Ive been on duloxetine/cymbalta for about 4 months and i was about 150 and i am now 128 and still losing. I am not sure if any one else has had this but its kinda strange. I have had fibromyalgia for about 4 years maybe longer not sure. Im also on gabapentin.
Losing weight fast on duloxetine/cymbalta?
Question posted by fibrofreak20 on 20 Jan 2016
Last updated on 24 November 2020
22 Answers
I'm on duloxetine (120mg/day), not a high dose, but I'm not losing any weight. I'm not sure if it's a metabolic thing or what.
It's not helping my pain either. My doctor says the maximum is 180mg/day
Hi
I've been on duloxetine 60 mg for about 6 months and haven't noticed any weight loss. I actually gained 10 pounds
Hi - same thing happened to me. My orthopedic doctor prescribed Cymbalta for my knee pain due to osteoarthritis. In the first two weeks I lost nine pounds. I started at 262 lbs and now I'm at 248. Started the medication in mid July 2020. I'm still loosing and it frightened me in the beginning. So rest assured... you're not alone.
Yes I also loss a lot of weight I was 155 now I’m 127 , and I have no appetite. Food & drinks I loved I have no taste for them now. And when I do eat it’s just a bite of this & that. I have nerve damage in my spine from shingles & nerve damage in my foot from surgery
I have lived with fibromyalgia for 35 years. Most drugs make the muscle pain worse and disturb my GI tract. Could not tolerate Gabapentin, Cymbalta or Savella. Just curious to know how they help you and how you measure the improvement.
Gabapentin worked great for my nerve pain, but the side effects got to be to much. Lost my short term memory, which is just getting better and I have been off it for almost a year. I had shakes, still do, but not as bad. Switched some other meds and am getting very little relief, was awake most of the night in pain.
Have you tried amitriptyline? Just 10 mg helps me sleep but some people need 25 mg. My doctor said he has had a few patients on it 24 hrs a day for fibro.
I have been on Cymbalta for a few months now. I'm not sure if my weight loss started before or after I started taking it. I take 30mg is the morning and 60mg at night. My Dr will let me up the morning on to 60mg. I'm taking it for nerve pain with the weight loss bonus. Do you think if I up the morning one, I could lose weight faster?
I was on Cymbalta years ago and gained weight quite quickly, though I cannot remember what dose I was on back then.
I have now been back on it for about 3weeks, just 30mg at the moment, but I am due to increase it to 60mg with the possibility of further increasing if I am still not seeing the desired results. For now I have neither lost nor gained any weight on the 30mg, and I also haven't noticed any other perks of the medication yet so I guess I do need to increase the dosage and see what happens then :)
I wish I would lose weight. I gained 10 pounds and can’t get it off. I’m on 30mg daily. Maybe I need to increase.
I had the gastric bypass and having a lot of pain everywhere and on 120 mg of cymbalta.
I was on this drug awhile back. I initially lost a few but then gained 40 lbs in 6 months! Still haven’t lost it all. It helped my IBS but wow that was ridiculous. I weaned off if it.
Almost every person who I have talked to that’s on Cymbalta/Duloxetine have either lost weight or gained weight. A lot of the ones who lost weight was happy with it at first but they kept losing weight and ended up losing too much. Personally I was prescribed Cymbalta for chronic nerve pain and I gained a lot of weight; over 80 pounds. My whole body started swelling up; especially in my face, hands and feet. I believe Cymbalta messes with our metabolism and of course it changes our brains. I had so many other horrible side effects such as anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. Along with dizziness, exhaustion and confusion. I lost interest in everything and everyone. I also had blurry vision, hearing loss and memory loss. I ended up having to quit reading because I couldn’t remember what I had just read. I thought I was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. I also experienced excessive sweating and a huge amount of hair loss.
My once perfect teeth are ruined now. I had one front tooth break down the middle and one broke off at the gum line. I have many cavities and a lot of the enamel has chipped off my other teeth. My blood pressure was high and my cholesterol was high. My liver enzymes were high also. I had a hard time to urinate and I couldn’t empty my bladder. I had never had a problem with any of these before taking Cymbalta. I also had muscle pain and muscle weakness. Then it went on to muscle loss. I had joint inflammation with pain and stiffness along with terrible lower back pain. Over these years I went from a happy woman with lots of energy to a woman who had to use a cane. Then when I kept getting worse I ended up bedridden for 3 years. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. One day I was researching all of my symptoms and Cymbalta came up and then it lead me to a Cymbalta group where the people were having the same problems that I was. There are almost 20,000 people in this group now. They are all trying to safely get off Cymbalta. I knew then that I had to get off this drug. But I suddenly realized I had to taper off slowly. So in 2017 I started to slowly taper off Cymbalta (60 mg) and I’m down to 1 mg now and every side effect is gone. Even the pain is gone. I was misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia and I do not have Alzheimer’s. I am getting my energy back and I’ve started a short exercise routine and I’m getting out of the house. I have a life again. I’ve started to lose the weight and I no longer look or feel like I’m pregnant. I’m spending quality time with my children and grandchildren and I’m loving life. I will never take another medication like Cymbalta again and I will never advise anyone to take it.
