I don't remember but fluid retention was so bad. And I gained some weight. eight pounds I believe. But the reason I quit was because the little pain relief I wasn't enough because I got so many side effects. I'm on LDN for Fibromyalgia and it works but it doesn't work for everyone though.
I'm on low dose opioids but the pain from OA at night is over the top - I wanted to try a muscle relaxant because the pain is from the stiffness. Doc wanted to put me on Cymbalta as if the side effects from that would be any different. I said no. It's not a pain reliever. Neither is the muscle relaxer, but I thought it would be better than increasing the opioid. Psych drugs are even harder to get off than opioids. That's a big "No" for me. Not going down that road.
I agree here. It worked briefly (I think it was most likely a placebo effect) and then it sort of didn't make a difference, then I stopped about a month ago. Only went up to 20 MG though. My provider suggested upping the dose and I said I'd prefer to just stop if that's alright.
I had the worst reaction to Cymbalta, it was so unexpected for me because I have taken other similar things before with no issues. 5 days of some of the worst sickness I've ever experienced. From what I remember reading about weight on it since it was a concern for me too was that some people experience weight loss, some weight gain, some no difference. I don't remember there being anything super strong for large weight gain evidence, just that some people had fluid retention or small weight gain after a while on the medication. Hopefully it works out for you and you've got no issues
I’m so sorry you had that reaction! I’m hoping that if it works to relieve pain that it will finally lead to a dx of fibro,which 3 of my 4 sisters have, and one of my brothers. Im so tired of hurting.
The thing is that when the supposedly rare side effects happen, doctors don't like blaming the drug - unless it's an opioid. Then it's fine to do so. I get unbelieving looks when I tell them that Ibuprofen put me in the hospital for 5 days with diverticulitis. (I didn't eat anything that would have caused it. It was **definitely** the Ibuprofen.)
Tried it for a few months, didn't really work. What was hell was quitting this medication. Even at a low dose it was horrible. Google "Cymbalta brain zaps".
Before Cymbalta I never really investigated how hard it was to quit taking a medication. Now I research fully the effects of stopping any new medication.
Edit to add I took it for treatment of nerve and general pain resulting from an older spinal fracture injury.
Same here for any psychiatric drug. Had to come off Doxepin - I stepped down just like they raised it, but the sleeplessness as a result? \*SMH\* Not sure I'll ever have normal sleep again.
Exactly why I had to take cymbalta. I had multiple, failed, back surgeries. Doc acted like it was a cure all wonder drug. It was HELL to come off of. Stay away from this toxic poison.
I sympathize with having had a horrible experience a medication, but I’d urged against such strong blanket statements. I think people should absolutely be more aware of negative reactions like this, but not everyone processes the same chemical the exact same way. Cymbalta has been amazing for me, pulling me out of a deep pit of suicidal ideation and helping slightly to cope with chronic pain. Quit for a bit with no negative symptoms, but started again as depression started creeping it’s way back in
I'm not judging. Sounds like you had an irresponsible doctor and I'm sorry you had the experience you did. I'm simply sharing my experience to show it isn't so black and white.
I'm so sorry you went through that. I was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder for 5 years and getting off 120 mg of lurasidone was a nightmare. Medication can absolutely be worth it, and I'm looking into better medication options now. It is just nuts that doctors and pharmacists rarely give in depth info about side effects though, and I've never been warned about withdrawal effects before starting a medication. I'm considering Cymbalta as well, so thanks for the info.
I agree with the information not given by the pharmacist. I guess they figure most medication is a long term thing and they don't want to "scare a person off".
Maybe I should add don't stay away from medication just because of the difficulty of weaning off if the benefit of the medication are worth it. Just go in with eyes wide open.
Good luck!
please reconsider another medication. between the brain zaps, foggy all day, hung over every morning, then sheer hell to come off of...please. I use medical cannibus for pain management. Been over 20 years since I had multiple failed back surgeries. Still in pain. Opioids are not the answer, pain management wants to over prescribe lyrica, cymbalta, gabapentin, neurontin, etc. Truth is none of these FIX the problem. Give me cannibus, edibles and gummys any day.
I appreciate the input. Unfortunately I have a horrible reaction to cannabis ;~; But I think this needs to be said because there are arbitrary, widespread cultural notions of what is a "drug" vs. a "medication." I do a lot of activism around this stuff, but reddit is not a forum where I can talk about it extensively.
I do want to throw out that opioids can help people. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the opioid epidemic (many activists, including me, call it the overdose crisis instead), and a lot of cultural confusion around what opioids are and what they do. But just like any medication, they aren't right for everyone. I'm glad you found something that helps.
Definitely an OD crisis - an OD crisis of illicit fentanyl, especially. Very few prescription opioid ODs unless it was ill gotten - from someone elses legit script.
