Duloxetine and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 5)

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

Duloxetine 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

Duloxetine 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
• August 2, 2017

Duloxetine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I took Cymbalta for the first time last night. Within an hour I was falling asleep on the couch, which I never do. Usually, I have insomnia, but I slept through the night. However, when I woke up, I was violently nauseous and had to take an anti-nausea medication (which I sometimes use when my anxiety is really bad because it makes me sick). I attempted to go about my normal day, but found myself having to take two naps because I was excessively tired. I've been watching and reading about this medication all day, and I am terrified to take another dose because of the side effects and ultimate withdrawal I'll experience if it doesn't work out. I noticed today, through my headache and tiredness, that I felt more calm. I'm praying it works for me!"

• ats...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 4, 2022

Duloxetine 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."

• Lis...
• September 11, 2009

Duloxetine for Fibromyalgia "I have rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and restless legs syndrome. I was taking Cymbalta for the FMS symptoms. I started taking Cymbalta about 1.5 months ago, and yesterday was moved to Savella. I give Cymbalta great credit. It does what it says. Within days of starting it, my pain level went from a constant 6-8 lingering to 0-1. I hadn't felt so good in years. My mood improved greatly too. BUT, I had to transition off of it due to side effects including headaches that would come on at the drop of a pin, feeling like an axe in my head and throbbing with every beat of my heart. When I'd take my blood pressure, it would be up to 140/85 from a usual 116/64, profuse sweating to the point of having to change clothes, night sweats, and anorgasmia. The doctor reacted to the blood pressure elevation with concern."

• Anonymous
• November 12, 2009

Duloxetine for Anxiety "I was prescribed this for mild anxiety after I was in a car accident and the headaches I got as a result. I took ONE 20 mg at night and woke up four hours later with the most horrible panic attack (that's what the doctor said). I've never had that happen in my life. My heart was racing and pounding, I would get hot then cold and back again. I was shaking so bad I could hardly type. I wanted to cry but couldn't, scream or something. I felt like all of a sudden I had a different personality. My heart raced for 4 days after that. I never took another after that first one. I've been having heart pounding sensations for days in the last three weeks since taking the Cymbalta."

• Pop...
• November 22, 2015

Duloxetine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "This review is premature as I am on day 4. I awoke on day 3 with a peaceful mental outlook and very little anxiety, which is most unusual for me. I have a lot of work-related reasons to be anxious. I am very happy and look forward to continued improvement with Cymbalta. I feel hopeful, not hopeless! The only side effect has been a mild headache that went away with NSAID."

• Jes...
• November 5, 2009

Duloxetine for Anxiety "I started this pill 3 weeks ago, and it is really working for me. I am much happier, and my attacks are gone. The first night, I had terrible pains in my stomach, but after that night, no more problems. I am on 60 mgs, and the only negative thing I have noticed about it is that if I forget to take it, I get a really bad headache in the morning and feel hungover. Overall, I love it."

• Anonymous
• February 21, 2012

Duloxetine for Pain "At 29, I have multiple joint pain and 2 ruptured lumbar discs with sciatica and numbness in my arm and foot. Taking narcotics and opioids helped, but then my meds were stolen from my purse. Went to my pain doc for something to help with withdrawals and pain until my next refill. He gave me a sample of Cymbalta. I am impressed with the results, other than the headaches and increase in appetite. Helps with my morning stiffness and loss of balance and makes my pain bearable. I do seem to get really sleepy when the headaches come on, but if I can take a power nap, it helps. My mood is much better, but I attribute that to having less pain as I have never had depression. I hope the headaches go away."

• She...
• March 6, 2016

Duloxetine for Depression "I took 1 30 mg capsule of Cymbalta yesterday. That will be the only dose of this medicine I will take. I had to leave work yesterday because of how sick to my stomach it made me. I felt jittery and lightheaded all day. I didn't take it this morning. I haven't felt jittery, but I have been extremely lightheaded and have had a headache all day. All that from one dose. I have been on many anti-depressants over the years. The only other one that made my head feel like this was Prozac, and I didn't stay on it long. Having a job, I can't afford to be sick from side effects. I will be calling the Dr. tomorrow and telling her I want to try something else. Also, I have heard a lot of reviews about this drug, and most that I have read are not very good."

• Joh...
• January 13, 2021

Duloxetine for Chronic Pain "I have primary progressive multiple sclerosis. I was prescribed Cymbalta for nerve pain. I was told it could cause diarrhea! I started on 30 mg per day, then after 2 weeks increased to 60 mg per day. I have never experienced side effects from a medication as dangerous and scary as the ones I had while on Cymbalta. After a week of taking 60 mg, I began having terrible stomach pain. A couple of days later, my feet started to feel ice cold, but they were warm to the touch. I then began having trouble urinating, double vision, ringing in my ears, dizziness, and severe headaches. I literally thought I was dying and close to death. My wife had looked up the possible side effects of Cymbalta. I immediately called the prescribing doctor, and he informed me to STOP CYMBALTA IMMEDIATELY!! I was instructed NOT TO STOP COLD TURKEY or else I could risk having lifelong damage from the side effects."

• Kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 2, 2021

Duloxetine for Fibromyalgia "I was hesitant to try this because of some of the bad reviews, but I have been desperate for a long time for some sort of relief. I've had fibromyalgia for 4 years, but the last few months have been excruciating. I work full time and have to usually take Tylenol and ibuprofen/Aleve just to make it through. I have been taking Cymbalta now for a week. I take it at night with a meal and get a slight headache and dizziness sometimes. It does subside pretty quickly. I must say I have felt better this last week than I have in a long time. Give this a chance, it really does help!"

• Nap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 6, 2020

For Anxiety "I've been taking Duloxetine 30 mg for three weeks now for my fibromyalgia pain. I find that when I sleep, I have great dreams, and this medication makes me sleep a lot. I have been having a few headaches and itchy skin, tingles in my feet and hands, but that could be my fibromyalgia. I haven't much appetite at the moment, but that's okay. I have drank alcohol on them, but I think it's better to just have a couple of pints, not anything too strong... so far, so good..."

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

Duloxetine 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."

• Ben...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 26, 2022

For Anxiety "Have been on and off duloxetine for about 10 years for anxiety. It works extremely well for my anxiety on a small dose (20 mg). Side effects are: restlessness, chronic insomnia, constipation, headaches. Managed to taper down by emptying little balls gradually out of the capsule. Have tried absolutely every single other SSRI, SNRI, and tricyclics, none of which worked and most of which made my anxiety worse. I now take a very small dose of liquid propranolol (2 mg) to counteract the restlessness and insomnia of Cymbalta. This seems to work for me."

• Anonymous
• October 12, 2012

Duloxetine for Pain "I tried Cymbalta for chronic calf pain due to small fiber neuropathy. I did not experience brain zaps, night terrors, or headaches, but it did make me sleep a lot while I acclimated. I got up to 120 mg/day, but did not get any pain relief; still, it seemed to help with my attitude, so I kept it at 60 mg for a while. Ultimately, I ended up getting better results from Pamelor."

• Mol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 27, 2012

Duloxetine for Depression "It's an okay medicine for depression, but I've had times where I'd miss one day of Cymbalta and immediately feel withdrawal symptoms (brain zaps, nausea, headache, etc.). The only other medicine I've ever had this happen with is Effexor. I hate that I have to make sure that I have to take this at the right time of day, because even being late by like 6 hours, I feel the withdrawal symptoms kicking in."

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

Duloxetine 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.”"

• cat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 16, 2012

Duloxetine for Anxiety "I took Cymbalta for 4 days for anxiety, panic attacks, and mild depression. I read many reviews and wondered whether I should stick with it despite the side effects, but in the end, I just couldn't. I've been on Lexapro and Effexor before, and I was expecting the same type of side effects: dry mouth, nausea, headaches. But this was a lot worse. I was sleeping okay before and started having insomnia from Cymbalta. My heart was also racing, which for a panic attack sufferer, is the worst thing that can happen. I almost stopped eating, no appetite at all. I also started feeling really low, super anxious, and depressed, and could only go through the day with the use of alprazolam. In the end, I spoke to my doctor and I will now start on Pristiq."

• Ser...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 16, 2017

Duloxetine for Depression "I took my first dose of generic Cymbalta last night of 60 milligrams. It's now 5:47 PM, and I've not eaten all day due to the severe nausea. I'm also very jittery, anxious, have a super, really bad headache (I'm also prone to migraines), and my tinnitus is worse in my left ear. I have also slept most of the day, besides. I have depression, mild PTSD, and anxiety, and migraines. I've been on other antidepressants before. Prozac increased my migraines the last time. I think this generic of Cymbalta won't be for me."

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

Duloxetine 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."

• eag...
• March 24, 2011

Duloxetine for Depression "About 18 months ago, I became very unhappy, got headaches, and was not feeling well. My GP referred me to a psychiatrist, I was diagnosed with depression and started taking Cymbalta 60 mg once a day. It worked like a miracle! Within a few days, I stopped having the mentioned symptoms and was back to the way I was before my depression started. I highly recommend it."

• Anonymous
• December 27, 2010

Duloxetine for Anxiety "I've been taking Cymbalta (60 mg) for around 6 months now, and it seems to be really helping me with my anxiety and depression. I don't panic over little things anymore, which is great, and my friends and family have really seen an improvement in my mood. Decreased my appetite and emotional eating, and I've lost 17 kilos (37 pounds). Negative (but bearable) side effects would be moderate fatigue, the occasional headache if I take my dose late, weird dreams every night, twitching, and dizziness when I stand up. The worst thing I've noticed is memory problems, I sometimes can't remember simple words and get a little confused."

• Jlm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 15, 2019

For Chronic Pain "I have been on duloxetine for 5 weeks, and I hate it. I have been waking up every day in a puddle of sweat, clenching my jaw when I don’t usually do that, nauseous, upset stomach, headaches, and EXTREMELY tired all day, every day. I have no energy to do anything. If I could give this medicine a 0, I would have."

• Abb...
• January 27, 2010

Duloxetine for Depression "I have been on Cymbalta for about two years for depression and anxiety. It worked very well for the first year. I went a period of time not taking any of my medication at all (Wellbutrin also). After starting back on at 30 mg, I have begun to experience night sweats and headaches. Although it has cleared up my weepiness and overall sadness, I am feeling like a bit of a drone. The biggest problem for me as a 21-year-old female is the inability to orgasm. I am in a monotonous relationship, and this has been a definite source of frustration for both me and my boyfriend. Cannot decide whether or not the benefits outweigh the side effects."