Cymbalta for Fibromyalgia User Reviews (Page 4)

• Me ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2019

"I took Cymbalta for 1 month for my pain. After about 2 weeks, bad side effects set in. I had stomach pain, memory loss, nauseated feeling, no hunger, dizziness - almost falling over. I felt so bad I knew not what to do. Finally, I told a few close people about what was going on, and I decided to call my doctor to get off Cymbalta. The doctor told me to stop immediately and rest. I did and slowly began to feel better. It's been 3 days and I'm still not normal, but a little better. I'm putting my words out there that if you're afraid of stuff like this, please stay away from Cymbalta. I think it should be taken out of the pharmacy. It is horrible."

• the...
• October 20, 2013

"During my mid-40s, I began experiencing excruciating neck pain. I had cervical fusion for a ruptured cervical disk. After the surgery, I have had extreme chronic fatigue, bone pain, overall body pain, and paralysis of one vocal cord. I tried numerous pain medications which had absolutely no effect on my pain. Ultimately, the combination of medications that helped were a low dosage of methadone, Prozac, and Provigil (for narcolepsy). Recently my doctor changed my Prozac to Cymbalta. My pain is now almost gone! (I am still taking methadone, but maybe it will no longer be necessary. (I changed to Nuvigil for extreme daytime sleepiness.) No side effects from Cymbalta except for slight nausea during the first week of use."

• big...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 7, 2013

"I started taking depression medicine when I was 11 years old. I am now 24 and I have been on probably 10 different antidepressants over the years. Nothing has had such a positive effect on me as Cymbalta has. I am truly happy for the first time in a long time. I've been taking Cymbalta for about 8 months now, and I feel great. I have also been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which is one reason why my doctor thought Cymbalta would be best. Cymbalta has also helped some with my aches and pains. I have very little side effects with this medicine. I get nauseous once in a while and am tired a lot, but it's nothing compared to being without Cymbalta. This is by far the best medicine for depression and fibromyalgia."

• Tho...
• January 18, 2016

"I started taking Cymbalta about 4 years ago for severe body pain. I have had two back surgeries, two knee surgeries, and I have fibromyalgia and arthritis. The medication Cymbalta has improved my quality of life a lot, mostly my fibromyalgia pain. I hadn't been able to sleep at night because of my all-over body pain, however, since taking Cymbalta, I have had much relief. I take it at night about an hour before bedtime. I take it along with amitriptyline, which helps me to sleep at night pain-free. Only one side effect that I have noticed, and that is it seems to take your sex drive. When interacting in sexual activity, it's like you don't feel anything a lot of the time, and that can be a BIG problem for some people. You have to weigh up your options."

• ele...
• August 15, 2013

"When Cymbalta became available, I was trying it for dysthymia, but found my fibromyalgia and neuropathy became much better. I think it's worth trying, it worked wonders for me, and I started taking it with the attitude that it wasn't going to work."

• Lou...
• January 12, 2013

"This is my 5th day on 20 mg (lowest dose - 1 pill per day) Cymbalta for fibromyalgia. The first 3 days were tough. My pain would subside during the day, but return almost fully at night. I did not sleep for the first three nights on this medicine. I was also very jittery beginning on day 2. By day 4, most of these side effects subsided, and I've been pain-free for 48 hours now. I was prescribed 5 mg of Ambien to help with the sleep issue. I feel great and energetic for the first time in months. I am thrilled that the lowest dose worked for me."

• its...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 1, 2019

"Cymbalta seemed to help at first, until the side effects became unbearable and it stopped working. It made me sleep over 12 hours a day, gain a bunch of weight, and made me have no libido whatsoever. Not to mention, it's extremely hard to come off of. I stopped it last week, and I'm still experiencing withdrawals -- brain zaps, nausea, headache. I would not recommend Cymbalta for fibro. It might help your pain, but it'll make your fatigue worse."

• Sis...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 18, 2017

"Several days after starting Cymbalta, I started having energy and no pain. I was so elated. Who cares if you sweat a river? Who cares if you can't go outside from May through September? After taking it for several years, I began to slowly turn from my dream to a nightmare. I sweated all year and was hot in the winter as well. Everyone was freezing, and I was hot and didn't want the heat running. I gained 40 pounds, but all the symptoms returned. I finally weaned down to 30 mg, then cold turkey. I have now been totally off Cymbalta for 25 days and have gained 10 more lbs. I can't even buy clothes big enough because my stomach looks 9 months pregnant. My thighs are as big as a professional football player."

