Duloxetine and Dizziness: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Bob...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2019

Duloxetine for Depression "Had tried 4 different meds before Cymbalta in various doses for GAD/depression. Had quit them due to side effects, usually 'brain fog', increased anxiety or depressive symptoms, etc. Psych doctor put me on Cymbalta 30 mg, morning/30 mg night. At first, I had some improvement with just mild brain fog. Kept on it for a total of 4 months, hoping this could be the one. However, slowly turned into a zombie. Tired, unable to think clearly, trouble processing. Dr. switched me to Vibryyd 20 mg and tapered me with 30 mg of Cymbalta at night for 7 days. She said the new med should help counter withdrawal effects. Well, during the first 7 days, I had mild vertigo, insomnia, heart palpitations, etc., and was dealing with it. The next 7 days without any Cymbalta have been the worst. Vertigo, confusion, agitation, severe vertigo, mood swings, sweats, loss of appetite, tinnitus, headaches, forgetfulness, etc. I pray I am not one of those people who have withdrawal for months."

• Anonymous
• April 24, 2012

Duloxetine for Pain "I've had lower back pain for over a year, and several doctors later, I was put on Cymbalta. I could not handle the side effects. I was having horrible dreams, sweats, felt nauseated, shakes, and felt really out of it with dizziness and confusion. This was a 30 mg dose, I'm not on any other medicines."

• Mis...
• February 2, 2016

Duloxetine for Depression "Cymbalta has turned my life upside down. I was on the awful excuse for a medication for a year and a half, taking 100 mg every day. Over the past four months, I have been weaned off of it by my doctor, and 10 days ago was my last dose. I will never, ever take that nasty drug again. The withdrawals are excruciating. I am absolutely miserable. Even after ten days, I am still experiencing the following: nausea, dizziness, fevers, chills, emotional roller coasters, random crying, brain zaps, irritability, loss of appetite, loss of interest in doing daily activities, anger, vomiting, isolation, aches and pains in my bones, and high levels of anxiety. I feel as if these feelings are never going to end."

• Sky...
• October 20, 2019

Duloxetine for Anxiety "Was given 30 mg/day for GAD with chronic nerve pain and insomnia. It caused nausea immediately. The doctor said that should pass in 7-10 days. Around day 9, the nausea passed. At this exact same time, the initial benefits I was starting to experience (lessened pain and improved sleep) returned to original baseline, and an itchy red facial rash developed on my cheeks. On day 18, the doctor said to stop the medication and that 'tapering was not necessary' (or an option). The 3rd day off the drug, I was incapacitated by severe dizziness and headache. This lasted 3 days. I have heard that the research on the efficacy of duloxetine/how it really shouldn't still be on the market, as Effexor XR and many other SNRIs/SSRIs have been repeatedly proven better than duloxetine. Side note - my doctor said that in 13 years of prescribing duloxetine, she's only had 2 cases of withdrawal that were problematic vs. 25% of all her patients on Effexor XR having protracted withdrawal problems."

• ora...
• January 10, 2010

Duloxetine for Bipolar Disorder "This medicine has been a lifesaver for me. Minimal side effects (the sexual issues, occasional dizziness on standing), and it completely changed how I saw myself. I used to look in the mirror and see some kind of inhuman troll thing, now I see myself. Helps with fibromyalgia pain as well. The only problem is if I ever have to go off it, it won't be pretty. I ran out for about 11 days, had an awful in-the-head shocky feeling for about 7 of these days before I started up again. Not fun..."

• Anonymous
• November 15, 2012

Duloxetine for Depression "I have been on Cymbalta for 10 weeks now. I started at 30, then went to 60. I was feeling wonderful, less negative, less worried, it was great. However, the last 10 days or so, I have started clenching my teeth, severe nausea, horrible dreams, weight gain, and dizziness. I don't want to go back to the way I was feeling before, however, I can't continue feeling this way either!"

• Dan...
• March 15, 2015

Duloxetine for Depression "Have taken this medicine for over 3 years. I was previously on Pristiq. To start with, at 60 mg, this medication worked for me pretty well for a year or so. Once I became pregnant, they reduced my dose (just to be safe) bad idea. I had a massive panic attack and feel very hopeless. They upped my dose to 60 mg again, which didn't seem to help, so after having my boy, they increased it to 120 mg, which worked for about 3 weeks, then it was as if I was taking nothing. Figure my body has just become immune. Also, bad withdrawal symptoms when you miss a dose. Very dizzy, nauseous, sleepy, not a nice experience, unfortunately. But please remember this is just my experience with this medication, not yours, it could be completely different."

