Palpitations. Vertigo. Blurred vision. Abdominal pain. Flatulence. Chills. Weight changes. Musckoskeltal pain. Dysgeusia. Lethargy. Parasthesia. Anxiety. Decreased libido. Nervousness. Abnormal dreams. Anorgasmia. Pruritus.
These are all the adverse conditions that 1 out of 100 participants in Cymbalta’s clinic trials reported while taking Cymbalta. It is important to realize that though these events occurred while the patients were taking Cymbalta, there is no way of knowing if the events occurred because the patient was taking Cymbalta.
That said, all medications have side effects. I’m taking a total of 120mg of Cymbalta every day (this is twice the maximum dose approved by the FDA for major depression, but it is actually a common dose for patients like me with severe mental illness) and here is a run down of the side effects I deal with:
1. Flatulence. Charming, I know. I never was particularly lady-like, anyway 
2. Weight change. BUT – more than likely my weight gain is a result of my binging and rather ineffective purging rather than the Cymbalta.
3. Lethargy. BUT – I have no way of knowing how much of my lethargy is a symptom of my severe depression, or how much of it is because of the Cymbalta.
4. Parasthesia. Sometimes my fingers will tingle all day.
5. Decreased libido. This is another tricky one. Being depressed and hating your body aren’t great for one’s libido, either.
6. Abnormal dreams. Totally. Murdering kangaroos. Marrying Matt H. Flying on an airplane with a wild turkey. Drinking tea in the Green Zone.
Someone told me this week that she was afraid of medications and asked wasn’t I afraid of the side effects of Cymbalta, because, “it’s a drug with a lot of bad side effects, you know.”
As inconvenient and unpleasant as flatulence, weight gain, lethargy, parasthesia, decreased libido, and abnormal dreams are, I can’t say they scare me. The crazy dreams actually make for fun stories
What does scare me is going back to the way things were 14 months ago, pre-Cymbalta.
When I consider that a likely side effect of NOT taking Cymbalta is acting on my suicidal thoughts, the side effects that I can attribute to the Cymbalta don’t bother me at all.
Hal said
I really enjoy reading your blog……Perhaps enjoy is the wrong word. I certainly don’t get enjoyment out of your more painful dark posts but I am grateful that you post them, all of them. I am currently recovering from an eating disorder and can relate to the majority of your experiences. I know that one of the key aspects in recovery is overcoming the stigma attached to eating disorders: that they are vile, undesirable, and self imposed……not at all true (the ignorance of our society on this matter is astounding). Your writings remind me that I am a person with a disorder……not a bizarre case study or circus attraction. I hope that some day our culture will understand and accept eating disorders for what they are-psychological illnesses….Your blog is a step in the right direction. Thanks for being a light in the darkness.
brooke said
Hey we’re Cymbalta twins! I take 120mg too! Is that wierd that I got excited about that? I have decreased libido from it too. In fact I’ve been known to skip a dose once in a while in order to have an orgasm which is probably more info than you wanted. But since when have I been shy about telling you intimate details of my life? So yeah that’s an annoying side effect but it’s way better than always feeling like I wanna die.