Morning,

New here but read the thread & thought I'd throw in my 2 cents ... I tried Cymablta for ~ 2.5 months. 30 mg/daily attempted an increase to 60 mg/daily but could not handle it. Aft. about 1 month I really started to question the effects of Cymbalta - if anything I seemed to be getting worse! Totally aggitated, stressed out, could not sleep, irritable, happy, then annoyed all within 45 sec span - as I put it "losing it"! No effect on the pain what so ever. I did not even know about the potential for weight gain until reading this forum but, I was gaining weight as well Thank God I am off now, as of 5 Jan 09 - the 1st night I did not take it I actually slept!! We all know how important that is!!

Cymbalta works magic for some, for others - it has the opposite effect - if you're taking it for the first time and "don't seem to be yourself" - remember to consider the Cymbalta as a possible source. Its hard because often we're at wits end to begin with by the time we agree to try the latest pain-relief drug; especially one that just so happens to treat the depression brought on by suffering with chronic pain as well!! So you end up questioning ... "is it me" ???

My response: No, its the Cymbalta!

As to hair loss - never on Neurontin, almost immediately on Lyrica!! Another of the latest pain relievers. Drs. did not believe me since this had not (yet) been reported as an issue w/Lyrica but aft ruling out other posibilities through subsequent visits to PCP and Dermatologist I cut dose 50% - hair loss dropped accordingly within 48 hrs. Discontinued completely - no more problems. Since then its often reported - at least on "Ask a Patient".

As to feeling "stiff" in the AM, I always describe this as feeling like I've been "hit by a truck" - the size of the truck varies but its sadly always there! This has to do with pressure on the muscles and they're remaining in fixed positions for prolonged periods during sleep - the best thing I've done to help w/this is buy a new matress! We opt'd for one of those tempurpedic-LIKE ones and it has made a significant difference. If a new matress is not feasible then other research indicates that using a memory-foam egg crate matress topper has a positive effect as well. Bottom line is reducing the stress/pressure points experienced during the night.

Lastly, have any of you done any trigger point work at all? I suffer from chronic myofascial pain due to extensive trigger points. This began with numbness & tingling in the left hand back in '03 which progressed into the right side by '05 and finally acute head pain begining in Aug '06. All issues are chronic at this point. I've been diao w/Ulnar Nerve Compression, often possible TOS, evaluated multiple times for CTS, had numerous EMG/NCS, nerve blocks, facet joint injections, etc! Through chance I came across pain referal patterns that resembled mine on the New Earth website and began investigating myofascial pain and its treatment. Since then I've reduced the Ultram 50% (400mg>200mg daily) and its the ONLY thing that keeps me going!! Unfortunately I keep perpetuating the problem through extended work hours & heightened stress levels & now find myself in a battle w/insurance company but ... we just keep going don't we

Hope you all don't mind the lengthy post - its been some time since I've found a board with relevant topics.

to All

K

Hi Irishred! Thanks for your input.

My son-in-law asked me just a couple of nights ago...why don't you take one of those meds they advertise for fibro? Well, I then went down through my lists of why-nots. Weight gain, hair loss, depression, sleep disturbance, blah blah!

I was on paxil for many many years and going off it was a nightmare. I ended up in the emergency room in a total state of...well I don't know what, I felt I was losing my mind and dying all at the same time and couldn't stop crying. My point with the Paxil is that I gained SO much weight during the years on it. Since going off I've lost 30 lbs.

I told son-in-law I don't even want to take weight gaining meds again. And I certainly don't want my hair to fall out. And I don't want to go through with such constant suicidal thoughts again such as I did on Cymbalta

And yes, well...the pain, stiffness, ache. Being touched hurts. I survive with Trazadone for sleep, some hydrocodone and ibuprofen. But, it seems there isn't 1 waking hour without pain and stiffness.

My massage therapist is certainly amazing and is very knowledgable with fibro, but when you can only afford to go 1x a month, that isn't enough.

And this brutal weather hasn't helped one bit!

I'm so glad you have found some help!

