Quote:
Originally Posted by cat1234
I have idiopathic neuropathy,and my neurologist has been pushing me to try Cymbalta to help manage the pain in my legs and feet. I finally relented and started a 30mg dosage 4 days ago.
I have always felt a little off and tired due to the neuropathy, but now I am completely exhausted and feel loopy like a bad high pretty much all the time. Is this what most people experience starting this drug and will the effects lessen soon? Has Cymbalta significantly helped anyone else out there with nerve pain?
I am tired of putting drugs into my body and not knowing what they are going to do to me...unless it is really going to help! I was on Tramadol 50-100mg a day and felt like that was helping more than this drug but worry about being on pain meds for the rest of my life? So confused...
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I take 30 mgs of Cymbalta daily and have for about 5 years. It helps me with the pain, yes. It would be a lot worse without the Cymbalta. So far I've not had to up my dose.
I have no side effects from the Cymbalta at all. I went from 75mgs of Effexor a day directly to the 30 of Cymbalta. So I wouldn't have had or rather expected any side effects. Give it a few weeks. The sides should ease. And if not, than the drug simply isn't going to be a good one for you. It can take 2 to 4 weeks or so for the side effects to go away. And even then, if your doc wants to up the dose you may experience a bit of the same side effects again for a few days, at that time.
I also take Ultram (Tramadol). It mutes a lot of the nerve pain for me. It doesn't work for everyone and there are drugs that are much more...disruptive, shall we say? Like true narcotics such as Vicodin. I've been taking Ultram for about the same amount of time as the Cymbalta. I can't take gabapentin (Neurontin) because it makes me suicidal and that's the first line drug given for PN.
Unless they figure out some way to heal the nerves and prevent any further damage medications and such are the only recourse we have as far as I know. I look at it as sort of like being diabetic and needing insulin. I need these medications to live a semi-normal life.
