Cymbalta (Duloxetine) for Major Depressive Disorder

What Members SayTop TipsSide EffectsCopay HelpFAQs

Cymbalta (duloxetine) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating major depressive disorder in adults.

What Members Say

MHT logo These insights are based on 1,279 comments about Cymbalta from MyDepressionTeam members. These are the experiences of a small number of individuals and are not meant to be medical advice.

Benefits:

Depression symptoms sometimes ease, including fewer crying spells, darker thoughts, and panic symptoms.
Pain relief is a frequent upside, especially alongside depression treatment.
Energy, motivation, and daily functioning sometimes improve after starting or adjusting the dose.
For some, benefits become clearer after a few weeks of treatment.
Long-term use can feel helpful for years before changes are needed.

Considerations:

Stopping suddenly or tapering too fast can bring difficult withdrawal symptoms.
Nausea, stomach pain, constipation, and digestive upset are common concerns.
Sleep-related effects can go either way, including sleepiness, fatigue, or insomnia.
Sweating, dry mouth, headaches, and dizziness are recurring side effects.
Mood changes during starting, stopping, or dose changes need close monitoring.

How Cymbalta Works and How It’s Taken

Cymbalta is an antidepressant that works by increasing serotonin and norepinephrine activity in the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. The exact way it works is not fully known.

Doctors prescribe Cymbalta for adults with major depressive disorder. By affecting the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine, Cymbalta may help improve depression symptoms.

Cymbalta is given as a delayed-release capsule by mouth, typically once daily or twice daily. Some people start with a lower daily schedule for the first week before moving to the usual daily schedule. Cymbalta capsules should be swallowed whole.

Don’t crush, chew, or open the capsule, and do not sprinkle the contents on food or mix them with liquids.

The recommended starting dose of Cymbalta for major depressive disorder is 40 milligrams per day, given as 20 milligrams twice daily, to 60 milligrams per day, given either once daily or as 30 milligrams twice daily.

For people who respond to treatment, the recommended maintenance dose is 60 milligrams per day, given once daily or as 30 milligrams twice daily.

For some people, a doctor may start treatment at 30 milligrams once daily for one week before increasing to 60 milligrams once daily. The maximum dose is 120 milligrams per day. When stopping treatment, doctors usually recommend lowering the dose gradually instead of stopping suddenly.

This information is based on the prescribing information, but your healthcare provider may tailor your treatment plan. Always follow their guidance.

Top Advice From Members on Cymbalta

These insights are based on 1,279 comments about Cymbalta from MyDepressionTeam members.

Members who use Cymbalta often say the most helpful approach is to stay in close contact with your doctor, especially when side effects, dose changes, or medication switches come up. Many members also say it helps to expect some trial and error, pay attention to how your body responds, and avoid stopping Cymbalta suddenly.

1

Give it some time, but keep track of how it’s working.
“I’ve been on Cymbalta for nine months, and after about three weeks, I started to feel better, more energized.”
2

Talk to your doctor before changing or stopping Cymbalta.
“My doctor said it’s dangerous to just stop taking it. You have to be weaned off of it.”
3

Keep your healthcare provider updated about side effects and dose changes.
“My PA doubled it, and now I feel better. My pain is almost zilch. It’s for chronic depression, anxiety, and pain as well.”
4

Pay attention to side effects that affect daily life.
“It has suppressed my appetite a great deal.”

Connect with others who understand life with major depressive disorder. Join MyDepressionTeam for free.

Cymbalta Side Effects

In adult clinical trials for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, some side effects were reported more often with Cymbalta than with placebo (an inactive treatment).

These side effects occurred in about 6 percent to 23 percent of people taking Cymbalta:

Nausea
Dry mouth
Sleepiness
Constipation
Decreased appetite
Increased sweating

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Cymbalta can cause serious side effects that require immediate medical attention. These include:

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors — The risk may be higher in children, teens, and young adults, especially early in treatment or when the dose changes.
Liver damage — This can be severe and, in rare cases, fatal.
Orthostatic hypotension, falls, and fainting — Blood pressure can drop when standing up.
Serotonin syndrome — This is a dangerous reaction from too much serotonin in the body.
Increased risk of bleeding — The risk may be higher if you also take medicines like NSAIDs, aspirin, warfarin, or other blood thinners.
Severe skin reactions — These can include Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a serious rash with blistering or peeling, and possible sores in the mouth.
Discontinuation syndrome — Symptoms can happen if Cymbalta is stopped suddenly.
Mania or hypomania — Unusually high energy, racing thoughts, or risky behavior can occur.
Angle-closure glaucoma — A sudden eye pressure increase can cause eye pain or vision changes.
Seizures — Convulsions can occur.
Increased blood pressure — Blood pressure may rise during treatment.
Hyponatremia (low sodium levels in the blood) — This can cause confusion, weakness, or severe symptoms.
Urinary hesitation or urinary retention — Trouble starting urination or not being able to urinate can occur.
Sexual dysfunction — Changes in sexual desire or sexual performance can occur.

Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.

How To Save on Cymbalta

Talk with your healthcare provider, pharmacist, or insurance plan about ways to reduce the cost of Cymbalta. They may be able to help you compare coverage, generic options, or pharmacy pricing.

You can also check the manufacturer’s website and your health plan’s prescription benefits for current savings information and coverage details.

What To Know Before Taking Cymbalta

Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to duloxetine or any ingredients in Cymbalta.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and supplements.

Do not take Cymbalta if you take a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), including linezolid or intravenous methylene blue. Do not take an MAOI within five days of stopping Cymbalta, and do not start Cymbalta within 14 days of stopping an MAOI.

Tell your doctor if you drink a lot of alcohol, have liver disease, have kidney problems, have diabetes, or have a condition that slows stomach emptying. Cymbalta may not be right for people with heavy alcohol use, chronic liver disease, or severe kidney problems. Your doctor may check your blood pressure before and during treatment.

Cymbalta is also FDA approved to treat generalized anxiety disorder, diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and chronic musculoskeletal pain.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Do not take two doses at the same time.

If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits. Taking Cymbalta near delivery may raise the risk of heavy bleeding after childbirth. Babies exposed late in pregnancy may have breathing trouble, feeding problems, shaking, irritability, or other symptoms after birth.

Cymbalta can pass into breast milk, so breastfed babies should be watched for sleepiness, poor feeding, or poor weight gain.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective is Cymbalta for major depressive disorder?
In four short-term studies in adults with major depressive disorder, Cymbalta was better than placebo at improving depression symptoms based on changes in the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, a standard measure of depression severity. In a maintenance study, people taking Cymbalta had a statistically significantly longer time between relapses of depression than people taking placebo.

How long does Cymbalta take to work for major depressive disorder?
In adult studies of major depressive disorder, improvement in depression symptoms was measured at the end of short-term studies. The earliest documented endpoint was eight weeks. In those eight-week studies, people taking Cymbalta had greater improvement in depression scores than people taking placebo.

Other short-term studies measured improvement at nine weeks.

Can Cymbalta cause sweating with major depressive disorder?
Yes. Increased sweating, called hyperhidrosis, was one of the most common side effects in adults, occurring in 6 percent of people taking Cymbalta compared with 1 percent taking placebo. Sweating is also listed among the most common side effects in the Medication Guide.