Cymbalta and Headaches: What Users Say

• Col...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 14, 2024

For Chronic Pain "I have chronic pain and bad anxiety for many years and have been living untreated and struggling. In the last few months, I started taking pain pills. But then a few weeks ago, I met two totally different strangers who, within five minutes of each other, shared their experience with CYMBALTA - it was like a light bulb went on! I had two or three previous doctors recommend it in the past, so I felt it was a SIGN or a NUDGE to give this prescription medication a go. I’m currently on day five of 30 mg with some side effects such as mild nausea, mild headaches that come and go, and some insomnia. But because of the positive reviews on here, I have decided to push through the side effects and give Cymbalta a chance to CHANGE my life! I have decreased pain meds to 3 a day and feel encouraged that my anxiety will be greatly helped!"

• mk2...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2024

For Major Depressive Disorder "I started this medicine 5 months ago. Prior to my use of Cymbalta, I was taking 40mg daily of Celexa and interchanging lorazepam and buspirone for 3 years. Cymbalta (duloxetine) has CHANGED MY LIFE. I have struggled with major depressive disorder and anxiety symptoms from chronic OCD for many years, and this medicine has made me feel more alive than anything I have ever tried. I can wake up, I am capable of cognitive thought outside of sadness, and I am able to feel emotions and FINALLY have an orgasm. No medication is perfect, but I have finally felt free of the dullness and numbness that has consumed my life for so many years. Here is what you could expect (using prescription of 60 mg (2) 30 mg cap 2x a day): - light stomach irritation and sensitivity to eating - mild nausea and occasional headaches - more sweat - lowered appetite - real withdrawal! Follow a schedule! - insomnia - drink tea and take simple sleep aids!"

• DeA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 13, 2024

For Chronic Pain "I was put on Cymbalta as an anti-depressant years ago. At day three, I knew I had to stop taking it. When the doctor asked how it made me feel, I was completely unable to say what it was except that if I did not stop taking it, I would die. And I was not suicidal. Also, I was told it would take several weeks to kick in, and it was three days. It could just be my physiology, but I am sensitive to all drugs. Half dose for headache medications, for example."

• Lyn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2023

For Depression "I was prescribed this in May. I just took my first pill in June. I was scared to take it after reading the reviews and seeing all the side effects. I already suffer from really bad migraines/headaches, so I didn't want to take it since one of the side effects is headaches. I really hope I don't experience all the side effects people have listed here. I'm not sure I'll keep taking it if it gives me headaches."

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 3, 2023

For Depression "Cymbalta ruined my life. In the span of 3 weeks, I managed to black out, tried to run away and change my name, I quit my job, and attempted suicide 3 times and luckily failed. I had urine retention, extreme headaches, blurred vision, no energy, and couldn't fall asleep."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Goa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "Prescribed 30 mg initially, then increased to 60 mg a day. Initially excited because have used every SSRI in the last 30 years. Cymbalta is an SNRI, which I thought would help with motivation, task completion, goal setting, lessen neuropathy pain, and decrease depression. I do NOT recommend Cymbalta because the only result was a rotating cycle of endless side effects ranging from bald patches to low blood pressure. My physical pain increased both in severity and frequency. Had to take Epsom salt baths daily. Frequently dizzy, no energy, no motivation, and mentally felt bleh. Believe they refer to this as blunted. It is as if the Cymbalta tricked my emotions into believing I didn't care about anything. However, the depression rebound felt like a full-on physical assault. My headaches lasted several days. Even taking Adderall at the same time didn't decrease my daytime fatigue. Would not recommend."

• 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."

• 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."

• mic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 20, 2022

For Anxiety "I’m female, 18, and I’ve been diagnosed with severe anxiety for a long time, and I have tried many medications (Lexapro and Zoloft), and they didn’t work on me and almost caused my anxiety to be worse. I’ve been on Remeron for a few months, and it has helped me a lot and helped me eat and feel better, but recently my anxiety has been getting worse, so they decided to take me off and try something new. This medicine warned me that there would be headaches and nausea, my psychiatrist said it goes away with time, I trusted it. The psychiatrist said if you feel suicidal at all to let them know, and I will be taken off immediately. I’ve only been on it for a day, so I wanted to share my experience. Everyone is different, and it could help people. I didn’t realize how bad my thoughts were until I took this. I am very paranoid, sick mentally and physically, and overall, I’m extremely sad this didn’t work. I feel very suicidal. Good luck."

