Cymbalta for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• Nan...
• May 11, 2021

"I was put on Cymbalta about 2 years ago for severe depression. I also suffer from chronic pain, osteoarthritis, severe hypertension, anxiety, and insomnia. The only thing my 60 mg has done for me is stop me from crying at the drop of a dime. My doctor has now diagnosed me with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), my depression has become debilitating. No energy, no drive, no strength to leave my bedroom. I was on Vyvanse for almost 2 years. I really needed a stimulant to animate me, I had energy and had function. I changed doctors, and she took me off of it, and I've been like this ever since. She put me on 30 more mg in the afternoon and also prescribed Wellbutrin XL 150 mg. Cymbalta has not touched my chronic pain or anxiety. We shall see what happens in a month."

• Alu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2019

"Tried this back in 2006, it was the only time I've ever had suicidal thoughts. After two weeks, I was not myself, being temperamental, bad attitude, waking up mad. I quit taking it and felt myself at least return to how I was before. An old girlfriend said her ex-husband tried to kill himself on Cymbalta, and after some research. Cymbalta has a black box warning, which is about the increase in suicidal thoughts. This stuff needs to be taken with caution, and whoever takes this needs people around them who know about the increased risks."

• Liv...
• January 18, 2021

"Cymbalta is the best antidepressant I have been prescribed since my diagnosis of MDD in 2016. I have been taking 90 mg nightly shortly before I go to sleep. With my depression, anxiety creeps up on me at night, causing severe insomnia. In combination with Trazodone, my body actually gets a full 8 hours of sleep. Though there are downsides, around 12-16 hours after my dosage, I do feel the same unpleasant thoughts creeping up on me, yet very much have improved. With Cymbalta, missed dosages will not go unnoticed. Physically, my body rejects sleep, loss of appetite and tremors come back after 24 hours without a dose. Brain zaps and skin tingling are unpleasant, and taking this medication every day is vital to preventing a relapse. To me, the pros outweigh the cons. I am alive! At one time, as I was newly prescribed Cymbalta 14 months ago, I didn’t see that as attainable. Nighttime is helpful for me, and time of day to take this drug is an important inquiry for your psychiatrist."

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 15, 2024

"I would give this a full 10/10. However, getting off this medicine is terrible and the withdrawal symptoms are worse than that of benzodiazepines. Antidepressants work and do promote neurogenesis, just you'd have to find the one that works for you."

• Anonymous
• December 19, 2020

"18F. I was recently diagnosed with MDD, but have had symptoms of this illness since at least 14. When I turned 18, I was recommended Cymbalta by my PCP. I started at 20 mg daily for 1 month and was bumped up to 40 mg after. Though I don't necessarily regret taking this medication, it was most definitely NOT for me. My depression worsened, and I experienced intense emotional blunting/dissociation. For a good 2 weeks, I did not get out of bed except to use the bathroom. No showers, no brushing teeth, not much eating. My anxiety shot through the roof. A 20-minute trip to Costco left me in the fetal position on the bathroom floor for 2 hours, sobbing. Suicidal ideation increased, I got closer to a suicide attempt than I ever had before. I started abusing Adderall again. Libido was okay, definitely lowered a bit, though. I quit the medication cold turkey, the withdrawal symptoms weren't too terrible-likely because my dosage was relatively low. Keep fighting the good fight, everyone."

• Liz...
• April 30, 2016

"I started Cymbalta at 24, and I'm now 32... I changed to them after I had my firstborn, but from 18 years old, I was on Luvox! Yes, the first year or so, I felt the Cymbalta helped me a lot. More than the Luvox ever did. But for about a while now, I really have noticed the bad things... I get a migraine if I haven't taken one by 6 pm. I get snappy and angry if I just miss one day... Last year, I kept forgetting to take my script in to get filled. After a few days, I was yelling and crying and dug myself in a hole! I couldn't get out of bed, the war in my head was so bad! My fam even called doctors on me because they were that worried... The doctor's advice was to go back on my Cymbalta and start counseling! I want to change it, but I hate it!"

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 16, 2020

"I haven't been on Cymbalta very long. It seems to be helping my major depression. I was put on Wellbutrin first, and the anxiety I didn't know that I had went off the rails. The only side effect that I have noticed is a strong bitter taste whenever I eat."