• Ham...
• August 21, 2017

"I was on Cymbalta for fibromyalgia, and the medication did not work for me. I did have a change in mood. One thing they do NOT tell you is getting off the medication is a terrible experience. For two weeks, I was vomiting about three times a day. My anger was uncontrollable, and I had very bad brain zaps. I did taper like the Dr. recommended, and I was still sick. This lasted a month after my last taper dose. I was never a depressed person, but my husband almost had to take me to the ER because I was so bad. Don't take this medication, it is not worth the effects."

• Dis...
• June 11, 2014

"I had tried Lyrica for fibromyalgia, and it made me severely tired and didn't help the aches and pains at all. Once I switched to Cymbalta, I felt great! The aches and pains were reduced by at least 75% within 2 weeks! I've been on it for 1.5 years and have had a gradual weight gain totaling 20 lbs that started the same month I started Cymbalta. My rheumatologist says it's not Cymbalta related, but I'm thinking of maybe trying another medicine just to see. But I'm afraid nothing will work as well as Cymbalta. I also take 250 mg Soma at night to help me sleep, which works great."

• Sal...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 24, 2013

"I have been taking Cymbalta for over 3 years. When I started taking it, I was working and it was making me sleepy, so the doctor said to take it at night; problem solved. During the years, I have had 3 surgeries and I have to stop taking it, and I had no side effects or withdrawal symptoms. It helps with my fibromyalgia, mild depression, and pain. My insurance co-pay is $35, but during the donut hole, it is very expensive."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2012

"I have fibromyalgia (for about 5 years), but no depression at all, so I was initially wary of Cymbalta because I didn't want it messing with my mood and potentially being hard to stop. But I'm so glad we decided to try it! Only a few weeks so far, and already it makes a huge difference in pain levels, and also I have much more energy. I still have to take tramadol at times for higher pain levels, but much less than before. No trouble with side effects in general, although, as others have mentioned, I find that extreme stress and multiple nights in a row of little sleep can trigger all the old symptoms to the extreme, and it takes several days to get back on track. Overall though, it's a huge blessing and I feel so much more like my old self!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2015

"I have been on Cymbalta for the last 2 weeks. The side effects have been difficult: stomach pain, the first few nights I couldn't sleep and thoughts raced through my mind. I was also having severe suicidal thoughts, and I was still waking up from the pain and tingling sensation in my arms and shoulders. This is week three, and I find that my mood has improved, but I'm sweating a lot. The fibro pain is present, and I'm tired a lot. I tried taking it at night but find my chest hurting the next day, so I switched to mornings on a full stomach, and that's improved the stomach pain. I have restless leg, and if I'm late on taking my next dose, I'm jittery. I don't really know if it's working for my pain, but my mood is much better, I'm not suicidal."

• jai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 16, 2014

"Started Cymbalta for depression about three months ago. Also suffer from fibromyalgia and anxiety. Found at 90 mg my fibromyalgia hip and neck pain significantly reduced, but had the side effect of extreme itching. At one point, my lips and eyes felt sunburnt and began having trouble swallowing. Slowly reducing dose, now on 60 mg plus 20 of Prozac. BE AWARE, do not suddenly stop this medicine. Missed two days due to script and had the worst withdrawal I have experienced in 27 years of antidepressants: uncontrolled crying and panic. Not sure where to go from here."

• AKX...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 27, 2024

"30 mg now in week 6. Pain is much less, still flare-ups, but it has allowed me to do hard exercise with weights. I do get flare-ups and still experience some anxiety/panic attacks. Alcohol is okay on the night, but the next day makes one very tired. It took over 4 weeks to get past the side effects, including sexual ones, and I'm reluctant to ramp up to 60 mg as the foggy feelings held me back a lot for the first 4 weeks."

• CVC...
• October 8, 2009

"I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in March 2008 and immediately put on Lyrica. I went up to 100 mg, and over the course of 6 months, gained 40 lbs. I tried natural remedies with no help, so I went back on Lyrica. I was blessed to be a part of a fibromyalgia group at the University of Michigan and got to meet and be examined by the head of their neurology department, who advised me to try Cymbalta. He sent a detailed report to my doctor, and I began on 30 mg at night. That was 4 months ago. I have my life back-without the crazy eating binges! I just recently had to bump up to 60 mg daily. What a great drug! I had mild itching the first two nights, but now I don't experience any of the side effects. The only problem is losing weight."

