Q. I'm responding to a column in which a young woman committed suicide after starting Cymbalta. I worry that others will use this tragedy to say that antidepressants are dangerous.
I take the same pills she did: clonazepam and Cymbalta. These drugs allow me to have feelings again, beyond just the agony of despair. With counseling, I was able to step back and survey what had become of my life when I was most depressed: ruined relationships, lost money and jobs.
These drugs can be life saving for many people. I truly feel, though, that medication must be combined with therapy. It is not the doctor's fault for giving out samples of the medication. They usually come with the full information packet.
A. Many people do indeed benefit from antidepressants. Nevertheless, patients and families must be told to contact the prescribing physician if suicidal thoughts occur when starting a new medication.
