Duloxetine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

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

Duloxetine "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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 19, 2022

Duloxetine "I've been on Cymbalta twice in my life for anxiety, depression, neuropathy, and chronic pain. The first time my dosage was too high, and I was put into a serotonin overdose, basically, which was absolutely awful. I looked stoned, pupils huge, felt like a completely different person. But this second time I'm on a lower dose, 40 mg once a day, and it has been a lifesaver. It's helped all of the issues stated above. I have lupus and fibromyalgia, so my whole body aches most of the time, and this has helped tremendously."

• Zpf...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2022

Duloxetine "I’m 30 years old. I started this drug about 5 days ago. Day 1-3 was horrible. I had side effects of fatigue, nausea, mild panic attacks, muscular skeletal pain and spasms on my eyelid, dry mouth, and some dizziness that faded. I am still experiencing muscle spasms, a little nausea, loss of appetite, and some depersonalization here and there. I noticed the positives. I felt some euphoria, less depression, and less fatigue, but overall I’m trying to do my best to just rough it out and see in the next 3 days if things get better. It is different for everyone. I’m only on a 30 mg dose, but little by little, I have breakthroughs that are positive. My thoughts did race a little, but just gotta pray and have hope it works. Overall, some of the negatives disappear. I will keep people updated! I have autism, ADHD, GAD, and PTSD, so just keep praying."

• Jam...
• April 15, 2017

Duloxetine "My new doctor recently switched me from Klonopin to Cymbalta. I'd been taking Klonopin for two years at a low dose with no issues, but this doctor can't help meddling. Anyway, this Cymbalta is a nightmare. I'm not depressed, just have anxiety, so why am I taking this? I've been so edgy and nauseous since starting it. I can't sleep and sit in meetings at work spacing out. Never take this medication. I'm seeing my doc next week and am just going to flatly say I'm not taking this anymore. Luckily a different doc prescribes the Klonopin."

• Mam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 11, 2016

Duloxetine "I started taking Cymbalta Time Release (for Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety) before bedtime at 11 p.m., 2 nights ago. I felt fine that night, until the next morning. I started feeling very nauseous and sick (which I have a severe phobia of vomiting). I started sweating, chills, a dizzy feeling, which threw me into a severe panic attack, which made me feel even more nauseous, which made my panic attack last longer. I couldn't calm myself down. I felt like I was in a nightmare! I didn't start feeling any better until about 8 p.m. that evening. It's been 2 days since I've taken Cymbalta, and I'm still experiencing major panic attacks 3-4 times a day with nausea and vomiting. I wish I had never taken that medicine now!"

• Kja...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 17, 2020

Duloxetine "So started my first dose of Cymbalta 30 mg last night and woke up feeling okay... a bit off and feel weird, kind of thing. I don’t like my anxiety, so I’m hoping this works :( my main thing I’m worried about is if I would know if it’s side effects or just my anxiety :( and I’m hoping this medication doesn’t hurt me :("

• TJP...
• January 17, 2016

Duloxetine "After taking Cymbalta for 3 weeks, I had gradually started after week 1 to become very dizzy, rapid heartbeats, anxiety. After week 2, the anxiety and panic attacks became severe, and the last day of taking it I felt like I was having a heart attack for 8 hours. It was after Cymbalta had been out on the market for roughly one year a warning to thyroid patients had been published. Hypothyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis patient since 1989, since that time, I am allergic to about 20 other medications used for fibromyalgia, myopathy, polyneuropathy, neuropathy, and so on. Another aspect with Cymbalta is that if your doctor is not up to date with education outside of the representative selling this product, then one could consider the patient mentally unstable."

• Muc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 3, 2017

Duloxetine "I personally didn't like this medication as it made me so sick I couldn't eat, lost weight, and generally felt weak due to lack of energy from not eating. Although my GP told me this was a rare occurrence, as the side effects generally stop after a couple of days, after weeks they didn't. Still looking for a medication that suits me personally. Glad it has been effective for so many others."

• Pam...
• February 26, 2017

Duloxetine "Please do not take this!!!! I have been taking it for 7 years. It never really worked, I don't know why I kept taking it. When I was diagnosed with a mood disorder, they put me on new meds and took me off Cymbalta. They did wean me off, but I was awful. The withdrawals were, and still are, 3 weeks later so bad!!! The brain zaps are the worst, and then there is sweating, shaking, nausea. Please don't even start it, even if it makes you feel good."

