Fibromyaligia people.......

[Catsnclay]

Just got back from my doctor and he prescribed a new Rx for me....... Cymbalta. It is meant for depression, but it is also now used for Diabetic neuropathy pain (fibro fits under that catagory).

So, does anyone take Cymbalta????

After reading all the 'bad' things it can bring on, I am a little, well really quite worried about taking this drug.

I want to hear all the good AND bad things about this. I'm not quite sure of taking this!


Please, any comments?????

[Medusa]

Oh boy. You asked so I'll tell ya. I too have fibromyalgia and arthritis plus I had a bad case of shingles a couple of years ago which ramped up the pain considerably so my dr. started me on it several months ago and I must admit that in the beginning it did help. After about a month and a half, though, I got stomach cramps, severe enough to double me over and they lasted for several hours. I put up w/that for 2 weeks (why, I have no idea; desperate, I guess) and I called my dr's. office. He was out of town so the medical asst. or whatever she was told me to stop taking it. I said "Shouldn't I be weaned off it?" She said "No, just stop taking it."

WELL. I got these "brain zaps" for lack of a better word. Imagine how your arm feels when you hit your funny bone in your elbow. That's what was happening in my head, hundreds of times a day. If I looked down, they weren't as severe but if I moved my head in any other direction, they were so frequent and painful that at times I actually drooled. I laid in my bedroom w/the lights off for 3 days and nights and after about 10 days, the brain zaps finally stopped. I got on the Internet to look up these brain zaps and apparently, they're a very common side effect when you go off Cymbalta, at least if you go cold turkey the way I did. My dr. swears he never heard of such a thing, so I directed him to the websites that discussed the subject and he says that he cornered the drug reps and they swear they never heard of such a thing either. I told him point blank "They're lying." I should have been weaned off it, even though I was only on it a short period of time.

I just had my regular checkup yesterday and he wants me to start high intensity training. Yeah, ok, I have days when I can hardly navigate and he wants me to do that kind of workout. I will NEVER take any type of psychotropic drug again, I don't care how good it's claimed to be. Oh, one other thing....I gained 9 lbs. in that month and a half and it's welded to me now. I can't get that weight off for anything. It's supposed to be "weight neutral". Another lie the drug reps told. I still have a problem in rooms that are too brightly lit, especially w/fluorescent lighting; the brain zaps come back. When I went to my dr's. office, they had to turn out all the lights in the room where we had our consultation. I suppose that there are others who have done well w/Cymbalta but I clearly am not one of them. I feel bad telling you all this because I know how desperate I get, just wanting a good night's sleep and a day free of pain. But you asked and I felt you should know. Good luck and let us know how you're doing.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I have been taking Cymbalta for about 6 months. I absolutely love it. It was prescribed to me for neuropathy and fibromyalgia. It has really made me feel like a new person. I am only able to take 30mg. once a day so far. I've tried 60mg. and it is just too much for me. My neurologist recently prescribed 20 mg. capsules to add to the 30's. I will try that as soon as I get over the cold I've got now. I understand the normal daily dosage to be at least 60mg. so that's why we're trying more medication. It supposedly would optimize pain lessening.

One of my doctors prescribed Lyrica for me. It didn't agree with me at all. Alot of people swear by it but I just couldn't take it. I went back on the Cymbalta.

I don't know about the withdrawal symptoms for Cymbalta so I have nothing to offer there. I have heard great stories about it and horror stories as well. If you decide to take it, I would love to hear an update. Good luck with it!!

[joycenalex]

i took 2 of the lowest does of cymbalta. i had an anxiety attack that was AWFUL. i was shaking, crying, i kept checking alex b/c i was sure there was something, anything wrong with him. i gave all of the unopened ones back to my doctor. never again for me.

[Craftlady]

I was on a very low dose for 3 weeks and gave me terrible diarreha and you NEVER knew when it was going to occur. Thank god I was given samples, I pitched them in the trash. Thankfully, didnt have any ill effects going off them cold turkey. It took a couple days for the diarreha episodes to stop.
I know others who have had no ill effects.

[K9karen]

I take 75 mgs of Zoloft a day, but it was not specifically prescribed for fibo. But, I noticed that my outbreaks are fewer and less painful. I guess everybody's reaction is different, because I've lost weight on it.It makes me slightly loopy sometimes (more than usual ) but it's made a world of difference.