Hi, have been reading here for about 5 years, fm about 30yrs but, just now joined here....not much of a poster. lol

anyway, your cymbalta discussion caught my eye.

i've been taking cymbalta for 3-4 years and it did help save my life.
deeply depressed, my pdoc suggested it....i had tried everything else.
she also added, it could help with fm. she was right, it did.

however, in hindsight, i wish i had ALL the facts prior to taking it. perhaps a brief hospital stay would have been better, whose to know.

this is what i KNOW now.
cymbalta has overwhelming horrific withdraw symptoms!!!!

i've tried several times to stop, did the tapering off method....still couldn't/can't handle the over the top pain increase and brain zaps.

be sure to RESEARCH its withdraw reactions.
google & utube will provide actual people discussing this.

thanks for being here

((eclaire)) you are absolutely right and I didn't address that issue with the Cymbalta...I don't think.

It was awful, yes. I had forgotten about those awful zaps, I HATE those! The way my doc helped me taper off was to add Prozac first (and for me in a small amount, he knows me better than to start me off with a typical dose!). I had tried going off without any aid, but when he decided to add that, it really helped.

Paxil was hell to get off, for me. The brain zaps were horrendous. Luckily they have liquid Paxil and that is how I got off that stuff. At the end I went down 1 mg a day per week. 10 mg, 9, 8, and so on. It took a LONG time for me to get off that.

Effexor was hell as well!

I have a very low tolerance for the SR ADs.

But coming off these ADs isn't the same for everyone. I have known people who have gone off the same ADs that I did, and they didn't have any problems.

So what are brain zaps? Thanks for all of your replies. Gentle hugs to all.

Oh My, Ms. Warbel, if you ever have them you'll know them. When you move your head even ever so slowly, it feels as if your brain is slowly sloshing back and forth and you get buzzes - electrical zaps. Dizziness.

From here, pretty good description I think! THEY ARE AWFUL!
http://theblondepharmacist.wordpress...-brain-shocks/

sorry hadnt come back, missed the thread!!

funny, I was at a new neuro apt the other day, great doctor, he took hour just to talk over my symptoms since 1999!! wow then did neuro exam.

When we went over stiffness in morning, he mentioned sometime I could try cymbalta, I forgot about this thread and your talk about it for stiffness till now. lol (memory issues as well)

anyhow he said he wants to do more testing and see about figuring some stuff out before adding a new medicine. So we will see, hugsss and thanks all,sarah

thanks so much for the additional info., doody!!

stopping cymbalta without help scared me....each time i tried it seemed more difficult.
i've thought of admitting myself to a mental ward so they could monitor me....i'm mostly alone and in no way, can i go through that alone.

how long did it take for you before all side effects ended?
are you better without cymbalta?

i don't know if i am....haven't cleared my system since i began it.

i'll speak with my pdoc to see what she thinks.

thanks again, this is a great topic!! good job!!

peace
~eclaire

Hi eclaire. Once I was weaned off the Cymbalta the symptoms cleared up. Taking the Prozac while coming off of it really helped. I think Prozac is often prescribed when trying to come off one of the more difficult ADs, like Paxil or Effexor.

I definitely did notice once getting off the Cymbalta that it had been helping with my fibro. The symptoms came back right away. I had actually forgotten how stiff I could be in the mornings. And that feet thing, hurting feet when you first start walking in the morning. So it really did help me as far as the fibro was concerned.

It didn't help with my depression however and I do believe it contributed to quite a lengthy bout with suicidal ideation. That is primarily what led me to stopping the Cymbalta.

But, that's me! I am one of those that is so highly sensitive to the serotonin reuptake inhibitors, very sensitive to them. I went through serotonin syndrome twice, really bad, and never ever wanna go there again!

Hi all...its been a while. Had some really rought weeks. Just really rough. Thanks for all the info. I was wondering what those things were. The kinda feel like you've been shocked. I always thought it was that I was tired...it only seemed to do that when I felt exhausted. No worries. I have weened myself off of it. Didn't seem like it was helping. Plus with the addition of the neurotin in Nov and was taking far too many pills. Gentle hugs to all.