Cymbalta for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Sur...
• December 25, 2018

"I am a 35-year-old female taking 60 mg of Cymbalta for major depressive disorder, PTSD, and generalized anxiety disorder. I have been on this drug for 2 years. I went from a daily emotional pain level of 7-8 to about a 2-3, with a 1 on very good days. Most of the side effects were transient. The remaining side effects are occasional night sweats with vivid dreams, constipation, and lowered libido. Note that my sex drive has always been on the low side (hormonal birth control may be a factor), so this was not a dramatic change from my personal baseline. A year ago, I was on 80 mg. I was taken down to 60 mg due to elevated liver enzymes. The decrease in dosage resolved the issue in under 6 months. The decrease did not compromise efficacy since 60 mg appears to be the most therapeutic dose for me. I recently discovered I have slightly low thyroid levels at my last annual physical. I was instructed to recheck this in 6 months to make sure I do not have hypothyroidism."

• Lov...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 29, 2015

"Positive experience! I have SAD, GAD, social anxiety, and depression. I have been taking 90 mg for 10 years now. I had tried Effexor, Paxil, Wellbutrin, and Celexa. These had each worked for about a year and then didn't work anymore. I have one side effect that I deal with. I have hot flashes. But this has been okay to deal with because my head finally felt right. I was able to go off of my anti-anxiety medication some years ago. After all this time on Cymbalta, I have gone through some major life changes in the last year, and my anxiety has come back. My depression has been sneaking back as well. I am trying CBT with a little success. I think I may need an increased dose or may have to try something new, which I dread."

• cja...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 23, 2019

"I am 64 years old. Cymbalta helped my MDD initially, but over time my doctor added bupropion. I've been taking it for 14 years now. I still very much struggle with depression; not helping is a less-than-great home situation and a job that has gotten less tolerable. However, my doctor recently told me that he thinks I've developed a 'drug-resistant depression.' As those of you taking this know, coming off Cymbalta is not favorable after taking it this long, which really bothers me."

• Kri...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 26, 2025

"Cymbalta, for me, has been working very well these last 8 months. I used to cry all the time. I was a very irritable person. I was always stressed about anything and everything. I would get angry easily. My depression was steadily getting worse. I had racing thoughts 24/7. The first 3 weeks were a little concerning for me, as I couldn't tell what was a dream and what was reality. It wasn't scary, more so, I would just be confused a lot and would have to ask my husband about certain events daily to see if I dreamt it or if it actually happened. Thankfully, it did not continue, and since then, I feel as if I'm a lot better. They paired it with Klonopin twice a day for my chronic panic attacks and PTSD. This combination is working wonders for me. The only drawback to me is my emotions are very suppressed, and I also fall asleep anytime I'm sitting for too long, lol. I will take that over what I was going through for the last 15 years any day!!"

• dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 23, 2016

"PTSD has been horrific. I starting this new treatment has without question saved my life. All medication needs a little bit of will to get better, so I started yoga classes and read a lot of self-help books. With the medication as a crutch, I'm getting the help I need."

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 29, 2016

"I took this medication for a year and a half. It worked great for my anger issues but did very little for my depression. It also worked well for my fibromyalgia. The downfall for me was feeling like a zombie 24/7, to the point of not even having the energy to clean my house, have a shower daily, or even brush my teeth. I just didn't care about anything at all. Not a good way to live."

• Lit...
• September 23, 2015

"This medicine helped, at first. Then the dose had to be increased often. I didn't realize the brain fog, the chronic tiredness, and the inability to sleep at night were from this medicine. My agitation level also increased. I am tapering off of it now, and I am in hell."

• Tim...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 21, 2016

"I had been on Zoloft for 8 years before it just stopped working. Doctor switched me to Cymbalta, and I was very fortunate that it worked really well for 6 years. Unfortunately, my insurance company switched approval for this to the generic version, which absolutely is not the same. It slowly started losing efficacy. So my doctor had to increase my daily dosage (on the generic version) from 60 mg to 90 mg. At 60 mg, I didn't have sexual side effects, but I did at 90 mg, which was not acceptable to me. So back down to 60 mg I went. Now I'm having 'breakthrough' symptoms again: anger, irritability, lack of interest in things. I'm not sure what I'll do, but I'm pretty sure I have to switch meds completely again."