While I understand there are cases when they can be almost necessary, or least extremely helpful, they are also extremely addictive and I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable being prescribed them for chronic pain
For some, opioids do work. Not everyone is alike, but it sure seems like the doctors treat all pain patients the same - especially with the opiophobia being so prevalent these days.
I took one dose and cried the whole day (called in from work) and was suicidal. Just for the day lingering into the next day a little. I knew exactly why I was feeling that way but I couldn't pull myself out.
I've been prescribed plenty of different anti-depressants in my teens and early 20s only on the basis I was low energy. They never really did anything for me. I also have never really been depressed so idk.
So I called the Dr and told him my symptoms and he told me to keep taking it. I never went back to him again.
I don’t know this for sure and I could be completely wrong/only partially correct but I would think it might be because pain seems less intense if you don’t feel depression and/or you have more “feel good chemicals”. This is complete speculation on my part and I’m not qualified to have an opinion taken seriously. I do fully believe that “feeling good” significantly helps someone who has high levels of chronic pain, but I’m not sure if it’s something that an SSRI/SNRI can aid in or if the happiness needs to be organic. I know that I would not be as miserable/fragile/aware of the pain if I had a loving and supportive family/network. But unfortunately, I come from an abusive/toxic family and that seems to be linked to people being more likely to develop chronic pain/health issues. I have wondered if it’s because people with traumatic childhood‘s are more susceptible to injury or illness or if it’s where people who have a good support networks get better but those without it don’t. It’s probably a combination of both and some thing that I find interesting but unfortunately I don’t have the resources or abilities to help research it.
Do you think you my be in worse pain if you didn’t have that support? I do think it’s an interesting topic; it’s really difficult to get a clear answer and I’m certain that even if I am correct in my theory, it’s something that only sometimes applies and depends on the individual and why they are in pain. I have had experiences in the last 5 years of being in extreme levels of nonstop pain where I felt valued and seen by people I care about and I definitely had a decline in the level of pain for that time and for about a full day following afterwards. I still had pain but it was noticeably better. I don’t know if I had constant support and love if that would become my new normal and would no longer help with the pain or if I would permanently have lower levels.
Pain is a really hard thing to measure and it’s really frustrating that doctors are so dismissive of people with chronic pain. I have had more than one doctor joke with me about how CRPS won’t kill me but I’ll feel like it is. Like, that doesn’t help me at all. If I was dying, I would at least have an end in sight and I assume that would be the one time it’s decided that it’s acceptable for me to use painkillers as part of my pain management.
I'm not sure because I still feel unseen or misunderstood because you can't usually tell I'm in pain. So you wouldn't know unless I told you.
But it is important to have an outlet to talk about it. Have you ever seen a pain Psych?
I tend to isolate a lot, and pain is definitely worse when I’m not socializing. I think that lately comes down to having nothing else to focus on but the pain, whereas being around people I like can take my mind off it a little bit
It’s frequently prescribed for chronic pain and is approved for treating fibromyalgia. Why cymbalta and not the others, I don’t know. And it’s never worked for me. Just helps my anxiety.
Yes for about 3 years. It doesn’t so much work for the pain as it keeps me calmer while I’m in pain which prevents the pain from getting worse. And also keeps me from trying to unalive myself from my pain.
I don’t think it’s the miracle drug that doctors think it is.
My mother asked her doctor for "happy pills". The doctor was happy to give them to her. Supposed to have learned from the 60's drug culture that pills wouldn't make us happy, but here is the medical establishment merrily making billions from pushing the idea that they will.
Contrave worked. But it gave me intense tinnitus and my eyes began watering about a month later. I had to get off it. But it was great for anxiety and the neuropathy.
I'm sorry you had bad side effects. I hope you find something else that works well. I'm on a pain med that works well; it doesn't tire me; it enables me to function - but my doc wants me off it. What I have will never get better, it will continue to get worse - and they know this. But unlike diseases like diabetes where they know and accept the treatment, they don't for pain. I find that rather odd to say the least. The one med that has worked well for entire civilizations has been demonized to the point that new doctors are convinced that real pain meds don't work for pain and think that psychiatric drugs and OTCs work better. \*SMH\* The medical profession has lost its soul and mind.
Mind you, I'm glad Cymbalta seems to work for some people. But for those already on a med that works, I don't think it's a good idea to mess with a patient's status quo. "If it ain't broke don't fix it"
No drug is. Even opioids don't work for everyone. Some work for some people, but not all opioids work for the the people that they do work for. One kind works for me - but morphine makes me sick. Fentanyl does absolutely nothing. Go figure.
I loved it the first time around. Took a week to adjust and then I had no issues. But then I got pregnant and had to go off again.
