Cymbalta and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Anonymous
• February 8, 2010

For Depression "I started taking Cymbalta a year ago. Side effects: nausea and pain in the stomach. This was with 30 mg. The doctor recommended 60 mg. It really worked, but after about 4 months, I just could not afford it, so my doctor prescribed Celexa. I used that for several months. I noticed that my usual mild lower back pain returned. (I suffered no withdrawal symptoms.) I got back on Cymbalta 2 months ago. I felt no real side effects, and I even went up to 60 mg. It controls my 'emotional roller coaster' very well. No insomnia, but for a few nights, I did not sleep as deeply as usual. Sometimes I still have a little anxiety. But I don't feel like a raving lunatic as I did before I started this medication. Slight weight gain."

• Leo...
• January 20, 2017

For Depression "Caused me severe anxiety/agitation. Its action increases norepinephrine levels as well as serotonin...and it's that effect on norepinephrine that has me climbing the walls! Not good for my depression or anxiety!"

• Joh...
• June 26, 2010

For Anxiety "I've been on Cymbalta for about 13 months, but after reading many of the posts, I'm thinking I should add this little self-evaluation. I was diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, and hyperactivity in the mid-1960s when research was still in its infancy. Anxiety was a continuous battle, and after failing the 4th grade, all I remember was being in a fog. Cymbalta has cut through the anxiety even though the autism and dyslexia are hardwired as part of my disorder. I was recently pushed to 60 mg with improvement from my 30 mg dose. As part of anxiety, you can feel the adrenaline flowing through you at the slightest distraction or obstacle, but Cymbalta has done miracles to cut the amount of adrenaline released. Coffee puts me to sleep."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 26, 2020

For Depression "Cymbalta was the first drug that my psychiatrist prescribed to me. I took it while I was at work. After an hour or two, I felt like I was having a panic attack. My palms were sweating, and my heart was racing. But that was not the main problem. I felt like I was going crazy. I came home and tried to lay in bed, but when I closed my eyes, I saw hallucinations. I needed two pills of bromazepam to calm myself down. Also, my anxiety started with this medication. Before, I had mild anxiety and mainly depression. After Cymbalta, I felt panicky all the time. Until I started Zoloft. Till now, I don’t know what happened, but my guess is that maybe it could’ve been serotonin syndrome. I don’t know. Or just not the right medication. But it was like one long, bad trip."

• Fra...
• July 25, 2016

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Add on to 30 mg mirtazapine. Cymbalta taken in the morning. 1st day: diarrhea, very stoned feeling all day, slightly more anxious. 2nd day: slightly more depressed and anxious, a little less stoned feeling, slight constipation, sexual dysfunction. 3rd day: extremely depressed...worst I've ever felt. Suicidal. 4th day: same extreme and worsening depression. Couldn't handle it, stopped taking it after the 4th day. Worsened depression to the extreme. Don't know if the side effects would've lessened, but couldn't take the extreme depression. Sexual dysfunction also added to depression."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• ats...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 4, 2022

For Anxiety "9-3-22 I took my first dose of Cymbalta (Duloxetine) 30 mg. I took the dose @9:30 pm EST. About 2 hrs after I took it, I started feeling tired, so I laid down & went to sleep with no problem. A few hours later (@4 am), I woke up profusely sweating, trembling/shaking & feeling EXTREMELY NAUSEOUS (didn't throw up though). I literally just squirmed around trying to get comfy, waiting for it to pass. Eventually, I was able to fall back asleep. I woke up @10:30 am with a massive headache, foggy head, my heart was beating really fast, my anxiety was through the roof, I felt very anxious/agitated, my skin felt prickly (the best way I can describe it is that I felt like I couldn't stand to be in my own skin. If that makes any sense?). As the day went on (it's now 6:30 pm), most of the symptoms I woke up with have gradually faded. The anxiety and headache have not. Part of me never wants to take it again, but the depressed, anxiety-ridden part of me doesn't want to give up just yet... I'll continue to update."