• Ann...
• May 15, 2017

"Although OK when I first started to take this 30mg capsule, then increased to 60 mg daily... After some years, I am showing more signs of tiredness, confusion, anxiety, hot flushes, and forgetfulness, and general mental decline, and still get depressed, among symptoms... Am truly concerned about this, as is my husband and children (as I am not yet 65 years old)... And have always been in good health. I do not smoke, do drugs, and very seldom drink alcohol..."

• lan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 2, 2014

"It worked well for both my fibromyalgia and my depression for a long time, and I had no side effects from it. However, it has stopped working for the depression now. I still take it for my fibromyalgia."

• wlr...
• January 27, 2022

"I suffer from clinical depression, and this is without a doubt the best antidepressant with the least side effects. I also have arthritis, and it helps with the pain cycle. Only antidepressant I've never had a problem with."

• Sav...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 15, 2019

"I did well on Cymbalta, but it did not completely help my depression. It was very helpful for anxiety. My doctor recommended going off of it and gave me 10 mgs of Prozac each day to help with the discontinuation syndrome. It was very helpful, and I recommend it. After trying other medications, I am back on Cymbalta. Still helping my severe anxiety, but depression is still an issue for me."

• Ann...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 19, 2022

"I have been on Cymbalta since it came on the market. Over 15 years. It saved my life. I have to use the brand name as the generic does not work for me. If you have long-term depression, a few temporary side effects are nothing compared to getting your life back."

• clu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 11, 2018

"I have General Anxiety and Major Depressive Disorder. I took this medication for 5 days. I would not recommend this to anyone. The side effects were unbearable. I'd talk about mine, but they already cut them. They rushed the testing time for side effects and rushed through FDA. This medication is also found addictive, so come down dosage slowly if you need to stop. God bless to those people that it helped."

• Ken...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 9, 2019

"Diagnosed with GAD and MDD last year, and I was put on this Cymbalta along with Mirtazapine. Was on 60 mg Cymbalta initially and had severe anxiety because of it, I believe I had serotonin syndrome on one occasion. Additionally, this medication made me feel completely numb. Weaned myself off after only 5 weeks on it, and it was tough, can't imagine what it's like weaning off after using for a longer period."

• M76...
• May 26, 2015

"Been on Cymbalta now for approximately 1 year. My moods are stable, less pain, generally feel better. However, one side effect is unacceptable. On this medication, I feel like I am no longer male. Less desire, followed by greatly reduced sensitivity, as well as inability to maintain an erection longer than a minute, make married life most difficult. I tried to come off the drug. It is extremely difficult. Dizziness, light sensitivity, horrible headaches, and extreme irritability."

• Mad...
• May 22, 2015

"Don't take this drug. Just don't. My doctor told me nothing about the side effects or how potent it really is. I took it for a week and I felt like I was cracked out the whole time. Total depersonalization, suicidal thoughts, weird head pains, chest pains, vomiting, and completely drained of energy. After only taking this for a week, the withdrawals were horrendous, and I was only on 30 mg. Brain zaps, palpitations, chills, insomnia, sweating, diarrhea, and the list goes on. Worst two weeks of my life. I can't imagine what coming off this drug feels like when you have taken it long term. Do not take this drug."

• Dsc...
• April 20, 2015

"Helps with depression, but my doc has had to increase my dose to keep up with my depression. I guess I get used to the drug and need more. Huge weight gain -- 18 pounds over 2 months after the last increase to 120 mg. But I guess I'd rather be plump than crying depressed forever. Zero libido, but that might be my age (65). I hope I can decrease the dosage as I learn to cope with specific life events largely related to my dad's death and my mother in a nursing home (nightmare). No help with anxiety, and doc prescribed Xanax for that. No difference in back pain. In summary: helps depression, but I gained weight and lost interest in sex and other things. Does not help pain and does nothing for my anxiety."

• Gig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 10, 2017

"Have been on multiple antidepressants in my lifetime, all were duds. They caused weight gain, fluctuating moods, extreme sadness. My doctor has recently prescribed me 20 mg of Cymbalta, after 2 weeks, I will switch to 40 mg, 20 mg in the morning and 20 mg in the evening. After reading reviews online, I am hopeful, as everyone has reviewed it mainly positively. Currently, after being on it for 5 days, I am experiencing MAJOR nausea. I can barely breathe without wanting to throw up everywhere. Thankfully, a coworker has given me 'Phenergan,' which is used for nausea, but it is a prescription pill. I called my doctor and explained that this has helped, and she refused to put me on another prescription just to treat the side effects of Cymbalta. SOS!"

