What's your experience with duloxetine (US Brand Name; Cymbalta)?

You could try calling your pharmacy. Most drugs have side effects. At the very least, they list everything that’s been reported. Also many drugs are used for multiple reasons.

I have taken Cymbalta and Norco together for years. My mother did too. Never have I or her had any issue with it. Cymbalta has worked great for me with depression and it does assist with pain. But that’s my experience. I am not a medical professional.

@d13

For several years, I have taken Duloxetine for pain as well as sleep. It does take a while for it to be effective, however, I take a very low dose, just 20 mg. a day. It took a few months before I noticed any significant improvement in pain or sleep, perhaps a higher dose might work quicker. But I'm not sure about that.

@mimigirl63 had a great idea about talking with your pharmacist. Pharmacists are a valuable medical resource. Unfortunately, pharmacists are often just relegated to "filling prescriptions" however, they are a vast source of knowledge about meds and can be quite helpful in addressing your concerns about the effect of meds.

If you are comfortable sharing more, what dosage of Duloxetine was prescribed for you?

My oncologist prescribed Duloxetine 30 mg to start he said. I called the oncologist nurse for more information about what time of day to take it. She said to take before bed. I’m also taking 5 mg hydrocodone about every 5 hours during the day. I took my first Duloxetine last night. Started to feel a little nauseous before going to sleep. I’m taking ondansetron for nauseous feeling in the mornings already since my breast surgery a month ago. I’m feeling a little lightheaded too. I just took the hydrocodone medication, so hoping the nauseous feeling and lightheadedness goes away. These symptoms are pretty much normal I’m guessing. Any feedback is much appreciated. Thank you.

@d13, and all...I've taken Cymbalta for several years with excellent results. It was first prescribed for help with fibromyalgia pain, peripheral neuropathy as well. It may help with depression, I hope so since that's part of the whole picture with fibromyalgia and other health issues I have. I've tapered off several other drugs with the help of my physician, at my request as I was on far too much chemical medication and was determined to reduce the stuff.

I now take 120 mg of Cymbalta. It helps my fibromyalgia and the peripheral neurology is much improved. I'm off hydrocodone, 800 mg ibuprofen 4x daily for years, Neurontin, Lyrica, and others. Now, I take Cymbalta, use medical marijuana 1:1, CBD:THC capsules and/or tincture at night, Requip for restless legs and it helps a lot with walking and daytime movement, and other meds I'll take for a long time. But, I'm off the really strong chemicals that affect the brain and cause fuzzy brain and other side effects. Now, I'm closer to my real self than I've been for as long as I can remember. It's wonderful. I feel free. And, Cymbalta is part of that free feeling. It's a good drug for me and my needs. I will continue to take it until I'm healed or ???

I hope this little testimonial from a patient with multiple health issues. Of all the drugs I've taken over the years, it helps the best at what it does and with no negatives. I have less pain and better control with the changes I've made. I send you blessings as you walk this journey through the medical system and your health challenges. Blessings, elizabeth

I was prescribed Duloxetine or Cymbalta; 30mg, I woke up with lightheadedness and a little nauseous and dizziness. I’m waiting for a call from my oncologist office to see if this is normal when starting. I won’t be taking it tonight knowing what I experienced most of the day. I already have the chem brain fog; so this just made my head feel worse.

Hello, @d13 I agree that a pharmacist is a good source of information on medication interactions. Still, your prescribing physician (oncologist) is the best source of information. Is there a patient portal that you can use to communicate with your oncologist?

I've been taking duloxetine for several years for depression and anxiety. I didn't have any side effects from the beginning and still do not.I started at the 30mg dose and about two years ago decreased to 20mg. That 20mg is effective for me but of course it's different for every person. I'm in the midst of being treated for a cancer recurrence (endometrial cancer) and I can say that the duloxetine has helped me get through some difficult periods of time along with my toolbox of mental health strategies.

Will you return and tell us how you are doing?

Yes, I will be getting seeing either my oncologist or one of the oncologist nurses periodically. I also am able to call them for advice and information. I just don’t see how there can be any other reason for the symptoms I’m having, other than as a result of the chemotherapy treatments. I guess I’m just one of those that is susceptible to the side effects of medications. I will keep posted.

Drugs.com has a feature that allows you to check for interactions among the medications you are taking. I used it to discover that duloxetine and quetiapine when taken together can cause joint pain. Look for the interactions checker on their website

Thank you, I’ll check into that. The only reaction I noticed was the lightheadedness, which lasted the full 24 hours.