Well I am still in the start up period only 6 days.  But so far these are my side effects:


Tiredness
lightheaded
foggy
jittery

I just began taking Cymbalta and my side effects are:

Insomnia
Nausea
Dry Mouth
Pupils dilated often (no joke!)
Dizzy
Weight Loss

My turn.

Tiredness, especially during the evening.  My battery runs down to 'E'.  I'm sleeping better, though.  Not waking up 2-3 times a night.

Constipation--really have to be sure to watch that I eat roughage.

Sex drive????  What was that?    :rolleyes:  Same as when I was on Lexapro.

It still outweights the symptoms, though.  I give it a plus.....  


Oh, forgot the dry mouth.  I guess I'm used to it after all this time.  Water bottles on my desk at work, in my van, coming out my ears.  It gets pretty intense at times.  Feel like 'Dry Gulch".  LOL!  60mg. for about 4wks.  Hope some of these go away.  

I am currently on Lexapro and am probably going to swith to Cymbalta in mid December (if the Doc agrees).  I am experiencing alot of hunger with the lex and was wondering if anyone was having an increased appetite with Cymbalta?
thanks:)

No diference. I was on lexapro for 15 mo., and tapered over to Cymbalta in two days with 5mg. for two days, then to 30mg. for a week, then 60mg.  It's in one of my earlier posts.  I had dry mouth for about a month.  I didn't notice much with the side-effects, and think I made the transition rather easily, considering I got sick right in the beginning with a virus.  Ugh!  It didn't stop me.  I went to Cymbalta for depression, anxiety and to cover a pain disorder.  It's doing a great job!    

"It's just another Prozac"....LOL!  O wonder if everyone is going to be on it, then.  My doc said it's touted for lots of things,  but i haven't heard the list, yet.   I was only our of a couple of weeks, when I asked for it, and I'm now waiting for the sales rep to come in where I work with the lunch thing so I can ask them what all they're using it for.  

I had a phamplet I left at wirk and it said it was good for pain associated with depression, plus stomach upsets, headaches, and things that people don't realize intensifies with depression for some of us folks.  I have a painful arthritic condition, and it makes my muscles ache.  This med took most of that pain away.  I'd say 90%, but the arthritis in my joints is still there.  I can use less Motrin for that pain, and not have the horrible burning, so it's better, because I get lots of acid when I obsess over my junk, and thus, get some added relief that I never had on Lexapro.  I also had lots of jaw clenching, as I had one ton of anxiety with my initial depression, and the Cymbalta is doing a pretty good job of reducing the anxiety, too.  I'm sleeping pretty good, (an initial problem), and not feeling quite as depressed.  I'm wondering about going up to 90mg., if that would cover the residual symptoms better.  I'll have to ask my doc the next time I get in there.   I don't know if anyone is on 90mg. yet, but it seems to me I heard someone was..  That's the biggest problem with this med....It's so new that no one seems to have much experience with it....  We just keep floundering away....    I still don't have a whole lot of motivation, and I'm hopeful that an increase would help this.  It's still wearing me out to look at things I need to get done, and lots easier to take a nap, than to drag through doing them.....  Don't you just love depression?  It spills into everything you do.....

I am definately experiencing the jaw clenching thing with the Lexapro, I have even chipped a venier(cap) due to it.  I to have alot of anxiety and ocd (which is worse as the anxiety gets worse or is it the other way around???? :D Thanks to all of you who have been taking this new medication and writing about your experiences,  it has given me hope that it may work for me? I am tired of not enjoying life and being so negative...

Now that you've been on the Cymbalta a while, how's it helping with the pain over time, Jackie?

Hi Grayyce,  I was on 225 mg of effexor xr and then went to Lexapro because I didn't like the brain zaps and memory problems. Now I am like yourself started on 30 mg of cymbalta with a possibility of increasing to 60 mg. Will be interesting to see how we both do with this new med.  I am very hopeful, welcome aboard. :grinning:

Thanks guys! I'm already going into panic mode though. My moods are so bad, short temper and anxious. How do you deal with lowering your dose and then switching to another drug on a low dose? I'm worried about my behavior. This happened last time I switched meds before also. I know I'll be fine, but tell my brain that lol.  :withstupid:

