Doctors push Cymbalta because Lilly reps gave them gifts and money to do so. We have many ex-Cymbalta posters here and over the past years.

There are no reps out there educating doctors about new developments with amitriptyline or its metabolic cousin nortriptyline. If they don't go to continuing ed seminars on new medical treatments, they miss that boat entirely and so do their patients. In my world, many people get amitriptyline FIRST, it is considered, a first tier attempt to control pain. It is commonly used in migraine treatments.

http://livertox.nih.gov/Duloxetine.htm

Amitriptyline and nortriptyline have some liver potential too, but that typically shows up in the high dose antidepressant range of dosing and is much less severe. Cymbalta's potential shows up in regular dosing ranges.

If you want to remain drug free, that is your choice. I do that myself. But when I was working about 10 yrs ago and had a terrible attack of sciatica I did use doxepin in low dose for about 2 yrs to deal with that and to be able to continue working. Doxepin is another tricyclic and has less side effects.
It worked for me then very well.