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The Withdrawal I Experienced After Quitting Cymbalta Was Worse Than My Depression

I've been off any sort of medication for a couple of years and I'm genuinely happy. I don't like thinking about the amount of time I spent on the medicine, how many years I spent under the influence of something that numbed my outlook on the world, softened the borders of my personality. Not only was the drug rather ineffective for me, it felt as if it was handed to me without warning, without indication of what it would take to quit. One in ten Americans are on antidepressants, and medication can be a viable, beneficial, and sometimes life-saving option for those suffering from clinical depression; it's important, though, that patients are armed with a full understanding of potential side-effects…

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Articles of Interest

Cymbalta Ruined My Life: Long-Term Effects and Management

When you take Cymbalta, the brain responds to the extra serotonin and norepinephrine by adjusting its own chemical production. It leads to a new chemical balance that now includes Cymbalta. Over time, the brain becomes dependent on Cymbalta to maintain this balance. Stopping Cymbalta abruptly can then lead to a steep drop in serotonin and norepinephrine as the brain is no longer producing normal levels of these chemicals, and the drug is no longer present. This plunge in neurotransmitters is what causes the difficult withdrawal symptoms associated with Cymbalta. The brain essentially becomes wired around Cymbalta after sustained use, and you may think, "Cymbalta ruined my life."

Duloxetine and the SNRIs Deep Dive Part 1

In today’s episode of the podcast, we will be doing a deep dive into duloxetine, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). In part one of this two-part series, we will cover the history of SNRIs as well as mechanisms of action, cytochrome P450 issues, side effects, and contraindications to consider when prescribing duloxetine and this class of medications.

Duloxetine and the SNRIs Deep Dive Part 2

Duloxetine was initially FDA approved for treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Later, it was FDA approved for neuropathic pain related to diabetes. It is now also approved for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and various pain syndromes.

Duloxetine Pathway, Pharmacokinetics

Duloxetine is a dual serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder, anxiety, and diabetic neuropathic pain. It is approved for pediatric use for general anxiety disorder in children 7-17 years old see Medicaid dosing charts. The FDA label for duloxetine has a black box warning for risk of suicidal ideation in adolescents, children and young adults.

The Online Reputation of Cymbalta

For many patients, Cymbalta has been a life-saver, allowing them to regain control over their lives. For others, the benefits are more modest but as long as the benefits outweigh the side effects, those patients will see Cymbalta in a positive light. Side effects such as weight gain, nausea, some grogginess and decreased libido will be tolerated. However, increased depression or anger, less than expected pain relief, and severe fatigue will likely cause discontinuation even if some benefit is realized.

Antidepressant Cymbalta On Track For Approval As Pain Pill

Before the drug finds wide use as a pain pill, there are some side effects to consider. The medicine carries a boxed warning, the most severe type, about suicidal thoughts and actions in young people. The most common side effect is nausea. Others include dry mouth, constipation and sleepiness.

Millions take antidepressants for chronic pain – but there’s little evidence the most commonly prescribed drugs work

However, our review of studies investigating the effectiveness of antidepressants at treating chronic pain found that there is only evidence for one of these drugs: duloxetine.

What Can Cymbalta Teach Us About Pain?

The analgesic mechanism of Cymbalta is (as with much in psychiatry) unknown. Some have argued it works by relieving the depression and anxiety experienced by patients in pain. It has also been proposed that it activates “descending” pathways from the brain, helping to dampen “ascending” pain signals from the body. It might also block NMDA receptors or sodium channels or enhance the body’s own endorphin system. (

Resources

8 Important Facts About Duloxetine

While duloxetine works well to improve mood and increase motivation in mental health conditions it has also shown efficacy in reducing chronic pain. It is thought that duloxetine works for pain in the same way it works for mental health; by increasing the amount of circulating serotonin and norepinephrine. The increase in these two chemicals is thought to affect your nerve cells in a way that leads to a decrease in pain conduction. However, the dosages for these different conditions will vary, as there is a varying concentration required to produce the desired effect for mental health conditions as opposed to pain conditions.

NAMI

Duloxetine is an antidepressant medication that works in the brain. It is approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP), fibromyalgia, and chronic musculoskeletal pain.

StatPearls

Duloxetine is a medication used to manage major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), fibromyalgia, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Off-label uses for duloxetine include chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and stress urinary incontinence.