Following on from my previous two posts (Paxil Homicide & Celexa & Lexapro Homicide) I now turn my attention to Cymbalta (Duloxetine)
Cymbalta is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and is notoriously difficult to withdraw from due to it being a capsule filled with tiny beads.
These series of posts are a result of a recent Freedom of Information request made by Andrew Thibault to the American drug regulator, the FDA. Information sent to Thibault is now publicly available ~ I've been sifting through some of the documents.
AERS Case Number 6060757
Homicide by female (age 26) The patient was taking Cymbalta (60mg per day) beginning sometime in 2005. She shot and killed her husband. (Click on images to enlarge)
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AERS Case Number 6273800
The report shows us that his prescribing physician does not attribute that Cymbalta may have played a part in this homicide. One has to question if this statement was based on scientific fact or just, as I suspect, an assumption. The 84 year-old shot his wife then himself.
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AERS Case Number 7406308
Homicide by male (age 55) The patient was taking Cymbalta (30mg per day) between April 2, 2010 - May 16, 2010.
Patient shot his wife dead then tried to kill himself. His family members reported that there were no domestic or family conflicts and that nobody could explain what happened.
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AERS Case Number 7730741
Homicide by male (age 15) The patient was taking Cymbalta (30mg per day) for just 13 days before carrying out homicide.
The key points to this murder have been redacted by the FDA in efforts not to identify the 15 year-old male. It does say, however that he shot and killed more than one person.
It was also reported that over the 13 day period when he was taking Cymbalta he suffered hypomania, including agitation, psychic activation (whatever that is?), periods of euphoria and akathesia (feeling of inner restlessness)
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AERS Case Number 7762506
Homicide by male (age 42) The patient was taking Cymbalta (unknown dose) he was also being treated with Prozac. Ironically both medications are made by the same company, Eli Lilly.
The report shows how Prozac made him a "happy manic" while Cymbalta would make him "depressed"
The patient killed a person or persons. Some time after this event his wife gave birth but the child died some days after being born. Makes you wonder his his wife was also taking psychiatric medication and if her child died as a result of her taking medication. In essence, this could be a double homicide both caused by medication, prescripticide*, if you will.
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AERS Case Number 5924658
Homicide by female (age 62) The patient was taking Cymbalta (unknown dose) between an unspecified time.
The 62 year-old female had no history of suicidal thoughts.
This report is interesting in as much that the FDA have redacted the actual time where she is reported to have experience suicidal thoughts. Why have they done this?
She shot her husband in the arm and he bled to death. Eli Lilly, who filed the report to the FDA have added that "It was unclear if this was accidental or not"- Hmm.
Bob Fiddaman.
*Prescripticide ~ is defined as a death that is caused by an adverse reaction to a prescription drug.
Previously in this Homicide series...
Database available on Murder Meds.
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