• Lex...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 3, 2020

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was scared to take this med after the reviews. An anxiety attack triggered me to finally try it. I took 1 tablet, 30 mg, yesterday afternoon with lunch and experienced nothing until night. I was having constant random visions all night. When I finally got up in the morning, I began shaking, my skin felt like it was burning, I was on fire hot, and my mouth was so incredibly dry. Then I got the chills. Shaking, burning skin, chills, dizziness went all day. I was wiped out tired and could not eat. I was in bed all of this beautiful day until 4:30 pm when I forced myself up. Honestly, I felt poisoned. I drank 2 gallons of water waiting to flush this out of my body. It was about 28 hours from the time I took it until I felt somewhat back to normal."

• Cje...
• July 13, 2017

For Anxiety "I just started on 30 mg today. I had to come off of Prozac 20 mg after five days because it made my anxiety worse, no appetite, and my stomach hurt, and I stayed in the bathroom. I used to be on Cymbalta, and it was great. I came off of it because I thought I could deal with my menopause, and nope, it got bad again with anxiety. I hope Cymbalta helps me."

• She...
• March 6, 2016

For Depression "I took 1 30 mg capsule of Cymbalta yesterday. That will be the only dose of this medicine I will take. I had to leave work yesterday because of how sick to my stomach it made me. I felt jittery and lightheaded all day. I didn't take it this morning. I haven't felt jittery, but I have been extremely lightheaded and have had a headache all day. All that from one dose. I have been on many anti-depressants over the years. The only other one that made my head feel like this was Prozac, and I didn't stay on it long. Having a job, I can't afford to be sick from side effects. I will be calling the Dr. tomorrow and telling her I want to try something else. Also, I have heard a lot of reviews about this drug, and most that I have read are not very good."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2018

For Back Pain "I took my first pill at 9:30 a.m. It’s 1:48 a.m. now, and I can’t sleep. I am very anxious and fatigued. I’ve noticed that I yawned several times today and felt super uneasy. Never taking the drug again. I’m trying to flush my body with water to get rid of it. Terrible side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2018

For Back Pain "I took my first pill at 9:30 a.m. It’s 1:48 a.m. now, and I can’t sleep. I am very anxious and fatigued. I’ve noticed that I yawned several times today and felt super uneasy. Never taking the drug again. I’m trying to flush my body with water to get rid of it. Terrible side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 6, 2012

For Anxiety "I have been taking this medication for a little over 6 years and was started off on the 60 mg dosage. In the beginning, it worked great. I'm now on 90 mg, sometimes 160 mg, of Cymbalta, and I feel anxious all the time and also extreme fatigue."

• Sil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 30, 2022

For Fibromyalgia "My doctor has been treating me for fairly severe osteoarthritis pain for several years. The pain, along with fibromyalgia pain, is gradually increasing. I’ve been on Celebrex and Plaquenil for a few years, and they’ve helped. Recently, my doctor also prescribed Cymbalta, starting at 20 mg the first week, 40 mg the 2nd week. The first week was difficult. A sensation I described as ants running along my nervous system made me feel very uncomfortable, and I felt this along my spine and down my arms and legs. I’ve never felt that before. I had insomnia and got 2 hours of sleep each night. Anxiety and the feeling that my muscles were tight or in knots, for lack of a better description, especially in my abdomen and pelvic area, this was my worst symptom. Also, I had to urinate frequently, a few nights at least 10-15 times. Nausea was very bad the first week. The second week, my dose doubled, and I have been miserable."

• Esc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 13, 2017

For Anxiety "The rheumatologist put me on Cymbalta for fibromyalgia. I started on the medication, 20 mg, I think. I worked at a bank at the time, and one week into taking it, I was having anxiety attacks at work. I had anxiety before this, but not in social situations like this. I stayed on it for another week or so but took myself off. She also put me on amitriptyline for muscle relaxation at night. First, it knocked me the heck out, then within two weeks I would wake up with bad cramps in my legs and such tension/contraction in all my muscles that I couldn't sleep. I weaned myself off of that too. I told the doctor what happened, she said it wasn't the medicine causing the symptoms. Right... ten months later, still have anxiety, voice is shaky, not working."

