Cymbalta is one of the most commonly prescribed medications to treat depression, muscle pain and anxiety.

However, patients claim that they started taking Cymbalta without fully understanding how hard it would be to discontinue using it.

Former Cymbalta users report that withdrawal symptoms are so painful they often are unable to work and sometimes require hospitalization.

Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms

The U.S. Food and Drug administration refers to these withdrawal symptoms as Cymbalta discontinuation syndrome. According to the FDA, more patients who discontinue Cymbalta suffered from crippling side effects than any other drugs in the same class.   

Common Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms include:

• Brain zaps
• Paresthesia (sensation of prickling, tingling, or burning of a person’s skin)
• Nausea
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Hot and cold flashes
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Vertigo
• Fatigue
• Nightmares

The FDA found that Cymbalta’s warning label was insufficient when it came to warning about the severity of withdrawal symptoms. In 2009, an FDA advisory committee found that Cymbalta discontinuation syndrome is more common that the manufacturer admits.

While Cymbalta manufacturer Eli Lilly claims that withdrawal symptoms are “rare,” in reality it occurs frequently. Yet, up to 78 percent of former Cymbalta users claim they experienced Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms when they tried to stop using the medication.

The committee also reported that Eli Lilly has yet to develop a proven method on how to safely discontinue use of the medication.

While Eli Lilly recommends Cymbalta consumers taper off slowly, they do not offer a lower dose so consumers have found it difficult to taper off the drug. Some patients claims they are forced to open up Cymbalta capsules and count the beads to create a smaller dose, others feel forced to just stop taking Cymbalta all at once.

Other Cymbalta Side Effects

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has required Cymbalta to carry a black-box warning about suicidal thoughts. Black-box warnings are the strongest caution the federal agency can assign to a medication.

The suicide risk increases with Cymbalta consumers under the age of 24 and over the age of 65. Those who discontinue using Cymbalta have reported experiencing suicidal thoughts as a withdrawal side effect.

The antidepressant has also been linked to causing potentially life-threatening liver damage known as hepatotoxicity. In addition, the drug has been known to cause Stevens-Johnson Syndrome which is an allergic skin reaction that is fatal up to 15 percent of the time.

Women taking Cymbalta need to take extra precautions as the drug is considered a category C which means animal reproductive studies showed an adverse effect on the fetus.

In one study, researchers found that out of 233 women taking Cymbalta during pregnancy, 90 experienced abnormal outcomes including spontaneous abortions, heart defects, lung defects, brain defects and premature births.

Cymbalta Withdrawal Lawsuits

Numerous Cymbalta withdrawal lawsuits have been filed by plaintiffs alleging that manufacturer Eli Lilly did not fully warn consumers of the severity of withdrawal symptoms or other severe side effects.

Many consumers allege they have even experienced Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms while currently taking the medication since the drug’s half-life is less than a day.

In general, Cymbalta lawsuits claim that Eli Lilly knew of the risks but omitted the information off the warning labels as a way to boost sales. Those who have filed Cymbalta withdrawal lawsuits seek financial compensation for the pain and suffering they endured. Contact a Cymbalta attorney to find out if you have legal claim.