When to take Cymbalta..A.M or P.M.?

Hi all~
I saw my dr today and she prescribed Cymbalta. I have been on Lexapro with good results, but I had significant weight gain so I really would rather not go back on it. I am to take 30 mg's for a week and then 60.

I know everyone is different, but what has the side effects been for you all?

Thanks!

Hi everyone, new member here and it looks like this forum is what I was looking for.

I was on Paxil but it gave me such insomnia and erratic sleep I had to stop taking it.  I took it in the morning but I had the worst sleep ever at night.  I actually took myself off it without telling my doctor so my next appointment my doctor wasn't happy, but being on Paxil was such hell I had to get off of it.  This was 3 weeks ago and I still feel a bit off...I only took it for 3 weeks too.

Now I'm on 30mg Cymbalta...my doctor gave me 3 weeks for a trial.  She suggested this to me because its suppose to HELP me sleep as opposed to keep me up all night.  My anxiety really stems from not being able to sleep.  I also take 1mg of Clonazepam (Klonopin) to help relax me and sleep.  I took this with Paxil to and only could fall asleep for a few hours then wake up and not be able to fall asleep again :(

I really need to sleep or I'm a wreck in the morning.  I freak out so much that I often think of drinking to help calm myself down; which it does but I feel like crap later and then it just leads to more drinking which I dont like.

So I guess I'm sad to see that people report that it really effects their sleep.  I just want it to make me sleepy so I can sleep through the night and wake up rested and not freaking out.

Doctors usually say take it at bedtime...so I believed my doctor when she said it'll help me sleep.  But now to read reports of people not being able to sleep is already making my ansy...

Please help!

Hello everyone, I just wanted to provide an update.

I've been on Cymbalta for 1 full week (7 days) and I must say, it does NOT keep me up at night.  In fact, it makes me very sleepy and i can last maybe an hour and half after taking it before I'm extremely tired and ready for bed.  I usually eat dinner "late" around 7:30pm EST, and I take the Cymbalta after dinner at about 8pm, and I'm ready for bed bigtime by around 10:00pm EST.  I've NEVER been able to fall asleep this early.  And I stay asleep pretty much all the way until its time to wake up for work at about 7:30AM.  So I'm getting a fulls nights sleep, thats for sure.  I should also note I use to always take 1mg of Clonazepam before bed to help me relax and sleep.  Now with Cymbalta i only take .5mg and I'm not totally sure I even need that!  I try to take the Clonazepam a few hours after I take the Cymbalta so I'm not taking them at the exact same time.  I think this added to me feeling groggy in the morning when I woke up.  I did this the first few days and spacing them out a few hours seems to have helped a little bit.

Some side effects I've experienced and to some extent I still am is loss of appetite, nausea, and I've turned rather lethargic.  Not so much during the day (while I'm at work) but in the evening time.  After I take my dose at 8pm, its like all I can do is sit on the couch and watch TV!!!  I have no interest in really doing anything.  I really hope this is a side effect that passes over time.  I have stuff I need to do in the evening and this just makes me super lethargic!

Overall I think its helping me, but I really don't like the fact that once I take my 30mg, I become very lazy.  I'm slowly getting my appetite back and the nausea is going down as well, which is good.

Has anyone else felt lethargic or lost interest in things from taking Cymbalta?  Again I'm only on 30mg and I am willing to bet my doctor will want me on 60mg after my 3 week trial is up on 30mg...will that make me even MORE sleepy and MORE lethargic!?!?

This thread has seem to died out :(  Any thoughts would be great! 

Thanks for listening.

 

Hi Sammyb!

Thanks for the reply.  I do greatly appreciate it.  Its been 8 days now and things are getting better each and everyday.  My appetite is rapidly going back to normal and nausea is completely gone (knock on wood).

I'm only on 30mg and wondering if I need to do 60mg.  I think it would either REALLY help or be more than I really need.  Hmph.

I am still amazed people can take this in the morning hehe.  I know meds work different for everyone, but this really helps me sleep.  This is one of the reasons my doctor switched me off of Paxil and onto Cymbalta.  Paxil was a nightmare... if I got to sleep at all at night, it'd be for about 2 hours then I'd wake up and have tons of anxiety.  Just a mess.  Cymbalta I'm out like a light all night long.  Although if I took it in the morning, and I *had* to stay up for the day for work or something, it might effect me differently.