I have no idea what that was.  When you go to a sleep lab, you are wired up and they let you go to sleep.  They don't keep you up.  They may wake you up if you tear off a probe, but that's about it.  They can find out whether you have some kind of sleep disturbance that does things like keeps you waking up, so you never get any good sleep.  Ssome people have too much obstruction in the back of their throat, and when they get into a deep, relaxing sleep, the tissue relaxes and shuts their oxygen off.  No REM sleep.  We need this to feel refreshed.  I'd think if you had nightmares, they would want to check this out.  Walking in your sleep must be some sort of a disorder.  Do you still have episodes of this, and what does the doc tell you about it?  As for the huperactivity, it's usually dx.'d  at 6yrs. old and schools usually are the first ones to address it, if it hasn't been dx.'d by your pediatrician.  I'm older, and there didn't seem to be all the hyperactivity back when I was in school, but it does exist.  I have a girlfriend who has 2 boys with it, and going to her house when they were little kids was an experience......  :wwww:

Do you know what your dx. is?  I have depression and generalized anxiety disorder.  It's like depression with a ton of anxiety, and I had panic attacks until I got on medication.  I never thought I was hyper.  I knew I was extremely worried about everything.  Meds slowed my thoughts way down, so I can figure out what to do vs. get all panicy about everything at once.

When I did the sleep test, they kept me up all night then hooked me up with probes but I couldn't relax with the one down my nose. From what I can remember I didn't sleep much and they didn't give me much time to anyway.
As for the sleepwalking, no doctor has ever really cared enough to do anything about it over the years and when I started taking Zoloft in 1992 they it went away so I guess I just forgot alot about it.
The only time I was diagnosed was after my stay in the psych. ward and my rude German doctor called me spoiled and told me I wanted everything handed to me on a silver platter before he said I was borderline manic depressive. I've been told that that diagnoses doesn't exist under that name anymore so I'm not sure what I have. I also added panic/anxiety attacks over the years to my list of disorders. ;)

Now I'm worried that I won't be able to afford the Cymbalta because of it being new and all. My insurance charges me $35 for a month of Effexor xr.
I've noticed I'm more worried this week than normal but that is to be expected. Had a bit of nausea along with bad headaches also. Day by day lol. :)

Grayyce:
I have found that my insurance charges for the two medications (copay) were the same. Check into this before the anxiety of whether it is the same,more, less etc. gets to larg :idea3:e.

Thanks Daddo! I called to find out just what the 10, 30mg Cymbalta's would be and the girl told me she wouldn't know until she charged me. The price without insurance was $30 for 10 pills...ridiculous! I'll find out Sunday how much they should be though. If they are going to charge me the whole co pay amount for 10 pills, I'll get my doc to call in another prescription for at least a months worth of pills so at least I can use them when I move into the 60mg. If it's the same price, why not.

I have just started taking Cymbalta. I have been on it for a week.  I notice 2 side effects for me: dry mouth and restless sleep.  I also take 300mg of Lamictal ~ 200mg in the am and 100mg at night with the 30mg of cymbalta.
The lamictal I have been on since last May so I know it isnt that causing these things.

I know the restless sleep will most likely go away after it is fully into my system and regulated.  I was on paxil once and it did the same thing for sleep...I was given klonopin .5mg wafers the day I started the cymbalta and havent taken any but have read that people sometimes do use it for sleep.

Anyone else doing this or have done this in the past?

Thanks :)

Well, I'd trust YOU guys more than the pdoc!  After all, they don't have the actual life experiences on these meds, they are just reading s/e's from a book ,right?

She also told me some people have anxiety on Prozac, which is what it is supposed to be for in the first place!  And, I'm fine with it, except for the flat feeling.  Man, I'm getting worse.  I cut down my dose to 30 mg. from 40mg., the doc thought I needed MORE, but all it's done is make me MORE flat....I'm tired all the time too.  I do what I must, but my heart just ain't in it, ya know?

I am going to call up my pdoc next week, she said it was up to me whether or not I wanted to try Cymbalta.

Uh, one more question.....I heard constipation is a bad side effect...anyone have this?  That's ALL I need is prob's with my plumbing!!

:rasp:

No plumbing problems here.  :p

Ugh, sweating.  This is getting worse now that the weather is warming up a bit.  Can hardly wait for summer :p   Most days I feel quite good on the Cymbalta, but once in a while, I feel down.  I also feel groggy in the mornings.  It's hard to get up.

I take mine in the morning, too and feel a slump in the afternoon.  I try to keep a little more active when I get home from work, but have days when it's all I can do to keep up.    :notify:

Welcome Martin:
I to had concentration problems when I first started with Cymbalta, this did go away and I can say that my concentration is the best it has been in a long time.  Hang in there, hope all goes well

Hi to everyone,

It's been a awhile since I last posted on DF, been trying to go med free, but it hasnt' been going well.  I came back from the shrinks office today with a script for Cymbalta, but am afraid to take it.  It's always like this for me, starting up a new med, especially one that seems to have a lot of side effects.  Though I have heard that it has less than most.