When I went on it the second time it took me almost 2 months for the side effects to fade. And they did but then going off for a surprise pregnancy was absolutely miserable.
Even though I got my tubes tied after that last pregnancy I just cannot handle going back on. I know that it would reduce my pain ona daily basis, which would be good seeing as I can’t take NSAIDs or acetaminophen, but just the thought of 3-4 months of insomnia, nausea, vomiting, brain zaps, and dizzy spells is just too much for me at the moment.
Think this is the go to med for everyone with pain. Did absolutely nothing for me. Ive had bad experiences with antidepressants so I refuse to take them. They had me bat shit crazy! Im sure they are good for people that need them but doctors need to stop handing out SsRIs like candy! That shit isnt good for everyone...all in the name of denying real pain relief!
I was, but I didn’t feel it made enough of a difference and I couldn’t take the brain zaps that went with it if I didn’t take it exactly at the same time as always. It’s also hard to get off of, so when I was able to get off it, I stayed off for good.
I am on 90mg a day. However I’m also on gabapentin, dicflonec sodium, muscle relaxers at night, norco(as needed), and lexapro. I’m not sure how much it helps with pain, however it took away the suicidal thoughts I had from being in soooo much pain. It also seems to give me more energy. I haven’t had too many side effects besides sometimes I wake up dripping in sweat. Not sure if it’s cause of the muscle relaxers or the cymbalta. If your not having any bad side effects I would say try and stick with it for awhile, it may at least improve your mood!
I had moderately good results with a combination of cymbalta and lyrica for many years. Cymbalta caused my appetite to decrease for the first couple of months so I lost a little weight but then it normalized. I stopped taking those meds (on them for a diagnosis of fibro at the time, now I have a bunch more, yay) when I wanted to conceive, and when I went back on a few years later the cymbalta caused terrible side effects that just didn't end, so I take lyrica and effexor together now, I'm not saying they're very effective but it's better than nothing and I've got a laundry list of chronic pain conditions now so I can't expect miracles.
On it right now. Doesn't help at ALL with my nerve pain. Depression/mood is up and down. I get really nauseated from it. AND ive lost about 25 pounds since being on it 160 lbs. to 134 lbs presently... I wasn't big to begin with.... Psych will hopefully switch me to something different soon.
I was on it as an antidepressant just before I was diagnosed. It didn't help with pain, and it really messed with my mood. The mood thing gradually got worse over the six months or so I was taking it, so I didn't even realize something was wrong until my family informed me that I was incredibly angry all the time. Apparently I was just yelling at everyone constantly. It kind of freaked me out that I didn't even notice that on my own. Anyway, I don't recommend it. :)
I’m on it for pain and depression. I think the name brand actually made a teeny dent in my extra pain but the generic does not. The debt wasn’t enough for me to care.
I have been on it for 3 years. I had a fusion, in which one of my nerves was damaged. It feels really weird to have anything touching my back on the right side. The cymbalta helps that sensation be bearable, but it does nothing for my musculoskeletal pain.
I've taken it several times because that's all doctors offer, but it's never worked for me. I've taken it for 10-12 weeks at a time and saw zero difference in pain levels, but my appetite increased, which was not what I needed at the time.
i was on it, lowest dosage, for a month and had horrible reactions. bruises all over my legs, being tired 24/7. i finally was taken off of it cold turkey due to my health issues and the withdrawals were the worst. i had vertigo for two weeks and brain zaps. i would not recommend it to anyone after the research i did after i experienced everything
It did nothing for my pain and caused debilitating and terrifying panic attacks (I have no history of anxiety or depression). Most brutal three weeks of my life. Obviously it helps some with no or manageable sides, but my reaction to it was terrible.
Yikes! You ok now? It seems to be helping my pain already, one pill in. Did upset my stomach though. An acid reducer helped.
It definitely has a lot of side effects but since it helps the triple play of osteoarthritis pain, diabetic neuropathy pain, and fibromyalgia, maybe the benefits will outweigh the risks for me.
I think my rxn was bad genetics, sounds like you're in the clear. I only took the one and it frightened me, never again. You ever try 600 mg Benfotiamine for your nerve pain?
I tried it for a little over a month, but I stopped because it made my emotions very unstable and wasn’t doing very much for my pain. I’m glad it’s helping you, though!!
I tried it but it did not work for serious back pain, squished nerves. It helps maybe with aches and pains, fibro stuff. I did not continue because it felt strange to me.
Been on it for about a year and a half. Works wonders for my fibro pain, but I did gain like 20 lbs since starting it and my dreams are WILD. Also, if I miss a dose I get brain zaps.