The only negative I can see right now is, and perhaps this is because I'm still feeling a bit lethargic after taking it, is I'm losing interest in some of the things I always liked to do in the evenings.  I no longer have much interest in reading, playing video games, or anything else.  I just feel lazy and want to sit on the couch and watch TV until it really kicks in and I'm sleepy and its time for bed.  Thats no way to live! hehe.

Anyways, thanks again for the reply Sammy.  I thought this place had been deserted!!

Helpzzz

helpzzz

Good Morning, this is Kitt.  If you are taking Cymbalta for depression the lowest therapeutic dose is 60 mg per day.  That is according to my Pdoc.  I have been on Cymbalta for well over a year now.

I have been as high as 120mg at which point I could not function and my BP dropped like a rock.

The best person to discuss your increase in dosage is with your physician.  I am glad to hear you are sleeping better.

We have a search site at the top of this page, if you type in Cymbalta you will find many threads that you may find helpful.

Sincerely

Kitt

Hi Help:  I'm with Kitt on her advice.  I take 60 mg. of Cymbalta at bedtime and I have a prescription for 50 mg. of Trazadone - of which I take 25 mg.  This knocks me out beautifully!  And as long as I get at least 6 hours of sleep I do not feel overtired the next day.

Cass

Hi Ashphobiax,

I would take it when the doctor said to. I think that you said that was in the morning. Try it, I don't always wake up at the same time of the day and take my medications when I get up. One day I am up at 6:00 am and the next not until 11:00. So there can be a huge time difference, but I take my meds when I get up none the less.

I hope that the cymbalta works for you. You deserve that. But if it doesn't, there are many other meds. Do you take it for depression or for fibromyalgia?

I have fibromyalgia also. So I know how you suffer, and with depression on top of that, it is really hard to make it through each day.

Best wishes to you.

Hugs, Karen

I don't take cymbalta, but I think that I have heard that before. I hope that it works that way for you. A lot of meds work differently on different people. But hopefully for you it will work that way, if you are indeed trying to lose weight. I sure am. Ever since I have had fibromyalgia, I have been gaining weight. but I use to be really physically active and that came to a hault with the fibro.

I am just so tired today, practically falling sleep while I type this. I hope that my energy picks up soon. I don't like feeling this way. I am suppose to go for a walk later with a friend in the woods. I think that will definately help me. Just have to watch out for those snowmobilers. lol... They can scare you though., They go so fast.

I hope that your day gets better, I am yawning too. Hope my day gets better too.lol...

Have a good one,

Hugs, Karen

Hi Jerusalembell, Welcome to our forum. You may notice that I did a very small edit on your post - I just deleted one word, to keep it in accordance with the rules of the site. I hope you will keep posting with us, and feel free to start your own thread, if you feel comfortable doing so. I know there must be other members here who can offer comments about their experiences with Cymbalta. In the meantime, please keep notes on your symptoms, and contact your doctor to let him/her know what you are feeling. Getting a good night's sleep is really important, especially when you have depression, so I am hoping that this will level out for you soon. Please keep us posted.

Hello everyone,
I have been taking amitriptyline for years which worked well for me for a long time. However not any more, think i became immune to them.
Doctor started me on cymbalta yesterday 30mg and told me to take them in the morning.. i feel like i 'lost' all of yesterday as i was in a complete daze.
Felt really drugged and slept a lot of the day. I am now nervous about taking them this morning and i'm thinking maybe i should switch to tonight!
Does anyone know if you continue to take them am.. does this feeling of being drugged wear off as your body becomes used to them???

Thanks Karen. I suffer with fibromyalgia, i was diagnosed five years ago.... eventually!!!
My pharmacist told me i could take cymbalta am or pm it would not matter, but after yesterday i still have not taken it.. Can still feel the effects of it now, 30 hours later. Lyrica had the same effect on me.. Feel im running out of options.!!
It is such a frustrating disability for anyone who suffers from it.

Deb527....

Thank you all for such great information. My main frustration is very early morning and morning anxiety. I just switched from lexapro to cymbalta after feeling like lex wasn't doing much of anything. Opinions on when I should take my 30mgs with my issue? Bedtime or morning? Thank you in advance for your thoughts!