I have painful polyneuropathy, mainly in my chest, back, neck and jaw.

Over a 2 year period, I've titrated up from 30 mg Cymbalta to 120 mg. It worked great until recently. I'm clearly at the top of the dosage so I can't take more. In fact I'd like to reduce the dosage and add something else that would be compatible.

Unfortunately I'm sensitive to Lyrica/Neurontin/Gabapentin, so I can't take any of them.

Anybody out there on Cymbalta and another drug? Anybody else have any advice?

Thanks in advance.

Well I am on Cymbalta,Serequil,Neurontin,klonopin. I have been weaning off the dose because I am not feeling any benefits mind or body. Everyone is different.
Have you tried elavil? When I was having a hard time with meds I tried that one. Also for me for ex when I first tried neurontin I had a hard time with it but the dose was too hgih to start and also the side effects lessened after a few days.
Sorry I don't have more advice. Have you seen a pain doctor? I would because they work better with pain control then neurologists or gp I feel.

I have just tried Tramadol for break through pain . Extremely effective but not sure about the cymbalta mix.

You know its interesting that neuro surgeon dr Wise Young recommends elavil as the first choice in P/N pain Its also one of the cheapest.

Since elavil is low dose approx 25mg I doubt it would interact to much but Im no doctor, best of luck surely you will find something that will help.

I would be concerned about taking Elavil and Cymbalta together.

This could lead to serotonin syndrome.

You could discuss tapering off the Cymbalta... this drug is toxic to the liver in some people, and if it is not doing anything positive for you anymore, you need to consider dumping it.

Some patients have a difficult time tapering off Cymbalta, so be prepared for that.

I am sorry I have no clue about drug interations but just a med that maybe you could try instead or ask your doctor about.

I'm interested that you take Seraquel as part of your drug regimen. Does it seem to help the pain?

I know it's very, very hard to go off Cymbalta - have read all the horror stories - so I hope I can continue taking it, though at a lower dose, no matter what. It has helped the mental anguish as much as the physical pain.

For me serequel was not for the pain it was cause my mood was everywhere and also supposed to aid in sleep. For me it did not help with the sleep but may have helped with my mood. I was having outbursts of anger and up and down moods. I am better at that then I was but I also have learned how to cope better with things. So not sure. My friend who has RSD takes serequel and before barely slept and with it she sleeps so well. So it has helped her.
Cymbalta I was on 120 and now 60 and I don't feel any different. I had no issues with lowering it. Just make sure you follow what the doctor suggests

Perhaps my long-experence with Cymbalta may be useful to you, as I have used it on and off since 2005. While doing so I have gone off it many times, and in doing so developed a protocol that works very well.

First of all, if I have been on full-strength (60 mg /day) for less than one month, then discontinuing it will not be that difficult. In that case, I simply go from 60 mg / day down to 30 mg / day for one week and then discontinue. I might have a bad day or two but thats about it.

However, if you have been on 60 mg for several months or more, then a much more gradual tapering process must occur. I will first go to 30 mg / day for two weeks, and then 15 mg / day for another week. I will then discontinue completely and wait for the side effects (ringing in ears, brain zaps, ect.), which should then last no more than a day or two.

You will start noticing the withdrawl symptoms once you slip below 15 mg /day, as that seems to somehow be an important threshold in the brain.

I hope that this helped!

David

I was prescribed Cymbalta last week at my neuro visit but didn't take it until today as I had my lignacaine infusion so didn't want a false benefit.
I was in so much pain in the past few days(due to overdoing it and the weather) that I took a Cymbalta this morning and went to work, the feeling I had was horrendous- I couldn't keep up with conversations and kept zoning out, I was also very sleepy, is this normal?

I can only do 20 mg Cymbalta. I can't stay awake on ANY higher. I does help, even at that low mg. Depending on why I think I'm hurting more, or how I feel in general, I may take a Flexeril, or Vicuprofen, but not together. I also use Biofreeze(love that stuff) and Lidoderm patches.