I have been on duloxetine for about a year for depression and anxiety. While it has been somewhat effective in treating those, it wasn't effective enough to justify sticking with it given the side effects I was experiencing--mainly fatigue and headaches. My psychiatrist developed a plan for me to taper off very gradually (I know withdrawal from this med can be nasty), and I'm now 2 weeks in. I've had some withdrawal side effects--slight dizziness on occasion, fatigue, nightmares, and headaches, but nothing has been as bad as the sudden weight gain--I've been gaining a pound every one or two days! After just two weeks I am up 6 pounds! This despite being very careful with my diet and exercise. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, did the weight gain stop eventually? Were you able to lose the weight once fully off the meds?
Rapid weight gain while tapering off of Cymbalta (duloxetine). Has anyone else experienced this?
Question posted by LoLo99 on 12 Aug 2020
Last updated on 30 December 2022
Answers
I am in the stage of just tapering off the meds myself a decision I made with my therapist. I started getting severe diarrhea and colitis (infection in your intestines) so it wasn't worth it to me anymore. I experienced about a 30lb weight gain with the medication that I was trying to blame on covid but the reality was I was staying active and running at least 3 miles a day. I wasn't seeing any weight loss results no matter how many hours I worked out. So it's been about a week since I tapered off and I seem to experience a slight decrease in weight. But nothing significant yet.
At the beginning of getting off Duloxetine I did not gain weight, I did not lose weight either. After completely getting off the med (4 1/2 months of reducing dose) I did lose 18 lbs.
I started taking this in March and doctor recently increased my dose. Ugh! I have the weight gain, other side effects like profusely sweating while feet remain ice cold, hearing and vision issues, insomnia and others. I am now terrified of withdrawal.
Any updates? Thanks for sharing your stories.
Related topics
cymbalta, depression, weight loss (obesity/overweight), anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, duloxetine, weight, tapering
Further information
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.
