Cymbalta....good an bad?🥴
 

My daughter's doctor has recommended she take Cymbalta for depression. Pros and con....good and bad...weight gain? Withdrawal?

Cymbalta is a SNRI. My experience of SNRIs is that matching the "right" one to the "right" person can be a matter of trial and error (it took some time to find one which worked for me).

There is some information about it here.

Cymbalta Monograph for Professionals - Drugs.com

I had a very scary experience with Cymbalta. Sure, I gained 30 lbs in 3 months, but that's the least of my concerns. I would choose fat over chronic pain any time. Something about Cymbalta did not agree with me. I nearly lost my mind on that stuff. Mood swings, crazy impulsive behavior, rage, manic episodes. That was just the beginning. When I went to wean off of it, it was a 4 month long nightmare. There are many law suits against the manufacturer about Cymbalta withdrawals and side effects. Millions of people have used it without problems. Thousands have had terrifying experiences. I would not recommend it to anyone who prefer to keep their sanity. A quick google search on "Cymbalta side effects" and "Cymbalta withdrawals" should be enough for her to make a choice.

My aunt and I both have RSD. She takes Cymbalta and has for several years now, and says if it weren't for her Cymbalta, she would have long ago lost it. I tried Cymbalta and it made me so sleepy, day after day, that I never could get to what my doctor termed a "medicinal dose" for my condition. I agree with the poster who said it really is a person by person thing....it's chemistry and we are chemistry, and at the end of the day, it just won't be the same for everyone.
I see the comments of jason0624 and they make Cymbalta seem very scary....and I tried a medication once (not Cymbalta) that did that to me....while others took it with no issues whatsoever.....and like I said, my aunt has been on it for years with no issues....

I have used it for a couple of years and I was shocked that it actually DID help with lumbar and cervical pain, for me. However;........ I have not tried to taper off or stop yet, so I wonder how that would go.. I think it was barely average for depressive symptoms, and likely increased anxiety some and did not help sleep.