I have been on Cymbalta for about 10 months, and over that period of time,the most significant side effect was the weight gain. I read the materials that came with the prescrition...there was no mention of this. I questioned my doctor but he gave me no indication that it was a possible side effect of the medication. In fact, he began to ask me about my eating habits (which hadn't changed). Because I suffer from chronic anemia due to another condition, I attributed my weight gain as being too fatigued to work out. But having put on close to 50 lbs ...which felt like it just crept up on me...this was more depressing to me than any reason that I had started on antidepressants in the first place.
As far as other symptoms were concerned while I was taking Cymbalta, those have been merely inconvenient in comparison. Insomnia?...it's after 3am. Dry-mouth? ...yes. Night sweats?... sure. Lost libido?...you bet. Orgasms?..forget about it. In fact, when I mentioned to my dr. about my loss of interest in sex and whether it could be attributed to the meds, he began asking me questions about my marriage. I really thought that it must've been me...I should drink more water and I would get rid of the dry mouth; the night sweats must mean that I'm pre-menopausal; that maybe I really wasn't attracted to my husband anymore, etc. The thing is, Cymbalta just made me feel more passive about these things. I was just accepting things for how they were. That it was just me.
I ended up switching doctors due to changes in my insurance. One of the first questions that my new doctor had was whether I had put on any weight with the Cymbalta. Umm..YES. She said she didn't wan't to alter things on our first visit, but when I got home, her words still haunted me. I really blame myself for not going on the internet sooner, and for blindly trusting my doctor. I decided to stop immediately; that I could deal with quitting cold turkey (it worked with smoking 13 years ago). So I stopped. I called my new doctor to inform her, but we ended up playing phone tag, and by the time we spoke, it had been 3 days.
WOW. Though I don't regret my decision (yet) , it has been a pretty tough 7 days so far. Emotionally, I'm up and down. In fact, I had tears in my eyes tonight while watching Wizards of Waverly Place with my 11 year old daughter. (Yes, that IS a Disney comedy that is not meant to be even remotely sentimental). I haven't been having chest pains, but after listening to my boys discussing/arguing about Star Wars, I did think my chest would implode. I've been seriously short fused. I don't have any buzzing in my ears, but my whole head is buzzing continuously. Normal movements can give me vertigo. Just turning my head is like a delayed reaction in my brain and in my vision. My eyes have a constant throbbing. Not pain, but a strong throbbing sensation. I have been an unbelievable klutz; dropping things, bumping into things, etc. And I am so jumpy. Driving to pick up my preschool daughter the first day off was dangerous.. I felt like I had been drugged...very woozy. My memory is shot and I am so spacey. I've already missed two appointments, bringing my son to a boy scouts meeting, and most disturbing, just forgetting the most typical and common aspects of my day to day life. I'll take an object out and not remember why. I'll drive somewhere only to realize that I should be going somewhere else. I feel like a real ditz. I am hoping that the worst of my symptoms will soon fade. The fact that I can write this is, I hope, evidence that my brain is beginning to de-fog.
If I knew then what I know now.....ugh.
My main concerns right now is: if the withdrawals from this drug are so severe, what long lasting damage could it have caused? I guess we'll find out. However, if anyone is starting a class action lawsuit, I am ready to sign on.
Thanks for reading..i feels good to get this off my (imploding) chest.
Wow...I could not have said that better myself!!! That is exactly what I am experiencing. How are you now?