[AaronB.]

I just found out about this website right about the same time I started questioning my newfound love of life on Cymbalta. I have been concerned with certain side effects, however the good outweighs the bad so far I think. I am a relapse-prone, recovering addict with 8 years sober. I was addicted to all substances and they still call my name on occasion; though opiates most of all. Since starting Cymbalta my cravings are at an all time low. I have been anxious and depressed as far back as I can remember into my childhood. Since starting Cymbalta several months ago I feel the best I have in my entire life. It is the first time my anxiety has been under control sans benzodiazepines. My depression is non-existent and I feel great everyday. But that is just the problem which led me to this website. I may be feeling too great if that makes any sense?
I cannot cry, no matter what. After about three years sober, the ice melted around my heart and I have not been able to stop crying almost daily tears ever since. I usually cry tears of joy due to this great life I now have with my children and friends though sometimes I even managed tears of pain and sorrow. I used to cry at the end of almost every episode of Scrubs. Now I am sure I would not be able to cry at the end of Life is Beautiful. I cannot think of a situation that would even bother me. I can think of the most devastating proposition like losing one of my children and I have no negative feelings toward it or anything else. I nothing it and this cannot be right. I cannot cry tears of joy or sorrow and I miss them.
I went from a neurotic, fearful mess to having no fears or worries whatsoever. It feels both like the feeling of self confidence I've always wanted, yet at the same time false almost like I felt when I was on Valium, Klonopin, Tranxene, Restoril, Librium and Xanax; without the euphoric high that is. I find myself looking people in the eye with no social awkwardness ever and calmly doing anything and everything I please even if it seems dangerous. For instance I run on narrow streets where people drive by rapidly and there are no sidewalks. I used to have anxiety jogging on these streets and even avoid them at certain times especially with half of the drivers today distracted by phone calls, email, and texting. Now I just run straight for these cars thinking to myself, "Oh well, if it's my time to go then I guess I'll just die today. It's no big deal, everybody dies, not everybody really lives." I guess the worry I have now is that it feels almost like the futurist medication Soma or Equilibrium. I never feel low, and rarely even irritated. I thought I'd had this big spiritual breakthrough where, like the Tao, I let everything flow over me like a rock in a river. However, underneath I realize this is a Cymbalta Revolution, not a spiritual revolution at all. I am starting to question whether the going up is worth the coming down.

[Attorney_Victim]

Aaron,
Your story sounds very familiar. At first, I thought everything was ok with Cymbalta, and I stayed on it for 1.5 yrs...even though, I knew something "wasn't right" all along, especially the extreme apathy and my obsession/compulsion with shopping. But, things didn't get really bad for me until my doc tried to up my dose after 1.5 yrs because I thought my depression was getting worse (turns out, it was probably the Cymbalta making me feel that way). With the increased dose, I experienced severe side effects which mimicked my depession getting worse (I think I was actually experiencing Seratonin Syndrome).

I eventually got to the point where I was no longer just apathetic, but I started thinking suicide might be a better option...I never planned it or anything, but I often thought I would be better off dead. That is when I found this site, on a Sunday, and decided not to take it anymore. In hindsight, cold turkey from 60mgs was not a good idea. But, luckily, I saw my psychiatrist on Day 4 and she prescribed 20mgs of Prozac to help me with the withdrawal.

If you are already experiencing the extreme apathy, then the Cymbalta is probably not good for you! Also, you should know that many people report that Cymbalta induced addictive behaviors (shopping, gambling, etc, in people who had never had addiction problems before)...so, if you are a recovering addict, this drug carries the potential to cause problems for you in that area as well.

Talk to your dr about your concerns, but don't be surprised if he/she is clueless about the possibility of negative side effects and/or withdrawal problems. Many doctors just believe what the Drug Reps have told them about this "miracle drug." If you decide to stop the Cymbalta, and your dr is no help, come here for info and support! Stopping this drug can be dangerous, so be well informed before you start that process! Good luck to you!