Cymbalta for Anxiety User Reviews (Page 5)

• Anonymous
• June 16, 2009

"I've been taking this medication for 3 weeks. First week I was on 30 mg, I felt almost immediate relief from my anxiety/depression. The first six days I experienced fatigue and slept 12 hours a day. By the 7th day I was sleeping less and feeling more emotionally balanced. Second week, my dosage was increased to 60 mg and the same thing happened. I slept 12 for about 6 days and by the 7th day I felt good and was sleeping normally. I do have some clenching of my jaw and dry mouth, but a glass of water seems to help. I take my medication at the same time every morning after eating and drink lots of water throughout the day. I'm not taking any other drugs. I've found great relief with Cymbalta. My husband is thrilled with the calmer, happier me. Me too!"

• KIW...
• December 21, 2008

"Cymbalta is a godsend for me and all those people out there who suffer from depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, diabetic nerve damage, fibromyalgia, pain or whatever else it is used for. I myself have S.A.D. (Social Anxiety Disorder) and at times depression. I was taking Zoloft and I still felt the anxiety, so my doctor prescribed Cymbalta. It took about a week to actually kick in, and when it did, I felt it and loved it. I would recommend this medication to those who are trying to find a way to help them live their life with ease. It's not a cure, but it is very helpful as long as you take it when you are supposed to. Cymbalta is the best. Thanks."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 13, 2018

"This medication honestly changed my life. I thought I was fine while taking it, so I went off cold turkey. It was the worst experience of my life. I took my 2 pills after about 9 days off. After an estimated 3 hours, I felt like my normal, happy, non-anxiety self again. I don't recommend it to anyone, though. I tried about 4 different medications before Cymbalta was the one that helped me. Good luck!"

• SNR...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 30, 2021

"I tried taking Cymbalta a few years ago, and the treatment had lasted for a few weeks. What I experienced was weight gain, more obsessive thoughts, sexual dysfunction, and erection difficulties. To me, the cost of taking Cymbalta outweighed its benefits. I am sharing this not because I want to discourage anyone with similar disorders like GAD or depression not to try it, but to emphasize a possibility of unbearable side effects for some people. This medication might work amazingly for some people, but please bear in mind that some SSRI/SNRI might fit our genetics, and some don't. If one doesn't work for you, you could discuss it with your doctor and try another one until you find the most suitable one for you. This is science. I was well informed of the possible side effects and benefits of it, and I don't blame it. I'm even happy to see it works pretty well for some people!"

• Meg...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 18, 2023

"I have severe anxiety and panic attacks, have since I was a child. I took this for about two years until I realized the reason I was having so many depersonalization episodes and panic attacks (that seemingly had no cause) was because of this medication. When going on it, my doctor forgot to mention it would be a living nightmare to try to get off. I've been tapering off this medication for the last couple of months, decreasing by one bead at a time per week because if I decrease it any more than that, I have brain zaps, vertigo, migraines, nausea, hallucinations, mood swings, increased suicidal thoughts, and severe anxiety/panic attacks. Even tapering as slowly as I have, I'm experiencing the mood swings and severe anxiety. This medication IS NOT WORTH IT. Please save yourself some time and just try something else. I don't know why this stuff is even FDA approved. I can't wait to be off it."

• zio...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2016

"I'm taking Duloxetine 20 mg per day for anxiety and minor depression. I have taken this med for almost two months and keep a daily journal. As a 'blind study,' I started this drug without my wife's knowledge. I noticed a decrease in my overall anxiety in ten (10) days, and my wife mentioned my calmness in two weeks. I am a 70-year-old male, and I supplement Duloxetine with Buspar on an 'as needed' basis for anxiety. The Duloxetine seems to smooth things out without the numbing effect of a benzodiazepine. I'm on the minimum available dosage and will soon ask my PCP to up my dosage to 40 mg per day. There have been absolutely no bad side effects from the drug."

• sti...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 9, 2018

"After my first dose of the generic version of Cymbalta yesterday evening for major anxiety and minor depression. I was surprised to feel a difference within a few hours. My mood lifted, and I had more energy. I still felt slightly anxious. Initial side effects: quite bad insomnia, slight jitteriness, slight diarrhea, very slight confusion at times, and nausea for the first 12 hours after taking it. After 2 weeks, I now have zero side effects and have changed to taking it in the mornings. It is a miracle drug for my depression! The constant dark feeling of sadness has lifted completely. It has also helped my anxiety quite a lot, however, I still have periods of anxiousness. I am definitely going to stay on this medication as it has drastically improved the quality of my life."

