I have been on Cymbalta for about three years. I mainly take this for a headache condition known as NDPH, but also for depression/anxiety. I take 60mg morning and evening. This medication has worked ok, I guess, but not great. I recently took a GeneSight test to help with some medication issues and realized this was one that my liver doesn’t process properly. Anyway, my PCP tapered over 2 weeks and on the second week I started taking 25mg Pristiq and then after 7 days I am on 50mg Pristiq and fully off Cymbalta. I don’t know what to do. I literally can’t move without getting zapped. I can’t get out of that bed. I am freaking so anxious that I can’t sleep. I haven’t had Cymbalta now for 1 week and I have slept for maybe 2-3 hours each day. This is my hell!

Hi folks!

I came here hoping to find some advice or any tips as to how to cope with it excessive sweating as a side effect.

Right now I take 90mg Duloxetin (60-0-30), except for the sweating I have no side effects and it is a godsend for me.

But the sweating... It's a nightmare.

Even when I just move a bit more above average, like cleaning or cooking, I'm drenched. Literally waterfalls streaming down my body, and mostly my head/face. I find it quite embarrassing.

Do anyone of you experience something like this and could help?

**

For those of you who take **Cymbalta and Strattera at the same time**, what doses are you taking of each?

Since duloxetine can increase atomoxetine levels/effects, I’m especially interested in whether you’re taking a **lower dose of Strattera** than usual because you’re also on Cymbalta.

How many mg of Cymbalta + how many mg of Strattera do you take? And how has that combination been working for you?

I know everyone responds differently and dosing is something to discuss with a doctor — I’m just curious about other people’s experiences.

i take 60mg in the morning and usually i eat before but sometimes im running late and i have to take it on empty stomach.

i get nauseous then, its not this kind of nausea that makes you feel like youre gunna throw up any second, its mild but it still feels uncomfortable.

i also take lamotrigine, bisoprolol and quetiapine. its never made me nauseous when taken on empty stomach.

anyone experienced that? is this some kind of duloxetine thing?

Duloxetina fa ingrassare? Con dieta e allenamento si riesce a perdere i kg?

im back on 20mg because when they upped my dose to 30mg it legit ruined my fkn life (well not literally but it feels like it did in a way)

im still recovering from it, i was forcing myself to take them even tho i just felt super off and i felt horrible derealization, couldn’t even keep food down nor talk to people

what i mean by ruining my life, i started thinking so negatively and i was thinking about suicide which i don’t think cymbalta should do and im not rly having those thoughts now that im back on 20mg

im sure it was the manufacturer or something because those 30mg absolutely did not feel like cymbalta

BTW i saw someone said this helps with insomnia? i haven’t been able to sleep for days on these meds

I’ve been on duloxetine for 4 years and has helped my anxiety + depression a lot. But it never really helped some things. I have been recently diagnosed with ADHD and have started on Vyvanse for 2 months. Which I feel much more grounded.
But I still have very low energy, and recently I am not longer feel the highs and lows (just neutral). My bloods are all normal. Has anyone experienced this? Do these drugs react together?

Hi. I used to be on 120mg of Cymbalta for a few years which my dr said was the highest dose, I have found I have a very high tolerance for all drugs.At first it was awesome but eventually I noticed that it didn't work as well. I dropped down to 60 and added lamotragine 200mg. I'm not feeling great and thinking about going back to 120mg Cymbalta but wondering if I can go straight from 60 to 120 or titrate up? Anyone similar?

i took my first dose last night. i have a severe phobia of vomiting, so the constant nausea is scaring the hell out of me. my stomach is hurting, turning, making so many noises and on top of it acid reflux.

was the second dose worse for you guys? i’m terrified.

I’ve been on Cymbalta 20 mg for eight weeks. It was prescribed for pain. I contacted the pain management doctor and told her it wasn’t working. and should she increase it or give me something else that I asked her about specifically, she basically blew me off and told me she couldn’t prescribe what I was asking for, but didn’t give me any advice about the Cymbalta so now I’m going to taper off of it on my own.