• GBa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2020

"I understand we all react differently to medications. Effexor was working well, but due to severe scoliosis, my psych switched me to Cymbalta. It had the opposite effect in every way. I became angry, irritable, suicidal, anxious, had insomnia, sleep paralysis, nightmares, and my pain worsened. After 6 weeks, I switched back to Effexor on my own until I got in to see my psych to do the same. These side effects are hit or miss, and I always recommend giving all new meds at least 3 weeks, so take this review with discernment, but if you encounter these effects, they will likely stay. Effexor may be harder on the liver, but the difference is night and day, and adding Rexulti finally broke through a decade-long wall."

• pur...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 13, 2017

"I started this drug back in the summer-ish of 2016. I was given 30 mg, which, let me say, was [at the time] The Holy Grail. I lost a bunch of weight because it had helped me feel good enough to stop emotionally eating. Started on 60 mg, and it felt like a placebo. I accidentally stopped taking it for about 5 days and experienced physical withdrawals, which I wasn't warned about until I googled. I'm currently weaning myself off of it because I refuse to be a slave to this or any other drug."

• In ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 7, 2016

"I was put on this med due to degenerative arthritis in my neck and depression. (I was taken off the other mood meds and swapped to just this.) For two weeks, I took 30 mg, which didn't seem to help much. I also suffer from headaches/migraines. I was upped to 60 mg, which after the 3rd day was the first time in over 40 years I didn't wake up with a headache. It's been 4 days now with no headache. I have a bit of a humming in my ear, like when an amp is left on, but I'll take that over headaches any day. Occasionally, I've had the runs, but not sure if this is med related. I have noticed an improvement in my mood. Also, I should mention I also started seeing a chiropractor for the first time, and she's also done some miracle work on the neck."

• Nic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 9, 2019

"It did okay for my depression, reduced my headaches, improved my concentration and my sleep, and reduced my anxiety, but it did almost nothing for social anxiety. I switched from Cymbalta to Effexor, and I immediately found that Effexor was far superior in almost everything. I would recommend Cymbalta as your second choice SNRI if Effexor won’t work for you."

• AEJ...
• August 28, 2015

"After trying Zoloft, Effexor, and Lexapro, we tried Cymbalta. The worst experience I have ever had with a drug to treat my MDD. I was on it for one night. Literally, just one night. I took it that night and woke up about 6 am the next morning with thoughts of cutting off my hand. I heard a voice in my head telling me my hand was bad. Telling me that I needed to cut it off. I stuck my hand under my pillow and laid there staring at the wall. I hoped the voices would go away. I eventually fell back asleep. Later that day, I took the medicine to my psychiatrist and left it on her desk. I told her, 'Here, you take this crazy-making drug.' I'm depressed, but not crazy."

• Son...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 17, 2023

"I have been on 30 mg of Cymbalta for 3 years now, so since the beginning of Covid lockdown. In spite of being at home alone all the time, I am almost always in a good mood. Maybe I am just a person who prefers being alone, and Covid was the break I needed. But 3 years in, and I do feel that it's the Cymbalta doing the work. It seems like I've been on every drug on the market in the last 20 years. Some have worked really well but never longer than 2 years, like Lexapro. I feel more content and have no side effects. I don't feel like I'm on anything at all. It also acts as an appetite suppressant, which is a good thing. I'm surprised that this isn't a more popular drug considering how well it works and how easy it is to handle. I have also been taking clonazepam for 20 years, as well as T3 for thyroid and off-label for depression."

• sti...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 5, 2021

"I started this medication to try to treat both my depression and fibromyalgia in one go, and it did not go well. My first dose was taken at around 10 a.m., and by 7 p.m. that day I was not feeling well. I was disoriented, dizzy, nauseous. An hour later my heart rate shot up to 145 (resting is 62), I was vomiting violently, shaking, and felt like I was drunk. I was admitted to the hospital, started on ondansetron. I was intermittently nauseous and dizzy, followed by extremely tired, weak, and cold. Symptoms stopped rather abruptly by 8 p.m. the next day (lasted approx 24 hours)."

• Kni...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2022

"I’ve been on Cymbalta for a little over 2 months now, and I feel it works well for me. I take it alongside buspirone. I take 60 mg at night. Does a good job at keeping my depression at bay, if I do feel sadness, it’s very minor compared to how it used to be. Also does well at controlling my anxiety, which is a nice bonus! You see people giving this drug a bad review, but don’t let them scare you away. The truth of the matter is, everyone reacts to medication differently, works well for some and terrible for others. The only way you will know that is if you try it for yourself."

