Cymbalta and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 15, 2025

For Osteoarthritis "My doctor prescribed this medication for both generalized anxiety and osteoarthritis in my knees. The first two weeks were awful. I couldn’t sleep or eat. Felt horrible and stayed in bed like a zombie. Slowly I started to feel better. By week four I felt amazing. Knee pain was drastically reduced and mental health much improved. Rarely take ibuprofen anymore. So glad I pushed through the initial pains until my body adjusted to the medication. I still find it disrupts my sleep a bit if I take it before bed. No issues if taken first thing in the morning."

• ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 21, 2025

For Fibromyalgia "Cymbalta for fibromyalgia. Pros: After a week at 30 mg, I noticed a small reduction in pain. After two weeks (now at 60 mg), I noticed even more improvement. After four weeks, my pain was drastically reduced. Cons: Night one was bad nausea and unable to sleep. Night two felt better but still hard to sleep. Night three, all of the symptoms disappeared. After two weeks, I started to get diarrhea after every meal and throughout the day. I could hardly eat and was dehydrated despite drinking loads of water. I had to stop taking Cymbalta after six weeks as the side effect was terrible."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 6, 2024

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I had been diagnosed with OCD and general anxiety, this med changed my life. I’ve been on it for 7 months now. I went from survival mode and avoidance to actually feeling ‘normal’. I never thought it would be possible. My only issue is that my sleep isn’t as solid as I’d like. But other than that, my life has changed for the better."

• 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!"

• hig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2023

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have dealt with generalized anxiety disorder since my early 20s and have tried many SSRIs. The results were typically lukewarm or ended with increased migraines. In the early 2000s, I was put on Effexor (SSNI), and it worked. This was pre-time release formula. Although I titrated off, as directed, I still suffered significant withdrawal. Fast forward to 2013, and my doctor suggests I try it again. This time it's the extended-release. It was 3 days of hell. Nauseous, confused, and couldn't eat or sleep. Ended up in urgent care with instructions to stop immediately. The current psychiatrist decided to push Cymbalta (duloxetine) for a few months. I argued because I had such a hard time with Effexor. But after a few months of arguing, I agreed to start at a low 20 mg dose. He wanted me to double the dosage every week for 3 weeks. Side effects were worse than Effexor. Visual disturbances, could not eat or sleep, my heart rate slowed to 40 bpm, and I couldn't regulate my temp. Immediately stopped taking it."

• Rko...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2023

For Chronic Pain "I started taking Cymbalta a week ago; the first thing I noticed was dizziness and dry mouth. I also noticed difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. I also noticed that my overall pain wasn't as bad as before. It took a few days, but the dizziness has subsided, and I currently take melatonin at night to help me sleep. I will see how I feel in another week or two and may provide an update."

• Rko...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2023

For Chronic Pain "I started taking Cymbalta a week ago; the first thing I noticed was dizziness and dry mouth. I also noticed difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. I also noticed that my overall pain wasn't as bad as before. It took a few days, but the dizziness has subsided, and I currently take melatonin at night to help me sleep. I will see how I feel in another week or two and may provide an update."

• 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."

• fri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2022

For Chronic Pain "Cymbalta was a nightmare. I told my new doctor that I had bad reactions to SSRIs and SNRIs and preferred to avoid them. He agreed and said he wouldn't prescribe any, but instead would prescribe Duloxetine. I previously studied to be a pharmacist, so I immediately knew he was lying. I tried it anyway, thinking I knew what the likely side effects would be and once I was at my follow-up, I could stop them and redirect focus on finding the source of the problem. Mistake. Summary: brain fog, insomnia, brain zaps typical when weaning off these types of meds, restless leg syndrome reactivated which had been dormant for years, dizziness, lethargy, and couldn't get out of bed --- I needed help to get from bed to toilet. No, thank you."

