r/cymbalta

I'm on cymbalta for chronic pain, and I've been taking it for ~2 months now.

Cymbalta has done more for my pain than anything else I've taken.

However these hallucinations are driving me mental. It's like every day I wake up to a drug trip. Everything is colourful and shiny, my walls are breathing, geometric patterns swirling around.

My first few days on the meds it was 24 hours a day, then after a month it was only a couple hours a day. Now I only get them a few times a week.

However I'm trying to increase my dose. Given my side effects, my doctor recommended just taking an extra one three times a week. Unfortunately whichever day I take that extra dose, I have the hallucinations again for the next like 12-15 hours before it lessens off again.

I'm luck that I'm not driving. But my job requires a lot of attention to visual details, and while I'm only doing online courses now, I can't imagine trying to read notes on the board in September.

Is there anything I can do to lessen these side effects? Do you think it could be worth it to just increase my dose every day? And then hopefully it would be manageable by the time classes start up again.

WTH do they put in these pills that make you shit your ass off?!?!?! lol I'm only on day 2 of 20 mgs. I can't imagine what 60 would have done! This is gonna stop soon right???? #dehydrated Also, how long before this stuff helps with my overthinking and racing thoughts? My anxiety feels worse. Ughhhh !

Hey all, a few months ago I wrote the comment below to a post in this group and I want to share it again with some updates:

I want to share the digestive and sleep issues I've had during the past 2 years on Cymbalta (duloxetine) with anyone who may be experiencing something similar because I know how frustrating it can be to know what questions to ask and where to find answers. Ofc, this is completely my guesswork and physiology, so don't rely on what I'm sharing to be the same for you, and always talk to your doctor. After many doctors appointments, tests, and research, here's what I figured out (note I had been taking 120mg in the mornings with breakfast):

1. ⁠Cymbalta (duloxetine) affects serotonin (S) and norepinephrine (N). The increased levels of S and N can have a combined effect, 1 may have a more dominant effect, or they may "take turns" in having a dominant effect
2. ⁠S is associated with activating bowel movements and nausea (for me it was diarrhoea, gastritis, dramatic weight loss (4kg, ~9lb), nausea) whereas N is associated with constipation (if N levels are increased, then that tenses up the "flight or fight" response and also regaining the weight back plus another 1kg / 2lbs or so)
3. ⁠About 95% of S is in the gut and N is in the sympathetic nervous system ("flight or fight" system)
4. ⁠At first, my symptoms were more aligned with the effects from S, but then about 7-8 months later, N seemed to have a more dominant effect, which likely contributed to me developing SIBO at that point due to constipation
5. ⁠I've had terrible sleep since day 1 of medication, and both artificially increased levels of S and N can negatively effect sleep, especially N since that's supposed to keep you alert

Here's what I've done broken down by what I think are my S-dominant period and N-dominant period:
S-dominant period (first 7-8 months on 120mg Cymbalta (duloxetine)):

1. ⁠Blood tests - came back normal
2. ⁠CT scan - mild fecal loading, mild superior mesenteric artery syndrome (likely due to rapid weight loss), all else normal
3. ⁠Gastroscopy - mild gastritis, all else normal
4. ⁠Prescribed PPI's, but I didn't take them due to the risks
5. ⁠I basically gave up and figured things would sort themselves with more time (dumbass me)

N-dominant period (most recent 8 months until now on 120mg Cymbalta (duloxetine)):

1. ⁠Saw a sleep specialist to rule out any physical or neurological conditions, eg sleep apnea, but I had none of those. She suggested I try CBT-I therapy and sleep hygiene. Did not work for me.
2. Appointment with my psych to discuss the effects of duloxetine, re both stomach and sleep issues. Because I was being seen by a GI, he decided to focus on the sleep issues and prescribed me melatonin. Did not work for me.
3. MRI - mild fecal loading, all else normal
4. SIBO breath test - hydrogen dominant SIBO which is usually causes diahrrea, but in my case I have constipation
5. Prescribed antibiotics to take 3 times a day for 2 weeks followed by a 2 week period before taking probiotics (Symprove for 2 weeks then Bio-Kult for another 2 weeks)
6. Saw a dietician to support with symptoms and focus on a low FODMAP diet, but she was more concerned with me gaining weight first. I understand that she saw this as more urgent, but as a result, my symptoms continued
7. Flexible sigmoidoscopy - everything came back normal
8. Second SIBO breath test - again, hydrogen dominant SIBO
9. Took the same antibiotics again and followed up with probiotics - this time 6 weeks of Symprove and 6 weeks of I also tried sticking to a low FODMAP diet but it's a pain in the ass because you can't eat garlic and onions which are in everything and there's no easy way to remember what's low or high FODMAP, for example - 2 green vegetables like spinach is low FODMAP but broccoli is high FODMAP. There's no easy rule to know!
10. Call with the psych to try a new strategy for the insomnia. At this point it had been 22 months of no sleep every night I’m not kidding. At most I’d have 4 hours of sleep each night but those 4 hours were scattered. He prescribed me zoplicone 7.5mg which is a sedative that should rebalance circadian rhythm. Took it every night for 2 weeks then tapered off for another 2 weeks - ie one night off then on then 2 nights off then 1 on etc. It should be taken for no more than a month. Guess what, that did not work.

