Cymbalta

[Dizzylizzybeth]

Hi there, I am new to the board, I have Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder...and I am on Cymbalta for depression. It is working well for me..it is also used for pain managment, but hasn't worked in that catigory much for me at all. I think you should try it, it is working well for me.

[jaykay]

Hi there, I am new to the board, I have Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder...and I am on Cymbalta for depression. It is working well for me..it is also used for pain managment, but hasn't worked in that catigory much for me at all. I think you should try it, it is working well for me.

cymblta seems to be the new drug of choice for people with depression and/or pain problems. Ive heard alot of good things about it with really no negative. Alot of people are using it for chronic fatigue too, to help them with energy

[mo]

Just started on Cymbalta two weeks ago. It is working well. I have TMJ disorder, IBS and FM (the cause of all problems).

The FM pain is down significantly, and my mood is much better. I have the occasional flare up of pain but nothing like before and the fibro fog has almost disappeared.

Additionally all other medications I have been on have caused me to gain a lot of weight (7 kgs in 3 months). With Cymbalta I am able to maintain my weight and not add more (let's hope it stays this way!)

Good luck

[kimhaze]

Hello!
I am new to this forum and this is actually the first time I have ever posted on any forum. I was diagnosed with fibro about 4 years ago, after years of its in your head, and I went through premature ovarian failure, when I was 28 which may have been the catalyst for the fibro and for the osteoporosis I have. (I am 42 now)

I just wanted to say make sure you do [u]research[/u]and have a good discussion with your Doctor( I wouldn't use a new one) before going on cymbalta.

I was recently put on cymbalta by my rheumatologist (new) and he was fairly aggressive about it. I started at 30mg for a week, then 30 in the am and 30 in the pm. The next week up to 60 in am and 30 in pm. Then next week 60 in am, 60 in pm. This helped with the pain which was fab!
[u]Unfortunately, then the side effects hit![/u]
I got the shakes so bad I couldn't do anything (no driving at all) Then sleeping which has always been rough, became almost non-existent with the new meds., also 10lb weight gain in 4 weeks, as with sex, the big O went away completely (Dr dismissed this!) The doctor then said I needed to lower the dosage, which can get very expensive changing dosage prescriptions until the side effects get better. I had to lower dosages very unevenly because I had 3 month supply of 60mg due to mail order insurance and no 30mg, and the Dr only gave me a thirty day supply prescription for the 30mg as he had no samples left and the pharmacy told me it would be $128.00 for the script Ugh!!! (no way)

I am now off of Cymbalta (there are side effects going off this of varying degrees. I am very lucky far I have been off this for a week and my withdrawal symptoms are not too bad, dizziness and heavy night sweats recently extreme dryness in the eyes which can be very painful, but I have heard about extreme withdrawal effects) and I am going to stay off anti-depressants for a while and see if maybe an organic diet and healthier living will help, I don't expect it will be a miracle cure I just want to remove all unnecessary meds. until I get back to a base line and see what is going on with my body with out meds. I will go back to working with my GP who unfortunately for me not for her is on Maternity leave which is why I went to the rheumatologist in the first place (as other General Practioners tend to dismiss fibro.)

[Beckyboo]

I have been on Cymbalta for about a year or so . I started out on 20mgs for a long time, then moved slowly up to 60mgs. Now, my doctor wants me to take 60mgs in the morning andn 60 mgs in the evening. I have the prescription, but am afraid to try it. Any other takers out there?

[hgl]

I have had Fibromyalgia for over 15 years. Was on Prozac for most of it. It helped the pain, but in the last year, my depression got worse.
I am seeing a new doctor and he has me on Cymbalta for the pain and depression and Trazadone for sleep as I have severe sleep apnea.
These last few weeks I have been stuttering and loosing my place in whatever I do.

I did not take my trazadone last night thinking it might be that. My doctor thinks I might be showing signs of sleep deprevation.

Has anyone had this side effect from either cymbalta or trazadone?

