For some individuals on antidepressants, especially if they are taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) like Cymbalta, can suffer from antidepressant discontinuation syndrome when they stop taking their prescription medication. These symptoms vary drug to drug and patient to patient in terms of severity, but there are some common symptoms associated with antidepressant withdrawal syndrome.

According to Dr. Rossi J. Baldessarini from the Harvard Medical School, some antidepressant withdrawal symptoms observed in patients weaning themselves off SSRIs like Cymbalta can include “a flu-like reaction, as well as a variety of physical symptoms, that may include headache, gastrointestinal distress, faintness and strange sensations of vision or touch.” There are even more severe symptoms associated with Cymbalta withdrawal syndrome.

Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome symptoms typically appear within a few days of stopping a prescription medication, especially if a patient suddenly stops the medication without first tapering off the dosage amount. According to some reports, those suffering from Cymbalta withdrawal syndrome begin experiencing these symptoms even just one day after stopping their dosage. Besides the antidepressant discontinuation symptoms mentioned above, other antidepressant withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, depression, irritable and irritable moods, according to Dr. Baldessarini.

Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms and Studies

Dr. Michael D. Banov, Medical Director of Northwest Behavioral Medicine and Research Center in Atlanta, states in his research that 20 percent of patients experience some type of antidepressant withdrawal symptoms when they attempt to stop their SSRI drug prescription. About 15 percent of patients allegedly experience mild to moderate antidepressant discontinuation syndrome symptoms, while fewer than 5 percent experience more intense withdrawal symptoms.

However, according to some recent antidepressant withdrawal syndrome studies specifically studying the effects of Cymbalta withdrawal syndrome, as many as 50 to 78 percent of Cymbalta users experience Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms. When compared to the estimates of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome for other SSRI drugs stated above, it seems that Cymbalta carries a much higher risk of withdrawal symptoms. These findings contradict the drug’s label warning, which claims only 1 to 2 percent of patients experience Cymbalta withdrawal syndrome.

Some side effects associated with Cymbalta antidepressant discontinuation syndrome include:

• 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

As a result of these severe and even debilitating Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms, some patients have opted to file Cymbalta withdrawal lawsuits or join Cymbalta withdrawal class action lawsuits. Many of these plaintiffs claim that Eli Lilly Co., the manufacturer of this antidepressant medication, did not adequately warn consumers or prescribing doctors of the risks involved with Cymbalta and the side effects associated with the development of Cymbalta withdrawal syndrome.