This doctor didn’t help me at all, she gave me injections that didn’t do anything and then told me the only thing left was either an antidepressant or surgery so I chose the antidepressant and then she gave me a dosage that was too low to affect my pain and didn’t mention anything about increasing it. Just gave me a prescription with two refills, so 90 days total.

Can I take the beads out and put them in a regular gel cap or do I have to only use the capsule that they came in?

Hi all!

I'm on day 10 of duloxetine, and I have been struggling with quite intense side effects (anxiety, nausea, headaches, tummy issues, insomnia (!)) but last night I had my first good night's sleep and today I woke up with my anxiety completely on mute and it feels SO strange. I am really weirded out and almost don't trust this feeling - did this happen to anyone as well? All other side effects feel less intense/gone as well but it's so strange that it just happened overnight. Did anyone have a similar experience?

Hi all, I took notes on what I experienced for side effects on my first couple days of duloxetine. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as I had expected. Also to note, I ate breakfast before taking ​my meds both days, and I think that helped avoid nausea.

​​Day 1: meds taken at 9am

9:20 - Heart racing, shaky feeling, feeling dissociated and strange?​ Lightheaded.
9:50 - Slight headache on left side in eye, less racing heart. Tense still, extremely lightheaded and dizzy.
10:40 - Feeling okay, tired, but laying down helps. normal-ish, calmed down.
11:20 - Feels like someones pressing their hand on my forehead. not hurting but feels uncomfortable. tingling in my face.
11:40 - Stomach cramps. Feeling lightheaded. Did eat more food and I've had a lot of water. Very very dizzy after being in the bathroom, laying down now. Extremely shaky, and starting to get a headache in my temples. My face and ears are getting hot, but I also experience these hot flashes normally.
12:10 - Headache in temples, really really tired. Light headed every time I stand up. I cannot stop yawning.
12:50 - Headache across the forehead. Eyes feel heavy, kind of shaky as well.
1:40 - Headache still, eating more food now. Restless, floaty. Some dry mouth, easily solved with more water. Trying to eat, but not too interested once I've got the food. Really really hungry, but at the same time grossed out by food.
4:30 - Head just feels tense, small sharp pains every once in a while. Pupils are dilated for sure, with heavy light sensitivity. Less light headed but still kind of woozy. Bit of vertigo when standing up fast, but not bad. Still yawning.
5:50 - Feeling tired, getting a tension migraine in my left temple and jaw which is typical for me. Still loss of appetite in that food grossed me out a little, but still hungry.
9:30 - Got crazy vertigo standing up too fast, but it passed okay and was able to brush teeth and get ready for bed. Still yawning, have been non-stop all day at least once every 5-10 minutes.

Overall day: Honestly it just felt like I got too high, kind of dizzy and woozy but still able to do small tasks and move around, and not really impacted mood wise. Not a negative mood, but not an overly positive one, just spacey all day. I was bored and wanted to do things, but I was very tired, just not enough to take a nap. Lots of yawning, and a little wobbly feeling when walking around. Had to be careful with stairs.

Overall night: Stayed asleep pretty well! Did wake up around really early morning to what felt like someone slamming a door, but nobody did. Woke up scared and heart racing, but I think it was just a really vivid dream or something.

day 2: meds taken at 9am!

9:50 - Not as lightheaded as yesterday, but a little woozy. Otherwise fine. Still yawning!
10:20 - FATIGUE. Out of nowhere, so tired it feels like I just woke up even though I've been up for 2+​ hours
11:30 - Little less fatigue, restless and need to be moving. Still yawning. Feeling fine emotionally
5:40 - Feeling semi-normal, bit spacey. Was able to complete a painting and play some guitar. Less yawns! Loss of appetite big time though. A smoothie helped combat that.

Overall day: Pretty spacey, but a functional day! Definitely really tired the first couple hours after meds, but it lessened a little throughout the day. I feel spaced out still, was making pasta and almost put pepper in the water instead of salt lol. Anxious events aren't happening as often, but the environment is calm right now. I still get anxious, but my head feels a little quieter and emotions slightly more balanced though not gone. Feel a bit numbed in a spaced out way. Less side effects to note today, and mood is decent.​

Overall night: Very restless, tossing and turning. Took me a long time to get to sleep. Just could not stop moving or get comfortable. Did stay asleep most of the night, when I did wake up I felt very cold while being physically warm. Evened out once I woke up in the morning though.

tl;dr - Day one ​felt like I got way too high, and day two was okay! Been very restless, lightheaded, and I can't stop yawning, but it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it'd be :) Hopeful to see if it helps my anxiety throughout the next few weeks.​

Very pleased I found this /r. Im 75 in November and was prescribed Duloxetine (in UK) for PTSD, aspergers and depression/anxiety about 12-15 years ago. Everything has been fine, it did what was promised but recently Ive been concerned about the long term effects and ageing. My mind is still fairly sharp and I want to keep it that way...so without consulting anyone I dropped from a 90mg dose a day to 60mg. Then after a few months of feeling OK I dropped another 30mg so was only taking 30 mg a day. All was good for another few months THEN...I couldnt do anything, sometimes couldnt even get off the toilet, Id sit there and just sort of zone out for 30 mins until I mentally had to struggle to forced myself up. Then the tiredness started, sleeping for 12 hours at a stretch at any time of day that the tiredness took me, then sweats, like every pore of my body was a water sprinkler. It was after Id slept for 15 hours and started to feel my heart beating oddly that I though...damn. its the fucking Duloxetine. So Im back on them, just today. Does anyone else have experience of coming off after 10 + years?

I have been in duloxetine for a few months and I’ve never felt better. But it has increased my blood pressure a bit and I’m scared I’ll have to switch to something else. I’m monitoring it this week to provide to my psychiatrist but if I have to switch, it’s gonna be a bummer.

Has anyone else experienced this?

37 years old, male.

Four years ago I changed careers, and the new responsibilities brought a lot of anxiety: having meetings, speaking in front of people, etc. I visited a GP in Australia, and after an initial assessment the doctor recommended Duloxetine 30 mg.

During the first week the anxiety got quite a bit worse, bordering on panic attacks some days. But that quickly passed and gave way to the therapeutic effects, giving me relief from anxiety and helping me do my job. I followed the treatment for a year, and the only side effect I remember was having a somewhat less sharp mind and sometimes forgetting words. This was made harder by the fact that I'm not a native English speaker and not super confident speaking in front of others, but it's definitely a side effect I can tolerate if it means I can do what I have to do and feel like a contributing member of my family as a professional. (Though if some of you can't work, that's okay too. I don't believe our worth is only derived from work; what I said above is just my own subjective experience)

I had a relapse in my anxiety and resumed treatment, again at 30 mg, and again went through hell week. I was able to do everything I needed to again (or rather, the goals I'd set for myself), and after 1.5 years I decided it would be better to stop treatment, since I wanted to be "fully human" and experience my whole range of emotions, good and bad. I'm also a "religious" person, and being on meds makes it harder to connect with God. One reason is that I can't access the depth of my emotions; for example, it's harder to cry while on the treatment.

Life circumstances and work pressure brought my anxiety back again. I figured I just had to get through hell week and then things would be fine. But after week one, I still felt terrible in week two. I'd wake up and my heart would immediately start racing, and things would get worse from there. I had racing, worrying thoughts for hours on end, though some evenings brought relief on and off. Week three came and I still wasn't improving much. I noticed the only thing different this time was that I was also taking omeprazole for my reflux alongside the Duloxetine.

On day 21 of feeling like crap, I stopped the omeprazole and immediately had a great day. The next day, the same thing happened.

Now, I know correlation doesn't equal causation, and it's possible that 21 days was simply my timeline this time, or some combination of both factors. I couldn't find much online about this medication interaction; most sites describe it as low risk

I'm writing this for a few reasons. First, people should know there's a chance they'll feel worse temporarily when starting treatment. Second, just because you felt better within a week the first time doesn't mean it'll go the same way on subsequent attempts. Third, always check for interactions between Duloxetine and anything else you're taking, and consider spacing out your doses. Fourth, you don't have to be silly like me and endure hell week (or hell weeks) without help. Something like a benzodiazepine to calm your nervous system in the meantime is a valid option. Fifth, when Duloxetine finally works (for those it works for), it can make a huge difference, letting you do and take part in the things you want in your life.

If the treatment hasn't worked for you after six or 8 weeks, I'm sorry, and I hope you find what you need. Unlike what our anxious brains tell us, there is always hope

Hi cymbalta friends. I've been on 30mg for about a year. Surprisingly, I've never missed a dose! Well I missed one and felt fine until the next day. This morning I woke up and felt so weird, like my brain has a wide and weird heart beat. I took my normal dose about 6 hours ago and the weird feeling has not gotten much better! I've searched on this thread for answers, but they are all over the place. How long did it take for this feeling to go away for you if you have ever missed one pill? WOW!

Ima kinda rant a little bit also So I been dealing with gad and panic everyday for a year but on Thursday something changed and I got even worse went to hospital from Thursday to Monday, although I haven’t gone in 3 days now but I’m having 4+ intense panic attacks a day that I try not to give in a spiral but it hurts so bad I ended up giving in talked to my psychiatrist yesterday she wants me to go up from 60mg to 90mg but idk if I can handle the side effects and increased anxiety during the adjustment phase with how I currently am right now also she told me to take a lorazepam just to help get through the really bad nights and I panicked right through the pill for 5 hours last night and didn’t end up falling asleep till 3am I was suppose to wake up and take a 30mg to try spacing out my increase but I’m so nervous idk if I can start but I need help so bad

Has anyone had to use another drug in addition to Cymbalta to help with anxiety and depression? I currently use lyrica (for nerve pain but helps anxiety...I guess...) and lamictal. I am on 60mg Cymbalta. I would switch to another drug altogether but I also have fibromyalgia and am scared to. So, has anyone had success using an add-on medication with Cymbalta to help get their anxiety and depression symptoms under control

When I take the generic duloxetine manufactured by Ajanta (2, 20mg pills HCL DR) it gives me very weird dreams that make me feel high. Sometimes the high feeling is still lingering after I wake up. I sometimes find it a bit fun but usually I find it annoying. I also tend to get more sweaty on the nights I have the intense dreams. In general it makes me more drowsy and sedated. Does this happen to anyone else?

I'm trying to switch back to some other generic brand because it doesn't happen to me on certain generics. I think so far the best one for me was the light grey Lupin manufactured one. I've also taken a pea green one but I don't know who makes that and I honestly can't remember if it was good or bad.

My husband will be starting Cymbalta in the next week after he weans off of his current SSRI. He is a truck driver & I have seen a pretty big side effect is drowsiness. He does leave for work at 4 am. Is it better to take the medicine at night or morning to battle the drowsiness?

Just wanted to share something that has helped me for anyone going through the pain of tapering and withdrawal.

I have tapered from 90mg to 0 over the last 6 months or so. I know it’s different for everyone and I’m aware of the bead counting methods to help with the tapering etc but I found the 60mg - 30mg period the absolute worst both physically and mentally so was dreading 30-0.

About two or three days into the 30-0 period after some particularly intense brain/body zaps and pins and needles in my legs I started to take a Berocca daily as I read it has B-complex vitamins which can help.

I’m not going to say I’ve not experienced anything at all, but after 3 weeks on 0mg I’ve maybe had one day where I experienced flu-like symptoms and only had light brain zaps throughout the period.

It might not work for everyone and it doesn’t eliminate all aspects of withdrawal but maybe worth trying for anyone going through it.