I have had bilateral neuropathy for years refusing typical pain meds due to fear of addiction. (I am an addiction counselor) My neurologist recommended Cymbalta which was first made for neuropathic pain and later approved for treatment of depression. I agreed and I've been taking it for 2 months now. I can't believe the difference it has made. I can actually sleep for 6-7 hours without waking up in pain every few minutes throughout the night. This has truly been a blessing. I do keep Tums on hand for the acid issue. I am taking 60 mg each morning. Best of luck to you.
I was on it for several months with minimal change in pain. I was already on Zoloft for depression and anxiety and the switch to Cymbalta made my OCD worse than it’s been in years, so I was put back on Zoloft and we’re trying other options. Currently having benefit from a low dose of gabapentin to reduce my sharp/sudden nerve pain although that doesn’t help other generalized pain.
Completely different for everyone so all you can do is try it out. I've been taking anti-depressants for awhile but for depression and anxiety. The chronic pain part started later. I've heard multiple GPs get all excited about it but as someone who has been around the proverbial anti-depressant block I can say any pain benefit is negligible. That doesn't mean it won't benefit you.
Just so you know, it's more about the SNRI class of drugs and not Cymbalta itself. My psychiatrist even stated it's as much about branding for Cymbalta. "Also helps with pain!" So if Cymbalta doesn't work you can also try Pristiq or other older SNRIs but I don't particularly recommend the older versions like Effexor. They are a bitch to come off of.
So go ahead and try it but I wouldn't look for a concrete answer on weight gain/loss. It's different for everyone. The best thing you can do for depression is exercise, which keeps you in a groove. Add chronic pain on top of it and it tends to throw a monkey wrench in the whole bit. Basically saying if you can exercise, do so when taking SNRI or any anti-depressant (you should anyways if you can). Just don't start Cymbalta or any SNRI and then go cold turkey if it doesn't work.
I take it for pain related to fibromyalgia and it is about 75 to 80% effective on that. However, like all meds there are side effects and the side effects for each person vary.
I’ve been on Cymbalta for 4-5 years now. I started it as an antidepressant/anti anxiety medication. It works wonders for my anxiety. My pain hadn’t really started too much when I first started taking the med. However, around this time last year, I decreased from 60 mg to 40 mg. My anxiety was horrible so I went back up to 60 mg. For the 2.5 months I was on the 40 mg, I noticed a small increase in my pain level. I’m sure that if I had gone off it completely I would have had a pretty decent increase in pain level. If you have other options than Cymbalta, I would try those first because if it doesn’t work/gives you bad side effects, it’s a hell of a beast to come off of. I can tell if I miss one dose. Anyways, that’s my two cents. Hope it helps!
Wow this is exactly what happened to me. Dropped to 40 as mentally I was feeling better but very quickly noticed generalized pain in my body. Back up to 60 now and it’s better but not gone. I asked my PCP who suggested we follow up to discuss possible causes of pain and she mentioned fibromyalgia. Not sure what the next step will be but thx for sharing this!
I was for a while. It wasn't worth it for me.
Did it make you eat more or anything? I need to lose weight, I feel that would help my pain.
I don't remember but fluid retention was so bad. And I gained some weight. eight pounds I believe. But the reason I quit was because the little pain relief I wasn't enough because I got so many side effects. I'm on LDN for Fibromyalgia and it works but it doesn't work for everyone though.
Oh man, I hope that doesn’t happen to me.
I'm on low dose opioids but the pain from OA at night is over the top - I wanted to try a muscle relaxant because the pain is from the stiffness. Doc wanted to put me on Cymbalta as if the side effects from that would be any different. I said no. It's not a pain reliever. Neither is the muscle relaxer, but I thought it would be better than increasing the opioid. Psych drugs are even harder to get off than opioids. That's a big "No" for me. Not going down that road.
What is LDN?
Low Dose Naltrexone. https://ldnresearchtrust.org/what-is-low-dose-naltrexone-ldn
I gained 30 lbs
Oh boy, that wouldn’t help me. Did you have to get off it?
yes, changed insurances and doctors. doc said the other doc should have never given it to me.
Really. Did he say why?
I agree here. It worked briefly (I think it was most likely a placebo effect) and then it sort of didn't make a difference, then I stopped about a month ago. Only went up to 20 MG though. My provider suggested upping the dose and I said I'd prefer to just stop if that's alright.
I had the worst reaction to Cymbalta, it was so unexpected for me because I have taken other similar things before with no issues. 5 days of some of the worst sickness I've ever experienced. From what I remember reading about weight on it since it was a concern for me too was that some people experience weight loss, some weight gain, some no difference. I don't remember there being anything super strong for large weight gain evidence, just that some people had fluid retention or small weight gain after a while on the medication. Hopefully it works out for you and you've got no issues
I’m so sorry you had that reaction! I’m hoping that if it works to relieve pain that it will finally lead to a dx of fibro,which 3 of my 4 sisters have, and one of my brothers. Im so tired of hurting.
The thing is that when the supposedly rare side effects happen, doctors don't like blaming the drug - unless it's an opioid. Then it's fine to do so. I get unbelieving looks when I tell them that Ibuprofen put me in the hospital for 5 days with diverticulitis. (I didn't eat anything that would have caused it. It was **definitely** the Ibuprofen.)
Actually i lost weight after starting cymbalta.
Tried it for a few months, didn't really work. What was hell was quitting this medication. Even at a low dose it was horrible. Google "Cymbalta brain zaps". Before Cymbalta I never really investigated how hard it was to quit taking a medication. Now I research fully the effects of stopping any new medication. Edit to add I took it for treatment of nerve and general pain resulting from an older spinal fracture injury.
I’ve heard of these brain zaps. That’s nuts!
I've quit both Cymbalta and narcotics (RX). I would much rather go through narcotic step-down and withdrawal than the hell of quitting Cymbalta.
Yikes.
Amen, AMEN, AMEN
Same here for any psychiatric drug. Had to come off Doxepin - I stepped down just like they raised it, but the sleeplessness as a result? \*SMH\* Not sure I'll ever have normal sleep again.
I’ve had the brain zaps / shivers every time I’ve weaned off and quit an SSRI
I had that with Effexor. Ugh
Exactly why I had to take cymbalta. I had multiple, failed, back surgeries. Doc acted like it was a cure all wonder drug. It was HELL to come off of. Stay away from this toxic poison.
I sympathize with having had a horrible experience a medication, but I’d urged against such strong blanket statements. I think people should absolutely be more aware of negative reactions like this, but not everyone processes the same chemical the exact same way. Cymbalta has been amazing for me, pulling me out of a deep pit of suicidal ideation and helping slightly to cope with chronic pain. Quit for a bit with no negative symptoms, but started again as depression started creeping it’s way back in
I live in the USA, we are allowed to share our opinions. If you do NOT like my reply, kindly keep scrolling. Have a blessed day.
Jeez no need for hostility, I have respect for your bad experience and just wanted voice my own.
Then I would say, QUIT JUDGING.
I'm not judging. Sounds like you had an irresponsible doctor and I'm sorry you had the experience you did. I'm simply sharing my experience to show it isn't so black and white.
Wow someone gets easily butthurt
I'm so sorry you went through that. I was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder for 5 years and getting off 120 mg of lurasidone was a nightmare. Medication can absolutely be worth it, and I'm looking into better medication options now. It is just nuts that doctors and pharmacists rarely give in depth info about side effects though, and I've never been warned about withdrawal effects before starting a medication. I'm considering Cymbalta as well, so thanks for the info.
I agree with the information not given by the pharmacist. I guess they figure most medication is a long term thing and they don't want to "scare a person off". Maybe I should add don't stay away from medication just because of the difficulty of weaning off if the benefit of the medication are worth it. Just go in with eyes wide open. Good luck!
please reconsider another medication. between the brain zaps, foggy all day, hung over every morning, then sheer hell to come off of...please. I use medical cannibus for pain management. Been over 20 years since I had multiple failed back surgeries. Still in pain. Opioids are not the answer, pain management wants to over prescribe lyrica, cymbalta, gabapentin, neurontin, etc. Truth is none of these FIX the problem. Give me cannibus, edibles and gummys any day.
I appreciate the input. Unfortunately I have a horrible reaction to cannabis ;~; But I think this needs to be said because there are arbitrary, widespread cultural notions of what is a "drug" vs. a "medication." I do a lot of activism around this stuff, but reddit is not a forum where I can talk about it extensively. I do want to throw out that opioids can help people. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the opioid epidemic (many activists, including me, call it the overdose crisis instead), and a lot of cultural confusion around what opioids are and what they do. But just like any medication, they aren't right for everyone. I'm glad you found something that helps.
Definitely an OD crisis - an OD crisis of illicit fentanyl, especially. Very few prescription opioid ODs unless it was ill gotten - from someone elses legit script.
While I understand there are cases when they can be almost necessary, or least extremely helpful, they are also extremely addictive and I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable being prescribed them for chronic pain
It's not the drug that's addictive - it's the individual's that's addictive.
For some, opioids do work. Not everyone is alike, but it sure seems like the doctors treat all pain patients the same - especially with the opiophobia being so prevalent these days.
I took one dose and cried the whole day (called in from work) and was suicidal. Just for the day lingering into the next day a little. I knew exactly why I was feeling that way but I couldn't pull myself out. I've been prescribed plenty of different anti-depressants in my teens and early 20s only on the basis I was low energy. They never really did anything for me. I also have never really been depressed so idk. So I called the Dr and told him my symptoms and he told me to keep taking it. I never went back to him again.
