A Nevada woman is suing Eli Lilly & Company for the injuries she allegedly suffered from the symptoms of Cymbalta withdrawal. Plaintiff Zakiya W. claims that as a direct result of using Cymbalta and then discontinuing it, she developed debilitating side effects like brain zaps and severe pain.

Like many patients, Zakiya had been prescribed Cymbalta to treat her anxiety and depression in April 2009. While taking Cymbalta, Zakiya followed all prescription instructions as well as the advice from her physician, and did not report suffering any initial side effects.

In December 2012, Zakiya states that Cymbalta was no longer working effectively as she once again began experiencing thoughts of depression and suicide. Her physician approved the idea of ceasing Cymbalta and had her follow a weaning schedule while supervising the process. Unfortunately, this did not prevent Zakiya from experiencing Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms.

Like other Cymbalta users, Zakiya allegedly suffered numerous painful Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms including: brain zaps, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, blurred vision, body aches, and pains. In the Cymbalta withdrawal lawsuit, Zakiya claims she was not warned of Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms nor were they mentioned on the drug’s warning label. Additionally, according to the Cymbalta lawsuit, Zakiya’s physician reportedly knew nothing of this possibility, and would not have recommended Cymbalta if he had known. Zakiya insists that she never would have agreed to take Cymbalta if she had known about the possible withdrawal symptoms.

Overview of Cymbalta Withdrawal

Cymbalta is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) that is prescribed to treat major depression and anxiety disorder in adult patients and has proven to be a financially successful venture for drug manufacturer Eli Lilly & Co., grossing over $3 billion in 2013. Ever since its U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2004, Eli Lilly has aggressively promoted Cymbalta as a safe effective way to treat major depression and anxiety, and has spent millions in direct consumer marketing.

However, none of these advertisements reportedly mentioned that Cymbalta could cause extremely painful symptoms after patients cease using the medication. The side effects of Cymbalta can be minor to severe and can last between one week to several months. Several scientific studies conducted by Eli Lilly found that approximately 41 percent of Cymbalta users may experience these withdrawal symptoms.

Despite the findings of these studies, Eli Lilly insists that Cymbalta symptoms are rare and only occur in approximately 1 percent of patients. Yet, Cymbalta withdrawal injuries have been reported to be so severe and frequent that it has earned its own category of withdrawal called Cymbalta Discontinuation Syndrome.

These withdrawal symptoms include, but are not limited to:

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

Cymbalta Lawsuits

Despite being allegedly aware of the severity of Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms, Eli Lilly chose to omit it from the drug’s warning label. As of August 2014, nearly two dozen Cymbalta lawsuits were filed against Eli Lilly for allegedly failing to protect patients against these injuries.

Zakiya is seeking compensatory and statutory damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and punitive damages for Eli Lilly’s alleged negligence and misrepresentation in manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous drug. The filed complaint indicates a demand for a jury trial for this case.

The Cymbalta Withdrawal Lawsuit is Case No. 2:14-cv-01988-JCM-VCF, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.