[isabell]

Very informative site, thank you. My story is a little different than some but here it goes: I took Cymbalta for about 4 months came off 4-08. A little background, my orthopaedic doc put me on this meds for my depression and nerve pain. I have degenerative disc disease with 3 prior cervical fusions, now needing a 4th and needing a right a/c joint surgery, rotator cuff repair, bone spurs removed and acute tendonitis of right shoulder, of course I also have depression which I have suffered through and been treated for most of my adult life, I am 47. When I first started it I felt great, like my old self again for about 1 month, then all of a sudden the side effects began. I felt emotionaly flat, zoned out, "dumb" which I have never classified myself as, I was having repeated bladder infections and just generally feeling bad. I went off the meds and since that time the emotional fog has lifted, the "dumb"ness is gone but my bladder has been damaged. I have seen a urologist who did a cystoscope, a renal scan, bladder scan, kub and all the structures are normal. My bladder is in place no prolapse no abnormality nothing. However he says I have neurological damage to my bladder as I can't feel when I need to go or when my bladder is full and I have trouble emptying my bladder and starting my stream. He doesn't know why I have the neurological damage, of course at that time, which was 3 weeks ago, I didn't know this info about the Cymbalta.I have to strain just to get my urine to start and keep straining to keep the flow going. When he did the cystoscope he inserted 1 1/2 bags of saline into my bladder. After the procedure he said i could go to the restroom and relieve myself, I asked him should I be feeling the pressure of this, yes of course I should, well I didn't, and couldn't urinate it out til nearly 2 hours later. Last month my Pharmacist called to ask me if I was still taking the Cymbalta, I told her no, she knew I was having problems with my bladder, she said she had gotten in a alert of serious side effects on meds and one was on Cymbalta for urinary retention. Now it seems pretty obvious to me that this is what has caused my neurological damage to my bladder and damn it I plan on making them take responsibility for their "Miracle Pill". Has anyone else had simalar problem with bladder issues? I was put on 40 mg Prozac which had helped me in years past but didn't help this time. Now I'm on the new anti-D Pristiq no side effect for me at all and for me it has been like a wonder drug. been on it for 3 1/2 months and I finally feel great, like the old me I haven't been in over 15 years. Hopefully this pill will remain side effect free because it is working so great for me, I love it. But the Cymbalta I plan to pursue them and the permanent damage Eli Lily's pill has done to me with whatever course of action I can find.