Cymbalta and Anxiety: What Users Say

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

For Fibromyalgia "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."

• 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."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 11, 2023

"I take quite a high dosage of 120 mg once in the morning or when I wake up. It’s used to reduce pain from nerve damage I had when I severed my left leg - now reattached. If I take it consistently, I have a pretty good window of not a lot of pain. Side effects for me are that it ramps up my anxiety at times, dizziness, thirst all the time, and sweating a lot (I do exercise a lot though)."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 27, 2023

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Did not help me - it significantly increased my anxiety symptoms."

• JC1...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 3, 2023

For Major Depressive Disorder "Do not go on Cymbalta. If you ever have to or want to stop taking it, the withdrawal is nightmarish and severe. It's so bad it has its own term, 'Cymbalta Withdrawal Syndrome.' I tapered down very slowly, and on the first week I was totally off of it, I almost lost my mind. My anxiety was through the roof. My thought processes had no logic. I would cry uncontrollably at minor sad and happy things like commercials, news reports, movies, etc. everywhere...in my car, at work, in a store, etc. I had to go back on a low dose of it and then start taking a low dose of Prozac, tapering slowly off of that to make the Cymbalta withdrawal somewhat tolerable. The makers of the drug have never let the public (or doctors) know about how severe withdrawal is. There's no black box warning. Many psychiatrists don't even know about this. Google 'Cymbalta Withdrawal Syndrome' and 'Prozac Bridge.' It's all there, and personal attestations like mine. No matter what your doctor is prescribing this for, say no."

• Sal...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 5, 2023

For Depression "Have been on for over 10 years. Worked well for approximately 8-9 years but less effective since 2019. Now it is early 2023 and have experienced a severe exacerbation of severe depression and need new medication/treatments. Stress and anxiety are out of control too."

• Sal...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 5, 2023

For Depression "Have been on for over 10 years. Worked well for approximately 8-9 years but less effective since 2019. Now it is early 2023 and have experienced a severe exacerbation of severe depression and need new medication/treatments. Stress and anxiety are out of control too."

• Cal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 26, 2022

For Chronic Pain "Started this medication, Cymbalta, on Monday night. No problem until Wednesday night, and I couldn’t fall asleep. I had to get out of bed because I couldn’t sleep. I felt so jittery in the morning, but my mood was feeling pretty good. I decided to take my blood pressure, and my standing heart rate was 138. It’s usually around 70. Went to the ER (Thanksgiving day), and they did all the proper blood work, X-ray, and tried to bring the heart rate down. They couldn’t get it down past 100, kept me overnight, and had an echocardiogram the next day. Everyone checked out, and the cardiologist told me it was the Cymbalta."

• 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."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "Cymbalta is the worst medication I have ever been on. I took it for depression and anxiety, on the lowest dosage, and started getting terrible anxiety symptoms. Constantly sweaty but cold, shaking, a feeling of imminent doom, dizziness, headaches, and daily panic attacks for the first time in years. I couldn't grip the wheel well while driving. I started slowly decreasing my dose, which was super hard because you have to do it extremely gradually, but this medication was causing me so much pain and anxiety that I tapered too quickly. I had brain zaps (an electric shock going through my brain every time I moved my eyes), terrible pressure in my head, chest pains, nausea, dizziness, and even more panic attacks. This medication is genuinely the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I got chronic daily headaches when I started it, and they have not gone away, over a year later. Talk to your doctor about a different medication, unless you want to be on it for the rest of your life because tapering is impossible."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 1, 2022

For Chronic Pain "I just started this medication two weeks ago, and I have a lot of negative thoughts about it. It helps with pain, but it makes my anxiety feel worse."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 5, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "Cymbalta nearly ruined my grades in college. I was weak and faint all the time, going home and passing out, having memory problems, extreme anxiety, and confusion. Several people I know described the same side effects. I tried it out for months, and in those months, I was a zombie and having even more panic attacks. I hated it so much that I don’t recommend even giving it a try because it’s not worth how it made me feel."

• Hop...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 23, 2022

For Anxiety "I was prescribed Cymbalta for my anxiety. I suffer from migraines and paroxysmal hypertension, which have been debilitating. I really wanted Cymbalta to work, however, it made my hypertension episodes much worse, and I could not take it after the fifth dose. I also suffered from new onset night sweats, nausea, decreased appetite, dizziness, constipation, and increased anxiety and agitation. I’m sure that it has helped many people, however, the side effects for me were too severe to continue. It’s possible I could’ve continued if I did not have to work, but I have a full-time job. I will be trying another anxiety medication, perhaps an SSRI. I just think that my body cannot handle the SNRI. Everyone is different. My mom takes Cymbalta, and she had no side effects whatsoever, and it works wonderfully for her. My mom suffers from migraines and fibromyalgia. I hope this helps somebody."

