The Side Effects of Cymbalta: When the Cure Hurts

Depression hurts," said the popular television ads for Cymbalta. It sure does, I thought, as I watched the commercial. By this time, I was an anti-depressant meds aficionado. Because of a genetic predisposition toward depression and anxiety, I have taken Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil, and Effexor at various times in my life. But there was always something not quite right with them. I felt like a pharmacological Goldilocks:

This Zoloft makes me feel like a zombie.

This Paxil makes me too jumpy.

This...

Sigh.

Nothing is just right.

Then I started taking Cymbalta, and I don't know what hurt worse-the depression or the side effects of this medication.

The official website for Cymbalta says that it's most common side effects are nausea, dry mouth, drowsiness, lack of appetite, constipation, increased sweating, and fatigue. These symptoms, it says, subsides with continued use.

It was right.

Of that list, I suffered occasional nausea, cottony dry mouth, drowsiness, and increased sweating. But it was the side effects that weren't listed that caused me alarm. I experienced a slight weight gain and an inability to lose weight. I lost my sex drive. I walked around in a minor depression all the time (probably because I'd lost my sex drive.) Unfortunately, these symptoms did not go away with continued use.

To be fair, Cymbalta is not alone in causing these symptoms. Though pharmaceutical companies do not broadcast this, most anti-depressants affect your weight to some extent, dampen your sex drive, and deaden your emotions. But Cymbalta added a few more side effects to the mix.

I had heart palpitations and my breathing felt labored. Though I cannot be sure that Cymbalta caused these particular symptoms, I am quite sure that it caused this last one: