I would like to hear some opinions about Cymbalta. I saw my neuro on Tuesday and he suggested Cymbalta at night to relieve my nighttime pain. He wants to me wait until my bloodtests come back (I was just tested for Sojerns and Celiac) He has been calling my neuropathy diabetic but now he feels it is caused by something else. I think what I find hard about taking Cymbalta is the side effects. I have been reading about things I don't want to deal with...high blood pressure -mine is finally controlled - blurred vision -I have enough problems there and also I am concerned it is an antidepressant and I am not depressed. Yet it is the middle of the night and I can't sleep because f the pain. Help!

Dorothy

If you'd like to know more about Cymbalta from people that are actually taking it you might try the Cymbalta group at Yahoo:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cymbalta

I moderate the Celexa and Lexapro groups there. The two largest, main, ones. I joined the Cymbalta group because my doc was thinking about putting me on Cymbalta at one point. What I've see so far is there is doesn't seem to an in between. It either works fairly well for you or it doesn't. Period. The 'doesn't' part includes intolerable side effects.

Cymbalta is widely used for all kinds of pain now. PN among them. I think some of the sides depends on the dose. *If* you experience sides that is. There are a number of people that have none at all after the first two weeks.

Look at it this way, if it's not helping in 2 or 3 weeks you can always try something else.

I'm sorry you're having trouble sleeping. That's when my pain is always the worst. I'm one of those people that cannot tolerate sleep deprivation at *any* level.

Hi. I'm on cymalta and was on it before for a few weeks but trying it again. I'm only on 30 because when I increase to 60 I felt dizzy and weird like the other meds. I had a hard time with lyrica and neurontin. Elavil was not great either. I have not noticed any change yet but only back on it for a week and very low dose. No side effects though I don't think. As I have so many weird things going on already. Sorry not much help. I have had before this the worst of sleep issues and it has just gotten worse like over the past 3 nights maybe 4 hours. So I'm not the best judge with the sleep meds. My docs are confused with that as I'm so sensitive to meds yet the ones that cause sleep do nothing. I don't know if its possible to be on a more sleep med and the another pain med if you don't want to take cymbalta? Like when I was on trazedone it helped the best with sleep. Did you discuss your fears with your doc? Also remember side effects like you know are different for everyone and they practically list every possible. Good luck.

What time of day are you taking the Cymbalta? If you're taking it at night and having increased trouble sleeping try taking it in the morning instead. That often helps that situation and it's the same, if it makes you groggy during the day and you're taking it in the morning switch to taking it at night about an hour or so before bed.

Oh thanks. No I have had the same sleeping issues before this med. Sleep meds don't make me sleep. In the hospital they gave me so much and I still was awake and everyone else was sound asleep. Not sure why. My old psych said I was on enough sleeping meds for a horse yet other meds I can barely handle at a low dose.Thank you though.

That brings to mind a lady I used to work for: Oddly enough, coffee had the exact opposite effect on her that it should have. She'd drink a cup of coffee and it would make her very sleepy. That might be the type of thing that's going on with you. What happens when you ingest a stimulant like caffeine?