• Bip...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 20, 2015

Duloxetine for Depression "I started Cymbalta for major depression and suicidal ideation (no plan). It worked. Took as much as 90 mg at my high point. I'm now tapering down to 30 mg. Going from 3 pills a day to 1 pill a week is hard but manageable. But the side effects for this drug are real. Dizziness, blurry vision, constipation to runs. I would say for me, I could work through them because I wanted to live. The tapering has started aura migraines, which are close to unbearable, but I get through it. I say close because I almost felt like going to the ER once. I've slept 2 days straight trying to overcome an aura migraine. No light, sound, food, or blankets. If you were in my place over a year ago, taking Cymbalta would have been a no-brainer."

• Cym...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 6, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I don't usually write a review, but I found something that is working and hope I can help someone who's in my same shoes. I'm highly sensitive to anything and everything. I have generalized anxiety disorder, OCD intrusive thoughts, and some depression. I started this medication a week ago. I had some side effects like dizziness, a little nausea, lightheadedness, hot flashes, and insomnia for a couple of days, then they went away, and I'm doing good. I have been on nine different meds (Zoloft, Luvox, Lexapro, Prozac, Ativan, Gabapentin, Hydroxyzine, Buspirone, and Celexa)-all bad experiences-and made me feel weird, sick, or have bad thoughts, and others, and didn't work. I even tried natural supplements-nothing. I was in a bad place, then my doctor said to try duloxetine 20 mg. I was so scared of starting a new med again, so I waited a couple of days until I started, and even when I started, I was anxious because I was like, this one's not gonna work either, I was very defeated. I'm actually glad I gave it a chance to work, it saved my life."

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

Duloxetine 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."

• Anonymous
• January 25, 2011

Duloxetine for Peripheral Neuropathy "My neurologist recommended this for my peripheral neuropathy. I took it (60 mg) only once because it made me nauseated, dizzy, shaky, and sleepy. I could not keep my eyes open. I realize that this might get better if I keep taking it, but I have to work, and there is no way I can do that with these side effects. It did work, however. Just this one dose made the pain much more bearable for two days."

• Ken...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 20, 2022

Duloxetine for Chronic Pain "Guess it worked somewhat. Like all these drugs, difficult to evaluate vs the ridiculous 1-10 pain level thing. Have C2-T2 laminectomy and fusion with typical rods and screws. Obvious chronic pain issues. Would never take this med again due to difficulty stopping. Even weaning off had dizziness and brain zaps for months. Definitely debilitating. Really, this shouldn't be on the market. Easier coming off opioids. NOT WORTH IT was my experience."

• Anonymous
• June 9, 2009

Duloxetine for Depression "I have had both depression and pain for the past 20 years. After having some rather intensive back surgery 18 months ago, I decided to switch to Cymbalta instead of the Prozac that I'd been taking for many years to see if it would aid in the pain. My initial result was hot sweats, but no other help. I missed a day while I was on 60 mg and had vertigo and an electric twinging in my brain that actually made my vision jerk. It went away about an hour after I took my Cymbalta. This has since recurred every time I try to wean. I cannot get down past 30 mg."

• Anonymous
• January 16, 2011

Duloxetine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I took the first 30 mg dose of Cymbalta and had bad side effects almost immediately. I felt dizzy and felt like I was passing out. I only took the one dose but have had insomnia for the past 48 hours. Lying awake, feeling agitated and anxious."

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

Duloxetine 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."

• Sug...
• March 9, 2017

Duloxetine for Depression "I took it for 5 days, 30 mg, and have never felt so sick. The first day, I was crippled with diarrhea and a headache, which continued to the following day. I then got a tightness in my throat and couldn't stop yawning. I stopped eating due to the nausea. The headache didn't go away, and by day 3, it was joined by an earache and sweating. Yesterday was the worst. All of a sudden, my vision became blurry, and I couldn't talk properly. It was terrifying. Like my brain stopped working. I couldn't drive and was so dizzy I kept falling over. I stopped immediately and now have to wait 3 days for it to leave my system. I still feel horrendous, and I still can't see properly."

• Sus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 3, 2017

Duloxetine for Anxiety "By the third dose, I had experienced chest tightness, dry mouth, dilated pupils, dizziness, and a loss of emotions. The most interference in my life was the dizziness. I did not want to drive the 25 miles to work and back due to feeling dizzy. The side effect that bothered me the most was the lack of feeling emotions. I felt very detached from any emotion and was unable to cry, laugh, or feel love. I discontinued the drug after the third dose. This was not the way I wanted to feel while dealing with moderate anxiety. I'll look for herbal remedies and remain in therapist-guided talk therapy. I don't want to be a dizzy emotional zombie. I am also scared to death, from what I've read, to discontinue this drug due to horrendous bad side effects."

• DoN...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 19, 2016

Duloxetine for Depression "The worst decision I have ever made was agreeing to go on this drug. I had no idea about SSRIs and the effects they can have on you and your life. For the first year, I would have recommended it to anyone dealing with depression and anxiety like myself, but that was at a time when I mistook the numbness for satisfaction. Just over 2 years down the line and I am falling apart. This drug has ruined my life. First, I realized the fog I was in. Then came the vertigo and confusion. My memory has deteriorated. Zero sex drive since day one. My depression has worsened, and I no longer recognize who I am anymore. My personality has changed drastically, and my anxiety is worse than it's ever been. I am now weaning off it, but the damage has been done."

