Cymbalta for Chronic Pain User Reviews

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 17, 2021

"I've been on Cymbalta for about a month now for lack of energy, depression, and chronic back pain. I started with 30mg/D and one week later to 60mg/D. I had some mild nausea a few days after starting the 30mg and nothing at all with 60. This medication is changing my life and is doing everything it's supposed to do. The back pain is gone almost completely, I'm energized, focused, and calm. I can now put in a full productive day just like everyone else and not be dragging myself around by noon. I was very scared to start because I read all the scary reviews but I love, love, love this stuff!"

• Gle...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 20, 2019

"This is the only med that has helped my nerve pain/neuropathy. Lyrica & Neurontin didn’t work. One made me dizzy, the other made my nerve pain worse. I was scared to try Cymbalta after hearing some people say they hated it. Honestly, it’s been a godsend for me. I still have other kinds of pain, but the pins & needles, tingling, and burning are no longer there. I take a narcotic a few times a day, but 1/2 what I did before Cymbalta. I may have had some weight gain from it, but I don’t know if it’s this or just my age & diet mostly. I can’t get off the Cymbalta for now as it helps too much. I also used to have some anxiety/panic attacks & I don’t have them on this. I’m able to stop myself thank god. I have a happy sex life with my husband & no negative side effects (except possibly a few pounds). I also have low back pain less frequently. You don’t know til you try it how it might work for you. I take 60mg/night for about 4-5 years. I’m 45 years old."

• Mag...
• October 18, 2019

"I am taking the time to write a positive review for Cymbalta to hopefully help another person considering this medication. Dose and side effects: My experience has been good with the brand version of Cymbalta for 1 month - 30 mg. Day 1, a bit nauseous and diarrhea. Nothing else except constipation. Relief: I suffer from nerve/chronic pain. I felt relief from back pain in week 1 and by week 3, my nerve pain is calming down. I have not gained weight. Cymbalta: For those considering this medication, take time to read the good reviews and consider the brand version if you can afford it. Generics aren’t the exact replicas of the original brand. There are umpteen different versions of generics and they vary from pharmacy to pharmacy. So you never know what kind you're going to get. Take time to do your research. I work in medical education. The information is out there on the net to educate us on side effects, generics, withdrawal, etc."

• Gal...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 18, 2019

"I have been on Cymbalta for over a year (60mg per day) and this has been life-changing. No side effects at all, and my chronic nerve pain (from a herniated disc) is down about 98%. I recommend anyone with nerve pain to at least try this one. I take the generic version."

• Cal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 15, 2020

"I have been on Cymbalta for 3 weeks and feel great — free of spine pain and aches that follow surgeries. No longer am I taking pain meds or high doses of aspirin. Keep pinching myself that this is real!"

• San...
• July 21, 2016

"I was prescribed 20 mg of Cymbalta three days ago. The agonizing pain in my knees is virtually gone. Not kidding! All the negative posts almost made me quit. Don't give up. I was offended that my doctor prescribed this medication as it is an antidepressant. I convinced myself I wasn't suffering depression, I was suffering from chronic pain. Come on, people! Who, if you are in chronic pain, isn't depressed? I couldn't do anything anymore. I couldn't get out in the garden, couldn't cook for my family, couldn't walk up or down stairs without leaning on the rails. I know it's too soon to tell, but I know it is doing whatever it's supposed to do in my brain to cut out the pain."

• jim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 21, 2019

"I've been on Cymbalta 20 mg for about 5 weeks, which was prescribed for chronic hip/lower back pain. Day 2 into the medication, the hip/lower back pain was gone! Doc upped the dosage to 40 mg... day 1 after taking 40 mg, the arthritis on both hands/fingers was gone also. Very minimal side effects."

• Der...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 20, 2021

"I began Cymbalta about a month ago after telling my new MD that I had aches/pains everywhere and was not sleeping because of it. She began me on 60mg, and after a month, I am now not having the pain that I had before. I have had 3 nights in a row of getting into bed and being comfortable and can rest and sleep! I read all of the reviews I could, and saw all of the negative ones. Everyone is different, please don't think because someone else had a bad experience that you will too."

• kaz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 4, 2018

"I don't usually leave reviews for anything, and I researched this drug and saw so many negative comments about it, so I thought I would leave a positive one. People seem to try this for 1 - 3 days and give up, how is this giving the drug a good chance at working? I have had chronic musculoskeletal lower back pain for just over a year now without any opiates working long term, so my doctor prescribed Cymbalta 30mgs to start with. Yes, I did have side effects... nausea, insomnia, lack of concentration, fainting, headaches, etc., but when you are desperate for pain relief, you try anything and I stuck it out for the 2 weeks. All the side effects have gone, and I now have gone up to 60mgs, and I feel this is kicking in quite nicely. I don't need my pain patches anymore, etc."