• Nan...
• May 11, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• lik...
• November 11, 2015

For Back Pain "Though I read so many negative opinions about it, I decided to try taking Cymbalta. After two months, I decided to stop taking it. First of all, my relationships got bad, I was careless and numb. I also had a very strange feeling from time to time, like I was dreaming. Sometimes I was anxious and couldn't sleep, and had very vivid and bad dreams and panic attacks. It had an immediate effect on my libido, which got so low it almost disappeared. The main problem with the drug was that I felt good, even-tempered most of the time. This state always took my mind off the very bad side effects of the medicine, and I was so relieved from the pain, I set aside all the negative effects of it. It's day 1 without it, and I feel dizzy and so tired, I...zzz."

• Anonymous
• December 3, 2011

For Depression "After taking Cymbalta for 3 weeks, I became gradually more nervous. By 4 and 1/2 weeks, I felt like I was having a constant panic attack. I felt terrified all the time, but I couldn't even tell you what I was terrified of. It was the most horrible feeling I've ever experienced. My doctor insisted that I increase the dose, but I refused. I finally argued with him and demanded to be taken off. I've been looking for someone else that experienced a similar reaction."

• Che...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 16, 2023

For Fibromyalgia "This medication has been really wonderful for my pain, and I do feel better emotionally. However, I’ve gained a ridiculous amount of weight in the year I’ve started taking it. I’m also experiencing a bit of mental fog and anxiety. The weight gain is awful for my mental and emotional well-being, though. I’m not a vain person, I just don’t feel like myself. I’m completely bald from alopecia, so being “chunky” just adds salt to the wound."

• Anonymous
• December 19, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• cat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 16, 2012

For Anxiety "I took Cymbalta for 4 days for anxiety, panic attacks, and mild depression. I read many reviews and wondered whether I should stick with it despite the side effects, but in the end, I just couldn't. I've been on Lexapro and Effexor before, and I was expecting the same type of side effects: dry mouth, nausea, headaches. But this was a lot worse. I was sleeping okay before and started having insomnia from Cymbalta. My heart was also racing, which for a panic attack sufferer, is the worst thing that can happen. I almost stopped eating, no appetite at all. I also started feeling really low, super anxious, and depressed, and could only go through the day with the use of alprazolam. In the end, I spoke to my doctor and I will now start on Pristiq."

• Ama...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 7, 2022

For Anxiety "I feel compelled to write a review on my experience because my doctors were baffled by my side effects, but I've read other reviews similar to mine on this site, so clearly this information needs to get out there. I was on Cymbalta 20 mg a day for around 2 weeks for a few reasons; I have severe anxiety and depression, and I also have a connective tissue disease that causes some nerve pain. One night I randomly started getting a burning sensation in my chest, armpits, arms, ears, and forehead that felt like hot flushing, but imagine a normal flushing sensation amplified x100. I immediately started getting severe anxiety because I've never had this sensation before. I've had panic where you feel burning in your forehead, but I've never had this deep chest burning that would radiate into the armpits and sort of move across my upper body in waves. The strange sensations continued for hours and hours into the night, and I had multiple panic attacks into the next day. My doc stopped the drug."

• AJa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 12, 2021

For Back Pain "I only took 1 pill at 9:45 a.m., and by 10 a.m. I was moonwalking in my room. I'm jittery and keep moving around. I'm going to take it for 2 weeks to see how I feel. I'm assuming this is a temporary side effect. If you have an interview or anything important on, then schedule it BEFORE you take a dose."

• Ros...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 20, 2021

For Chronic Pain "If you are seeking treatment for chronic pain, anxiety, and depression as a person with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, especially if you also have temperature or orthostatic intolerance or other dysautonomic symptoms. DO NOT TAKE THIS. I started at 30 mg and increased all the way to 120 mg (then decreased back down to 60 mg and eventually weaned off). I noticed no change to my pain levels. I did experience an increase in energy - but not a positive one - I experienced insomnia, tachycardia, and extremely severe anxiety. I did a lot of risk-taking while on this medication, and increasingly wished I was never born. Lost my appetite entirely and lost 20-25% of my body weight. The sweating was unbearable. Between the malnutrition and the nightmares, I managed to chip two teeth by grinding them in the few hours I was able to sleep. I may have bone loss as well. It made me very dizzy with the underlying POTS, and I now require beta blockers twice daily to manage my heart rate despite cessation of Cymbalta use."

• Ann...
• May 15, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "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..."