• Mar...
• October 13, 2017

Duloxetine for Depression "Took Cymbalta for depression for about 6 months, first 30 mg, which my doctor increased little by little until it got to 90 mg. She increased it because the medication seemed to work, but after a while, the symptoms were present again. I went on vacation, and when I returned, couldn't get the prescription on time, that was the beginning of the nightmare. Symptoms of withdrawal were going from vomiting, electric zaps, severe nausea, severe dizziness sensation that I am falling down, head pain, and so on for more than two months. I didn't stop taking the medication, it was only a gap in treatment that put me in that situation. Since that day, I asked my doctor to help me discontinue it, even following her directions, it is so bad that I don't recommend it ever."

• awp...
• January 1, 2012

Duloxetine for Fibromyalgia "Diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1993 and tried lots of medicines. Lyrica was awesome, but became less effective after about 7 years and still had some level of pain and fatigue. Cymbalta has been fabulous. It took about 3 1/2 weeks for me to get over the side effects (restlessness, nausea, headache, jerkiness-especially at night with the morning dosage), but now-I feel the best I have ever felt. My pain and fatigue are gone, and as an additional bonus, chronic low back and arthritis pain are gone too. I had no idea how much pain I had been in until Cymbalta took it away. Beware of withdrawal though. Head spins, jerkiness, 'brain shock' when you move your eyes quickly, etc., very bad. Don't miss a dose or let the prescription run out by accident! Worth it to be pain-free!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 7, 2018

Duloxetine for Depression "Coming off of Cymbalta was absolutely terrible! My doctor tapered me off the drug, and I followed his instructions. I became very sick the first day I was completely off. I was dizzy, throwing up, etc., etc. I could hardly get out of bed for around 7 days. About a month later, I started getting sick again. After months of wondering what was going on, I found out my gallbladder was only functioning at 9%. I have read several instances where people have had gallbladder issues after they stopped taking Cymbalta. That could just be a coincidence, but you never know. If you are currently battling withdrawal symptoms, hang in there. I am not going to lie, it is not fun at all, but it does get better."

• Mys...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2021

Duloxetine for Anxiety "I talked to my doctor about taking some medication due to having terrible anxiety and depression. I also have a lot of chronic pain. I was having panic attacks every day at work, I would get panic attacks in my house for no reason. I’ve always had anxiety. There was just a constant wave of anxiety over me at all times. I would also get very depressed. Very down for a long time. My doctor mentions Cymbalta, and I decided to give it a try. The first four days or so, I felt like I had the flu, I would say. I was just very tired, sleeping non-stop, feeling dizzy, wasn’t hungry, and felt nauseous. But after those days, I felt so much better. A switch flipped. My anxiety is still there but nowhere near as bad. I haven’t had a panic attack for over a month, I feel the start of one, but I don’t get one! I haven’t had a bad depressive episode either! This medication has been a lifesaver for me and my confidence. It hasn’t helped my chronic pain, though, so keep that in mind."

• Lex...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 3, 2020

Duloxetine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was scared to take this med after the reviews. An anxiety attack triggered me to finally try it. I took 1 tablet, 30 mg, yesterday afternoon with lunch and experienced nothing until night. I was having constant random visions all night. When I finally got up in the morning, I began shaking, my skin felt like it was burning, I was on fire hot, and my mouth was so incredibly dry. Then I got the chills. Shaking, burning skin, chills, dizziness went all day. I was wiped out tired and could not eat. I was in bed all of this beautiful day until 4:30 pm when I forced myself up. Honestly, I felt poisoned. I drank 2 gallons of water waiting to flush this out of my body. It was about 28 hours from the time I took it until I felt somewhat back to normal."

• Anonymous
• May 24, 2009

Duloxetine for Depression "It is difficult to wean off this medication. I missed one dose, and the next day was planning on picking up my prescription, and I actually had to leave work early because I became so sick (after only one missed dose). Vertigo, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting. I was on 90 mg, then went to 60 mg, then 30, 20, 15, and now 7.5 mg over the course of a month, and I am still sick. Vertigo is the worst. I am nauseous every day."

• sas...
• October 9, 2009

Duloxetine for Depression "A miracle for me. Effexor for 6 yrs makes me feel like having heart failure. Always out of breath when walking a short distance. Every time I changed medicines, I'd get really sick. Thought I was doomed to Effexor. New doctor, now Cymbalta. After what I read, since I'm so sensitive to medicines, I totally expected to be sick to my stomach and dizzy. I'm still on 30 mg, 3 more days go to 60 mg. The change is great so far. No side effects, everyone is different. It takes so long to find the medicine that's right for you. I can't work, on disability."