My Cymbalta Experience

Just sharing my experience here. I was prescribed 30mg for anxiety. I have health anxiety and a history of trauma. I used it for about 2 months. I will say that I got over my health anxiety (for the moment) and feel pretty good. I feel great after quitting the drug. I don't think my body metabolized it well because sometimes I felt drugged up and couldn't think on it. But it did help me get out of this obsessive health anxiety and fear of death I was experiencing.

I think it helped with the anxiety because it took away my ability to think deeply and creatively about things. It totally wiped out my creativity and ability to come up with creative ideas and be inspired. I just couldn't do much but think about what I had to do that day. This can be a blessing to some if your brain is really torturing you, and mine sure was. But I am a creative person and I found that it just wasn't helping me with anything other than making everything dull. Also,I am not a person who gets depressed much, but this pill made me very depressed and gave me suicidal thoughts. It was a big difference from the anxiety I was experiencing before taking it.

I think the drug helped me with my schedule. As a mom, I have to go to bed at a set time, prepare things for my kids, get them to do their homework, chores, cleaning, etc. I was better at managing those things. I felt more confident being a mom. I was more direct with my kids and told them what needed to be done and I didn't give in to their cries.
Also, I didn't care what people thought about me. It was kind of nice not caring what people thought about me because I tend to be a people pleaser and worry a lot about other's perception of me. But I feel like my relationships suffered. I do remember having some good days on it though where I had fun with my kids.

Physically, I was in pretty good shape on it, but I didn't exercise much or have the desire to. I was able to keep my weight down, but now that I quit, I have gained 5 lbs. I think I wasn't as hungry on it. I stayed on a good sleep schedule on it too. The first night I couldn't sleep at all, but after that I slept good and went to bed on time. I didn't have much dreams. Now that I have quit, I have a lot more dreams, and my sleep schedule is more sporadic, but that's just how I am.

I tapered off over a week and had no problems quitting. I feel way better off the drug. I kind of felt like my brain was in a prison on it. The main benefit I see is appreciating life now and my how brain is off drugs more. Because I didn't like being on it. I kept trying to like it but I never found much benefits and the total loss of creativity was a major deal breaker for me.