Cymbalta Causes me to stop Breathing

[tfaff]

I searched old posts here and found that this subject was brought up a few years ago but not really addressed. Cymbalta is a medication prescribed for depression, pain and anxiety. I have been on it for 11 years and am currently tapering off very slowly. I developed sleep apnea after being on it for a while and I noticed that I would even stop breathing during the day, or be breathing very very shallow. I haven’t found a doctor who is familiar with this side of the drug, and my sleep doc told me its all in my head and I need a psychiatrist. (He also told me if he were to choke me my airway would close up!!) He’s an idiot. Anyway, I want to get this posted here to possibly address it for anyone else who looks on this site for help when doctors aren’t understanding.

When I sleep, I stop breathing, so central apnea’s I guess. When I wake up, I am aware that I am hardly breathing at all. I have to intentionally start drawing deep breaths to get going again. Weird, I know, but when I searched online I found others who talk about this strange breathing that takes place while on Cymbalta.

There is a facebook group for this drug with 16,000 members all desparately trying to get off of it and the breathing side affect comes up often.

Since my sleep doc and I need to part ways, he was angry with me that I changed the settings on my machine, I would really appreciate help getting the settings adjusted so I can stay asleep and not wake up not breathing. I am afraid to go back to sleep its so bad.

[Stom]

I searched old posts here and found that this subject was brought up a few years ago but not really addressed. Cymbalta is a medication prescribed for depression, pain and anxiety. I have been on it for 11 years and am currently tapering off very slowly. I developed sleep apnea after being on it for a while and I noticed that I would even stop breathing during the day, or be breathing very very shallow. I haven’t found a doctor who is familiar with this side of the drug, and my sleep doc told me its all in my head and I need a psychiatrist. (He also told me if he were to choke me my airway would close up!!) He’s an idiot. Anyway, I want to get this posted here to possibly address it for anyone else who looks on this site for help when doctors aren’t understanding.

When I sleep, I stop breathing, so central apnea’s I guess. When I wake up, I am aware that I am hardly breathing at all. I have to intentionally start drawing deep breaths to get going again. Weird, I know, but when I searched online I found others who talk about this strange breathing that takes place while on Cymbalta.

There is a facebook group for this drug with 16,000 members all desparately trying to get off of it and the breathing side affect comes up often.

Since my sleep doc and I need to part ways, he was angry with me that I changed the settings on my machine, I would really appreciate help getting the settings adjusted so I can stay asleep and not wake up not breathing. I am afraid to go back to sleep its so bad.

An APAP like your ResMed A10 Autoset is designed to help prop open your airways with positive air pressure so that you can breathe on your own. That's it. It is not a ventilator. It will not breathe for you. It will not prompt you to breathe, nor wake you up if you are not breathing.

You are going to need a different pulmonologist/sleep doc and a different machine if you need a machine to breathe for you when you are sleeping.

[ChicagoGranny]

I would really appreciate help getting the settings adjusted

The first step is to get a Sleepyhead chart of one of your typical nights posted in this thread. Without data, we would just be making wild guesses about your breathing and your machine settings. See --------->

https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead

https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead/shorganize

[ChicagoGranny]

BTW, you can get plenty of help to download SH, use it and post threads. Just ask.

[greatunclebill]

I was on zoloft and transitioned to cymbalta. i have no unusual breathing issues to report. If you are having side effects from cymbalta your dr should lower your dose or wean you off and onto something else if you still have a need.

[Janknitz]

Can you post some sleepyhead graphs showing the "stop breathing" events? That might help us help you.

[Sheriff Buford]

I was on Cymbalta about 10 years ago for nerve pain. That is one weird drug. Best thing to happen to me was to get off it.

Sheriff