Cymbalta for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• rat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 1, 2023

"30mg / 3-4 months. I was on Lexapro before I started Cymbalta. I switched to Cymbalta because I was experiencing anger and emotional blunting. Starting Cymbalta, I was able to finally 'feel' my emotions. I could sad cry, happy cry, and I was able to be more empathetic and patient. But here's why I got off Cymbalta. I still had those moments of suicidal thoughts, the ones where your psychiatrist will cock a brow. They weren't horrible or consistent and these thoughts were short-lived. I also am in therapy. My sex drive was nearly non-existent. I used to use Maca Root supplements when on Lexapro, and that would work to get me going. Even on Maca, it was nearly IMPOSSIBLE to have the drive. I even felt disgusted with the thought of sex. Cymbalta withdrawal was the ABSOLUTE worst. I never felt so weak, clammy, nauseous, and sick. However, the withdrawal symptoms only lasted about 2-3 days. I did not experience any hypomania coming off Cymbalta like I did with Lexapro. Also, dry mouth was so bad."

• Dog...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 9, 2021

"I was on Cymbalta for over a year at 60 mg. I asked my doctor to adjust my dosage due to depression getting worse, I had a reaction to it. Then, the doctor wanted me to taper off of it in a 4-day period. The dosage caused another reaction. I am now on day 4 of withdrawal. I have to be on a medication to help me withdraw, as well as the new antidepressant the doctor put me on. I feel so very, very awful. I strongly recommend you do not take this medicine. It does more harm than good."

• Ben...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 15, 2021

"I take Cymbalta for my depression, anxiety, and fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed with MD in 1999, and over the years, I have tried several medications. Lexapro was working great, and I was on that for a few years until I found out I had fibro, and the specialist recommended a change from Lexapro to Cymbalta. I was hesitant because the Lexapro worked GREAT! I was well balanced and able to self-regulate my emotions, but I was also taking Lyrica for the pain, and I liked the idea of Cymbalta helping with nerve pain. I was hopeful that I could stop the Lyrica. My PCP started me at 30 mg a day. I knew it took 4-6 weeks to kick in, and I was a wreck. At the 2-month mark, I called my PCP in a mad panic, asking him to bump it up because I was ready to let my inner screams out. He told me to start taking 60 mg. I've been on that dosage for 9 months, and I have cut my Lyrica down to just one in the morning from 3 times a day. It isn't as good as Lexapro for me, but it helps with my nerve pain."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 14, 2019

"Cymbalta does its job for depression, but with possibly some of the worst side effects I have had from a medication. If I start taking this or up my dosage at any time, I am vomiting and sweating with terrible stomach pains. Withdrawals do exist with this med, and they make you shake a lot. It keeps you from doing anything harmful but leaves you in quite a daze and sometimes unable to feel emotions."

• Lar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 21, 2023

"Cymbalta is a solid drug that I found tolerable. It took away about half of my anxiety and depression. This is more than I can say about most other SSRIs that I have tried. I just tried Nardil and had severe side effects from it, so now I am going back to Cymbalta after my washout period. The only side effects of Cymbalta are some headaches and slight insomnia."

• Met...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 3, 2021

"I was on the prescription brand name pills Cymbalta 60 mg 1x daily for 2 weeks. I was supposed to increase the dosage to 120 mg daily per my physician at the 2-week mark. I experienced almost every side effect there is and some other terrible symptoms. I stopped cold turkey since I was having cold turkey symptoms also. My doctor and I believe I had a bad reaction to it. It took me about two weeks to recover to my previous baseline issues; I was pretty thankful. It made me terrified to try any other antidepressant going forward; it was a pretty bad experience."

• Ski...
• August 8, 2021

"I had been on Lexapro for 10 years with good results. Until last fall when the world was going down the drain. I became super, super depressed. Doc switched me to Cymbalta 60 mg per day. It worked and I felt so much better. However, these last 3 months or so, I've noticed my happiness has definitely gone downhill. And I've noticed I've become very short-tempered, agitated, and angry. I'm contacting my Doc today about switching me back to Lexapro...."

• boo...
• May 27, 2015

"Having nauseous feelings, dizziness, clouded, distorted head as if hung over, every day at noon time and lasting the rest of the day! Just started taking 30 mg at night along with Wellbutrin and trazodone that I have taken for a couple of years now. Not a good feeling. Going to call the doctor to see what I should do."

