Cymbalta User Reviews & Ratings

• mth...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 23, 2025

For Osteoarthritis "I had an osteoarthritis flare about 3 years ago that left me virtually unable to do anything; I ended up on the floor and couldn't get back up. I had to crawl to get a yardstick to knock my phone off the counter so I could call my sister, who came with her husband and got me back on my feet. My doctor tried some prescription arthritis meds for me; I gave the first one a month's trial, but it didn't help, and I never filled the second one because there was the possibility of a reaction between it and a couple of my glaucoma meds. When I called my doctor back about my concerns with that, she decided to try Cymbalta (Duloxetine). She started me off on 30 mg twice a day. Within 3 days, my pain was probably 75% improved, and I could go up and down steps though very slowly. I got a little more strength back every day, and after 3 months or so, my doctor had me start taking 60 mg once a day in the AM. I have never had any side effects and no longer take ibuprofen, just Cymbalta."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 17, 2025

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I am just starting, came here to see the reviews, and it was encouraging. I have been suffering with depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Today my doctor prescribed. I want to come back later to share my results. I am confident that it will work and free me from so much pain in my body. I will rate 8 because of the other people's results, and I will come to raise hopefully my rate."

• Kar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 4, 2025

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I had all conditions it’s prescribed for. 3 months with starting dose 20 mg to 30 mg now, and it’s been very helpful. The anxiety symptoms are gone and no side effects. It works very mildly, and the worst was only up to a week. Life-saving medication and recommended if you’re ill in your chest. Now I take the medication regularly every day. Maybe the doctor will increase the dosage."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 25, 2025

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I've tried a few different meds: Wellbutrin, Zoloft, and Cymbalta - Cymbalta was WONDERFUL for my anxiety - I wasn't a zombie but found that I wasn't wound so tight anymore. I'm trying something else now because this made me sweat uncontrollably - My sheets would be damp in the morning when it was -18 outside. I hate this side effect because I really had a great experience otherwise on Cymbalta. I would highly recommend this drug to others struggling with anxiety; if I didn't have the side effect, I'd be a lifer."

• lst...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 17, 2025

For Chronic Pain "I experienced tremendous radiating pain in my arms due to a neck injury. I was not a surgical candidate, and my situation felt hopeless. This drug significantly reduces my nerve pain and allows me to concentrate and function throughout the day. It has regulated my mood as well, which is an added bonus. Give it time, though, it caused me some fatigue and moodiness for a few weeks before adapting."

• 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."

• mis...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 6, 2025

For Fibromyalgia "I find it helps my pain and mental well-being. I take 30 mg in the morning and 30 mg at night."

• Kri...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 26, 2025

For Major Depressive Disorder "Cymbalta, for me, has been working very well these last 8 months. I used to cry all the time. I was a very irritable person. I was always stressed about anything and everything. I would get angry easily. My depression was steadily getting worse. I had racing thoughts 24/7. The first 3 weeks were a little concerning for me, as I couldn't tell what was a dream and what was reality. It wasn't scary, more so, I would just be confused a lot and would have to ask my husband about certain events daily to see if I dreamt it or if it actually happened. Thankfully, it did not continue, and since then, I feel as if I'm a lot better. They paired it with Klonopin twice a day for my chronic panic attacks and PTSD. This combination is working wonders for me. The only drawback to me is my emotions are very suppressed, and I also fall asleep anytime I'm sitting for too long, lol. I will take that over what I was going through for the last 15 years any day!!"

• Mik...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 26, 2025

For Major Depressive Disorder "Cymbalta has been and continues to be the most important Rx in my personal pharmacy! I believe I would not be here today if not for Cymbalta! My depressive disorder started in 1986! That’s not a typo! I was blessed with a wonderful psychiatrist who was able to get me stabilized. Through the years, I needed to be placed on other antidepressant Rx's as their effectiveness wore off. Then, more than 20 years ago, I was placed on Cymbalta 60 mg twice a day. It has been such a blessing!"

• 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."

• spo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 22, 2024

For Depression "I took 2 other antidepressants without success. Cymbalta works very well, and I feel much better. Depression and anxiety have practically disappeared. I recommend this medication."

• Sco...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 19, 2024

For Anxiety "I was put on this as my mother is 55 only, and I was told a few months back she only has 8 to 14 months left to live. My life quickly took a major hit. I am self-employed, and before taking these, I was skeptical because I've tried loads of different types of antidepressants, the last one being Lexapro. After a few months, I was completely numb, couldn't be happy, just a zombie, really. I've been on these for about 4 months, and so far, so good. Hopefully, keep working the way they are. I take them at night, and I fall asleep quite quickly after taking them. My mom was the glue that held the family together, and without these, I would be really struggling. Now I'm just trying to enjoy my last few months with her. I still feel sadness, which is good, and I can still go to the gym to help my mental health while on these. Any Christians out there, keep my mom in prayer. Thanks."

• cym...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 5, 2024

For Fibromyalgia "Great drug for anxiety and depression. I just upped to 60 mg for fibromyalgia pain. I hope it helps because I cannot handle Lyrica."

• Wor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2024

For Anxiety "I have had anxiety for about 8 years now. I’ve been taking Lexapro for about 6 years and have paired Cymbalta with it. I can honestly say my anxiety is nonexistent since I started it. I had no side effects other than tiredness, but it really does work. This is coming from someone who will go down a rabbit hole of reviews."

