Posted by ttee on August 17, 2006, at 21:39:04
In reply to Re: Cymbalta - More Trouble With This Compound, posted by flmm on August 17, 2006, at 20:18:01
Your right, it only takes one to ruin things for everyone. Although, I bet the poor women that died would have appreciated an extra sentence in the PI that directs the prescribing physician to order periodic liver function tests and obtain a baseline LFT's before prescribing. Interesting to note that Serzone didn't get black boxed and abandoned by the manufacturer until the drug was nearly off patent and at the end of its gravy train. As you know, it can take over 7 years past FDA approval for serious problems with a med to start to surface.
Personally, I experienced a 5 times over the upper limit range ALT/AST when I took Cymbalta. I was taken no other meds with it. I don't drink any ETOH. Unlike the women that died, I did obtain a complete blood test including LFT's before going on Cymbalta. My baseline LFT's were fine. After I discontinued Cymbalta, my LFT's returned to normal again in about 4 weeks. The ER filed a MedWatch report to the FDA about what happened with me with Cymbalta, and because I had no other illness, didn't drink ETOH, improved immediately upon discontinuation of the med, the is little doubt that it could have been from anything but Cymbalta. I am currently on Lexapro and get LFT's frequently now and have no seen any more acute elevations. I am sure that my experience was rare as was the poor women that died. I am lucky that I recognized the symptoms of liver dysfunction and got to the ER without delay and received proper treatment, in this case discontinuation of the med. Had I listen to my psychiatrist on the telephone, his advise was to increase the dose of Cymbalta and that my symptoms were just side effects or just plain symptoms of depression. It was not long after they submitted the MedWatch report to the FDA, that they manufacturer came out with the stronger liver warnings for Cymbalta. I know I am not alone for them to do so.
poster:ttee
thread:676910
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060810/msgs/677576.html