Cymbalta (Duloxetine) Withdrawal: Side Effects and How to Manage Them
Cymbalta (Duloxetine) Withdrawal: Side Effects and How to Manage Them
By Phuoc Anh (Anne) Nguyen, PharmD, MS, BCPS U
Medically reviewed by Alex Yampolsky, PharmD
What Is Cymbalta Withdrawal?
Side Effects of Withdrawal
How to Safely Stop Taking Cymbalta
Managing Withdrawal Symptoms
Key Takeaways
Gradually taper off Cymbalta with help from your healthcare provider to avoid severe withdrawal symptoms.
Stopping Cymbalta suddenly can cause symptoms like dizziness, nausea, and trouble sleeping.
Over-the-counter medication and self-care activities can help manage withdrawal symptoms.
Cymbalta (duloxetine) withdrawal can lead to symptoms like dizziness and nausea, especially if stopped abruptly. To minimize withdrawal, work with your healthcare provider on a gradual tapering plan.
A close-up of Cymbalta (duloxetine) capsules with the backdrop of the Cymbalta packaging
Getty Images / Bloomberg / Contributor
What Is Cymbalta Withdrawal?
Cymbalta belongs to a class of drugs called serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). SNRIs are prescribed to help treat mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety but may also be taken for other disorders such as neuropathic pain (nerve pain), fibromyalgia, and chronic muscle or joint pain.1
Cymbalta withdrawal happens when someone abruptly stops or significantly reduces their medication dose. Several factors can influence your risk of experiencing withdrawal symptoms:23
Long-term medication use
Half-life of the medication
Reduction of higher doses
Abrupt discontinuation of medication
Personal physiology
Past experience with withdrawal symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms typically emerge within a couple of days after stopping the medication.4
How Long Does Cymbalta Withdrawal Last?
Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms usually improve within a few weeks, though some may last longer, particularly for those on higher doses or long-term use.4
Fava GA, Benasi G, Lucente M, et al. Withdrawal symptoms after serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor discontinuation: systematic review. Psychother Psychosom. 2018;87(4):195-203. doi:10.1159/000491524
Side Effects of Withdrawal
The most common side effects of withdrawal include:54
Anxiety
Dizziness
Headaches
Insomnia (trouble sleeping) or nightmares
Irritability
Nausea or vomiting
Paresthesia (“pins and needles” sensation in arms, hands, legs, or feet)
What Antidepressants Are the Hardest to Stop Taking?
Antidepressants with short half-lives are associated with a higher risk of withdrawal and should be tapered off gradually over a long period. These antidepressants and their half-lives are:6
Cymbalta (duloxetine): 12 hours
Celexa (citalopram): 36 hours
Wellbutrin (bupropion): 21 hours
Lexapro (escitalopram): 27 to 32 hours
Zoloft (sertraline): 26 hours
Paxil (paroxetine): 24 hours
Pristiq (desvenlafaxine): 12 hours
Effexor XR (venlafaxine): 5 hours
How to Safely Stop Taking Cymbalta
It is important to work with your healthcare provider when discontinuing Cymbalta to reduce the severity of withdrawal.
The recommended approach is to gradually taper the medication off over a long period. Clinicians generally recommend gradually reducing the dose no less than two weeks before stopping treatment.5
However, tapering recommendations will be left to the clinical judgment of your provider, who will decide based on factors like the current dose of your medication and how long you have been taking it.
