[Liftyourhands7]

What are some of the best medicines used for numbness and tingling I am on Gabapentin but Doc wants to change me to Cymbalta any thoughts? Thanks, Jan

[daniella]

A med that helps one person may not another. I have been on both and at the same time. How much neurontin are you on and for how long? Do you feel any benefits? I had little from either. Cymbalta is also used for depression but from the docs I have seen seem to get mixed results in the pain dept. Are you on any other meds? Sometimes I think a combo works better. Hang in there

[zorro1]

Originally Posted by Liftyourhands7

What are some of the best medicines used for numbness and tingling I am on Gabapentin but Doc wants to change me to Cymbalta any thoughts? Thanks, Jan

Without a shadow of a doubt, tramadol works the best for me along with 150 lyrica and 30 amytrptiline

My theory is if you can tackle the burning then the numbness wont be as numb, It works, dont ask me why, I dont know

Burning/tingling - by the way dislike that word, its a bit hard to explain you cant go mountain climbing because your toes are timgling

My "tingling" is on a level 2 (usually a 5) this last 7 days since I started alpha lipoic acid 2 weeks ago so that may help

[Leesa]

Personally, I don't think Cymbalta is a good pain reliever. It's great for depression, but as far as relieving symptoms from the spine, it sucks!

Why not ask your doc to let you try Topamax? It's like Neurontin, but it doesn't make you feel "loopy" and you don't retain water -- at least not nearly as much! I found that Topamax works MUCH better than Neurontin (Gabapentin).

I wish you the very best. I know how miserable Neuropathy is! God bless & take care. Hugs, Lee

[mrsD]

I think amitriptyline is better than Cymbalta.

When I started the drug thread here, I found a new meta-analysis of Neurontin/Lyrica that stated that they
only work in about 1/3 of patients for pain. And have lots of
side effects.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post829091-8.html

Other anticonvulsants:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post829772-9.html

Most of the drugs used are a shot in the dark...meaning they are not great or predictable.

I think you should concentrate on supplements, because they at least will help heal you.

There is a poster here who used prednisone for his vaccine reaction. This makes sense, because it is an anti-inflammatory.
Have you tried a Medrol Dospak or a short burst of steroid?
To see if they work? If this works, an NSAID or aspirin may help as well. They work in a similar way.

[Dr. Smith]

Originally Posted by Leesa

Topamax? It's like Neurontin, but it doesn't make you feel "loopy"

I think there are a few people who might disagree with that. I don't know of any other drug that has garnered two nicknames due to the "loopy" feelings it causes.

Google: stupamax
Google: dopamax

I openly admit to a bias against this drug; it's on the bottom of the list of any drug I would ever try or recommend, especially for PN:

The side-effects reported by > 10% of subjects in at least one clinical study[28] Listed by prevalence:

● paresthesia (numbness & tingling) (23.7%)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topiramate#Adverse_effects

That said, I'm SO glad it works well for SOMEBODY.

I'm having trouble finding the other information I was looking for; google seems to be clogged with lawsuit hype over Topamax's alleged causing of birth defects. Some can be found by googling: topamax worst drugs
(Admittedly negatively biased.)

Doc

[Dr. Smith]

Originally Posted by Liftyourhands7

What are some of the best medicines used for numbness and tingling I am on Gabapentin but Doc wants to change me to Cymbalta any thoughts? Thanks, Jan

I think you may have to try a few things to find out what works best for you. Keep a journal recording pain levels, S/E, and other data so you can compare later (if needed).

I'm not as concerned (with my own PN) about the numbness & tingling as I am in the burning pain. I stopped the burning pain with R-Lipoic Acid & Pantothenic Acid. The numbness is still there, but to a lesser degree, and the tingling is greatly reduced. I tried Acetyl L-Carnitine for about a year, and haven't noticed any difference, so I'll be stopping it for (once current supply is used up) a while to see how that goes.

Gabapentin & Lyrica both work, but many people (self included) find that tolerance (need for increasing the dosage) to be a problem. Side effects are less for many people with Lyrica, but as it's still under patent (whereas gabapentin and topiramate are not) it's more pricey. Cymbalta (duloxetine) IS used for PN, and like others mentioned, individual results vary.

Amitriptyline has also helped, but I currently have no medical justification for asking for/taking it (it does make me a bit groggy, so I find taking it at night is best for PN).

HTH,

Doc

[hopeful]

I have found that Cymbalta works good for me. I tried the Lyrica and it made me depressed but as everyone has established different things work for different peopel. I also use tramadol. It does not take the pain away but it certainly helps ease it. Hope you find relief soon. Hopeful

[mrsD]

Tramadol and Cymbalta have a listed interaction: Major

http://www.drugs.com/interactions-ch...221-0,949-2273

Please discuss this with your doctor, and learn the warning signs
to look for if serotonin syndrome occurs. I am surprised this wasn't flagged at your pharmacy.

[hopeful]

Originally Posted by mrsD

Tramadol and Cymbalta have a listed interaction: Major

http://www.drugs.com/interactions-ch...221-0,949-2273

Please discuss this with your doctor, and learn the warning signs
to look for if serotonin syndrome occurs. I am surprised this wasn't flagged at your pharmacy.

Hi Mrs. D, I did know that and discussed with both my neuro, rheumo and pharmacist. They all say my doses are low enough that it is ok.
Thanks for telling me though.