• Luc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 17, 2022

For Back Pain "My doctor prescribed 30 mg of Cymbalta for my chronic back pain. I took my first pill at 9:00 a.m. I got hot sweats, cold shaking chills, had a headache, my pain level was threefold, I felt angry and suicidal; and I could hardly make it to the bathroom to throw up and have diarrhea. My body felt horrible, with the sensation of electricity running through my arms and legs. I could not hold still. I had no strength to get out of bed. This continued for about 5 hours. I should have been in the hospital, but I was too sick to go. My experience with Cymbalta was horrible... an absolute nightmare!!! I needed to be hospitalized, but I was too sick to go. I would have had to call an ambulance. I was in bed the entire next day. I finally felt better by day three from taking “just one Cymbalta pill.”"

• Dav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 25, 2022

For Anxiety "Pray you never have to wean off this drug!!! If it works for you, great, but I promise you that discontinuing is a complete nightmare that lasts for weeks or months. The Good: Helped with chronic knee pain and anxiety. The Bad: None of the good is worth the bad! Helped anxiety but felt like doing nothing but stare at a wall on the lowest dose. Insomnia, constant headache, decreased libido, unable to focus, out-of-body feeling. These did not improve with time. After 3 months, I decided it wasn’t worth it and started to wean off. Without a doubt, the worst experience of my life, and it is still going on. 24/7 headaches, nightmares that are so real, I wake up believing they happened, unable to focus, severe vision changes, a feeling that I am not me. The doctor said these effects can last a week or many months. Obviously, I’m going to be on the wrong end of this. For those it helps, I’m very happy for you, but coming off (pray you don't) will be a nightmare that seems to never end."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 17, 2021

For Anxiety "My experience was not pleasant at all. Headache, weakness."

• Oli...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 16, 2021

For Chronic Pain "I have used Cymbalta for over a year for IBS pain, joint pain, back pain, and anxiety. My mother was sick and died. I found out I had cancerous nodules in my thyroid, and we moved states. I started with 20 mg and am at 60 mg. Not many side effects when I began, just some headaches. It helped me be calmer and provided pain relief. At first, I lost my appetite. But I have been very fatigued, lost emotions, been forgetful, had very vivid dreams and nightmares. I had a complete thyroidectomy and started to gain weight, even with thyroid supplement. Adding the metabolic change of the drug and gaining 12 lbs, I decided to wean myself off. I am hoping to regain some energy, memory, and not wanting to sleep 12 hours. I already feel a little like my old self, more active, as the day goes on and the drug wears off. I don’t relish the return of pain."

• Cym...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 13, 2021

For Chronic Pain "I was Rx Cymbalta for sciatica and piriformis pain, but specifically sciatica. I also have had fibromyalgia for 35 years. The sciatica pain, which was severe, stopped completely in 2 weeks. I continued taking Cymbalta for 4-5 months, then decided I would discontinue it because I do not favor being drug dependent. All was well for 2-3 days other than headaches upon awakening. They went away after a cup of coffee. On day 4, I noticed I was a bit frustrated and forgetful. Did not relate it to Cymbalta. By day 5, my sciatica pain had returned along with muscular pain all over my body! I could not get to a tub of very hot water fast enough! I am very body aware, so I canceled 2 Christmas parties and restarted Cymbalta. Let's see if Cymbalta can recover me!"

• Mik...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 1, 2021

For Depression "If you ever want to get off it, just taper down over a few weeks and stop completely. I felt no withdrawals when I did that. However, when I ran out and stopped cold turkey, I threw up 3 times, had a headache, and felt like my head was stuffed with cotton. Been on it for 3-4 years now. Beginning side effects went away. Doesn't really make you happy, just keeps the deep gloom away, like on the weekends when it's just you and your thoughts. Gotta work on some goals to get some momentary happiness in this world, I guess. I take 90 mg daily."