Holly

[Beckyboo]

Since I posted above, I am now down to 30 mgs of Cymbalta a day. No doctor that I see wants to take me completelu off of it, so if I choose to do that, I'll have to do it myself. I saw a pain Management specialist and I thought he was going to kill me...giving me strong morphine meds. Since then, I have the shakes just terrible. I threw those things away.

Who knows what to do anymore? I think the drug companies have such a huge influence on our docs.

[susiejeanne]

I'm also new to the forum. I have been on Cymbalta for a couple of years now. My doc wants to put me on 30mg per day, but I also take Nortriptyline. They can interact to cause shakiness. When I take more than 25mg, then I start shaking. I've had to be off of my Cymbalta for some other medical situations and realized when I was off of it how much difference it really makes. It does keep some of the pain under control. As with any anti-depressent, be sure you know all the pluses and minuses.

[kerryjess]

I'm new to the site. Had pain problems for quite a few years but just had "diagnosis" of FM. I was given morphine last month for the 3rd time, but I stopped it myself. The side effects are what I can't manage. I had mood swings and was over reacting to things, and felt as if my brain and speech were not connected. I felt totally spaced out all of the time.

Now I have gone back to Tramadol. My rheumatologist reckoned that if the stronger meds were not making a significant difference to the pain, then it would be better to have a bit more pain but be more alert. I feel much better now that I am off the morphine.

Very often we take what the doctor suggests because we think it is the right thing to do. We need to do more research ourselves and take more control over what we put into our bodies.
I have been on Lyrica for the pain but again I don't really like the side effects. It has made some difference to the pain but I have to time the dose at night(200mg) as I will fall asleep about 30min after taking it. My GP wanted to increase the dose to 300 mg but I said no. I dropped the morning dose to 100 mg so I felt safer to drive. The rheumatologist has decreased it to 75 mg in the morning and intends to reduce it gradually over the next few weeks.

[kerryjess]

I'm new to the site. Had pain problems for quite a few years but just had "diagnosis" of FM. I was given morphine last month for the 3rd time, but I stopped it myself. The side effects are what I can't manage. I had mood swings and was over reacting to things, and felt as if my brain and speech were not connected. I felt totally spaced out all of the time.

Now I have gone back to Tramadol. My rheumatologist reckoned that if the stronger meds were not making a significant difference to the pain, then it would be better to have a bit more pain but be more alert. I feel much better now that I am off the morphine.

Very often we take what the doctor suggests because we think it is the right thing to do. We need to do more research ourselves and take more control over what we put into our bodies.
I have been on Lyrica for the pain but again I don't really like the side effects. It has made some difference to the pain but I have to time the dose at night(200mg) as I will fall asleep about 30min after taking it. My GP wanted to increase the dose to 300 mg but I said no. I dropped the morning dose to 100 mg so I felt safer to drive. The rheumatologist has decreased it to 75 mg in the morning and intends to reduce it gradually over the next few weeks.

[lpayton]

Tramadol would seem to be a much better choice for fibro than morphine. Opioids usually aren't very effective in treating fibromyalgia, but tramadol seems to be the exception, probably because it also effects seratonin and norepinephrine plasma levels.

[BR Madame]

I have been taking Tramadol 50 mg 4/day and it works better for pain than anything else I've tried. The brandname Ultram Er 200 mg doesn't work at all. Still I have lots of pain becase of OA and muscles freezing. Warning Tramadol does have withdrawal problems. Don't try to cold turkey it.

[LdyLarke]

I haven't seen anyone mention Lyrica?

I'm on Cymbalta 30mg/d, Lyrica 75mg 3x/d and Tramadol 300mg/d - it works for me except for the worst flare up days. Which sometimes seem more often than they should be. I guess it could be the lousy weather

[prioris]

cymbalta has to rank as one of the most health damaging anti-depressants to ever come out. hopefully you aren't taking it if you are pregnant.

one good thing about cymbalta will be that some years down the road, you will be able to be part of a large class action suit because it damaged your health.

[smcarson]

CYMBALTA DID NOT HELP ME WITH MY PAIN. AND IT MAKE ME SICK TO THE STOMACH.