Where am I at now? Based on my research, I pushed my psych to agree to lowering my 120mg Cymbalta (duloxetine) dose down to 90mg for 2 weeks before moving to and staying at 60mg. I’m only 3 days into the 90mg and have no side effects (…yet). Maybe the side effects will occur when I drop to 60mg. I take it for depression and anxiety, and apparently there’s no therapeutic benefit to taking more than 60mg for my conditions.

I hope this post helps anyone who may be facing similar experiences. If so, I recommend researching the effects of S and N on digestive and sleep issues and discussing them with your doctor. My psych staunchly believed that Cymbalta (duloxetine) can in no way cause this level of insomnia, but I had to push.

Hi everyone
I’m a 30-year-old woman and I’m wondering if anyone has experienced prolonged withdrawal symptoms after stopping duloxetine (Cymbalta).

I was only on duloxetine for about 3 months, and the highest dose I took was 60 mg. I tapered from 60 mg to 30 mg, and then from 30 mg to 0 mg. I stopped my final dose about 2 months ago (2 days earlier than originally planned).

Since stopping, I’ve been dealing with:
- Dizziness/lightheadedness
- Feeling like blood rushes to my head when I stand up
- Ringing/whooshing in my ears when standing
- Feeling “off” or unsteady at times
- Occasionally feeling like I need to take a deep breath, even though I’m not actually short of breath
- brain zaps especially when falling asleep

The dizziness isn’t constant. Some days are much better than others, but it’s still happening often enough to affect my daily life.

I saw my doctor because of the dizziness. He checked my blood pressure, which was normal, and thought the dizziness was most likely still related to duloxetine withdrawal.

Has anyone else experienced withdrawal symptoms lasting this long? If so:

How long did they last?
Did they gradually improve?
Was dizziness your main symptom?

I am seriously considering starting the medication again so I can taper out slower…

I’d really appreciate hearing about other people’s experiences. Thank you!

hi everyone! i started duloxetine 30mg about 2 weeks ago and i take it for pain from my endometriosis. right now is my first flare up since starting this medication and i usually take tramadol when its unbearable around 3 days a month. i only take 50mg of tramadol and i take it max 1/2 a day. i just called the pharmacy and they told me to not take it together same as the internet but i have seen people on here who take it together. obviously i know its better not to mix it and i dont want serotonin syndrome by any means but i have so much pain that its kinda the only option. do people who use them together want to share their experiences? good or bad

I 22F am taking duloxetine(SNRI) 30 mg for about 3 weeks and i have completely lost ability to orgasm or enjoy sex with my partner. It’s not like i am not attracted to him or don’t want to get intimate, i really want to, just during sex i have fully lost the ability to feel anything, any pleasure and I can’t orgasm at all.

I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety recently, i have adhd. I do not take any adhd medication, unfortunately anything else than stratterra is banned in my country.

I am very concerned about loss of sexual function. A lot of people online say they have never been able to regain full sexual feeling and the strength of orgasming even after stopping antidepressants. I am worried about being permanent or never fully getting it back and my orgasms being weak.

Is it permanent? What has been your experience?

I've successfully been off Cymbalta for about 6 to 7 months. However, I have no joyful emotions of any kind. Also have many intrusive thoughts. Has anybody else whose gotten off Cymbalta experienced one or both of these symptoms?​​​

Hi everyone,

Here's my story:

I started taking antidepressants in 2020. It all began because I simply couldn't sleep through the night anymore and was constantly exhausted. My doctor prescribed Amitriptyline. I was able to sleep well with it until 2022. That's when my anxiety and panic disorder started...