• Tul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 6, 2019

"For nine years I had lower back pain due to a bulging disk. I also had aches/discomfort in the left hip that caused me to walk with a limp. My doctor prescribed Cymbalta for chronic pain, and a few days later I noticed that the hip aches/discomfort and back pain were gone. I no longer walk with a limp! Very minor side effects."

• HRU...
• September 7, 2016

"I feel the need to write this review as I read so many negative reviews online of Cymbalta before I started taking it, and they really freaked me out. However, while I cannot negate what others have said as I know this type of medication varies for almost everyone, Cymbalta has been really great for me! I have mysterious chronic pain for over two years now, and after trying so many different things to lessen it (other medications, chiropractic, PT, supplements, acupuncture, stretching, icing... the list goes on), this has been the only thing that has really helped me. My pain hasn't gone away fully, but Cymbalta has made my life a lot easier. I have experienced no side effects so far."

• She...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2019

"Cymbalta has helped me so much for chronic pain. Initially, I felt dizzy and weird for about a month on 30mg a day. And, I didn't think it helped my pain. My doctor increased the dose to 60mg a day and said that is the standard dose for fibromyalgia. Since the dosage increased, my pain has been helped 70 to 80%. I am glad I stuck with it. I haven't gained weight, and my appetite has decreased a little, which is good."

• Hol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 18, 2019

"I have RSD = Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, which is a nerve problem caused by damaged nerves. Mine is in my right foot, in my toes. This pain is so bad, it makes you cry, it is that painful. I have had this for 15 years, and I will always have been told there is no cure for this disease. My doctor put me on Cymbalta. Keep in mind I also have a pain pump implanted in me to help with the pain, which it does help, but there are times I need to take the edge off. So, he put me on Cymbalta. I've been taking it now for a few weeks, and I have noticed a huge difference in the pain being much less. It is doing the job it was given to me to do and is working well. Nothing is worse than being in pain and not being able to live life, it's miserable. But now, things have gotten better. I'm not in that miserable state where it ruins your life. Life is so much better!"

• Sal...
• September 9, 2016

"I was started on Cymbalta for pain at 30 mg per day the first month. I experienced mild disruption of sleep for a few nights, but no other side effects. My pain was initially reduced by 70% but began to wear off by evening. Second month my dose was upped to 60 mg per day, which I take at lunch time. My neck pain and neuropathy in hands and feet have been reduced by 90%, which is like a miracle to me. I have been able to resume yoga and biking. Life is very good now. I was switched to generic Duloxetine with no loss of benefit and no more side effects. I'm one of the lucky ones who does not suffer many side effects from medications. My sister cannot use this one at all."

• blu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 25, 2020

"One of the worst medications ever. 1st 5 days, had no desire to do anything. Complete apathy about everything. Also had terrible nausea for 5 days. That finally went away. Then it started feeling like something was literally tapping on my brain. It did nothing for the chronic pain I had. I don't know how anyone can take this medicine. Stopped taking it. Had a headache for a few days, that was it."

• Ami...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 2, 2020

"Cymbalta has been the worst drug I've ever been on and was irresponsibly prescribed by my doctor for chronic pain. I was on it for 4 months, and it didn't work at all. To make it worse, I almost died from withdrawal because my doctor took off for 3 months and left no one in his place to write my prescription. Therefore, I went into withdrawal, which he never warned me about. This drug is worse than any opiate. If you take your medication responsibly, you shouldn't be denied other more helpful medication."

• Bal...
• June 8, 2013

"After suffering in a very serious way from chronic neck and back pain for about 5 years, I was giving up. I had no major injury, but small 'normal range' disc ruptures protruding in my C5 and C7 with other old back injuries. Fibromyalgia/Neuralgia. I've gone through multiple specialists, MRIs, physical therapists, chiropractors, and acupuncturists. Some relief here and there, mostly with acupuncture and specific stretching. Pain was horrible. Finally after persistent research, I found what truly works for me: Cymbalta (normal dose) with daily SAM-E and Malic Acid supplements. It took about 2 months to fully work, but now I'm virtually PAIN FREE. Cannot thank God enough for this."

