I am currently weaning myself off Cymbalta which I was put on 3 months ago for my small fiber neuropathy. I have RA but this seems to be inactive presently although I am in plenty of pain and unable to tolerate RA drugs to date or NSAIDS long term. The reason I'm trying to get off Cymbalta now is because ever since starting it I have been clenching my jaw a lot - confirmed by my dentist and oral surgeon.

I now have a mouth guard which I use every night but am still suffering from severe headaches and a deep ache around my ears and upper teeth and my nose. I suffer from nose bleeds due to dryness in my nasal passages and also from dry eyes but am told that this is just mild secondary Sjogrens which is part of my RA.

I don't think I have much arthritis in my jaw because it doesn't click and I can open my mouth normally. The oral surgeon said I have a swollen muscle on one side of my jaw but this isn't matched with the distribution of pain I'm experiencing. However this ache in my nose and teeth is really getting me down and seems to connect with the intense headache I'm suffering from everyday at present.

Does this sound like withdrawal side effects from dropping doses of Cymbalta slowly or does it sound like TMJ? The headache and neuralgia both seem to have appeared alongside a horrid taste and tummy ache and a worsening of my neuropsthic pain in arms and legs. Really confused and not sure what to do because my GP (NHS Scotland) will only offer me more drugs or push me to get back on Cymbalta- which I just won't do because I fear it is making things worse and is so hard to get off. But he won't acknowledge this and says I need to give it longer at a higher dose. I am just existing on the maximum dose of paracetamol/ panadol presently and am splitting Cymbalta capsules so I take about 12mg daily now.