At first, I didn't see a psychologist; instead, I drank so much alcohol in the evenings that it made me fall asleep. But that wasn't the ideal solution, so sometime in 2022, I went to a psychiatrist. He prescribed me medication. It wasn't very effective, but I was prescribed Pregabalin, which helped me for a few months (of course, I continued taking Amitriptyline in the evenings).

However, for the past few weeks, I've been having such severe panic attacks that I went back to the psychiatrist and told him that the Amitriptyline isn't helping anymore, since it was only prescribed for sleep problems, not anxiety.

He then prescribed Duloxetine, which I've been taking for a week. On the first day, I felt very aggressive, and the next day I felt happier than I've ever felt. To be honest, I didn't even know it was possible to feel like that. However, the happiness didn't last long... On the third day, I had terrible anxiety and severe depression... I've had it since today and will be seeing my psychiatrist again next week.

I wouldn't have a problem increasing the dose, but I have to tell you, my biggest fear is the "brain zaps" and the nightmares... I just don't want to experience them, and that's why I don't know what to do...

99% of the reviews mention brain zaps and nightmares, so there must be something to it, right? It's making me completely desperate...

What are your experiences with this?

Hi! I'm currently taking duloxetine, and today is my fourth day on it. My classes start tomorrow, and I'm a bit worried about managing the side effects while I'm at school. So far, I've been experiencing heart palpitations, heartburn, occasional nausea, lightheadedness, dizziness, hot flushes, and even panic attacks. Do you have any tips on how I can cope with these side effects during classes?

I’ve been taking 60mg of Cymbalta for two weeks and haven't seen any improvement. I have severe depression, and my anxiety is through the roof.
Is two weeks still too soon to notice an improvement?
I’ve read that it can take 6 to 8 weeks?
My psychiatrist is on vacation, so I’m asking here.
When did you start noticing changes?

Hello everyone,

*THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER PETITION*

The amazing Kim Witzciak recently launched a website serving as a petition for those with PSSD (and other SSRI injuries) to sign and document their experiences of harm with these medications.

It serves as a central place to show the volume of people being injured by these drugs. To convince those in power that these injuries are devastating a massive population size, deferring to Reddit groups won’t cut it/isn’t official enough. As such, this petition will be the MAIN SOURCE of reference when used to show the people we need to convince this is ruining/ending lives.

Please sign this, mention your experience and age if you can!!

We have SUCH power in numbers if we can all band together!

Just looking for some reassurance. I have been taking 40 mg of cymbalta and 100mg of Wellbutrin daily for over 6 months. I was taking 2 20mg tablets at the same time just before bed. I was finding that this was causing insomnia. I about a week ago changed my schedule to have 1 20mg tablet in the morning and 1 in the evening. I am feeling a relapse in side effects since this change. I feel slight dizzy spells and just off kind of like when I started the drug. It seems to get slightly better as the days go on but I’m worried that this off feeling has lasted over a week. Do I have reason to consider discontinuing cymbalta or am I just paranoid? Cymbalta has helped my anxiety a lot but the side effects are really intrusive when I have them.

I know everyone's body reacts to things differently, so I get no one can actually give me a true answer here. But has anyone made this switch?

I know a lot of people do the opposite, where they are put on Wellbutrin (as an add-on or switch) when their SSRI/SNRI causes emotional blunting. But I haven't heard many stories of the opposite. I'm starting Cymbalta (generic) tomorrow and am genuinely worried about what I'm getting myself into.

For me, Wellbutrin was like an off switch for all of my emotions and then, as it tapered off, sent me into a spiral of the worst depression and hopelessness I'd ever felt in my life. So obviously not a good idea to stay on it, I'm just worried that if that's my reaction to the med that's supposed to avoid those issues, that I may not be able to find one that actually makes me feel better.

Any experiences, thoughts, anecdotes, etc. would be incredibly appreciated.

My duloxetine has not been effective for about a year now.

At first, I blamed my pharmacy switching me to a less effective generic (Ajanta)

But about a year ago, my GP put me on Metformin for pre-diabetes.

Metformin does delay stomach emptying.
Which means the duloxetine stays in the stomach longer, increasing the likelihood that duloxetine is broken down by the gastric acids before it reaches the small intestine for proper absorption.

Duloxetine is enteric coated to bypass the stomach acid, but is it enteric coated ENOUGH to withstand delayed stomach emptying caused by diabetic and weight loss meds ??