I'd be interested to know how those who have been on it for a while are doing.  I see it has the usual weight gain issues as most other AD's.  I was sucha Wellbutrin fan and did really well on it until it just sort of quit working.  I also was having some issues with my hair falling out, but now that I've been off it for several months, I think that is getting better.

Hi LL!!! Its good to see you again! I'm sorry going med free didnt work out well for you. Cymbalta is a great med though. I have been on it since the beginning of Feb.. I have had no side effects and no wieght gain ( and I gain wieght on EVERYTHING). Hope you do just as well. Good luck!
Lynnie   :)

Welcome!  I've been on Cymbalat 60mg. since Setp., I think..LOL!

No side effects, and I'd like to gain a couple of pounds.  I went from Lexpro to Cymbalta, so all I can say is I had a stomach upset.

I know that starting meds is not something to look forward, but I'd say go ahead and take it.  Has to be better than feeling down.  You'll have to tell us what side effects you're having.  I don't have any.    :biglaugh:

I'm very sensitive to meds' side-effects, and I had to go down from the initial 30 mg. of Cymbalta to 20 mg. a day, mostly because of stomach problems. After a few weeks at 20 mg. my body adjusted, and I'm back up to 30 mg. with no major problems. I'll ramp it up to 40 mg. soon, with the eventual goal of getting up to 60 mg. I think it's already beginning to help a bit (I started a little over a month ago). So far, I've actually lost a few pounds - an unusual triumph for me. No problems with hair loss, which I had on WB.
I wish you well on the Cymbalta - be brave, and let us know how you're doing with it...

I did great when I started Cymbalta.  The only complaint was a bit of dizzieness when I stood up but that went away.  Now I have no side effects at all.

Swede

JKM, Lizard, Swede, Lynn...It's nice to see so many familiar faces!  Im so glad to hear that you guys are doing so well on Cymbalta.  I know it's a fairly new drug and though I am nervous about starting it, I feel a little more hopeful now.  My Shrink (a new one who I really love) said she  had patients who were very happy with it, even though she of course didn't have any long term information for me yet.  I know it is similar to Effexor in its make up and I did have some good luck with that for a while, though coming off of it was tough. .   Except for going and coming from work, I've practically become a recluse.  Sometimes making contact with people is so hard for me.  Even here on the boards.  Thanks for everyone's support.

You know, one of the things I experienced with Effexor was some cognitive issues and feeling sort of "stupid"  :p  has anyone else experienced this with the Cymbalta?

Hey I feel stupid every day!  My kids are an architect and nurse in cardiac.  They know more than me but I as wiser!  LOL

Swede

LOL Swede!  Once my kids got into high school I couldn't help with their homework anymore.  But I suffer with ADD along with depression so a lot of the SSRI's put me in a major fog.  Looks bad at work, you know. Not to mention that I can't talk my way out of a paper bag.   Sounds like you've got a couple of bright kids there. :idea3:

aberCoreyfitch, it's nice to meet you.   Most docs will treat you for ADD without a formal diagnosis.  I was tested years ago, when insurance companies were more generous with their coverage, but it was not readily accepted as a diagnosis in adults.  Looking  back over my life I can see where it manifested and how far reaching the effects of having gone undiagnosed were.  I took Strattera for awhile, but like an idiot thought...gee I feel so good, I don't really need this anymore.  There is an adult ADD board, have you been there?  Once I get adjusted to the Cymbalta, I think I'll try the Strattera again, especially if there are any cognitive issues.

Cymbalta has some liver toxicity issues so be careful with the drinking, especially if you are feeling ill the next day. Gotta take care of that liver ya know?  

Well I"m off to pop my first 30mgs!  Wish me luck!