I have been taking 30mg of Cymbalta daily for Depression and I unintentionally lost about 25lb in two months.
For those who have lost weight, are you taking the generic or brand name? I used to take Cymbalta a few years ago with Adderall, and it didn't impact my weight (no weight loss/gain). I had to change because I started to have short term memory issues. However, a month ago I got back on it and also take Zenzedi (ADHD stimulant). I started at 30mg, then to 60mg, and I've gained 5lbs in a month!
It's been a struggle to lose weight or keep it from going up. I've been following a strict diet and doing 40 mins of cardio. If I don't work out but follow a diet, I'll still gain weight. My body/weight is sensitive, but not like this. Has anybody had any experiences like mine? Ideally, I'd like to lose weight and not gain. Any insight would be appreciated!
I take 60mg cymbalta daily, I lost a small amount of weight, 4kg, at first it helps me not to binge. I suppose it's the antidepressant.
It doesn't help with my pain, though!
Also, I take SR tramadol and meloxicam, aspirin , lasix and endone when needed for fibro and migraines. I had all this and more before I started the cymbalta . (My GP knows about interactions ie. Potentially seratonin syndrome)
I do feel much better generally and am even taking an interest in my plants and craft again.
I never lost my love of cooking, lol, though it can be a challenge to omit gluten, corn, soy and nuts.
Almost exact same weights as you. I am 19 and 5'6'' and when I started Cymbalta I was around 150-145 lbs, after a few months of taking it, I am around 128 lbs. I am only taking 30mg of Cymbalta, a comparatively low dose, but I also take it in combination with ADHD stimulant meds, 40mg Vyvanse and 10mg Adderall. I LOVE this medication! It has helped my anxiety and depression so much, also the weight loss is such a perk :) I feel so great! My moods are fantastic and I get weight loss compliments all the time! However, I would be concerned if it gets excessive. My appetite has significantly decreased, and I have to take extra care to make myself eat enough and get all the nutrients my body needs.
Be careful about this weight loss as it can become extremely unhealthy very quickly, especially with the combination of drugs you take.
Vyvanse: Very common (10% or more of users): Decreased appetite (39%), decreased weight (16.3%)
Adderall: Very common (10% or more of users): Appetite loss (up to 36%), weight loss (up to 10%)
Cymbalta: Common (1% to 10% of users): Decreased appetite, weight decreased
Regards, Wild Cat
I have Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis. I had tried various meds given to me by my Rheumatologist. It was my Internal Medicine Dr. who prescribed Cymbalta. I've been on it for 14 months now. I have lost 122 lbs and still am losing weight. However, I have never felt better in all my life! My body feels available to do what I previously did on a daily basis. After being bed ridden for close to 4 years, this is a change I am forever grateful! Cymbalta is worth the few side effects. Cymbalta is not only an antidepresant, it is a pain reliever and frankly, for me, a miracle!
Does it help with anxiety? My Dr put me on it for anxiety once and I only tried it a couple of days. I have a hard time with medication changes and unfortunately usually go back to my lexapro, which isn't helping much after 12 years or I wouldn't have to be on buspar, gabapentin and Klonopin too.
Hi dufus73. Actually; Cymbalta (Duloxetine) is an antidepressant. It is a SNRI. It is sometimes prescribed for nerve pain; but it is an antidepressant. I’ve been taking it for 10 years but I am slowly tapering off it now. I am tapering completely off Cymbalta because of all the horrible side effects it caused for me. For me; it was/is poison ☠️ Cindy
I've been on cymbalta 30mg for a month and have lost a stone (14lbs) so far. Not complaining as I do need to lose some weight.
However, on top of a non existent appetite I have had almost constant diarrhea and nausea. My doctor keeps telling me it'll get better and to let the drug settle. Even imodium isn't too helpful, it gives me maybe a 2 hour break from the runs? Will keep going and see if it settles! :)
How are you doing now? I have your negative stomach issues and just started yesterday. I'm also wondering how long to expect this discomfort to last.
Still not great but again the doctor says to ride it out. I can eat a little more now but it still destroys my stomach.
Related topics
cymbalta, depression, anxiety, back pain, fibromyalgia, generalized anxiety disorder, duloxetine, chronic pain, major depressive disorder, weight
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