GLP-1s and diabetes meds are becoming so popular that I wonder if other folks are experiencing a reduction in the performance of their duloxetine ?

If this is a real thing, then some possible solutions would be

1. stronger enteric coatings of oral duloxetine
2. injectable (subcutaneous) duloxetine

Going through a hard life situation and struggling with symptoms of depression/bpd/gad

told a new psychiatrist i only wanted to be on something short term as i am moving to the eu next yr and really want to manage symptoms long term w out big pharma. just really needed some help managing in the mean time

i also got a referral for tms which seems like a better option maybe

she suggested 20mg cymbalta to start

day one of taking it i had to leave work early due to being hit wifh a wave of awfulness. ended up extremely nauseas, dizzy, and when i would get up i felt like i was moving through this weird dream like state but even had a slight euphoric feeling through how awful i felt physically. i skipped it the next day because it was not possible for me to miss more work and i had the worst insomnia i’ve had in years for this one night! couldnt feel tired, tossed and turned unable to sleep and managed to sleep for 4 hours off and on and felt extreme anxiety/fever-dream-ish. now that i’m awake things are moving in a kinda distorting way and i just feel off in a very mildly similar way to when i >!took an overdose of an ssri over 8 yrs ago!<

i’m honestly thinking these side effects aren’t worth it as someone who only wanted some med help for like 6 months. i was not functional and don’t want to subject myself to that even another day. especially hearing withdrawals from stopping can be pretty bad.

I've been using Duloxetine/Cymbalta for two years, mostly due to fibromyalgia but also depressive symptoms. I had a pretty stable situation on max dosage but I also lost a lot of general feeling with made me prone to injuries and had a negative impact on any intimate activity. I lowered my dosage and it had a minimal impact on my sensitivity so me and my physician decided to try another medication - Amitriptyline.
This of course meant that I had to get off Duloxetine. I lowered it (according to the doctor's recommendation) with 30 mg/week and now I'm on the final step, which is no medication for a week.

Today I had a very strange and very scary experience however: I woke up very early, groggy and barely conscious and decided that I was just gonna go back to bed. Well, I just fell over, like a damn stiff board I just fell backwards and realized while falling that hey.. my bed isn't back there. My nightstand was however. I managed to determine that I hadn't injured any skeletal structures and then crawled into bed again. When I woke up a couple of hours later I'm bruised, my wall has a hole in it and my nightstand is crooked. I am also extremely groggy still and I'm more or less incapable of just walking in a straight line. I did not hit my head so I'm not concerned about that but I am wondering if I've gone off Duloxetine too damn fast.

Have any of ya'll had the same reaction? Is there anything I should be doing that can help? Should I continue with the plan and start Amitriptyline on monday?

Contacting my physician can prove difficult since he's on vacation and my health center is now closed, except for minor emergencies. If this gets worse, or happens again, I'll contact them ofc.

Doctor prescribed this to help with nerve pain and fibro, did it work for y'all? What should I expect and when is the best time to take it

I såfald, hvilken dosis og hvor længe?
Jeg har tidligere været på Sertralin men det virker tilsyneladende ikke længere på mig.

Håber I vil dele.

Opfølgning 1.7.2026
Nu har jeg efter samråd med lægen besluttet mig for, at gå tilbage til 60mg.
Krydser fingre for at det giver mig mere energi.

Hey everyone.

Firstly, I just want to say to those of you having a hard time and trying to figure everything out - hang in there, you will get there.

I think it's best for me to give a little bit of general background about my situation before and after starting Cymbalta.

For more or less as far back as I can remember, I struggled with some form of depression and social anxiety. Primarily, it was depression, and I actually did quite well socially in my early years, but really struggled with discomfort when it came to intimacy with others. Once I hit about 17 the anxiety started subtly and by the time I was 20, I was having multiple panic attacks a day. I couldn't look people in the eye and did not understand why, I would immediately start panicking in any sort of queueing / waiting system. Standing in line in the store? Internally terrified. The waiting room for a doctor? Several soul destroying trips to the bathroom just to put cold water on my face just to feel somewhat grounded.

I vividly remember one-time I was out having drinks with some friends, met this beautiful girl and we were walking together and sat down to talk after the bar. It was going so well and all of a sudden I started shivering, she asked was I ok and I genuinely freaked her out and I know I made her uncomfortable but I was just having a panic attack. God I'll never forget how embarrassing that was. I mention this for a reason I'll address at the bottom.

