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[cln1812]

This is one of the reasons I've stopped Cymbalta, in the hopes that I might gain back some of the weight I've lost and some of my doctors (PCP and rhuematologist seem to think Cymbalta could be a contributer.

I have a lot going on. I have always been thin and never overweight, in college, I did about a 4-5 yr. battle with hardcore anorexia/exercise addiction to the point where my weight got dangerously low (around 80 lb. and I'm 5'4").

After recovering from the eating disorder, my weight stabilized to low-normal for my height (I'm 5'4" and weighed around 110 - 115 lb. for years and even by a month after my daughter was born, I was back at that weight at stable - nursing at that time but not on Cymbalta.

I started Cymbalta in Fall 2008, and since then my weight has literally plummeted. Now, I do have a host of things going on - panic disorder (so could be the adrenaline from panic attacks ups my metabolism), and I exercise regularly about 4-5 days/week - I have to exercise to help with the anxiety/panic disorder otherwise my panic attacks are through the roof, had to switch to mostly weight lifting now as walking was causing me to lose too much weight, I have an extremely high needs toddler, and she was a difficult baby (colic, the works, wouldn't sleep through the night until she was close to 18 months old), wants constant attention most days even now.

But my rhuematologist recently pointed out to me that since fall of 2008, my weight has plummeted. I can't keep fat on at all, it doesn't matter the amount of junk food I eat, candy, sugar, nuts, maybe if I ate McDonalds every meal or something but that doesn't appeal to me and isn't healthy either. The only weight I can seem to gain is muscle right now but only if I'm vigilant about drinking protein shakes, eating protein, etc. I could use some fat on, I think it'd help in my face but it is impossible. So I've gone from 115 lb. in 2008 to somewhere around 92 lb. at 5'4", which definitely isn't healthy, and I eat as much (or more than my 6'4" husband).

It is ironic that the psychiatrist who prescribes the Cymbalta seems to go the route of blowing off my weight loss and upping my dose every time I mention this problem to her. It's actually my rhuematologist (I see her for fibromyalgia) who told me she wants me off it pronto to see if it may be a factor in the weight loss. She doesn't prescribe Cymbalta but wants me off it. My PCP notes the weight loss and seems unconcerned when bloodwork comes back normal. I get my menstrual cycle regularly (I have an IUD but it's not hormonal) so it's not affected by the weight loss or my diet.

I don't understand. In college, I was starving myself, exercising 5 hours a day or more and barely eating to maintain a weight so low. And now I'm doing everything to gain weight (and the protein works, it did get me up to 110 lb. until hubby was laid off and I couldn't afford the shakes, got depressed & stopped weight lifting altogether.

I always hear about people gaining weight on medication, but I'm just wondering if there's anyone out there who lost crazy weight without trying and who think Cymbalta may have contributed. I hope in my case, I will start finding it possible to gain weight. Other than the low weight, which fatigues me, I'm healthy otherwise, on Klonopin as needed for panic attacks and a muscle relaxer that I sometimes use from the rheumatologist (but she didn't even start prescribing that for me until 2010, after the weight loss issue began).

I'm hoping maybe I'll be able to get to a healthier weight easier off the Cymbalta.

One thing I don't know is how a person can see 3 doctors, complain of an obvious (and visual) weight loss and only one of them cares to take a note of it. Like they think it's normal to be 5'4" and 92 lb. if everything else like your thyroid, etc. are fine and seem bliviously unconcerned. I KNOW it's not normal for me to weigh this much, I remember how much effort it took when I did have anorexia to get down to so low a weight but doctors don't blink an eye?!

Well, I know I can gain weight by weight lifting and doing the protein shakes but it really does feel like I should HAVE to go to such an extemem.

And who knows, it may not be the Cymbalta, could be the panic disorder or something with my metabolism now, but it just seems strange to me.

Anyone with a similar issue, please let me know!