Duloxitine/Cymbalta side effects?

BorderlineAngel
BorderlineAngel Posts: 214
in Chit-Chat
I have been on many SSRI's before, this is my first SNRI.. what are some of the side effects which you have noticed?

Replies

  • Sarahneedstoshrink
    Sarahneedstoshrink Posts: 32
    I was on Cymbalta for Fibromyalgia....Worst experience of my life! Getting off of it was horrible! I will never again in my life take anything like this! I would rather deal with the pain!
  • BorderlineAngel
    BorderlineAngel Posts: 214
    I was on Cymbalta for Fibromyalgia....Worst experience of my life! Getting off of it was horrible! I will never again in my life take anything like this! I would rather deal with the pain!

    /: What happened?
    In which ways was it horrible?
  • hollyk57
    hollyk57 Posts: 520 Member
    I have terrible pain in my hands and wrists and several doctors thought it was fibromyalgia, so they prescribed Cymbalta for me last year. It's an antidepressant, but supposedly can help with pain like that. It nearly killed me. I had a horrible reaction to it, my tongue swelled, I could barely breathe, I started shaking uncontrollably and having weird tremors. I felt absolutely spaced out like a zombie, and that was after only a couple days of taking it. I remember laying in bed, staring at the ceiling and telling my husband I thought I was going to die before I blacked out. NEVER again... and I have stopped listening to doctors who just want to throw drugs at a problem they couldn't explain. Later found out I have tears in my wrist tendons and ligaments, among other things. After surgery, I'm still in pain, but still better off without heavy drugs.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
    Withdrawl on some of these can be a *****. When I got completely off of Lexapro I had 'brain shocks' for weeks and mood swings even with a long taper. Oh and no feelings, zombie like.
  • CarolinaGirlinVA
    CarolinaGirlinVA Posts: 1,508 Member
    I lost weight on Cymbalta! When I went back for my two week check up my doctor asked if I had lost weight. I told him yeah, the Cymbalta diet. Its not complicated...take a Cymbalta, then anytime you move, you feel nauseous or vomit. Needless to say he switched my meds.
  • juliecat1
    juliecat1 Posts: 3,450 Member
    Obviously you should google the side effects that are common with it before you try it and talk to your doctor if you haven't already. Cymbalta worked wonders for me when I needed it. The side effects weren't much different than typical SSRIs for me.... Hazy feeling, tiredness, thirst. A few extra ones - hand tremor and slight nausea. All of those symptoms gradually went away over the first few weeks.
    The issue with cymbalta is the coming off of it. It has a short half life which is generally good for coming off meds. But it tends to cause a lot of withdrawal symptoms. Definitely check into that before you start. I assumed I'd wean off like anything else... Not so much. My tremor came back with a vengeance. I felt sick - chills, run down, nausea again. And I started having crazy dreams. Also, the depression kind of creeped back up but it might've just been how gross I felt.
  • Sarahneedstoshrink
    Sarahneedstoshrink Posts: 32
    I was constantly nauseous, I had no control over my emotions one minute I was fine the next I was crying uncontrollably I was an emotional mess! Every time I moved I would get a zap or shock like feeling in my head and double vision that made it impossible to do anything. If you can avoid this type of med please do! Look up Cymbalta side effects this type of withdrawal like symptoms seems fairly common.
  • jogy
    jogy Posts: 77 Member
    I have been on Cymbalta for a year and a half now for depression. It did wonders for me...except for my sleep (a little too agitated). I am now on the 30 mg and I don't have sleeping problems anymore. Back on the 60mg, I started jogging. That was really bizarre because I had bad knees. I didn't know then that Cymbalta was used for chronic pain. On half the dose, it doesn't help with the chronic pain. I can feel my knees hurting and my shoulder. I don't want to go back on the full dose, I wanted to be free of medication. But guess what the doctor prescribed today for my neck&shoulder pain? You guessed it. MORE DRUGS!!! Good luck with finding what it good for you. With antidepressants, you have to feel worst before you feel better. So patience...
  • jogy
    jogy Posts: 77 Member
    Obviously you should google the side effects that are common with it before you try it and talk to your doctor if you haven't already. Cymbalta worked wonders for me when I needed it. The side effects weren't much different than typical SSRIs for me.... Hazy feeling, tiredness, thirst. A few extra ones - hand tremor and slight nausea. All of those symptoms gradually went away over the first few weeks.
    The issue with cymbalta is the coming off of it. It has a short half life which is generally good for coming off meds. But it tends to cause a lot of withdrawal symptoms. Definitely check into that before you start. I assumed I'd wean off like anything else... Not so much. My tremor came back with a vengeance. I felt sick - chills, run down, nausea again. And I started having crazy dreams. Also, the depression kind of creeped back up but it might've just been how gross I felt.

    Thanks for that info! I will look up the side effects of withdrawal. Never thought about it quite frankly. I have been on the 30 mg for 3 months now and I feel better on the half dose than the full dose.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    I took Cymbalta for anxiety. My anxiety had never been worse. I also suffered from terrible hand tremors.
  • dakitten2
    dakitten2 Posts: 888 Member
    I endured Cymbalta for 30 whole days. Each one of those days were spent in the bed with major headaches, nausea/vomiting and aching body. I stayed on it for the 30 days because I thought eventually "the side effects" would wear off. They didnt, so now I'm on some meds that I can live with and allows me to live a much better life.
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    I've been on 90 mg of cymbalta (120 initially), along with lamictal, for the last two plus years. It works great for me with no side effects whatsoever.

    I had been on it before, and then back off it, while I was on the med merrygoround and had no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever, unlike.. hmmm...I think it was Welbutrin, where I felt like I had a bad flu for more than a month.

    edited to add that I've always wondered about the pain management thing.
  • BorderlineAngel
    BorderlineAngel Posts: 214
    I had no choice as to whether to start taking it or not as I was in hospital when they started me on it...
  • Tatonka_usn
    Tatonka_usn Posts: 433 Member
    I've been on 60mg of Cymbalta for the past 2.5 years, and am at the point where I'm going to start weaning myself off (tonight will be my last full dose). I started due to chronic neuropathy, related on going back issues, but it's about time to try something new. Was curious as to the process any of you might have used to tapering. I've read that going down by 10% a/week is best, but my doctor just said I should go 60mg --> 30mg --> off. That worries, me given some of the horror stories I've read. Any thoughts?
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
    I have been off antidepressants for 4.5 years. Cymbalta was the last one I was one. It took 6 month to ween off of it and it had many violent withdrawl effects.
    One surprising side effect while I was on it was hot flashes. I didnt even realize it was from the meds until they disappeared after I got off of them.
  • bettyann55
    bettyann55 Posts: 87 Member
    I had no choice as to whether to start taking it or not as I was in hospital when they started me on it...
    Being in a hospital still gives you the choice to say no I do not want to take that medication. It is your body and I can say there is no way in hell I would ever take Cymbalta after having a friend whom loved dearly go crazy for my eyes as a result of doctors treating her for fybromyalgia which I also suffer from. I am all natural for my symptoms combined with knowing my limits in exercise and diet. I wish with all my heart my dear friend would have done the same but there is no turning back when you are no longer with us.
  • littlebudgie
    littlebudgie Posts: 279 Member
    I've been on Cymbalta for a few years now without side effects, aside from wicked withdrawal symptoms if I miss a dose.

    ETA: Also, I've never had an SSRI that worked for me. Seems like SNRI's are the way to go for me. Unfortunately everyone's brain is made different, otherwise we'd only need one antidepressant.

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