• Kel...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 4, 2020

"I have been on Cymbalta 30 mg for about a year and a half for anxiety. When I first started taking it, I could not stay awake. If I sat down and got still, I was asleep. After about 3 months, that started wearing off (never fully). I have also had muscle spasms since I started, and they have not gone away. I recently started having panic attacks and couldn’t seem to focus at all. I talked to my doctor about switching meds, they decided that moving to 60 mg would help my anxiety more. I took 60 mg for about a week and was having so many more muscle spasms. I also had headaches every day. I felt all over the place. So I went to my doctor again, saying I thought I needed something else. I will start taking Wellbutrin. I really hope this is going to be the medicine for me. My anxiety is out of control right now coming off Cymbalta. I also am having a ton of dizziness."

• Ste...
• April 5, 2012

"I love this medicine! My anxiety started off as mild, and as years passed, it slowly got worse. I went from having social anxiety to generalized anxiety and then major depression. It took me 7 years to find this medicine, but once I found it, I gained my life back. I still have a little anxiety, but most is gone. This medicine was great for my major depression. Yes, it does have some side effects, but most will disappear with time, and like most other users will vouch, the benefits far outweigh the mild side effects."

• Lis...
• January 9, 2017

"I'm on Cymbalta 30 mg for my anxiety and depression, and I have been on it for a month. I have no side effects, but nausea and being tired, but that all went away in about 2 weeks. Great meds, works great for me."

• Ame...
• November 5, 2017

"I tried to go about my life without being on an antidepressant, but life didn’t seem very livable anymore. I tried Lexapro, and though it stopped the heart pounding and shortness of breath, I was still very depressed and always exhausted. I also went from 130 to 150 pounds in about 2 months. I switched to Cymbalta, and everything changed, I have never been happier. I wake up full of energy, which is something I have never had. I have also lost the weight I gained! Like others have said, everyone is different, and medications will affect you differently. I was surprised to hear my friend had a bad experience with it. I very much recommend at least trying it because it has helped me so much!"

• Chr...
• September 22, 2019

"It worked for me at the beginning. In 2017, I went from 60 mg to 30 mg. I was on it for anxiety. But after a year, it really wasn't working, it made me very moody and snappy. It actually was giving me more panic attacks and diarrhea. The worst to get off it. Worst symptoms I experienced, I felt better off of it. I feel like I got worse after this medication."

• Bry...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 9, 2019

"I started on 30 mgs a day and stopped on the 5th day. I felt so nauseous and intestinally challenged. The drug also caused my heart to go into afib/aflutter with moderate tachycardia. As soon as I told the doctor what was happening, he had me stop immediately. Now I am waiting to see a cardiologist to assess the arrhythmia situation. I know the literature says that my side effects are rare, but it happened to me."

• Anonymous
• June 20, 2008

"I was on Cymbalta for two years. I had no side effects and it worked really well for my anxiety. I had no sexual side effects, which was great. I decided to go off of it thinking that I didn't need it anymore. I thought that I tapered it by taking 20 mg for a month. Once I started taking 20 mg every other day, it was like experiencing the withdrawal symptoms over again each time. I finally just stopped taking it and had awful withdrawal symptoms - more monitoring would have helped."

• Anonymous
• August 6, 2012

"I went from being extremely angry and so anxious I couldn't leave the house to now being able to go out in public, socialize with others, and live life. I feel much happier, have more energy, and am much more pleasant to be around."

• dup...
• June 7, 2011

"I was having panic attacks so bad I would have to pull off the road while driving. My husband was waiting on a double lung transplant when these attacks started. After the transplant, the caregiving made these attacks become worse. I couldn't breathe, I wanted to cover up under something and not come out. My doctor gave me Lexapro, and one dose made me worse. He asked me to try Cymbalta, and after one dose I became immediately better. I've been on Cymbalta for 4 years, and would hate to go back to the times when I had those attacks. It obviously was the medicine I needed."