• Lis...
• December 8, 2020

"I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I started with 30 mg of duloxetine in the morning for the first week and then continued with 60 mg. I also was prescribed prolonged-effect Xanax to take if needed. Now it has been 2 months, and finally these past several weeks I have been starting to feel like myself again. I now realize I had depression/major anxiety for over 8 years and did not enjoy anything for so long. Thanks to this drug, I'm enjoying life again. I did have major side effects for the first 3 weeks: drowsiness, nausea, headaches, feeling high, dizziness. But since it almost completely erased my anxiety, I enjoyed the 'rest' on my brain so much that I just powered through and I do not regret it. I did have one anxiety attack during the time the side effects started to go away. The one side effect that has stayed until now, but I don't mind, is that I don't feel hungry. Ever. I do enjoy food while I eat, but there's no need to overindulge. I am really happy with the results so far."

• Wor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2019

"I've taken this for a week now. I read a lot of the comments on this page and have noticed a few common denominators that I wonder if it makes a difference. I haven't had any adverse side effects from this, other than a few hours after taking it, I feel for a very short period of time like I drank a 5-hour energy. Not jittery or shaky, just a little bit of a faster heart rate. Nothing extreme and doesn't last long. This is my first time ever taking any sort of medication. Most of the people having bad side effects on here all say they were taking other medications before. I wonder if that plays a part. I feel as if I have more energy. I'm not tired by 2 p.m. as I usually was, I feel more talkative, more at ease. It is working great for stress/anxiety. My doctor did say it would take about 2 weeks for the medicine to get in your system and take effect, that it is possible to have some side effects those first two weeks, but then they should subside. So just something to maybe keep in mind."

• CD0...
• August 29, 2015

Duloxetine "Started the 60 mg tablet after breakfast today. Day 1 symptoms are slight nauseous feeling after eating. Some fatigue (swam 1.5 km today at lunch), some stomach pain, and yes, some urine retention. Have taken Pristiq before, 100 mg, symptoms were the same but had bad itching with Pristiq. Let's see what I feel like in 3 days, I know the initial period is tough. Score at this point would be N/A, but I've put 5 until more time progresses. Will try to give an update on Monday."

• tri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 2, 2022

"I have tried duloxetine twice. The first time I felt spaced out and decided to come off it. I recently gave it a go again as I’m in a better place but needed a little something. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t get past day 5. I know you're meant to wait at least two weeks and it gets worse before better, but I was experiencing very intense suicidal ideations like never before, and my anxiety was awful 24/7. Everything that would usually calm it down wasn’t working. I couldn’t eat and sleep, which are common side effects, but it all made my mental state worse. After speaking to a mental health team and a GP, they decided it would be best for me to come off them due to the suicidal thoughts I was having. I am sad as I can see lots of positive reviews, but unfortunately, due to my bad experience in the past with other meds such as sertraline, I am cautious. Back on my journey of finding something that helps make my anxiety better. Follow your gut, it could be helpful to you."

• Cym...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 2, 2022

"I have BPD as well as terrible anxiety. Cymbalta is literally the worst drug. I have been on 30 mg for about a month and a half. I have had many health issues arise since starting it, but didn’t think it could be from Cymbalta… it definitely was. For one, the nightmares are horrible, and the headaches horrible. I have had a nonstop headache for about 7 days now. I was upped to 60 mg 2 days ago. I took one 60 mg pill (I take it at night) and woke up the next morning confused and in pain and freaking out. I did not feel like myself at all. It was so bad I went to the ER, and they couldn’t find anything wrong. All scans were normal, so it was definitely the Cymbalta. I have not taken it in 48 hours, and other than having a terrible nightmare waking up sweating last night, I haven’t had too much of the withdrawal symptoms. I’m assuming it’s because I was only on 30 mg for a month and a half. But seriously, beware of this evil drug!"

• Sev...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 29, 2023

"I started life on Citalopram for many years and it was fine. It did help a lot, but I still worried a lot. Then I switched to sertraline and it didn't really agree with me. I was more anxious, had headaches, random sleepiness, and stomach pains. So I asked to switch again. Now I'm on duloxetine and it's pretty good. The first few days were great and I felt amazing. Sadly, that didn't last. Although I don't have the headaches or other problems with sertraline. It was very easy with little side effects. So if you're worried about that, I'd say this is a good one. I mean I still worry, but it's definitely less than the previous 2. The only downside for me so far is that drinking alcohol makes me extremely sleepy. I'm not an alcoholic. I do enjoy a couple of beers a few times a week, and I really can't have them on these. It's a bit of a bummer as drinking is fun, in moderation. Still, not the end of the world!"

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

Duloxetine "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."