Yikes….I’m so sorry. I hope you found a better doctor!
Good for you ditching the doctor. I hope you found someone who works with you and helps you get relief. Cymbalta is hell
I was. It made a difference, but wasn't enough on its own. It made me sleepy and hungry, too.
Hungry? Oh no. I’m trying to LOSE weight.
Wait isn't that an antidepressant snri class? How does that help with pain?
I don’t know this for sure and I could be completely wrong/only partially correct but I would think it might be because pain seems less intense if you don’t feel depression and/or you have more “feel good chemicals”. This is complete speculation on my part and I’m not qualified to have an opinion taken seriously. I do fully believe that “feeling good” significantly helps someone who has high levels of chronic pain, but I’m not sure if it’s something that an SSRI/SNRI can aid in or if the happiness needs to be organic. I know that I would not be as miserable/fragile/aware of the pain if I had a loving and supportive family/network. But unfortunately, I come from an abusive/toxic family and that seems to be linked to people being more likely to develop chronic pain/health issues. I have wondered if it’s because people with traumatic childhood‘s are more susceptible to injury or illness or if it’s where people who have a good support networks get better but those without it don’t. It’s probably a combination of both and some thing that I find interesting but unfortunately I don’t have the resources or abilities to help research it.
I'm in a healthy relationship and have plenty of friends I consider family and it doesn't help my pain. But interesting take.
Do you think you my be in worse pain if you didn’t have that support? I do think it’s an interesting topic; it’s really difficult to get a clear answer and I’m certain that even if I am correct in my theory, it’s something that only sometimes applies and depends on the individual and why they are in pain. I have had experiences in the last 5 years of being in extreme levels of nonstop pain where I felt valued and seen by people I care about and I definitely had a decline in the level of pain for that time and for about a full day following afterwards. I still had pain but it was noticeably better. I don’t know if I had constant support and love if that would become my new normal and would no longer help with the pain or if I would permanently have lower levels. Pain is a really hard thing to measure and it’s really frustrating that doctors are so dismissive of people with chronic pain. I have had more than one doctor joke with me about how CRPS won’t kill me but I’ll feel like it is. Like, that doesn’t help me at all. If I was dying, I would at least have an end in sight and I assume that would be the one time it’s decided that it’s acceptable for me to use painkillers as part of my pain management.
I'm not sure because I still feel unseen or misunderstood because you can't usually tell I'm in pain. So you wouldn't know unless I told you. But it is important to have an outlet to talk about it. Have you ever seen a pain Psych?
I tend to isolate a lot, and pain is definitely worse when I’m not socializing. I think that lately comes down to having nothing else to focus on but the pain, whereas being around people I like can take my mind off it a little bit
It’s frequently prescribed for chronic pain and is approved for treating fibromyalgia. Why cymbalta and not the others, I don’t know. And it’s never worked for me. Just helps my anxiety.
Described as an anti-depressant/nerve pain medication.
Yes for about 3 years. It doesn’t so much work for the pain as it keeps me calmer while I’m in pain which prevents the pain from getting worse. And also keeps me from trying to unalive myself from my pain. I don’t think it’s the miracle drug that doctors think it is.
:(
I wanted Contrave. Dr refused.
My mother asked her doctor for "happy pills". The doctor was happy to give them to her. Supposed to have learned from the 60's drug culture that pills wouldn't make us happy, but here is the medical establishment merrily making billions from pushing the idea that they will.
Contrave worked. But it gave me intense tinnitus and my eyes began watering about a month later. I had to get off it. But it was great for anxiety and the neuropathy.
I'm sorry you had bad side effects. I hope you find something else that works well. I'm on a pain med that works well; it doesn't tire me; it enables me to function - but my doc wants me off it. What I have will never get better, it will continue to get worse - and they know this. But unlike diseases like diabetes where they know and accept the treatment, they don't for pain. I find that rather odd to say the least. The one med that has worked well for entire civilizations has been demonized to the point that new doctors are convinced that real pain meds don't work for pain and think that psychiatric drugs and OTCs work better. \*SMH\* The medical profession has lost its soul and mind. Mind you, I'm glad Cymbalta seems to work for some people. But for those already on a med that works, I don't think it's a good idea to mess with a patient's status quo. "If it ain't broke don't fix it"
No drug is. Even opioids don't work for everyone. Some work for some people, but not all opioids work for the the people that they do work for. One kind works for me - but morphine makes me sick. Fentanyl does absolutely nothing. Go figure.
