed out that there had been “a serious breakdown at both the FDA and the manufacturer, Eli Lilly and Company, in providing adequate warnings and instructions about how to manage [the side effects],” which suggests that Eli Lilly was aware of the potential side effects from Cymbalta withdrawal, but neglected to provide the FDA and the American public with adequate warning of the risks.

Eli Lilly’s History of Misleading Cymbalta Advertisements

According to patients who have suffered Cymbalta withdrawal, Eli Lilly misled consumers with a series of aggressive advertisements that highlighted the positive effects of Cymbalta and downplayed, or ignored, the potential risks of Cymbalta withdrawal side effects.

As more patients come forward with complaints of withdrawal symptoms, Eli Lilly’s recent history of unlawful promotion of the drug could suggest the company was aware of Cymbalta side effects and failed to disclose them to consumers.

Eli Lilly was fined in 2007 and 2009 by the FDA for unlawfully promoting Cymbalta through mailings that gave false statements, which overstated the effect of the drug and downplayed clinical studies that revealed risks of Cymbalta withdrawal. Further, the company has been accused of selectively publishing study results that over-exaggerate the effect of Cymbalta while hiding the risks.

If you’ve experienced seizures, brain zaps, or paresthesia after discontinuing Cymbalta, a Cymbalta lawsuit may help you get compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.