• Mdo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2022

For Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy "My issues are severe anxiety, severe depression, and neuropathy. I had suicidal thoughts with Lexapro, so I decided to try Cymbalta. It gave me jaw pain and a weird taste and smell when starting it, but not bad effects. It helped my crying spells stop and seemed to slightly increase depression. I was on 30 mg. However, it made my panic disorder and anxiety skyrocket. It really helped neuropathy and phantom pains I’ve been having. But the heightened anxiety I couldn’t stand, so I had to go off of it. It gave me a weird hypersensitivity feeling."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 22, 2022

For Anxiety "Duloxetine actually increased my anxiety and tremors tenfold. This is not a good medication for anxiety. I find my stress levels are constantly through the roof, and I always feel overwhelmed."

• Mdo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 31, 2022

For Anxiety "I went on Cymbalta for depression, anxiety, and nerve pain that I’ve been having for two months. It caused a light burning sensation when I took it that I also had with Lexapro, but I kept trying. I read a lot of great reviews on the effects of Cymbalta. But it wasn’t for me. My doctor thinks I may have serotonin syndrome from it, and it made my anxiety worse than it was. It may be helping my depression, but it is not worth it to make my anxiety even worse than it is. Some people love it. I wish it was for me."

• 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."

• 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."

• Far...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 24, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "So I was on Zoloft for 10 years, and it stopped working. Panic attacks, anxiety, derealization. I can barely function some days. After months of increasing dosages and trying to get in to see a psychiatrist (3-month wait), I was switched to Lexapro, which didn’t help me, then we switched to Cymbalta. I haven’t been able to come down less than 50 mg of Zoloft the whole time. Now, two months after being on Cymbalta, I never saw much change. One day, I missed a dose at night, and the next day I thought I was dying. I didn’t realize I missed the dose, but it was bad. So I’m trying to go down from 60 mg to 30 mg, and the first few days have been very rough. Old symptoms of anxiety and panic that never left have gotten worse. Either the Cymbalta was helping some but not enough, or these are symptoms of withdrawal. For me, this medication wasted another 2.5 months in my search for a med that can give me my life back."

• anx...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 14, 2021

For Anxiety "Cymbalta is the worst drug I have ever taken for anxiety, I was on 60 mg, then up to 90 mg. My anxiety was worse than it had ever been. I stopped taking it after 4 weeks of horribleness. I went back on Clonazepam 1 mg, 3 times a day. Now my doctor wants me off of Clonazepam, and I have started taking Buspirone 10 mg, 3 times a day, and Vistaril 100 mg, 3 times a day. Hopefully, that will be enough to help me with my horrible anxiety."

• Orp...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 23, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I don't even know how to start. In basic terms, Cymbalta is something I never could have imagined possible. I was also extremely suicidal, self-loathing, always denied anything happy or would get pissed off at just the idea of it, anxiety through the roof constantly, and stressed out and overthinking about every little thing, super isolative to the point where I can quite literally stay in my room for weeks and weeks, as well as skip personal hygiene for similar durations. I actually got my first job while I started Cymbalta, which says a lot coming from me and where I've been in life. This medicine is truly a divine experience for me. To go from the depths of the void into everything I seemingly had no awareness of or could see before taking it... It's mind-boggling to me even still."

• 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."

• Sea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 27, 2021

For Depression "Cymbalta is not only ineffective, but it increases irritability and anxiety while having no impact on intended ailments. To put it as I prefer to just say: Cymbalta can get lost."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 10, 2021

For Chronic Pain "I tried Cymbalta about a year ago and had some pretty bad side effects. After reading the bad reviews, I quit taking it after about a week. My anxiety, depression, etc., only got worse as the year went on. I was having intense tension headaches on a daily basis for three years. My whole body was plagued with pain to the point I could barely get out of bed. I just assumed it was arthritis and I would have to live with it. I’m 55 years old, run my own business with nearly a thousand customers, and the anxiety was about to get the best of me. If you are still reading, DO NOT let the negativity change your mind. I stuck it out this time, and this has been a lifesaver. Headaches, gone! Most of the pain, gone! Getting my life back. It feels good to feel good. Anxiety is all but gone too! It’s only been two months now at 60 mg, but so far, so good. There is hope, my friends. Just find what works for you. I gave it a nine because I didn’t sleep for nearly five days, but worth it all right now."

• Sis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2021

For Anxiety "New prescription for anxiety, panic attacks, and arthritis pain. Immediately started to have loose bowels, then anxiety increased until I was experiencing severe panic attacks every day, with dreadful depression. Could not get an appointment with PCP, who never followed up; on my own eased off the Cymbalta and back to citalopram, with lorazepam for breakthrough panic attacks. Have taken this combination for years, to good effect, but doctors have become stingy with lorazepam. (This, of course, increases my anxiety.) This is the second time I have had a bad, unusual reaction to a new drug (other was fosamax family, with a poor response from a doctor. Please correct my spelling."