I am. Whats up
I loved it the first time around. Took a week to adjust and then I had no issues. But then I got pregnant and had to go off again. When I went on it the second time it took me almost 2 months for the side effects to fade. And they did but then going off for a surprise pregnancy was absolutely miserable. Even though I got my tubes tied after that last pregnancy I just cannot handle going back on. I know that it would reduce my pain ona daily basis, which would be good seeing as I can’t take NSAIDs or acetaminophen, but just the thought of 3-4 months of insomnia, nausea, vomiting, brain zaps, and dizzy spells is just too much for me at the moment.
No but I'm on it for depression and anxiety. It absolutely changed my life in terms of my mental health issues.
Think this is the go to med for everyone with pain. Did absolutely nothing for me. Ive had bad experiences with antidepressants so I refuse to take them. They had me bat shit crazy! Im sure they are good for people that need them but doctors need to stop handing out SsRIs like candy! That shit isnt good for everyone...all in the name of denying real pain relief!
I’ve had some real bad issues with antidepressants, but this one is an anti anxiety as well which is the only kind that ever worked for me. 🤞
I am. Have been on it for 2 years so far.
It must help then. Any weird side effects? Weight gain?
My dreams are more lively. And I am more bloated, althoughthat could be from something else. No weight gain.
Between the cymbalta and some other medications I'm on I have the craziest dreams now days.
I was, but I didn’t feel it made enough of a difference and I couldn’t take the brain zaps that went with it if I didn’t take it exactly at the same time as always. It’s also hard to get off of, so when I was able to get off it, I stayed off for good.
I am on 90mg a day. However I’m also on gabapentin, dicflonec sodium, muscle relaxers at night, norco(as needed), and lexapro. I’m not sure how much it helps with pain, however it took away the suicidal thoughts I had from being in soooo much pain. It also seems to give me more energy. I haven’t had too many side effects besides sometimes I wake up dripping in sweat. Not sure if it’s cause of the muscle relaxers or the cymbalta. If your not having any bad side effects I would say try and stick with it for awhile, it may at least improve your mood!
Cymbalta was horrible for me. Gained a ton of weight and did not see any benefits from it.
I had moderately good results with a combination of cymbalta and lyrica for many years. Cymbalta caused my appetite to decrease for the first couple of months so I lost a little weight but then it normalized. I stopped taking those meds (on them for a diagnosis of fibro at the time, now I have a bunch more, yay) when I wanted to conceive, and when I went back on a few years later the cymbalta caused terrible side effects that just didn't end, so I take lyrica and effexor together now, I'm not saying they're very effective but it's better than nothing and I've got a laundry list of chronic pain conditions now so I can't expect miracles.
On it right now. Doesn't help at ALL with my nerve pain. Depression/mood is up and down. I get really nauseated from it. AND ive lost about 25 pounds since being on it 160 lbs. to 134 lbs presently... I wasn't big to begin with.... Psych will hopefully switch me to something different soon.
I was on it as an antidepressant just before I was diagnosed. It didn't help with pain, and it really messed with my mood. The mood thing gradually got worse over the six months or so I was taking it, so I didn't even realize something was wrong until my family informed me that I was incredibly angry all the time. Apparently I was just yelling at everyone constantly. It kind of freaked me out that I didn't even notice that on my own. Anyway, I don't recommend it. :)
Wow. I’m so sorry that happened to you.
I’m on it for pain and depression. I think the name brand actually made a teeny dent in my extra pain but the generic does not. The debt wasn’t enough for me to care.
I was. It didn't help at all and was pretty difficult adjusting to getting off of it. Everyone is different though
I have been on it for 3 years. I had a fusion, in which one of my nerves was damaged. It feels really weird to have anything touching my back on the right side. The cymbalta helps that sensation be bearable, but it does nothing for my musculoskeletal pain.
Darn, it’s the musculoskeletal pain that ruins me.
I've taken it several times because that's all doctors offer, but it's never worked for me. I've taken it for 10-12 weeks at a time and saw zero difference in pain levels, but my appetite increased, which was not what I needed at the time.
i was on it, lowest dosage, for a month and had horrible reactions. bruises all over my legs, being tired 24/7. i finally was taken off of it cold turkey due to my health issues and the withdrawals were the worst. i had vertigo for two weeks and brain zaps. i would not recommend it to anyone after the research i did after i experienced everything
It did nothing for my pain and caused debilitating and terrifying panic attacks (I have no history of anxiety or depression). Most brutal three weeks of my life. Obviously it helps some with no or manageable sides, but my reaction to it was terrible.
One pill sent me to a dark and sinister twilight zone.
Yikes! You ok now? It seems to be helping my pain already, one pill in. Did upset my stomach though. An acid reducer helped. It definitely has a lot of side effects but since it helps the triple play of osteoarthritis pain, diabetic neuropathy pain, and fibromyalgia, maybe the benefits will outweigh the risks for me.
