My experience starting Duloxetine (Cymbalta)

Treatment and medication
1

Hello Roomies

I would like to share my expeiriences of starting and taking Duloxetine (Cymbalta) so far..

​As like myself and many others, when prescribed such a medication like an SSRI your thoughts will be, oh no what about "side effects" so you start trawing the internet, to be honest all you do is scare yourself i was no different.

My conditions

​Depression/Anxiety-Fibromyalgia/Chronich Fatigue.

Went along to my GP to discuss starting again on Duloxetine (Cymbalta) as i had previously been taking this medication on a starting dose of 30 mg per day to which i found came with side effects, so i eventually gave up after a very short time!!

​I have now discussed with my GP starting on low dose 20 mg per day for 4 weeks with the view of going upto 30 mg per day.

​Week 1...Abit jittery for the first week, with slight nausea for a couple of days.

​Week 2...A lifting of mood no jitters, no nausea, felt good tbh

​Week 3...Felt ok  but not the same lifting of mood, nausea gone!, jitters gone!

​Week 4...Started feeling alot calmer within myself, moments when mood lifted with feeling happy for short periods. that was a good feeling when it came along from time to time.

​Now into week 5 with going upto 30 mg per day.

​Back to feeling abit jittery, but that will pass but ok, as i would have expected with an increase of 10 mg. I take this medication around 8 am every morning. Dont have any problems with sleep or any sexual side effects. No increase or decrease in appetite or nausea.

​To be honest so far so good, mood starting to lift. Side effects are very minimal.

​Hope my experiences so far help anyone considering taking this medication. As like many others icluding myself would trawl the internet and forums like this looking for positive stories before taking. Most people will tell the horror stories, just thought i would share mine so far.

​Feel free to ask me anything or how im getting on with my experience as i get on

​My experience overall, so far so good

Regards

​Gaz

 

2

Thankyou! Someone else with a positive Duloxetin story. People need to understand. Any new drug into ur system is going to wreak havic in your interest system. Some are lucky an its not to bad. Others it's a nightmare all wound up in their depression and anxiety. I started 30mg Duloxetin for 2 wks in Dec of 15. No noticeable side effects. Expect, NOT MUCH PAIN FOR FIBROMYALGIA!!! AMAZING. Then went up to 60mg. Not much to note except did alot of yard work for parent's an knew I would be paying for it next 3 days. NOPE .hardly any soreness. I couldn't believe it. I had started it mainly for depression an didn't realize it gave me energy (took in am with food at same time everday,IMPORTANT) but after starting 60mg for 3 wks fell at Walmart (U.S.)an broke my foot. Bad. Rt before Thanksgiving. I was cooking! My parent's are elderly so they don't do much. I'm there caretaker an power of attorney. Sister doesn't help much. Neither parent drives an they still live in a huge house with 1 acre to care for. It's wearing me down an my marriage. Super stress. Stay at home mom. 2 teen boys an husband. So breaking foot added on top. Then 3 wks later was Rear-ended at a light an smashed into car ahead. Car was totaled. Still duking in out with SafeCo insurance an hired a lawyer. So my blood pressure was taken several times while on Duloxetin. It was high. I normally don't have it. 125/78. Well it was like 184/94!! 162/90!! Freaked me out. So stopped it. Went down to 30 for two wks then stopped. Horrible withdrawls. Headaches (severe),nausea, brain zaps, mood probs again. Dx with GAD an depression. Im wondering if I'm thinking of starting again since some things have calm down. My Dad takes 30mg an has NEVER had a problem. Cut down osteoarthritis pain by 80%. Was on hydrocodone all time! If you don't try you never know. Looking at net, can scare you. Everyone is different. Goodluck!

3

I have been on cymbalta for three weeks for depression and anxiety! I am getting discouraged as I am not feeling much better! I keep hoping every day I will see results! I need someone's support!