My advice is not to drink.  This is an expensive med, depression is a highly treatable.  Why mess it and your system up?  We all have enouugh problems to start with.  I know that it's socially acceptable to drink, but it doesn't go well with depression or the meds used to treat it, and leaves one more depressed for the next couple of days. I'm tired of feeling depressed.  I'm on the straight and narrow to get out of this gloom.    :biglaugh:

Thanks folks... I know I really shouldn't drink with ADs, especially Wellbutrin cause it lowers the seizure thershold thing and with Cymbalta too cause it puts a lot of stress on the liver (Glad I stopped the Depakote the other week). I think drinking is more of a problem than i'm willing to admit cause I think I have to have wine like everyday with dinner, but i'm going to start working on that. I didn't even start drinking alcohol until 2 years ago when I was 20. I haven't been to the Adult ADD board yet. Does Strattera slow you down and make you feel drowsy? I just hate drug induced fatigue. I'm tired of being a bimbo, I'm slow to understand jokes or get the deeper meaning of things. I want to blame the foggy thinking on wellbutrin and ADs. Good luck on your first Cymbalta day! :)

strattera didn't make me drowsy, in fact it made it hard for me to sleep at night.  I hate being drowsy too, but I hate not being able to sleep at night even more.  I don't sleep well at night as it is, so  having what little sleep I do manage to get disrupted, makes me a zombie.

The foggy thinking isn't from the Wellbutrin.  That is the one antidepressent that is pretty ADD friendly.  I sure hope it's not the Cymbalta.  Not to harp on the whole drinking thing but I know that when I was on Effexor and I drank it, severely clouded my brain, especially the next day.  Sometime when you are just surfing around on the computer, check out Brainplace.com  it's a pretty interesting site all about ADD and brain scans and stuff.  They have pictures of the brain on meds and some one drugs or alcohol. Lots of interesting pictures of different disorders and what the scans of those brains reveal.  

My first day on Cymbalta went pretty well.  some slight nausea in the a.m., but nothing I couldn't live with.  I woke up a raving B*tch this a.m, as I have each morning for weeks.  Hoping that clears out in the next couple of weeks as I can hardly stand myself    I seem to rally later in the day, but the mornings are hellish.  Hope your day went well.

JKM, you are certainly right about the drinking.

Thanks for the info ladylight57!!! Yesterday I didn't have one beer with my friends they thought I had gone insane. It makes sense that I'm taking meds to help me so why undo it with drinking all the time. Anyways, I'm glad your first day was okay. My first day was hell I got suspended from work. I take 60mg of Cymbalta in the morning, and take my first dose of Wellbutrin @ 12pm then again @ 5... somewhere between 2 and 4 I become really Biotchy and hate everyone I know it has to be the meds cause I get sooo angry for no reason. I guess part of that has to do with Atlanta rush hour traffic too which is like the worse ever. I'm going to ask my doc about Staterra on friday. I've had insomnia since age 16 when I took paxil for a week. I can't sleep without the help of desyrel or ambien at all and that's not being on meds, soo.... it's just horrible being on them. I feel so alone @ night cause everyone is sleeping and I'm up..oh well

Be proud of yourself for not drinking with your friends.  Tell them you are taking a medicine that precludes your consuming alcohol...and that is it.  You don't have to say what you are taking.  If they suddenly stop being your friends then they were not great friends to start out with.

Corey  are you taking your Wellbutrin in the evening?  That may be why you are having trouble sleeping.  I had to take mine before noon or it would keep me up at night with my mind racing.  I found Desyrel to be a great sleep aid, but it did make me  foggy headed the next day.  

Good job on foregoing the alcohol.  I think you'll find that your head stays clearer and your liver thanks you :)

I take my first dose @ 12pm and second dose of Wellbutrin @ 5pm... I'm on 300mg of SR... I'm sure that's contributing to my sleeping problems also.. I would take it early in the morning with Cymbalta but as they both start to kick in I get so weak that I have to sleep and I'd be in the bed for 6 hours after that. Maybe that happens because of the reuptake of the neuros all at the same time...I don't know../ Desyrel is a good sleep aid but it last well over into the next day and I hate that.. I'm also on Geodon and I think it makes Desyrel stay in my system longer.

I can see why you couldn't take Wellbutrin and Cymbalta at the same time.  I guess they are both norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.  That would be alot of the same stuff rolling around in your system at the same time.  I've not heard of Geodon. But if it keeps the desyrel in your system longer I can see how that might be a problem.

I have been so sleepy after taking my Cymbalta these last couple of days.  I've already dozed off and on a couple of times today and it's only 12:30, but of course I was up at around 5 or so.  

I guess I'm not going to be one of those that feels really great right away.  I do feel less hostile, but I am having trouble doing anything.  I guess I just need to be  patient.

I hate to hear that you got suspende from work, Cory.  Ccould you go on FFMLA till you get throuugh the start-ups and are clamer (hopefully).  Dou you know the fmla laws.  Your workplace has to have at least 50 people.  It's lots better than loosing your job of this kind of situation.  You can use sick time or vacation time for pay.  I was off for 6wks. a couple of years ago for anxiety and depression and it probably kept me from loosing my job.