• tyh...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 26, 2021

"Got prescribed Cymbalta for depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. It quickly started working to alleviate all of them, and I have not experienced a panic attack since. After being on the med for 3+ years, its effects on depression weren't adequate anymore. I begged my psychiatrist to increase the dose, and by the time they did, it was a bit late, and I had an increase in suicidal thoughts & behavior. Finally, after 4 years, I was weaned off to try something else. I was having a reaction to another medication, so I'm not sure how much of the discomfort was the reaction or if it was the withdrawal. Overall, a great med to try if you're anxious and depressed, especially since they tend to fuel each other."

• Cro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 1, 2021

"Ok, so this (Cymbalta) one worked well, but I had a bad experience with it. This stuff really peps up your mood and works quickly and will make you feel happy and energetic. However, I forgot my meds when I flew from CO to TX for my sister's wedding and went into a horrible withdrawal. I could not think straight and had unnerving thoughts and felt the lowest I've ever felt in my life, a nasty experience. It worked well, but the withdrawal I had from forgetting my meds scared me from taking it again. However, it will help with depression, but has a few bad side effects."

• Nin...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 10, 2023

"I first started taking psychiatric medication at 18 to help with depression/anxiety and bulimia. One drug after another, nothing seemed to help, and some even made things worse. I'm now 29. Been on 60 mg Cymbalta for approx. 3 years. I personally have not experienced anything groundbreaking, but I also have not had any negative side effects. It's hard to say if Cymbalta has done anything, as I've been on anti-depressants for so long. I will say this is probably the first med that hasn't given me weird side effects. I'm hoping to begin titration soon to see if I'm okay without it. I started taking a very low dose of Adderall (10 mg once a day) - prescribed to me as an off-label use for depression - kind of as a last resort after my laundry list of unsuccessful meds. I was very lucky to find a doctor who recommended this route, as the Adderall has alleviated my depression symptoms far more than any anti-depressant."

• Bra...
• September 6, 2016

"I cannot take this medication due to the fact that you use dyes. I am allergic to them and cannot take them, yet manufacturers seem to think there is no problem with using dyes. Why not use natural materials like beet juice for color? Get away from the dyes, they are not healthy for us."

• Cre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2021

"Not too shabby, has done me well. I’m far from suicidal, and I don’t experience anxiety at all. I’m finally happy, only side effect for me is a decreased ability to experience empathy, and I’m on 120 mg."

• Rel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 26, 2020

"I suffer from many things: depression mostly, chronic back pain, cervical neuropathy, panic attacks, major insomnia, and high anxiety. I have tried almost everything under the sun: Zoloft, Mirtazapine, Wellbutrin, Abilify, Lexapro, and now Cymbalta. None of those other medications have helped me. Last night was my first night taking Cymbalta. Normally, to fall asleep, I have to take a “cocktail” of meds (ZzzQuil, Benadryl, Advil PM, Ambien-you name it, and I’ve taken anything to help my insomnia because I just want one night of good sleep). I was reading all these terrible reviews, which scared me, and although I have only taken this med once and the side effects probably haven’t hit me yet, it was the FIRST night I was able to turn my TV off and fall asleep. I slept great! No cocktail! Insomnia: check! Now let’s see if it can help with chronic pain and depression. I am rating this on the lower scale because it has only been one day."

• Hal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2023

"30 mg does nothing for me. 60 mg made me feel manic, so I tapered down to 30 mg. I’m trying 60 mg again, but this time with Latuda. I’ve been taking it for less than a week, so I haven’t noticed a difference yet."

• Anonymous
• December 7, 2015

"I got switched to this medicine after tapering off Effexor. It was tough at first, but I am now feeling more like myself than I have in years. Thank you, Cymbalta."

• Oli...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 16, 2015

"I took 60 mg per day for over a year. Worked very well until recently. It kept the depression in check, but the anxiety is back in full swing. Don't skip a dose unless you like the zaps."

• Hop...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 25, 2019

"Made my symptoms extremely worse even at higher doses. Effexor or Lexapro were better."

• Rox...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 26, 2019

"Been taking it for 7 days for depression and rheumatoid arthritis pain. I’m exhausted and feel like I’m in a fog. I don’t usually have problems with medications, but I can’t function on this."

• Sil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2014

"Caused suicidal ideation."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 18, 2015

"Mood was boosted for a while when I first started taking it, but then leveled off to the point of ineffectiveness. Did work very well for my fibromyalgia pain, but not worth the extremely high price."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 20, 2022

"I just started Cymbalta five days ago, and I feel like really I kind of a little paranoid. Is there anybody who has gone through this? By the way, it’s 30 mg. Please let me know."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 23, 2014

"Worked well in terms of mood but had terrible side effects."