• Lun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 24, 2021

For Depression "While I was only on Cymbalta for a short time, it didn't help with my depression or anxiety - if anything, it made it worse. I had two major things occur. The first one was I slept almost constantly. I would sleep for 6 hours, wake up for 1 hour, go back to sleep for another 6 hours, and repeat the cycle almost daily. The second, and more concerning, was I had a major increase in suicidal thoughts. However, for me, the worst part about Cymbalta is trying to come off it. This goes for many medications, but Cymbalta has severe withdrawal symptoms. I had dizziness, nausea (and vomiting), irritability, headache, sweating, shaking, diarrhea, and tingling of the skin, the whole nine yards. So please just be aware if you are ever planning to come off of this medication for any reason, the recovery period will be hell."

• mis...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 27, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have GAD, but compared to some, it’s quite mild. I believed it was from working in stressful environments. Have had 3 major depressive episodes in 10 years. Wasn’t sleeping, wasn’t eating, anti-social… spoke to my Dr., and he suggested Cymbalta as it was different from the SSRI family. Also, having arthritis, it can be used as pain management. This drug saved me. I now sleep all night. I no longer feel anxious. My depressive episode seems to have abated. I have low energy but always did prior to taking this drug. I think also it has affected my libido, but I would rather live without sex than live with anxiety! I won’t be stopping this drug any time soon. Tapering onto Cymbalta was interesting. I could feel it working from the very first pill. I take it before bed, and if I was even one hour late taking it (30mg dose), I would get massive headaches. Once I went to 60mg, all the side effects disappeared, and I have been on it now for 15 months with no issues."

• Lon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2021

For Anxiety "This completely cured the anxiety disorder that had been crippling me for 5 years. I went from waking up with that feel of dread in the pit of my stomach to being completely calm in less than a month. This medication has saved my life. During the first week, I experienced terrible nausea, insomnia, and headaches. These all went away by the end of week 2. Now the only side effect I experience is occasional headaches and trouble climaxing. I can work around the sexual dysfunction by timing when I have intercourse. I've found that if you have sex around 20-24 hours after taking your last dose, it is much easier to achieve orgasm."

• Lon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2021

For Anxiety "This completely cured the anxiety disorder that had been crippling me for 5 years. I went from waking up with that feel of dread in the pit of my stomach to being completely calm in less than a month. This medication has saved my life. During the first week, I experienced terrible nausea, insomnia, and headaches. These all went away by the end of week 2. Now the only side effect I experience is occasional headaches and trouble climaxing. I can work around the sexual dysfunction by timing when I have intercourse. I've found that if you have sex around 20-24 hours after taking your last dose, it is much easier to achieve orgasm."

• Cia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 10, 2021

For Anxiety "I've been taking this for two weeks now, and I must admit that I wanted to stop after 2 or 3 days because of nausea, brain fog, and headaches, but I pushed through, and I'm so glad that I did. For the first time in such a long time, I can feel life returning to normal now. I can get out of bed in the mornings now and actually look forward to going to work. I'm two weeks in now and on a 30 mg dose, and I am so glad that I took this leap of faith. I understand that this won't work for everyone, but you must push past the initial 4 or 5 days to be able to make a solid decision. Life is good now."

• Bos...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 2, 2021

For Anxiety "Prescribed by Dr. to help withdrawal from gabapentin. Small (morning dose). Day 1, fuzzy, weak. Day 2, very dizzy, unable to drive. Day three, the works - raging loose bowel, intense nausea, headache, totally bed-ridden (except for time spent over the toilet bowl). This is not medicine for me, I might as well have taken poison."

• Ton...
• August 28, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Lin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 18, 2021

For Chronic Pain "I have been on Cymbalta for about 1 month. The first week or so 20 mg, 40 mg thereafter. I have spondylolisthesis with radiculopathy (pain in hip going down my leg). It is helping me so much. I can take walks and sleep in bed again. I have had some extensive dreaming, insomnia, eye irritation, and headaches. Most side effects have quit except for headache."