• inf...
• April 30, 2016

"23 yo M - This medication is a godsend for me, in complete honesty. I have had problems with GAD for around 4 years. Previously, I've tried Citalopram, which was effective for treating my issues but had side effects in my sexual life, which was not possible to overcome. I tried Venlafaxine, which was similarly effective but also had the same side effects - took too long rather than nothing at all! I gave up on the current generation of antidepressant medication before trying Duloxetine. This is in the same category as Venlafaxine, although not as strong. I've gone straight from VF into Duloxetine, and after 20 days have found this medication to be extremely effective. More than any other SSRI or SNRI. For once, I feel like a normal person!"

• Ban...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 28, 2021

Duloxetine "Made me really tired at 60 mg, so went down to 30. I was on that for a year, I was very stable, and everything seemed very blah. I gained 10 lbs because I couldn't taste anything and nothing sounded good, so I would get really hungry and just eat whatever crap I could stomach. Getting off seemed insurmountable because if I missed a dose, it was like dizziness, migraine, brain zaps, full body aches, nausea. I switched to Prozac and then went off Prozac after a month with no withdrawal from either. I still have anxiety, though, so I am back on Cymbalta 20 mg. I get brain fog and can't focus on it, but at least I'm not anxious, right?"

• LCa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 18, 2020

"I started taking Cymbalta about 4 years ago. Within the first couple of months, I increased to the dose I am at currently. Initially, it caused me to have major constipation issues, but those settled over time. Now, the only side effect is hot flashes / absolutely no tolerance for heat. I feel like I am sweating all the time! But overall, very happy with this drug. Has quieted a lot of my anxiety!"

• dfw...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 13, 2018

"I’ve been on almost all of the anxiety/depressant drugs, including an antipsychotic. This one, by far, has helped me the most. I function normally on a day-to-day basis. I can get up and carry on and enjoy my everyday activities. They started me on 60 mg a day at first, which I found made me sleepy. They lowered me to 30 mg. That was the magic number. I take it at night with a 0.25 mg Xanax and sleep well."

• Unl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 29, 2019

"Sooo, I've depression, anxiety, OCD... But I don't know why exactly my doctor decided to add these pills to my other medications. One month ago, I started on 30 mg twice a day along with bupropion, which I've been using before this. I couldn't have done any of my daily plans, I constantly liked to just throw myself in bed and do nothing. It's like a hollow, deep, and dark pit. It is calm, but a dangerous kind of calmness. Then I got severe constipation. I stopped taking it for three days, but I started to get dizzy and disoriented. Now I have to use it again and decrease the dosage gradually to avoid the withdrawal symptoms. P.S.: Nobody mentioned this, and I'm not sure, but I kind of feel like my belly gets expanding like a balloon after using it. Also, if I try to take a nap after consuming it, I'll have these unintentional muscle contractions in my legs, and I wake up."

• Car...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 25, 2021

"I was on Cymbalta for a few years and switched to duloxetine (generic for Cymbalta) when it became available. I have definitely noticed a marked reduction in my general level of anxiety over the years. The only side effects I have experienced are hot/cold issues (although now that I have been in menopause for over 3 years, they have become much milder) and some tingling in my big toes. I've also had chest pain maybe 10 times over the years, but several diagnostic tests have shown my heart/circulation to be fine. As I've gotten older (I'm now 60), I am in a 'calmer' situation in my life, and I am considering lowering my dosage or quitting it altogether. Overall, I have been pleased with the results and would rate it at 8.5 in helpfulness for me."

• Din...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 10, 2019

"Take duloxetine 60 mg in combination with 15 mg of mirtazapine for anxiety disorder. Have had 3 years of almost no symptoms. Original treatment was duloxetine minus the mirtazapine, but was having worsening dreams. The mirtazapine reduced the dreaming."

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 23, 2023

"I tried Prozac, sertraline, you name it, I tried it. Duloxetine is my saving grace. I take it at night because it makes me sleepy but I’m so much happier and less irritated and angry. I haven’t had anxiety since!"

• Bob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2021

"I took my first dose (30 mg) yesterday morning at 9 a.m. and was very displeased with the initial immediate side effects. The best word to describe my feeling is 'manic.' Along with feeling nauseous on and off, I felt like I needed to climb a mountain every 30 mins or so for about 8 hours. Now it's 4:30 a.m. the next morning, and I can't sleep at all, so I'm reading these reviews. I have found my experience occurs in about 1 of 15 people. As a 20-year vet of anxiety and depression, I've tried about 10 different meds, including the close cousin, fluoxetine. None of the other meds had such strong first-day effects. I don't think this is the drug for me. I hope it works for others, and I hope the positive reviews aren't fake. I do believe if I were to let this first week ride, the side effects would slow, and the drug would start working more properly, but I can't deal. I asked my MD for a lower dose, but it only comes in 20 mg, why not 10? This drug should be ramped up slower!"