• rog...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 7, 2016

"This was the most helpful antidepressant for me (previous were Prozac, Wellbutrin, Lexapro, and Effexor). I was getting along with people, working out regularly, and had no side effects except for a bit of drowsiness depending on when I took it. Eventually, I was diagnosed with having a bipolar component, and so now I'm taking Lamictal with it. Overall, a pretty potent and good medication."

• How...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 27, 2015

"After 7.5 years, this past Jan., I thought I would try Viibryd. Went up on it, down on Cymbalta. Had a moderate adjustment with ups and downs. It was not as efficacious, so titrated down Viibryd and up on Cymbalta. Got deeply depressed in between, and on one moderate day, tried Wellbutrin. I titrated slowly up, and this was death warmed over! Titrated back from hell to 60 Cymbalta. I am just back to normal. Long story short: if it's not broken, don't fix it. Cymbalta still is the best. Some weight gain, but some exercise can help it a bit."

• dre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 13, 2014

"This medication for me was okay, it gave me fewer side effects than other antidepressants. I was prescribed it for Major Depressive Disorder along with BPD and anxiety. It seemed to make me a bit numb at first, then it helped me think more clearly, less invaded by suicidal thoughts, etc. I do take it along with quetiapine (an antipsychotic), and it seems to meld well with it."

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

"My Celexa stopped working around Thanksgiving. I have been slowly going into a tailspin since. My doctor changed me to Zoloft, which I took for 5 weeks and only got worse. I took my first Cymbalta yesterday and woke up this morning with so much less pain and could actually walk without my joints hurting. Not to mention that my mind seems to be coming around too. I cannot believe how fast this medicine has begun working for me. Between the severe depression and back pain, I had been having thoughts of suicide for over 2 weeks now. I actually slept well last night and feel so much better already today!"

• Zac...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 9, 2017

"Was prescribed Cymbalta 1.5 years ago to treat Major Depressive Disorder. Helped lessen the sadness caused by depression, but also made me numb emotionally. Decided to taper off of Cymbalta, while being advised by my physician, and the withdrawal symptoms were terrible. Currently still on 30 mg (down from 120 mg) and going to look for easier ways to withdraw. Would not recommend Cymbalta to anyone, as I feel I was doing better before I started the medication, and the withdrawal symptoms aren't worth it."

• cym...
• June 8, 2016

"So I gave it an OK review score because it did make me feel less depressed. However, as a whole, I think Cymbalta is bad for you and can lead to terrible health consequences. The side effects I experienced while taking the drug (30 mg for 6 months) were horrible, and I gained a ton of weight, which didn't help the initial cause of me wanting to take the drug - depression (when you don't feel confident, you're less happy, what can I say). A few pounds to become a happier person is OK, but it really made me gain weight and also made me tired, nauseous, sweaty, and experience muscle spasms. Along with this, withdrawing was horrible. I wish big pharma would be less money-hungry and focus on creating effective medications with reduced side effects."

• ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 21, 2022

"Sadly, this one did nothing for me. I was by this time seen as treatment-resistant and was just trying something else. At first, they felt similar to Zoloft or Lexapro in that there weren't any real side effects, except after 6 weeks or so, as it 'settled in,' and then I began to feel VERY dark and desolate. More depressed than ever, and nothing seemed to give me any relief or comfort. I had urges to self-harm from feeling so bad and had to stop taking them."

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2016

"This drug is the devil. It destroyed my life. It took everything that made me who I am away from me and locked it in a little box. I didn't notice my personality changing, I didn't notice how heavily I'd started to drink because it was creating more symptoms than it was treating. My partner, also on Cymbalta for slightly longer than I (probably still on it), also changed... He went from kind and considerate to selfish and cold. He avoided conflict at all costs when I met him, when we parted ways, he would happily start arguments. Yes, Cymbalta helped me for about 2 months, but from there it was all side effects (apart from the aforementioned) of uncontrollable sweating and mood swings on top of the depression and anxiety it was supposed to be treating."

• Zen...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 9, 2018

"I have tried so many medications for my depression and anxiety, and nothing had worked. I was hospitalized as I was feeling suicidal, and the doctor thought right away that Cymbalta would work for me. It did! I also suffer from migraines, which have improved as well. Starting up on the medication was okay, but after four weeks, I developed insomnia that lasted six months and finally went away. The medication also makes me crave sweets in the evenings, and I never had a sweet tooth before. I’ve heard other similar stories. My anxiety has also improved, and I am currently tapering off of Clonazepam. I continue to get healthier on this medication. It offered me the crutch I needed to take care of myself, practice coping techniques learned in therapy, and get better."