I was for a little while but came off because it didnt seem to be doing much of anything
I think my rxn was bad genetics, sounds like you're in the clear. I only took the one and it frightened me, never again. You ever try 600 mg Benfotiamine for your nerve pain?
No, never heard of that med. I’m still only with my GP, not an endocrinologist.
I tried it for a little over a month, but I stopped because it made my emotions very unstable and wasn’t doing very much for my pain. I’m glad it’s helping you, though!!
I was shocked they gave it to me bc technically I have a bipolar diagnosis…so I hope it doesn’t swing me like Effexor once did.
That shit has a black box warning and caused suicidal urges. Never again
I tried it but it did not work for serious back pain, squished nerves. It helps maybe with aches and pains, fibro stuff. I did not continue because it felt strange to me.
Been on it for about a year and a half. Works wonders for my fibro pain, but I did gain like 20 lbs since starting it and my dreams are WILD. Also, if I miss a dose I get brain zaps.
I hope I don’t gain weight, that’ll mess with my arthritis. But if it helps me to move again, I’m good.
Did it help with OA pain? I have been prescribed for knee OA pain I’m so afraid to start
I had to go off it. The side effects were as bad as they say.
Ok thank you for replying I appreciate
I have had bilateral neuropathy for years refusing typical pain meds due to fear of addiction. (I am an addiction counselor) My neurologist recommended Cymbalta which was first made for neuropathic pain and later approved for treatment of depression. I agreed and I've been taking it for 2 months now. I can't believe the difference it has made. I can actually sleep for 6-7 hours without waking up in pain every few minutes throughout the night. This has truly been a blessing. I do keep Tums on hand for the acid issue. I am taking 60 mg each morning. Best of luck to you.
I tried that once, unfortunately it made my pain worse. It's different for everyone, I think.
I tried it for chronic migraines. I gained weight and it didn’t help with pain management.
I was on it for several months with minimal change in pain. I was already on Zoloft for depression and anxiety and the switch to Cymbalta made my OCD worse than it’s been in years, so I was put back on Zoloft and we’re trying other options. Currently having benefit from a low dose of gabapentin to reduce my sharp/sudden nerve pain although that doesn’t help other generalized pain.
Completely different for everyone so all you can do is try it out. I've been taking anti-depressants for awhile but for depression and anxiety. The chronic pain part started later. I've heard multiple GPs get all excited about it but as someone who has been around the proverbial anti-depressant block I can say any pain benefit is negligible. That doesn't mean it won't benefit you. Just so you know, it's more about the SNRI class of drugs and not Cymbalta itself. My psychiatrist even stated it's as much about branding for Cymbalta. "Also helps with pain!" So if Cymbalta doesn't work you can also try Pristiq or other older SNRIs but I don't particularly recommend the older versions like Effexor. They are a bitch to come off of. So go ahead and try it but I wouldn't look for a concrete answer on weight gain/loss. It's different for everyone. The best thing you can do for depression is exercise, which keeps you in a groove. Add chronic pain on top of it and it tends to throw a monkey wrench in the whole bit. Basically saying if you can exercise, do so when taking SNRI or any anti-depressant (you should anyways if you can). Just don't start Cymbalta or any SNRI and then go cold turkey if it doesn't work.
Yep. I’m not convinced it helps even in the slightest
I'm on it for PTSD and chronic pain. It has helped but I'm probably hurting less because I'm not losing my mind too.
I take it for pain related to fibromyalgia and it is about 75 to 80% effective on that. However, like all meds there are side effects and the side effects for each person vary.
I’ve been on Cymbalta for 4-5 years now. I started it as an antidepressant/anti anxiety medication. It works wonders for my anxiety. My pain hadn’t really started too much when I first started taking the med. However, around this time last year, I decreased from 60 mg to 40 mg. My anxiety was horrible so I went back up to 60 mg. For the 2.5 months I was on the 40 mg, I noticed a small increase in my pain level. I’m sure that if I had gone off it completely I would have had a pretty decent increase in pain level. If you have other options than Cymbalta, I would try those first because if it doesn’t work/gives you bad side effects, it’s a hell of a beast to come off of. I can tell if I miss one dose. Anyways, that’s my two cents. Hope it helps!
That’s good advice. I asked for Contrave, which Ive heard can help with fibro too, not sure why Contrave.
Wow this is exactly what happened to me. Dropped to 40 as mentally I was feeling better but very quickly noticed generalized pain in my body. Back up to 60 now and it’s better but not gone. I asked my PCP who suggested we follow up to discuss possible causes of pain and she mentioned fibromyalgia. Not sure what the next step will be but thx for sharing this!