Duloxetine and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Mia...
• September 6, 2020

Duloxetine for Depression "Awful. I work overnights, so I took Cymbalta in the morning with my other meds (300 mg Lamotrigine and 125 mg of Spironolactone). I took it with a glass of milk because I was told it didn’t matter if I took it with food or not. Terrible idea. I woke up freezing but constantly shivering, and I tried to combat the nausea by eating a banana, and I threw the banana up. Never in my life has a medication made me vomit. I’m in recovery, so the feeling of taking it was like a foreign substance, and I’ve been sober for years, so that absolutely did not sit well with me. I blindly trusted my doctor and didn’t do my research, please don’t make the same mistake. I’ve never been so sick as well. And it went on for hours after one dose (30 mg). Best wishes. Hope everyone finds what they need safely and healthily."

• Pas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 12, 2015

Duloxetine for Depression "I am one of the luckiest ones for sure. Cymbalta is only my second prescription after Mirtazapine, and it did the magic for me. I love Cymbalta because it not only reduced depression but anxiety too. So it's two in one. My depression has reduced a lot in just one week of use. To be honest, this medication affected me after the second day of use. And it's only a start, I haven't even completed 3 weeks yet. I have full hope in Cymbalta that it will make me a happy person soon. Highly recommended for people who have both depression and anxiety. Side effects are slightly annoying, though. It kills my appetite, which is really bad for me as I am too underweight, mild nausea in the morning, constipation, and on top of that insomnia. But it's all worth the result."

• dnz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 24, 2013

Duloxetine for Depression "I was diagnosed with chronic depression and put on 30 mg. I used to cry at least once each day. I have been on Cymbalta for the last 25 days and I have not even cried once. For me, it only caused nausea, and I lost about 3 kgs, which for me was not a side effect but a motivation to use the medicine."

• par...
• August 26, 2015

Duloxetine for Anxiety "At 25, I started taking Celexa. When I became pregnant less than a year later, I noticed it not working anymore. Then after my daughter was born, I noticed a huge difference. My doctor prescribed me Cymbalta, starting at 30mg and finally leveling out at 90mg. This is the best I have ever felt and I have now been taking it for almost 5 years. A year ago, I tried to lower my dosage (through my doctor of course) and within the week, noticed a huge difference. I was more irritable, less patient, and more anxious. And when I don't take it for a few days, my head pounds, I feel nauseous, and not like myself at all. At the end of the day, the good outweighs the bad. Although I do wish they were not so expensive, how can you put a price on feeling normal?"

• mir...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 18, 2023

Duloxetine for Chronic Pain "I suffered a cheerleading accident that resulted in a fractured neck and a bad concussion, causing terrible migraines, motion sickness, and loss of feeling in my hands and feet, making it difficult to sleep. Seeking medical attention, I was referred to a neurologist who prescribed 30 mg of Cymbalta. Initially, the medication was a godsend, helping me sleep through the night, eliminating my migraines, and restoring feeling to my limbs. However, after three months, my doctor decided to increase my dose to 60 mg and then to 90 mg. Missing or taking the medication just 30 minutes late would render me unable to function. My weight fluctuated randomly, and I experienced passing out, teeth sensitivity and yellowing, brain zaps, and depression. Over a year, I tried to taper off the medication, but with no success. Withdrawal symptoms were intense, including intrusive thoughts, changes in appetite, vivid dreams, and severe mood swings. Prior to taking this medication, I urge you to research the '33-page document of Cymbalta symptoms.'"

• ell...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 21, 2022

Duloxetine for Major Depressive Disorder "Cymbalta is the worst medication I have ever been on. I took it for depression and anxiety, on the lowest dosage, and started getting terrible anxiety symptoms. Constantly sweaty but cold, shaking, a feeling of imminent doom, dizziness, headaches, and daily panic attacks for the first time in years. I couldn't grip the wheel well while driving. I started slowly decreasing my dose, which was super hard because you have to do it extremely gradually, but this medication was causing me so much pain and anxiety that I tapered too quickly. I had brain zaps (an electric shock going through my brain every time I moved my eyes), terrible pressure in my head, chest pains, nausea, dizziness, and even more panic attacks. This medication is genuinely the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I got chronic daily headaches when I started it, and they have not gone away, over a year later. Talk to your doctor about a different medication, unless you want to be on it for the rest of your life because tapering is impossible."

• mk2...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2024

Duloxetine 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!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 16, 2016

Duloxetine for Major Depressive Disorder "Cymbalta was a real game changer for me after a lot of trial and error with other antidepressants. It was prescribed to me in 2006 during a major depressive episode in my early twenties that required inpatient hospitalization. The results were remarkable. In a span of 24 hours, I had much greater mood regulation and was not ruminating on negative thoughts. Cymbalta was also helpful in developing healthy eating patterns after a period of binge eating. The appetite-suppressing effect made it easier for me to modify portions and lose the weight I'd gained. I took Cymbalta for two years. The only lasting side effect was afternoon and evening tiredness. Titrating off the medication went well, except for some nausea that eventually subsided."

• Chr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 28, 2013

Duloxetine for Anxiety "I have been on Cymbalta 30mg for just under 2 weeks. After the first 3 days, I started feeling a lot better. It was slightly scary actually to go from feeling like your world is imploding to feeling like you want to smell and see every flower on the planet. It happened so fast. Yes, there were a lot of initial side effects from getting used to the medicine. I had the shakes, weird slowing down, odd feelings, nausea, etc., but I am doing very well on it. I went on a diet again, having gained 25kg from being on Lexapro and Seroquel for over 18 months. But I now have a low dose of Seroquel every night and Cymbalta every morning, and I am back to feeling great."

• Izz...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 4, 2019

Duloxetine for Chronic Pain "I gave it a 2 because it helped with my pain, and I saw a very quick change in my anxiety. But I've lost so much sleep over the last year due to insomnia and severe night sweats. My doctor told me to take it in the morning instead, but since I needed help sleeping, this was already doing the opposite. If I miss a single dose, I get severe electric shocks starting in my head going to my feet. Burning head but freezing extremities, shakes, nausea, and that's the physical symptoms. Mentally, I would be wailing and almost hitting my head against a wall, begging whatever was going on to stop. I tried going off it cold turkey after a year on 60 mg, and the physical and mental pain is what I'd imagine heroin withdrawal to be. Now my dosage is halved, my chronic pain is back with a vengeance, so it was working for my pain, but I feel pushing through the pain from the get-go would have been easier than going through the side effects of this medication for a year. Be warned, this drug is for life."

• Eil...
• September 19, 2016

Duloxetine for Depression "I had moderate depression, crushing anxiety, and probably fibromyalgia. (I've never pursued fibromyalgia testing due to no health insurance.) One week ago, I just could not go on. Depression, anxiety, and all-over aches and stiffness stopped me in my tracks. One day on 30 mg Cymbalta and it all cleared up. I could not believe it. It is a miracle for me. I've been on it for one full week and am now over the slight nausea, dizziness, and dry mouth. Yay! :-)"

• cap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 14, 2019

Duloxetine for Back Pain "Do not take this drug Cymbalta! I am a 64-year-old female, otherwise healthy. I have L5 radiculopathy. After 6 days (6 pills 20 mg), I felt terrible. Sweating, dizzy, extremely fatigued, depressed, queasy. I would rather experience the discomfort in my left leg, foot, and low back than feel the way I feel right now or the potential side effects of waiting for this to 'kick in' and trying to come off of it. I'm doing a liver detox for a week and can't wait to get this out of my system."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 4, 2013

Duloxetine for Depression "I suffer from mild depression and back pain associated with scoliosis. I hoped Cymbalta could help. It did not help me. Initially (first few days), it was positive mentally, despite side effects: headache, nausea, then bad anxiety. As I took it more, I just started to feel not like myself, lethargic and weak. I almost felt too calm and didn't care. I can see how this might be helpful to those that are severely depressed. I am not. I'm sharing my experience because if you only suffer from minor blues, I would not recommend a strong antidepressant. I told my doctor it was minor, yet he prescribed me 60 mg immediately. I gave it a month and felt worse each day."

