8 replies to this topic

[kmrekl217]

I don't want to be gross or vulgar, but I want to talk about bowel movements. I am curious if other people have had the same issues I've had.

 

Cymbalta has messed up my entire gastrointestinal system. I will try to put this as delicately as possible: I can go for several days without a BM, then spend a long time emptying my intestines when I can finally go. It's not constipation as it isn't hard to eliminate. It's just the volume. 

 

 

 

Has this happened to anyone else?

 

Thanks! And sorry again for this being a gross subject.

[fishinghat]

Hi Kmrek

 

Absolutely. Cymbalta, among other things, controls serotonin levels. While serotonin helps regulate emotions in the brain it is even more commonly found in the digestive tract. You will continue to have these issues for a few weeks but then it will fade away.

[lady2882Nancy]

I wonder how someone (a doctor) would explain my continuous diarrhea 3 days after starting Cymbalta and continuing until I was over half way through my tapering off. At that point I began to have the same issue as you Kmrek

 

Apparently even my intestines did not like this drug which is one of the reasons I called it Crapalta to start with lol.

 

Even though I am now off for almost 3 years I continue to have the same issue with days not going and then having a day where ever trip to the bathroom brings results. Frustrating but I am getting used to it.

[kmrekl217]

Hi Fishinghat and Lady2882Nancy,

 

I've been on Cymbalta for over ten years and have always had this problem. I have to be extremely careful not to forget to take my medication. But even when I do take it regularly, my "movements" are still erratic. 

 

This stuff is such poison!

[equuswoman]

This poison called Cymbalta can and does do horrible things to our bodies....

Hope you are soon doing better. Hugs from the EquusWoman

[emrose89]

I'm currently taking Cymbalta and experiencing the diarrhea.  It's been working wonders for my depression and anxiety, keeping my moods stable, but having to run to the bathroom to evacuate so frequently that my food is not fully digested is pretty rough some days.  I had taken Cymbalta before, in high school with no trouble, then again in college.  That was before it went generic, and my health insurance wasn't good, so I only took it for a month, but continued to have the diarrhea for another year.  I think it flushed out all my healthy gut flora, because as soon as I started taking probiotics, it was like night and day.  Well, I'm taking probiotics now, to no avail.  I also had my gallbladder removed four months ago, but hadn't had much in the way of bowel trouble until starting the duloxetine again.  I'm reluctant to switch to a different medication because I've tried quite a few with differing results, and apart from the diarrhea, it's really made a difference in my mood and ability to function. 

 

Anyways, I guess my advice if you've stopped taking Cymbalta and are still having diarrhea or other digestive issues, look into probiotics.  There's an incredible amount of research going on right now into the biome of the human gut, and a lot is happening in the world of probiotics.

[fishinghat]

Welcome emrose.

 

Very very true. I am a believer especially if you have diarrhea from any cause.

[jennjak]

Emrose-im glad to hear from you! I too had my gall bladder out recently... 6 months ago. Looking back, I don't think it was necessary! I'd been on antidepressants and xanax for years, and it was when I stopped that I got abdominal pain. I had a zillion tests, finally my HIDA showed 4%. Gallbladder removal did NOTHING. In fact, I got worse. I put the pieces together and found ADs to be the problem. Of course the docs called my pains fibromyalgia and prescribed me this med called Cymbalta. Now that I'm trying to rid my body of that, of course things are as bad as ever. I feel always bloated and as if I've done 1000 sit-ups. This is hell.

[fishinghat]

Way to fast!! It may take you weeks to settle down You can't force this. It will bite you bad. Going bad up a few beads was a good idea but it may take a few days to help. Time and patience.