4

Hi just want to say am very greatful for your post I am on my third day of taking duloxetine 30mg and my first day I felt so terrible I trawled the web for people's reactions to this medication all I found as you said were horror stories which didn't really help I have been considering whether to continue I am now on day 3 and have switched to taking my meds in the evening so I have been sleeping through the worst and now just feeling a bit nauseous lightheaded and shaky through the days. Any updates would be really appreciated as I want to try and persevere with this medication as I have definitely improved from day 1

5

Hi Becky! I was on 60 mil a increase from 30 after 10 days! Just went off Cymbalta starting today as I could not tolerate the shakingness and the weird feelings in my head! Only on it for 3 weeks but I needed some relief! I started Zoloft this am! Glad to hear you have improved with Cymbalta! What were you taking Cymbalta for?

6

Hi I am taking for anxiety depression and also chronic pain which is why the dr opted for this med as it targets all aspects, I also suffer from POTS syndrome which the gp said this med may go either way may help with it or could make it worse but I'm hoping that if side effects have improved slightly in 3 days they will continue to do so. By the sounds of your story they didn't improve which I don't think I would have lasted a week let alone 3 so well done for persisting as I know how bad it made me feel the first time I took it i can't imagine feeling this way for 3 weeks. I have 3 children 2 who are toddlers and also work to keep on top of so couldn't deal with that everyday with feeling so bad I'm hoping it will work but I am concerned about all of the stories of withdrawal when you decide to stop the medication how have you found coming off of it after 3 weeks? Thank you for reply it's nice to know other people are in the same situations and I'm not alone with what I'm going through 😁

7

Hi Becky

I started with 20 mg per day for 4 weeks, just so I could get used to it slowly. Then increased to 30 mg per day now in week 7. For the first week on 20 mg I felt jittery, nausea but that soon went as your body adjusts, and it will. In week 2 I Felt great and thought here we go this is it it's working lol, that didn't last long. I have no plans to increase to 60 mg per day as I couldn't tolerate that increase in the past and gave up. It's all to easy to give up on these kind of meds. But like you I want to persevere with it. I also have depression, anxiety and chronic pain in ME/CFC. Yeh it's still early days but some days I get a real burst of energy and good mood but I would like that feeling to more often. So yeh like you I'm persevering.

Regards

Garry 😃

8

Hope it works out for you! I was hoping for the same but it did not happen for me! Good Luck!

9

Hi! I sincerely hope things go well for you! It really is hard when you have small kids to care for! I babysit for my grandson who is three everyday and some days I really struggle with this! Good Luck and God Bless!

10

Hi! I have pritty much the same condition you do. After taking Cymbalta 30mg for 4 days i am calling it quits! How long had you originally taken it for before you quit? Im a little anxious about the side effects i will feel now. I am told its safe to quit at this point though. Many thanks!

11

Hi Chris

I know what you saying regarding stop now, I've done this before with ssri meds. What you'll be thinking is if I stop now I won't have any withdrawals. So your thinking if I continue you will need to wean yourself off yeh? Firstly any side effects will pass in a week or 2. When do you take it. I'm 2 1/2 months on Cymbalta this time round. You asked the last time I took Cymbalta I was on it for around 9 months then stopped over a 2 week period. I never had a problem stopping the last time. I find it helps a lot with depression and anxiety. So overal I'm happy. Feel free to ask me anything! You could give more time to see if the side effects your having go. I had some very mild tbh side effects for a couple of weeks, don't have any now. Look forward to taking my meds in the morning. 30mg. 30mg us still a low dose.

Regards

Garry 👍

12

Thx very kindly for reply Garry. Just has been a terrible 4 days. Very likely this does not agree with me. Just very scary and caused me all kinds of grief. Worst part has been awakening in the morning. Feel extremely weak and have a very slow pulse. Guess thats what this does, it does tweak you. But I think i am of the type who does not handle this well. Again only been on it for 4 days. Seems like it has done plenty. So i am hoping recovery would only take a day or 2. I guess we all react different. Guess im waiting for some awful kind of never ending vertigo spin =) Big thanks again Sir! =)

13

I'm surprised you're taking it daily, as Duloxetine only has a 12 hour life span in the body, could be one of the reasons you're feeling jittery

14

did u gain a bunch of weight?

15

any weight gain