• Lau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2024

For Depression "I am so happy to have found this medication. I took a genetic test that showed SSRIs were not as effective as an SNRI, so I switched to Cymbalta from Lexapro and Wellbutrin. I have had no side effects, and I feel better, anxiety and depression have subsided, and the arthritis pain I had is virtually gone. I couldn’t be happier! I take 60 mg per day."

• for...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 22, 2024

For Chronic Pain "I was prescribed Cymbalta and sat on the prescription almost a month before I started it. I was in a panic about the side effects and that everyone said it was hard to get off. After a particularly hard night with back and knee pain, I decided to try it (30 mg). After 3 days, all my pain was gone and I had much more energy. After going up to 60 mg daily and being on it for 3 months, all my arthritis and nerve pain are gone. I can actually say it was a miracle for me. I do have side effects - less of an appetite, weird yawning even when not tired, thirst, and dry mouth. But I'd much rather deal with that than limping and horrible pain (especially at night). This drug must be taken as prescribed, and even though it worked very fast for pain in my case, given a month or two to settle in. I can't imagine how many quit or didn't start because of bad reviews. I'm sure Cymbalta has helped far more people than the reviews show. The problem is that when something works, most people don't leave reviews."

• Sin...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 13, 2024

For Major Depressive Disorder "I had left a comment almost four years ago about taking Cymbalta. It is still working for me! I take 60 mg once a day with no noticeable side effects. So happy that this has worked out. I have felt so much better than I did when I first started. Please don't be afraid-give this medicine a try. I have been so much calmer, happier, and more productive since I started taking it."

• Bre...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 17, 2024

"I never realized I was overwhelmed with anxiety for a variety of reasons. Cymbalta brought me down to earth, helped me not feel like I was being swallowed into a black hole of panic, and just makes me feel… normal. Like my true self. Like all these drugs, there’s an adjustment phase, not just physically, but also that your mind has to get used to not going where it has been going. Mild nausea at times early on, and I’m fine now. I suffer from PTSD after a brutal onset of CRPS three years ago. I can’t imagine going off this drug ever, and I'm thankful it works so well for me."

• Bik...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 9, 2024

For Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy "I was given Cymbalta for depression after my doctor asked how long I had been taking Celexa. When I replied, 'since about 2006,' and it was now 2020, I am guessing that prompted her changing me up. I too have neuropathy, supposedly type II diabetes-related. I am still not sure that is what I have going on, but that is another story... I was placed on Cymbalta for depression, NOT pain. I am unaware of Cymbalta having pain-relieving properties. I DO know that Cymbalta or Duloxetine (sp) was originally formulated as an anti-seizure medication. I believe that they discovered it was effective enough to begin prescribing it specifically for that purpose. I also take Gabapentin for nerve pain. The stuff works, but some of the side effects are bad, one of them goes unaccepted as being related to Gabapentin: accelerated tooth and root decay. Numerous reports from people with the same symptoms after beginning Gabapentin."

• 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."

• Tar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 31, 2024

"Really helped stabilize my mood and fight depression. However, side effects for me were pretty tough: hyperhidrosis, nightmares, weight gain. But it's definitely worth a shot, not all people experience side effects. It can be life-changing for people with BPD with comorbidities like PTSD and anxiety."

• 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."

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

For Anxiety "This medication is literally a miracle! I started taking Duloxetine because I was having horrible heart palpitations from anxiety at night that would wake me from sleeping. I had been diagnosed 6 months prior with fibromyalgia, and that alone was a nightmare. Sporadic muscle pain daily in my neck, my arms, my legs, it was awful. Those pains contributed to my anxiety and even caused a ton of gastrointestinal problems. I tried several pills for gastrointestinal issues and fibromyalgia, and each one had side effects like severe sweating and no sex drive. So I would try a new pill for 2 months, then stop. Once the anxiety issues started, I thought I had a heart problem, so while waiting to see a cardiologist, my PCP started me on Duloxetine. I had little hope since I feel like I have taken everything under the sun, but a few weeks in, I noticed my palpitations had stopped. Even more incredible is that I wasn't complaining about my pains every day anymore. This medicine was a game changer and gave me my life back."

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

For Anxiety "This medication is literally a miracle! I started taking Duloxetine because I was having horrible heart palpitations from anxiety at night that would wake me from sleeping. I had been diagnosed 6 months prior with fibromyalgia, and that alone was a nightmare. Sporadic muscle pain daily in my neck, my arms, my legs, it was awful. Those pains contributed to my anxiety and even caused a ton of gastrointestinal problems. I tried several pills for gastro and fibro, and each one had side effects like severe sweating and no sex drive. So, I would try a new pill for 2 months and then stop. Once the anxiety issues started, I thought I had a heart problem, so while waiting to see a cardiologist, my PCP started me on Duloxetine. I had little hope since I feel like I have taken everything under the sun, but a few weeks in, I noticed my palpitations had stopped. Even more incredible is that I wasn't complaining about my pains every day anymore. This medicine was a game changer and gave me my life back."

• Kri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2024

For Depression "I'm a 33-year-old female and was recently switched from Paxil to Cymbalta 60mg for depression/anxiety, Clonazepam 0.5 twice a day for panic disorder/PTSD, and Cyproheptadine 4mg for weight gain. This combination of medicines has been the best thing that ever happened to me. I was suffering for a long time. I no longer have racing/repetitive thoughts, no more panic attacks, sleep well, no depression. At first, I did have extremely dry mouth for about a week and a half. I had vivid dreams for about a month and a half that I couldn't tell if it was happening in real life or a dream, lol. I had excess sweating and hot flashes for about 2 weeks. All this has since stopped, and I feel great. I'm up to 118 lbs, look and feel amazing!"