• Fib...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 2, 2018

Duloxetine for Fibromyalgia "After battling and dealing with pain for many years, I was prescribed Cymbalta. This drug works for pain. It kinda blocks it. That said, it was a rough start: dizziness, nausea, sweating. This fades, and then you feel better. Pain reduced in all areas. I could go about my day-to-day without pain stopping me. Then, after 2 years, it just stopped working. I don’t like pain meds, etc. As I knew all good things end, I decided to try and get off this med instead of increasing the dose. Well, let me warn the consumer, the patient: it was very, very, extremely difficult to reduce and withdraw from. I have a medical background, and a friend warned me. It was bad: vomiting violently (I don’t vomit ever), then in bed with headaches and chest palpitations that were scary. Finished withdrawal and reduced medications in general. Be careful with this medicine if you choose to access it for medical treatment."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2016

Duloxetine for Major Depressive Disorder "I am a 33-year-old female recently prescribed 20 mg of Cymbalta for Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and PTSD. This medication has rapidly stabilized my condition and greatly contributed to better mood regulation. In less than a week, Cymbalta alleviated suicidal thoughts and my level of distress in response to triggers. Intrusive memories and fearfulness have been very minimal. Daily crying episodes are significantly reduced. Short-term side effects included nausea, sharp decrease in appetite, and fatigue. Ongoing side effects are dizziness, afternoon drowsiness, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Dizziness is manageable if I drink water throughout the day. No sexual side effects experienced while on this drug."

• Cri...
• March 19, 2013

Duloxetine for Osteoarthritis "After a back injury and subsequent surgery, I tried several medicines for the lingering nerve pain in my left leg. Nothing worked without severe side effects until trying Cymbalta. The first couple of weeks, the nausea was almost unbearable, but I toughed it out, hoping for some relief of the aching in my left leg. Pain pills had zero effect on the radiating pain, so my doctor prescribed Cymbalta. It did take a couple of weeks to see any relief to my pain. Although the pain is not totally gone, it has gone from a 10 down to a 7, so for me, this is a great improvement."

• Chi...
• February 8, 2017

Duloxetine for Fibromyalgia "Just started Cymbalta at 30 mg, one in the AM and one in the PM for my fibromyalgia pain and anxiety and depression. It's been 8 days, and it is helping so much! It did give me nausea and an acidy stomach for 2 days. That went away. I also take gabapentin 300 mg, 4 times a day. I came off of tramadol 50 mg at 6-9 a day. Cymbalta helped with withdrawals for me. I still have pain from my fibro, but it is dulled. Hope this helps, xx"

• PM0...
• November 1, 2017

Duloxetine for Fibromyalgia "I have taken this medication for about 2 years now, and it has helped me tremendously. Yes, the first two weeks were hard due to nausea and diarrhea, however, because it controlled the pain, I stayed with it. I weaned myself off at one point to make sure whether or not I still needed it, but within a week of being completely off of it, all the pain and muscle weakness came back, so I went back on it (no side effects this time), and the pain went away, so it works for me. However, the Dr. said that I was his only patient who had the amount of relief I experienced with the lowest dose. I also have Lupus (SLE), so it helps with the joint and muscle pain there too! I say give it a try as I experienced the pain relief almost immediately."