• for...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 22, 2024

"I was prescribed Cymbalta and sat on the prescription almost a month before I started it. I was in a panic about the side effects and that everyone said it was hard to get off. After a particularly hard night with back and knee pain, I decided to try it (30 mg). After 3 days, all my pain was gone and I had much more energy. After going up to 60 mg daily and being on it for 3 months, all my arthritis and nerve pain are gone. I can actually say it was a miracle for me. I do have side effects - less of an appetite, weird yawning even when not tired, thirst, and dry mouth. But I'd much rather deal with that than limping and horrible pain (especially at night). This drug must be taken as prescribed, and even though it worked very fast for pain in my case, given a month or two to settle in. I can't imagine how many quit or didn't start because of bad reviews. I'm sure Cymbalta has helped far more people than the reviews show. The problem is that when something works, most people don't leave reviews."

• Soc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 26, 2017

"3 Months and so far this drug has helped me more than PT, steroid shots, yoga, massage, traction, ibuprofen and patience. The side effects were challenging to begin with, but once the first few weeks had passed by, I was feeling pretty normal and back to my old self again. I can't describe how grateful I am for this medication and it's helped me to no end. Don't believe all the negative reviews, but take note of the positive reviews too."

• Spi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2021

"This drug had some side effects the first two weeks. I could not get more than one hour of sleep. It takes away some of the chronic pain in my hands, and I can get a full night's sleep. Give it time to work, if you're using it for chronic pain, don't quit after one month because it takes a good 6 to 7 weeks to really enjoy the benefits of Cymbalta."

• Adu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 29, 2017

"I suffer from chronic pain, depression, and anxiety for the past 10 years and I'm 30. Football ruined my life, but Cymbalta has made it worse. Not only did I NOT receive any benefit from Cymbalta, but I gave it a serious 2-month try and I'm now spending 90% of my time withdrawing from it. I cannot imagine if I was on this a year, let alone ten. If this medicine helps you, I would weigh the benefits seriously because either you're going to the grave with this medicine or you're going to have to feel the 'benefits' of coming off of this poison. Beware because no doctor will tell you these things. Worse than 2 years of clonazepam, alcohol, or opiates, no joke. Hope this helps someone!"

• boo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 26, 2019

"I have been on Cymbalta for two months, 60mg in the morning. The first week I was on 30mg to give my body a chance to get used to the drug. I have had no side effects, except maybe a little constipation the first week or two. I am taking it for chronic pain from osteoarthritis in neck and lower back. I do suffer from anxiety and mild depression. My fingers were killing me two months ago. Now when I make a fist, the fingers are a little stiff but no pain. My neck pain has been more manageable. I am still having issues with lower back joint dysfunction. I generally feel more optimistic, don't get aggravated at bad drivers, take things a little more easily, and have more energy to get things done. My motivation is coming back. I am only rating an 8 at this point since it has only been two months."

• Jlc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 23, 2019

"Put on Cymbalta 30 mg with intentions of going up to 60 mg. It was for anxiety, panic attacks, chronic pain from back surgery, stenosis of spine and cervical fusion. I have taken it for 7 months. HAD NO side effects EVER. It helps me sleep at night. My pain, anxiety, and panic attacks are minimal. Only complaint is that I have gained 10 lbs and I am hungry all the time. I am still taking 30 mg."

• Mon...
• July 16, 2015

"I have only been on this med for two days, but OMG what a difference! I have been in pain mgmt for 25 years for interstitial cystitis and during this time I went from being an energetic, happy person to nothing more than a shell. As the pain and pain med amounts increased, the quality of my so-called life decreased to the point that for the last year I do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but sit on the couch and read. No cooking, no cleaning, no going out, nothing! But after only 2 days, I'm starting to feel like my old self again! Much more energy and have even taken less pain meds! I haven't had any side effects. Can't wait to see how this goes! Sooooo grateful!"

• Cie...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 24, 2019

"I have rheumatoid arthritis that was not responding to Orencia, Arava, Rituxan, Cimzia, or Humira. Prior to these medications, I was on Enbrel, but it stopped working after 9 years and I was allergic to methotrexate. The Cymbalta seemed to make my pain much more bearable. I still had the joint pains, but somehow, the pain wasn't such a massive ordeal. Oh, and it also nicely treated my chronic major depressive disorder as well. I thought that maybe if I was on a higher dose, I might have less pain, so my dose of generic (Lupin) duloxetine was increased up to 150mg a day, and I found that although I could function fine during the day, I could not sleep. It was like I was too keyed up or something. Not anxious, just keyed up. I was able to sleep once I dropped my dose back down to 120mg a day. I give Cymbalta a 10 because it is a single medicine that treats two medical conditions!"