(this is what psychiatry would say)It's so sad they died from their mental illness. Don't you just love it when a psychiatric medicine "works" they get the credit and when the drug doesn't work its mental illness progressing(couldn't be the meds+treatment making things worse now?)

I was also a beloved friend of Traci. She was one of the most beautiful people I have ever come across. There is truly none like her. I miss her dearly every day since her passing. To anyone out there dealing with drugs like cymbalta, please be careful. It took the life of an angel to bring light to the dangers of these drugs.

When I first read about Traci, a young, healthy woman in college dying, my heart sank. Though I did not know her, Traci's story was so tragic, and what I feel preventable, that I made sure to caution my own college kid(s) as well as their friends regarding the lure the drug companies have when recruiting trial volunteers, and often students who are looking for extra money while in college. There are no words, as said here, such as "sorry" that can describe a loss of a loved one by suicide.
I truly believe this was a preventable tragedy. I hope the loved one of Traci's can find some solace in the fact that others, like myself read the story and felt such sadness, sincerely, the loss of Traci was quite shocking. A young life that had so much promise placed in the so-called safe hands of a on site lab of a drug company, who is responsible without a doubt and in my opinion, the cause of her death.
Once again, I am truly sorry for the loss of your dear Traci.

Traci was one of 5 patients who completed suicide during trials of duloxtine (Cymbalta). The names of the others were not released by Eli Lilly.

The deaths including 19 year old Traci Johnson and four other patients who committed suicide during Lilly trials for duloxetine were cleared by an FDA investigation, stating that underlying depression - not the drug - causes sufferers to become suicidal.

Yet Traci Johnson was in a Lilly trial testing duloxetine as Yentreve, a urinary stress incontinence (SUI) medication, and not in an anti-depressant trial. Ironically Yentreve was approved for SUI in Europe, but not in the US, because of the suicide risks.

Eli Lilly rescinded their request for FDA approval for SUI use in the United States. As of June, 2005, in trials of Cymbalta for the treatment of SUI in women who were mostly middle-aged, eleven suicide attempts and three cases of suicidal ideation were reported, and this does not include Traci Johnson.

John Cordisco, a Philadelphia attorney, was representing the Johnson family in Traci's death. I dont know if a settlement was made but certainly hasn't gone to trial that I know of.

Yikes! I have a good friend that takes Cymbalta.

I do not have all the facts, but I did know one of the PIs on that trial. I haven't verified this info, so take it for what it's worth.

Apparently this woman (I did not know it was Traci) had been on Cymbalta, but then had been switched to placebo-- and a few days (one?) later committed suicide in the bathroom.

I mention this because of a possibly underappreciated cause of "agitated" behavior (their term, not mine)-- SSRI/SNRI withdrawal. If you've ever skipped a few doses of Paxil you'll know what I'm talking about-- weird dizziness, "electricity" headache, muscle aches, feeling like you're outside your body, etc-- is it possible she felt so... bad?... that she then killed herself? I don't know, but I mention it for patient advocacy.

(Withdrawal normally follows half-life and potency, so Paxil > Effexor > Zoloft> Prozac.)

I'd like to say some more about this poor young woman's death. Frist of all she was in a trial for incontinence, not depression. How many of you know that? When you use an antidepressant for incontinence you have to use it at higher doses than for depression and Ms. Johnson was tapered rapdily up to a very high dose and then abruptly tapered back down. This undoubtedly led to the effects which led directly to her suicide. Few professionals are taking the dependency and withdrawal issues as seriously as they should be. Even in this short time these medhanisms were at work. In her autopsy they refused even to look for blood levels of Cymbalta because they claimed they didn't know what the "therapeutic" levels would be -- I'm pretty sure I have that right. This death happened within a week of the first FDA hearings on antidepressants and suicide (since 1991 anyway) in February 2004. Those of us who had testified honestly thought it was the hand of God sending a signal but once again another incident was hushed up and discredited. And needless to say, Lilly withdrew their application to use this drug for incontinence and didn't have to disclose this event officially in their application for depression which was later approved.

Connect the dots here:

Immipramine (an antidepressant)is commonly used in children for prevention of bedwetting.

I KNOW their are other parents out there that have had doctors use this medication on those kids, such as mine, and I hope you are reading this site.

It's time to speak up.

Mark, you are absolutely 100% correct. It's never the medication that's the problem, it's always the patient's mental illness getting worse which leads to more and more and more psych meds being added. I went from being clinically depressed but still functional, to being (after all the psych meds) completely bonkers. I was on Effexor, Lamictal, & Wellbutrin at the same time. I became so obsessed with suicidal thoughts, I thought of nothing else. My moods were all over the place. I was very agitated and acted and felt really, really strange. I was hospitalized 3 different times after the psych meds were started. My sister who saw the drastic change in my behavior realized it was the medications, and she begged me to get away from that psychiatrist. It's been 4 years since I took myself off all that crap. I now work full time. I went back to school and got another degree. Things are very different, now. I have no doubt that psych meds help some people, but psyciatrists need to be willing to consider that the meds can, and do, send some patients right over the edge.

http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/cymbalta-duloxetine.htm

This link has more information on Cymbalta and includes a photograph of Traci. I think seeing a photograph of this young and shining woman should remind everyone, that these medications are dangerous, whether we need them or not.

I have been on Cymbalta for several months. I began taking it after the birth of my second son. Prior to Cymbalta, I took Effexor, which worked well for me. When I became pregnant, I wanted to come off of the Effexor. It took four months for me to wean myself off of it because the withdrawl symptoms were so terrible (was told I was imagining it, even though thousands report experiencing the same thing). After my son was born, I told my doctor that I would not go back on Effexor. She gave me Cymbalta instead, and told me that there would not be any withdrawl symptoms should I decide to discontinue using it. It worked well for a few months. I missed one dose and despite picking back up the next day, had horrible mood swings, crying spells, and lack of patience for a week. It then stopped working for me period, even though I was taking it daily. When I told my doctor, rather than to take me off of it, she increased the dosage to 90mg (above the recommended amount!). I am always tired, and have little interest in things. I just don't feel right. I began researching it on the internet. There are hundreds of messages left on message boards from others that talk about how the withdrawl from Cymbalta is far worse than any other that they have experienced. None of this is being reported "officially". I have had doctors tell me that you can't believe what others post, but I find it hard to believe that hundreds of people have "made up" the same experiences. I have taken antidepressants for years and have found that what is posted on the message boards is far more accurate than what is in the pamphlets. I have also noticed that all of these complaints seem to come to light "officially" several years after the posts. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I don't doubt that Traci Johnson's suicide could have been a direct result of the withdrawl effects of Cymbalta. I have been trying to taper off slowly and I feel crazy. I feel that this drug has made me more depressed and moody than I was without it. It's scary that these drugs are prescribed so frivolously. Who are you supposed to trust? Why is this okay?

I was put on Paxil prior to leaving the hospital from delivering my second son, due to my history of post partum depression. I stayed with it for 3.5 years. But for the Grace of God is all I can really say. I slept all morning while my toddlers tore up the house, rarely showered until just before bed, experienced horrible mood swings, had thoughts of locking my kids in the closet, participated in self-destructive activities, nearly ruined my marriage and family (I have the most supportive, loving husband and parents). I'm sure some can relate to the infamous "3rd Day of Hell", as I named it if you forgot to refill the meds. As with many women it was prescribe by my ob/gyn which gave me little to no info on side effects or withdrawals. I finally quit cold turkey and had to literally live with my parents for over a week to be on a constant "watch". I DO NOT recommend. I did loss the 30lbs that I had gained shortly thereafter. Anyhow, it's been 4 years since and my doctor was discussing Cymbalta for nerve damage I have. I knew I needed to research the drug and sure enough it's in the same SSRI family. I say not just NO but HELL NO! I'm so thankful that there are honest people out here like yourselves who aren't afraid to listen to their bodies and speak the truth, even when the doctors tell you your wrong. I've decided to look elsewhere for relief and put my faith in God to heal my spirit.

Cymbalta is now being tested [Lilly]for pain from diabetes.[Zyprexa anyone?]

Maintenance of Effect of Duloxetine in Patients with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain

I have been taking Cymbalta since October. I started with 60mg a day. I have taken Effexor in the past and had a very hard time stopping it, but nothing like what I've experienced over the last couple of months with Cymbalta. I have absolutely been more depressed, anxious, paranoid, manic and anti-social while trying to taper off of this drug than any other that I've taken, and more miserable than I was before starting the medication. Doctors and therapists should be better educated on the side effects of these drugs before prescribing--it's unbelievable how easily a prescription is written for these addictive drugs. Does anyone know of recent cases or class action suits against Eli Lilly/Cymbalta?