Even when I was at home alone with nothing to trigger me, I would suddenly feel the fight or flight kick in and would quite literally have to lie down on my stomach on the bed before I fainted out of panic.

Not fun, not thanks.

This all culminated in a solid 4-5 years of just... wasted existence. No motivation, no thought process beyond escapism through games or isolation or something that blocked out life.

Finally one day, I approached my mother and told them, that whilst I wasn't having any thoughts about youknow , i just didn't have an single content thought in my life.

So she hugged me, I cried my eyes out, I never cry, but I was a grown man bawling in his mothers arms for probably 30 minutes.

The next week, I went to my doctor and we started out with:
- Hi doctor, I can't stop having panic attacks, several a day.
So I got prescribed sertraline. These did nothing for me, I took them for 1.5 months and felt no change.
- Hi again doctor, I'm still having attacks, my life is miserable, I'm sorry.
We moved onto Beta-Blockers. These worked! But ...not really. I didn't have as many panic attacks, but I felt so viciously uncomfortable in my chest and could feel my heart beat in my feet sometimes. Apparently they slow your heart rate and your bloodflow changes. My doctor told me I had to go off them because they weren't suitable for me. I was heartbroken, it meant panic attacks all the time again.
- Xanax (0.500mcg)
Boom. Cured. Not a single panic attack. Even more-so, not a spec of anxiety even when out in public! Finally. But. Of course there's a but. They are short-term only. You take these for a few weeks and they stop working, you are CONSTANTLY exhausted, not just tired, absolutely exhausted on an atomic level. I knew they weren't the answer.

Then my doctor finally said to me: "Fair Librarian . . I want you to try this medication called Cymbalta. I know you've said that the anxiety and depression are things you can work on, it's the panic attacks. But in my experience, you're either depressed or anxious or one causes you to have the other and you're both, then because they are compounding and feeding each other, the panic sets in because your body and brain are trying to tell you it's time to fix it. So let's try these.

I agreed. I looked online and saw the horror stories and even though it terrified me, you know what terrified me more? Living the way I was forever. . .

So he gave me 2 xanax tablets for starting cymbalta. I felt absolutely ZERO benefits. The anxiety got worse, the night sweating started, panic attacks were rampant, I was naseuous.

Then week 2 came along and the nausea was gone. Week 3 and I noticed I wasn't having panic attacks randomly, only if I started hyperfocusing on having one. This was the way it was until 2 full months in.

Just over 2 months in on 30mg, The panic attacks were gone. completely. Still deal with anxiety.

another month later I actually reached out to my doctor and asked to go up to 60mg.

I'm now 8 months in and here's how I am doing:
Pros:
- No anxiety when I'm at home relaxing unless it's something extremely upsetting that would give anybody anxiety.
- 3 panic attacks in about...7 months I guess?
- No nausea.
- No uncomfortable feeling in my chest.
- Almost never have racing thoughts.

Cons:
- I sweat. a LOT. but only at night time, never more than usual in general.
- I rarely get a full 8 hours sleep any more. It's more like 3-4 hours, wake up, 3 hours and up then. Or 2 hours - 2 hours 2 hours.
- If I miss a dose, It's fine, I guess I get some brain zaps? But subtly and about 30 minutes after I take the dose I'm fine again, albeit more tired.

General information I want to share:

- I drink occasionally with Cymbalta. I NEVER skip my dose. I simply take my dose that morning, have my drinks that evening and take my dose the next morning. My hangovers are genuinely better than they were when I wasn't on Cymbalta because I don't have remotely as much anxiety / reasonless fear. I've had plenty of drinks at time and only 2 or 3 at times and felt no different. I do however ALWAYS drink my first drink very very slowly, like, an hour, just to be sure all is ok. This is anecdotal, not medical advice.

- Recently, I went to a wedding, met a girl I've always fancied, and we hung out for 3 days. Not a drop of anxiety or being in my own head, no panicking, and I even got a cheeky kiss here and there! How far I have come right?

- I have a meeting in the morning with someone to help me navigate going to college, something I'd have never been able to do, now I'm so excited to figure it out and it doesn't even matter that I'll be early 30's when I graduate, i'm just so thankful I can do it now.

- Drink. Water. Constantly. It will help you so so so much. Just be drinking water all the time haha.

I totally understand this is one persons experience, but I promise you, I've been you, I know... I really get it. But it's genuinely never too late, don't ever give up trying for yourself because you are great and you just need to find the way to let yourself experience that.

Feel free to ask any questions and I'll answer as best I can.