• Dis...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 27, 2022

"I was on Cymbalta for over a year. When I started, I had significant fatigue, which I countered with Adderall. What I wasn't aware of at that time was the intense brain fog and impact on my cognitive abilities. It's difficult to be aware of changes like this as they are happening. I noticed memory problems such as not recalling conversations with my partner and forgetting tasks at work. I realized the extent of the impact only once I decided to stop taking Cymbalta. I tapered off very slowly, as I had read the horror stories of others quitting too abruptly. Even slowly, the cessation was difficult. It's now been over 6 months since I quit, and I am still dealing with insomnia, which I believe is an aftereffect caused by Cymbalta. I would warn people against taking this medicine, as the memory problems alone are not worth it, especially with so many other medicines on the market. Take only as a last resort for significant depression. The trade-offs aren't worth it for mild cases."

• Zae...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 8, 2018

"This medicine gave me nothing but brain zaps and nausea. This medicine has a very short half-life, so make sure to take your meds within 20 hours or you will feel sick all day long. Getting off this medicine was worse than getting on. It took me months to get the nausea, brain zaps, insomnia, and headaches to stop."

• mus...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 22, 2015

"Was on 60 mg for 4 years, had some relief from panic attacks with depression. Had some rough times job-related, medical issues not related to the above, and the doctor increased to 120 mg. Normal dosage is no more than 60 mg according to the insert in the med bottle and the Internet. After 3 years on this dose, it quit working. The withdrawal was the worst thing ever. During taking Cymbalta, I developed diabetes. Withdrawal took 8 months, and the pdoc gave me lamotrigine, an anti-seizure med for withdrawal. As I tapered off, my diabetes went away! The pdoc denied Cymbalta caused it. I googled it and found proof, all SSRIs can cause hyperglycemia! I've tried everything from Prozac to Lexapro. Same crap. Now on trazodone and back to having normal feelings."

• Ema...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 8, 2021

"I have been struggling with GAD and MD for a long time now. I have been on most all antidepressants for one thing or another, and Cymbalta was by far the worst as far as side effects. I had pretty bad side effects with Effexor as well, so it is possible that class of drug for some reason does not agree. Cymbalta made me feel really high when I first began taking it, my pupils became enlarged. I even called the emergency psychiatrist after hours, but was told my body was just adjusting. Cymbalta sent me full-blown into a state, it was horrible. I also had the strangest pain in my head, almost migraine-like but throughout my whole head. I became delusional and had very strange beliefs during that period. It helped my chronic back pain, however, the benefits were outweighed by how it impacted my neurological functioning. Terrifying experience!"

• Mac...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 9, 2016

"Do not give to people under 18. The black box warning is true. I was put on this when I was 16 (I'm 19 now), and it made me want to kill myself to the point of hospitalization. Even though that side effect may be rare, it does happen. Do not think it won't happen to you or your child because it's so rare. I'm blessed to still be alive today. It makes you messed up beyond words. Should never be given to young kids. It ruined my teenage years. It ruined it!!! I am dead serious too!!!"

• Ton...
• August 28, 2021

"On Cymbalta 60 mg for 5 years. At 11 months, I was hospitalized with myocarditis. I continued taking it as doctors said that there was no connection. Although I had my doubts. Still have. It made me into another man, I was fearless, full of energy, it cured my depression and GAD - it is a real motivation drug. But not forever. Liver enzymes and cholesterol high. I decided to stop taking it because I got scared of these side effects. My doctor helped me. I had the worst time of my life for about 2 1/2 months. The withdrawals are unbearable. Brain zaps, vomiting, headaches, insomnia, fatigue, and tinnitus. I was prescribed clonazepam to control side effects. I'm off for about 7 months, and I feel like I was living in a dream for 5 years on this drug. I don't know if it's good or bad. Was this the real me, or did just the drug change my brain function? For sure it helped me, but not without a price. I am frustrated. Either you are mentally healthy or physically? Be careful if you are on Cymbalta and drinking alcohol. It makes you more resistant."

• Gra...
• December 29, 2020

"Works great for my chronic muscle pain, and knocks out my sciatica pain... which I love, but it doesn't really seem to work so much as well for my depression... although it seems to keep my anxiety under control, just doesn't seem to lift my mood at all, feel more so ‘numb', I guess is the feeling."