Withdrawal symptoms occur when a medicine taken for a stipulated period of time, is abruptly stopped without consulting a doctor. Discontinuing the medicine suddenly can certainly be a cause for discomfort. To be precise, withdrawal symptoms of any medicine are troublesome, as they cause some unpleasant changes in the body. Cymbalta, a medicine used to relieve depression can also produce withdrawal symptoms, if its usage is discontinued suddenly. Cymbalta Cymbalta available in capsule form is a medication prescribed to combat depression. Also referred to as an antidepressant, cymbalta is also used to treat anxiety disorders. Depression is often the result of chemical imbalances inside the brain. Cymbalta tries to restore chemical balances in the brain, which helps to overcome depression. Cymbalta is also helpful to reduce discomfort associated with certain neurological disorders like diabetic neuropathy. Fibromyalgia patients are also sometimes advised to take cymbalta to get relief from chronic pain. Symptoms Many people in United States are aware of cymbalta side effects but have no knowledge about its withdrawal symptoms. Stopping this medicine completely or reducing the dosage considerably, are the factors that cause cymbalta withdrawal symptoms. For instance, if a patient put on a cymbalta dosage of 120mg per day is asked to reduce dose to 30 mg per day, then it can lead to unpleasant effects, mentioned below: Headache This is one of the most common symptoms that may remain persistent or recur at intermediate periods. Patients do complain about dull or sharp pain in the head after the medicine is stopped. Dizziness Also referred to as lightheadedness, dizziness is yet another bothersome effect of leaving the medicine abruptly. Dizziness is basically an unusual feeling more or less similar to vertigo. Nausea Nausea is yet another troublesome effect that may decrease the desire to eat food. Sometimes, the nauseating feeling is intolerable and in such cases, the person is likely to vomit. Nightmares This is one nasty effect that can keep the patient wide awake for a few hours. Terrible dreams can disturb sleep and the patient may suddenly wake up feeling extremely scared and upset. Rare Symptoms There is a long list of awful effects that may occur if intake of medicine is suddenly stopped. These bothersome effects can certainly affect the patient's quality of life. Some of them are given below:

• Speech problems
• Impaired vision (blurred vision)
• Stomach cramps
• Restlessness (irritability)
• Tingling sensation
• Tremors (Involuntary muscle movement)
• Nervousness

Duration Even if cymbalta is stopped suddenly, the withdrawal symptoms do not appear immediately. It may take few days before the patient starts experiencing these effects. Duration will vary from person to person but in general, the symptoms last for a week. In some cases, the symptoms may stay for up to 3-4 weeks. The best way to improve these symptoms or prevent these nasty effects from occurring, is to avoid abrupt discontinuation of medicine. So, instead of stopping the intake of cymbalta, just minimize the dosage. Keep on reducing the dosage at regular intervals, until finally the dosage comes to zero. This method may take several weeks, before the patient actually stops taking the medicine.