I have no reason to change, but I've been told that the new Fibo drug. Lyrica has terrible side affects.

It's probably me but I've taken up drinking lots of water and I excercise at a gym and have had less flairups. I count my blessings and cross my fingers every day.

[Medusa]

I was on only 30 mg. a day and, as I mentioned previously, it did help in the beginning, especially w/the neuropathy from shingles and the fibromyalgia; the arthritis, not so much. It may work for you; I hope it does but please beware about stopping it cold turkey so that you may be able to thwart any withdrawal symptoms.

[Logan]

Are Cymbalta and Lyrica similar? I didn't do any research, but was provided Lyrica for a 7 day "test" for some post Shingles pain. It made me sleepy and "loopy" and I would forget conversations that were had 5 minutes before. Thank goodness it was over Thanksgiving and I wasn't working. I told my doctor I'd take the post Shingles pain any day over that awful feeling. The "side effect" list for Lyrica is long and I would think that anyone who considers that drug for Fibro or diabectic nerve pain should really read hard and consider the side effects before taking it.

[Medusa]

Are Cymbalta and Lyrica similar?

I haven't researched Lyrica but just by listening to the commercials on TV, that scared me enough. To my knowledge, Lyrica is specifically for fibromyalgia. Cymbalta is used mainly for depression but it's also used to treat fibromyalgia because it raises the serotonin levels in the brain and serotonin is one of our body's natural pain killers. Cymbalta spaced me out in the beginning, too. The first few days, I sat and stared for an undetermined amount of time but that passed quickly.

[Catsnclay]

Well......crap! Now I don't know if I should try it or not!!


I also got samples, so it isn't costing me anything, but I am beginning to worry more about the side affects than the healing part!

I just wish I knew what to do!! -


Oh, and Mary....... in the sample package I have, it DOES say to slowly reduce the medication and NOT to go off of it - cold turkey. If you want a copy of this to show your doctor and his rep I will gladly send it to you. PM me your snail mail addy.

[Medusa]

in the sample package I have, it DOES say to slowly reduce the medication and NOT to go off of it - cold turkey.

I talked to my dr. about that and he said that, since he was out of town at that time, the medical asst. should've paged him. But he also said that given the short period of time that I was on it, it shouldn't have had that effect. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

I didn't want to frighten you but I felt that you should know what I experienced. You may be one of the lucky ones who has no side effects from it but, if you do, just be smart and wean yourself off it.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Thanks for the warning, Mary. I will definitely wean off of it if necessary. I know a lady at my work that takes 60 mg. a day and she's changed for the better so much it's hard to believe. I need to warn her too.

I feel so fortunate to be one of the lucky ones with it. It sure sounds like all people are not so lucky.

[carole]

It really is your personal choice, I have had fibromyalgia for over 11 years, i tried amitripilene and found it to be horrific, i was like a zombie, remember people with fibro are usually very sensitive to drugs, and the side effects, more so than people without it, i have never tried anything else since, and i don't think i intend to, i do take over the counter pain relief panadol, which i think is like your tynenol, it just takes the edge off the pain for me sometimes and i was taking arcoxia which is a drug for arthritis, but only like two tablets a month, i have since quit that, as my stomach problems just won't tolerate much.

Good luck with whatever you decide, for me until they find a cure that does not require medication with awful side effects i am going to go on as i am now,i may end up suffering more i guess, but some of the side effects are just not worth it to me.

[Medusa]

some of the side effects are just not worth it to me.

Amen, sista! And, I, too, was on ametryptilene. No effect whatsoever except weight gain. But as you say, it's a personal choice. Others may see progress w/it but it's good to hear other's experiences w/it beforehand.

I was also on Prednisone and in the beginning, it was a miracle drug. Totally pain free in 24 hours. It lasted two weeks. Went on it again, half as much pain that also lasted two weeks. Went on it one last time. NO effect whatsoever. So my dr. (I've since switched to someone else) wanted to put me on it for two years. I did my research and it makes your bones brittle and affects your balance, which it had already done. I have a terrible time w/my balance now. Plus you become moon faced and fat. Lovely. No effect PLUS I get to gain weight in the process. What a deal! Hopefully, someday someone will come up w/the solution of pain management for fibromyalgia patients. Until such time, though, I refuse to be a guinea pig.