• Ray...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 28, 2022

For Depression "I've been on Cymbalta 60 mg for the past 3 weeks. Before that, I was on 30 mg for a month. I started to feel a difference at 2 weeks on 30 mg, but the side effects really wore me out. They still wear me out. When I started on 60 mg, some of the side effects leveled out. But the ones that have been unwavering every day are the night sweats and the insomnia. I toss and turn in bed all night. Finally, I fall asleep to wake back up drenched in sweat. I may sleep 7 hours, but I never wake up feeling well rested. I've also noticed I am more sensitive to the cold. I can't stand it and have an overwhelming urge to take a warm bath that I end up sitting in for hours until the water cools. Overall, I feel it has helped my depression, it doesn't make you happy, but happiness is a concept. Cymbalta balances you out, so getting out of bed or eating isn't so hard. I would also highlight the fact that Cymbalta doesn't decrease my sex drive. If I can't get the insomnia under control, though, I doubt I will continue on it."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 19, 2022

For Chronic Pain "Cymbalta made me really sick when I started taking it. My teeth were grinding, I was always shaking. Constant nausea. After the nausea cleared, I retained the other symptoms, and they didn't go away until I discontinued use after 5 months. During the 5 months I was on the medication, I did have a drop in my pain levels; however, I had so many bad side effects I couldn't continue use. I couldn't sleep at all, my sex drive completely went away, and worst of all, after years of maintaining a healthy weight, I gained over 20 lbs. I was always hungry. I figured the weight gain is making my chronic pain worse and just being masked by the drug. I weaned off of my dosage and have been off of it for over two months now. The worst part is the weight I gained isn't even budging no matter how little I eat. It's like it made me more unhealthy than I was to begin with. Not worth it at all; I can't believe the weight isn't even coming off. The pain is, of course, back, but it's not worth the trade."

• Aim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2022

For Fibromyalgia "Cymbalta is simultaneously the most wonderful medication I’ve ever taken and the most horrifying. I have ankylosing spondylitis, severe lower back/hip pain, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia. My doctor recommended we try Cymbalta first. The good: absolutely amazing muscle and nerve pain relief. Cured my anxiety. I cannot tell you how many genuine laughs and smiles I had in the three months I was on Cymbalta. I felt like I was living the life I was always meant to live. Started looking into rejoining the workforce after three years. The not so good: unrelenting insomnia no matter what time of day I took it, and even going to a lower dose. Did not sleep more than three hours a night for three months. The first week, I had LOUD suicidal thoughts, I ignored them because I enjoyed the benefits of the medication so much. Then came nighttime and daytime hallucinations. I saw, heard, and felt things that did not exist."

• 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."

• 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."

• Tam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2021

For Back Pain "I've suffered from SI pain for years. I've been on 300 mg of Tramadol (daily), plus regular lower back injections. All of these treatments have a minimal effect on my pain. My doctor started me on 30 mg Cymbalta daily. I'm on day 30. I am experiencing a lot of itching, insomnia, and nausea. I wish these things would go away because this medicine combined with the Tramadol is helping the pain. I am now terrified of ever getting off this drug after reading reviews about withdrawal."

• 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."

• 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."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2021

For Anxiety "I'm currently 3 days in taking only 20 mgs, but after the first pill, I noticed a difference, and after the second, it was confirmed that my anxiety, which felt like a heavy weight on my chest, had begun to be lifted. I have dry mouth and a little insomnia so far, but I'll take it if it gives me back my life. I've had anxiety longer than I even realize, depression as well. As of late, I've had so many negative thoughts that felt like they were playing on repeat in my head no matter how hard I tried to let them go. Almost instantly, I feel like I'm back in control. For years, because of anxiety, I have grinded my teeth at night, and I wear a mouth guard. I hope soon to throw that away. I will comment again after a few months."

• 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."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 23, 2021

For Chronic Pain "I was on this medication for almost two years for chronic pain related to EDS before I realized how poorly it was managing my pain, yet messing up my life. Some side effects never went away, like sleep problems, which required more medications to manage. Also had significant personal relationship problems. Fired my doctor and quit the medication three weeks ago, and withdrawal is almost gone away. Already feel clearer in the head than I have for years, yet pain is about the same. BEWARE of this drug and doctors that push it!"

• 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."

• Joh...
• July 17, 2021

For Chronic Pain "I was prescribed this for severe fibromyalgia pain. It was awful! Insomnia, nausea, headache, restless legs while on it for a month. So even with a proper tapering off, I felt like I was going to die!!! Finally out of my system. Please stay away from this nightmare of a drug, and shame on doctors for not warning people about the withdrawal you may experience coming off of it."

• Sad...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 6, 2021

For Depression "This drug has ruined me. I wasn’t told the effects it would have on my body when prescribed to me 8 months ago. I have tapered off over a 2-month period, and through this time, I can’t sleep, eat, work, I throw up constantly, my under-eyes are black, I've become more depressed going through this, and I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to be okay."