Eli Lilly & Co., the manufacturer of Cymbalta (duloxetine), is trying to dismiss lawsuits involving claims that the drugmaker failed to warn about the risk of severe Cymbalta withdrawal. Attorneys for Eli Lilly asked federal judges in California to dismiss two lawsuits that accuse the drugmaker of concealing the antidepressant withdrawal side effects of Cymbalta.

Plaintiffs Erin H. and Claudia H. similarly claim they were was prescribed Cymbalta for the treatment of anxiety and depression, and later developed severe withdrawal symptoms. Their Cymbalta lawsuits cite data from the drug’s clinical trials as evidence of Eli Lilly’s failure to warn of the side effects from Cymbalta. Additionally, the plaintiffs submitted into evidence correspondence from a former Eli Lilly scientist that states the method used for Cymbalta clinical trials was not structured to yield accurate results.

Eli Lilly pushed back the claims by arguing that the plaintiffs in the two Cymbalta lawsuits failed to support their allegations, did not provide any new information and also failed to include the scientists’ testimony regarding Cymbalta clinical trials in their argument.

Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms

Cymbalta has been linked to severe withdrawal symptoms in patients who discontinue treatment of the drug. Clinically referred to as Cymbalta Discontinuation Syndrome, this condition’s symptoms include:

• Blackouts – Periods of lost time, in which there are no memories of what has happened.
• “Brain Zaps” – A sensation, often triggered by movement, of an electrical storm in your brain. Highly disturbing, and very common.
• Dizziness/Vertigo – Sometime so severe patients are bedridden.
• Emotional Instability – Unexplained crying or anger.
• Suicidal Ideations – The impulse to kill oneself.
• Insomnia
• Vomiting/Diarrhea

According to an FDA Warning, Cymbalta Discontinuation Syndrome can cause “injury, distress and life management impacts” when a patient quits taking the drug. Symptoms can persist for weeks or even months after discontinuing Cymbalta, and can adversely affect the person’s job function and personal relationships.

Cymbalta Lawsuits

The drugmaker faces more than 5,000 Cymbatla withdrawal lawsuits that similarly claim it downplayed Cymbalta withdrawal side effects, which allegedly include electrical-shock sensations described in court filings as “brain zaps.” Other Cymbalta withdrawal side effects are said to include nausea, vomiting, and insomnia.

These Cymbalta withdrawal lawsuits have all been filed by people who accuse Eli Lilly of misleading patients and doctors about the risk of withdrawal and the severity of symptoms. The Prescribing Information for Cymbalta warns that “greater than or equal to 1%” of patients experience withdrawal.

However, Lilly’s own clinical trials demonstrated that 44-50 percent of patients experience withdrawal. Additionally, of the withdrawal cases observed, 10 percent of cases were severe and 54 percent of cases did not resolve after one to two weeks. Patients in the study discontinued Cymbalta after taking it for just eight or nine weeks, but in the real world, many people take Cymbalta for years before trying to stop.

If you or someone you love experienced severe Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms including seizures, tingling skin sensations, or electric shock sensations in the body and brain after taking the antidepressant medication, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.