• Lot...
• October 17, 2016

"Helped the fibro pain completely. But my sleep is totally messed up, and I am tired all the time. Also, I feel emotionally flat. No motivation at all. For now, I'll keep on it, as having total body pain 24/7 was hell on earth."

• Anonymous
• April 18, 2009

"I took it for fibromyalgia for 4 weeks. I had loss of memory, dizziness, and fainting. I weaned myself off with the help of my doctor. Withdrawals were horrible. Headaches, slurred speech, loss of memory, heart racing and palpitations, trouble breathing, and dizziness. It lasted nearly 8 months. It was the worst time in my life. I'm happy for those that can tolerate the side effects and are successful on this medication. This is just my story."

• deb...
• July 31, 2013

"I was on Cymbalta for 2 years and found it to be a wonderful relief of pain and anxiety. The problem I had with it was 'brain zaps' and dizziness if I made any sudden movement with my head. I weaned myself off of it slowly and am now back to suffering with pain and anxiety, but I do not wish to take Cymbalta again due to the strange brain effect it has. Getting off of it was extremely difficult, and luckily I was between jobs, or I could not have made it to work during that withdrawal period. Extreme 'brain zaps' were the worst thing to get rid of."

• jay...
• December 6, 2014

"I finally got diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and since then I have been on a couple of trial and error medications. Lyrica remains the best so far, on leveling out my balance for pain, and all the other negative quirks that come with fibromyalgia. I tried venlafaxine (Effexor), it knocked me out like a horse tranquilizer. Never again! That's when my psych decided to try me on Cymbalta. I still take my other meds: omeprazole, Adderall, Lyrica. [switched from Zoloft --> Cymbalta]. I was to gradually increase my Cymbalta after the course of a week or so, but later spoke to my doc and he stated my side effects were due to the increase being too fast. He suggested for me to remain at one pill for at least a month, and then speak to my psych about it. Perfect!"

• Anonymous
• January 26, 2009

"Helped greatly with pain, confusion, and saying words I was thinking. Went from about 4-5 hours of sleep a night to 12-14 hours of solid sleep for the first month. (It felt GREAT to sleep without waking from pain. First time in 8-9 years!) Now I only have an occasional late night here and there and sleep as much or as little as I want. I do have muscle tightness and twitching when I lay down at night. Stretching and heated muscle rubs help."

• mll...
• July 14, 2017

"I've been taking it for less than a month, and I already want to stop. I would rather be in pain than be how I am with this medicine. It makes me foggy and extremely tired, and depression symptoms I haven't had in months are coming back. I can barely do anything because all I feel like doing is sleeping. My fibro pain isn't horrible anymore, but this is worse. I'm going to stop now while I'm still on 20 mg before weaning off becomes harder."

• CNA...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 28, 2013

"I have been on Cymbalta, 60 mg, for over 5 years. It did work for the fibro pain, even though at stressful times I still felt a minimum of pain. I began to notice after about 3 years that I was very tired all the time and foggy in the brain. It was hard for me to concentrate when someone was talking, and words were hard to find when answering them. I finally told my doctor that I wanted to wean off of Cymbalta, but I haven't found this to be very easy. Been working on it since June, and if I try to lower the dose too fast, I become sick like a very bad flu. I am now more clear-headed and can talk with clarity since my dose was lowered to around 20 mg."

• Ash...
• January 26, 2018

"Started this medicine on 1/17/2018. It has worked wonders for me. I haven't known what pain-free was for 10+ years. The first day or two, I was a bit nauseous and had on-and-off headaches, but felt a decrease in pain immediately. After the 2nd day, nausea passed, and I've felt great, other than being tired all the time, but I'm used to that. I hope everyone else can feel relief with this medicine like I have."

• Mai...
• November 13, 2013

"Took Cymbalta for close to a year for fibro symptoms. For the first couple of months, it seemed to be helping, and then it stopped. I had worsening sleep difficulty, violent mood swings, and a variety of other side effects. Even with all the fibro symptoms, I feel better off the med than I ever felt on it. It was also expensive."