Individuals experiencing depression will often be recommended an antidepressant.
But while the unwanted side effects of the prescriptions (weight gain, headaches, etc.) are widely recognized, one effect is just just starting to be discussed publicly. They may stop working.
If you find that your medication isn’t effective anymore, and your depression symptoms are resurfacing, there are various reasons why this might be occurring.
For many people with depression, a diagnosis from a psychiatrist often means accepting that you will be on antidepressants for most of your life. You may decide to delay the first prescription for as long as possible, but after some time, antidepressants may be your last option. Unfortunately, from the time you accept medication, even as your symptoms lift, another heavy cloud hovers – the fact that the medications you now depend on can have adverse side effects at any time.
Antidepressants balance chemicals within the brain that control depression and anxiety. For some with depression, these drugs can easily improve a chemical imbalance.
Anyone who has used antidepressants for more than six-weeks are more inclined to have withdrawal symptoms once they halt the drugs.
Individuals taking antidepressants should not quit “cold turkey.” Stopping abruptly tosses the brain into a situation of imbalance that may be more serious than earlier. The resulting problems are generally psychological and physical.
In 2008, the FDA approved Cymbalta for the treatment of fibromyalgia, and the drug was effectively classified as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor antidepressant. This was good news for the fibromyalgia (FM) community as before this approval, there was only one other drug accessible for the treatment of FM.
While Cymbalta was great news, it was/is an antidepressant at the end of the day, and so the medical fraternity was already aware of potential withdrawal symptoms if patients abruptly stopped using it. Still, no one was ready for the severe Cymbalta withdrawal that is experienced by patients. It is so bad that the medical fraternity has coined a term for it: Cymbalta Discontinuation Syndrome.
June 20, 2020