• aus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 14, 2017

Duloxetine for Chronic Pain "I have had three back surgeries, the latest was back fusion. I now suffer from nerve pain, especially in my right thigh and knee. At times, I can hardly walk due to the pain and weakness in my leg. X-rays and MRI show the fusion is in the correct position, but the specialists have said I may always have this nerve pain. They prescribed Cymbalta, and oh, what a calamity! I only took this medication for three days, and that was three too many. I was not warned about possible side effects, these are numerous: massive increase in pain, massive increase in weakness in the leg (had to use a walker), chest pain, headaches, nausea, stomach pain, mood swings like anger, suicidal thoughts, nightmares, hot and cold flushes, sweating for no reason. The list goes on."

• Fib...
• April 22, 2019

Duloxetine for Chronic Pain "I was prescribed Cymbalta for fibromyalgia and depression. I was taking it for over 3 years, but I developed a tolerance for it because it stopped working. While I was on it, it worked really well. It took some time to take effect, like 15 days, but when it did, it worked very well. I was able to continue working 50-hour weeks. The only horrible thing was when it finally stopped working, so I had to resign from my job and subsequently lost my health insurance. I couldn't afford the Rx, so I stopped taking it cold turkey. The side effects were horrendous! I was shaking, nauseous, had really bad headaches, dizzy. I finally had to borrow money to get the med back and then weaned off slowly."

• Doe...
• September 1, 2019

Duloxetine for Anxiety "A heart specialist changed me from Effexor to Cymbalta. I stayed on a 37.5 mg dose of Effexor and started 60 mg Cymbalta. This med is not for me. After 3 weeks, I felt like I was falling apart. Severe anxiety like never before. I thought I was having a heart attack! So much tightness and pain. Called 911. Lots of tests later, it wasn't a heart attack at all. That was after 2 weeks on it. I was so deeply sad, severe nausea and vomiting, nightmares, sweats, biting down on my dentures constantly, itching all over. Dizziness, bad vision. My muscles ached. I've had serotonin syndrome before, and this terrified me. I could not eat. I'm diabetic, so I have to eat, but food made me sick. Headaches, dark thoughts. Could not take it anymore and switched back to Effexor 4 days ago, off the Cymbalta. Today I feel great! I had a spell of nausea and an overall feeling of so awful, lasted 20 minutes or so. I also had pain in my right side and abdomen, which is still tender but better. So glad to be feeling better."

• Mik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2019

Duloxetine for Back Pain "My doctor prescribed Cymbalta to me for my back pain. After 4 days, the awfulness started. This med is terrible! Dizziness, nausea, messing with my brain, anxiety, loopy. I don't recognize myself. I didn't have this before. Can't take it anymore because I feel like it will cause mental illness. Horrible."

• mar...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 24, 2016

Duloxetine for Chronic Pain "Taking since 2005 for a numbness, icy, electric zapping feeling in my thigh. Started mild and escalated to unbearable over 15 years. Kaiser had ignored it for years, and I finally consulted an outside doctor who prescribed Cymbalta. No side effects at all. Within weeks, the unbearable electric zapping began lessening. Over time, a multitude of issues I thought were untreatable went away. I quit falling down (I am no longer afraid of stairs), I could tap my toe in time to music (previously, my reflexes couldn't keep up), the almost constant neuralgia that made my teeth hurt went away. At $350 per month, it was worth twice the price. Now I can no longer afford Cymbalta, and the generic makes me so nauseous I cannot take it."

• Fin...
• May 9, 2015

Duloxetine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have been taking Cymbalta for over 3 weeks now. I have to say it has helped with my depression. I have been suffering from depression for 2 years now and decided to get help. I am starting to feel like myself again, except for some minor side effects: constipation, nausea, and headaches. Hopefully, these side effects will disappear in time."

• Kel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 10, 2019

For Pain "I started taking this drug, duloxetine, 4 weeks ago for leg pain. I started on 30 mg and went up to 60 mg. The first week was hard, with stomach pain, and I was very nauseous. But that’s all gone now, and I feel great. Pain has decreased by 80%. I sleep better and have more energy. I’ve lost a little weight, and my appetite has decreased, but that doesn’t bother me too much."