• Spe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2017

"I'm pretty sure that I don't suit this medication. The first three weeks were absolute torture with blurred vision, headaches, nausea, and no energy. After that time, the medicine did seem to help my anxiety and depression. However, after three months, the side effects came back worse than the first three weeks. I went to my doctor and asked to switch medications immediately. Coming off of the Cymbalta was the worst experience of my life. At one point, I had uncontrollable shaking and muscle movements. I couldn't even concentrate enough to go to the kitchen and make a sandwich. I know this drug works for many people, but for myself, it was like taking poison."

• Sly...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 12, 2015

"I had been using Cymbalta for 3 years, and all was great until the generic one appeared. I took it for several weeks and started getting a metallic taste in my mouth and got cysts in my mouth and on both sides of my tongue; nothing tasted right. I had my doc write a script for the use of only the original Cymbalta because I saw on another forum that this was a reaction to the generic. All the cysts cleared up and were gone, and everything is normal after 2 weeks of original Cymbalta!"

• bol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 21, 2012

"I've been on Cymbalta for 2 days, and it is great. My daily high anxiety is completely diminished. I can make decisions without anxiety. I am having trouble with sleepiness, however, I know this will subside. I got back on antidepressants because I've had a tough time dealing with my mom's death in May and am currently going through a divorce."

• Jez...
• January 6, 2017

"Just started taking this med 5 days ago after 5 years on Celexa. Celexa always left me at an 'I'm fine' state, and I just said that 'I just am older, so I shouldn't expect to have the energy I had in high school' (I'm 26). Two months ago, my meds seemed to stop working altogether. My doc decided we should counter-taper meds between Celexa and Cymbalta. Day one of Cymbalta on the lowest dose, I felt absolutely amazing. I have all of my full range of emotions and so much energy and concentration! For about 8 hours on Day 2, my eyebrow would twitch on and off, but that's gone. I'm planning on discussing with my doc about keeping the low dose (he suggested one up) and just completely getting rid of Celexa and see how that works. I'm ecstatic!"

• Pur...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 11, 2019

"I've had GAD pretty much all my life, but developed increasing depression and withdrawal from social activities. Finally, I bit the bullet and told my doctor. He started me on duloxetine, 30 mg, with the warnings about weight gain and sexual dysfunction and commented we could increase to 60 mg in three or four weeks if needed. Never needed the increase - 30 mg is perfect. I have gained 4 or 5 pounds. I did notice the sexual dysfunction (loss of interest and difficulty 'finishing' at first), so I would hold my meds a day or two before bath and treat night, which worked fine. Pretty much back to normal in that regard. The best thing is I can get more than one or two errands completed now. I call my pills 'do lots of things' now!"

• Cow...
• September 28, 2009

"I suffer from medical anxiety. I first tried Paxil - itched like crazy. Then Lexapro - shook all the time. Cymbalta has changed my life. I feel so much better now and almost back to 'normal' after 5 weeks on the medication. I have a little insomnia and have lost a few pounds, but other than that I feel like I'm 30 again instead of 50!"

• Hey...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 14, 2020

"Took my first Cymbalta yesterday. About 2 hours after taking it, I felt like I had no energy. About 2 hours after that, I was running to the bathroom. That night, I went to sleep fine, but woke up at 3 am and couldn't go back to sleep. I got out of bed at 5:30 am, grabbed a cup of coffee, and within 3 minutes, I was having heat flashes followed by freezing flashes, felt like I was going to get sick, and had zero energy. Went to the doctor at 8:45 am and was having a reaction to the drug and broke out in a cold sweat in the office. It is now 5 pm, and I still feel like I was run over by a train, no energy, stomach is still iffy, and my head has pins and needles."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 9, 2015

"I took this for both anxiety and pain. It did not work as well as Effexor for anxiety, but it helped keep away the bad anxiety attacks. I had to take Ativan several times a week, whereas on the Effexor, I took it once or twice a week. I changed to the Cymbalta hoping it would help with my chronic pain, and it did significantly. The only bad side effect I have had is higher body temperature and sweating. I am currently researching other medications just because of this side effect. If your anxiety is mild to moderate and you have chronic pain, I think this is a good option if you don't experience the sweating. My anxiety was a little too much for this drug to handle alone, and I can't handle the sweating and hot flashes."

• Edw...
• December 16, 2012

"I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. My doctor prescribed Cymbalta. It cured my anxiety, but came at a price... it's an expensive medicine, and I hope that meditation and relaxation will help me get off Cymbalta one day :) Short term, it has been extremely effective in my recovery of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder."