Cymbalta question
 

My new GP seems to really want me to give Cymbalta a try. Between my Neurologist and myself, I tried Gabapentin (didn't like it), and am now on 50mg daily of Nortriptyline, which pretty much takes care of my pins, needles & burning. I've started to augment with Tramadol in the AM (50-100mg) for painful ball of foot, and now I'm pretty good for the day.

Since people & sources online usually refer to just "pain relief", are there any folks finding Cymbalta specifically helps with the more general type of pain like I get in my forefeet? My forefeet don't bother me much unless I'm on my feet. If you are augmenting the Cymbalta for that type of pain, I'd appreciate your sharing with me. Any info is appreciated.

With 55 views of this thread, it's hard to believe no one has experience with Cymbalta. WebMD has about 4 times more patient reviews (for neuropathic pain) for Cymbalta than it has for Nortriptyline, That would lead me to believe that 4 times more folks are prescribed Cymbalta for neuropathic pain than are prescribed Nortriptyline. Guess their experience was so bad they'd rather forget about it.

I cop to viewing!

My neurologist would like me to try it. I am currently seeing what I can bear. Tramadol at least once daily. Today I waited until ~ 5 pm as I have been tethered to the ottoman for most of the day.

I think if you are comfortable with giving it a go, do it.

Many views here are by automated online search bots, and not real people.

Our members will show up...but on weekends it tends to be quieter than weekdays.

In the meantime why not try a search for "cymbalta"...we have many threads and comments about here.

So, did not have a positive experience, so slow to respond. At the time it was an add on drug; so I knew it was Cymbalta.
I had terrible nightmares: slasher, death, fires, family dying, me dying. I do not watch any gory stuff, but every night on cymbalta was awful. I think I lasted about a month and it did absolutely nothing for my painful sfn. And yes, it is highly marketed and often prescribed with Lyrica.
Hope you get some relief soon.

I tried it but it gave me a horrible hungover feeling which I didn't like at all, stuck with it for a month but it didn't help my pain either so stopped it.
I have awful ball of foot pain too and nothing so far has helped with that 😒

I appreciate everyone's comments on Cymbalta. After 4 years of reading stuff online, a lousy experience with gabapentin, etc, I feel like I'm in a decent place with my pains. Now I have a new GP who would like me to try Cymbalta instead of the Nortriptyline, but I'm more afraid to try it & have to get off (withdrawals) of it, because it doesn't work for me. I'm completely aware of the chance I might have to get off of the Tramadol someday, but I feel I'm doing OK right now. I've been grouchy, maybe due to the Nortriptyline, but feel less so, since taking the Tramadol, so maybe it helps in the emotional department. I guess the Drs feel they have to get you off a pain med.

Billylyne5: if you haven't already tried it, the Tramadol is very helpful to me for my ball of foot pain, and I am just taking a single dose (50mg or 100mg) in the AM. My ball of foot pain is only when I put pressure on my feet. The Dr acted like he didn't believe me that one dose lasts me all day. I can feel it wearing down, in the evening, though. Maybe it won't help all day, down the road. I also use NeuroCream (capsicain pepper) directly behind my toes & it helps with the feeling of a ragged piece of rope lying there behind the toes.

Thanks to all who've responded.

I can't take tramadol it makes me so unwell, sick,dizzy, just awful 😔

Cymbalta 60mg once daily at bedtime has been reasonably effective for me over the years! Just make sure that you take 30mg once daily for the first seven days to taper-up, and when you finally come off it you must again taper very slowly off it.

David

sorry just found this post....I was told that I needed to try through the side effects so when I took cymbalta my tongue swelled and my throat....I became hoarse and when I called the office, I was told off for continuing the medication...and needless to say it didn't work for me.....:grouphug:

Everyone is different that is about the only thing I've learned.

what they've had me try & the results

Nuerotin/ Gabepetin - slow gives relief, notice when you miss or late for a dose, big time foggy feeling

Hyrdocodone - reliefs pain makes it too hard to think or concentrate, I take only as a last resort

Gralise - time released Gabepetin - take once a day before bed so you sleep through the foggy feeling. The good thing here is on a bad day take a Gabepetin in the afternoon to take the edge off. Getting insurance to approve it was a huge pain so we tried Cymbalta

Cymbalta - made me an angry old man - did not like. I went from laid back to angry over little things.

back to Gralise - this time got insurance to approve it

Then we talked spinal cord stimulator and the pain Dr wanted me to try Lyrica.

Lyrica - too much hassle with insurance, get the low dose approved had to do the same dance with the insurance for an increased dose, finally gave up because of the bad/flare days & insrance crap

Tramadol - Pain Dr gave me this to help on bad/flare days with the Lyrica. This drug & I don't get along at all. It causes shallow breathing and it makes me feel really really high, I mean spooky high.

back to Gralise and the rare occasions a Gapepetin & really bad days a hydrocodone.

Hope this helps & good luck

Also any of these except for the real pain pills you don't get immediate relief, it build up slowly over time, like weeks or months before you get the full benefit - just my 2cents worth

I don't know if you'll want to further persue Tramadol, but it also gave me a "high" for the first 4-6 times that I took it, and each day I did take it, the high was less. Now no more noticeable high, but it just puts me in a bit better mood, and no high feeling. Works for me, as I also take Nortriptyline, which I think makes me a little cranky, so it sort of balances me out towards normal. I think I have some increased jittery-ness from the Tramadol, but I am also drinking more coffee than I used to. LOL.

I didn't get much relief from pain from Cymbalta - took it for five months at quite a low dose. My GP and neurologist both wanted me to stay on it and raise doses but I was getting lots of miscellaneous symptoms such as worsening of GORD, dryness in mouth and throat with tickly cough, dizziness and worsening nose bleeds.

I have to tell you that trying to come off it was a kind of hell I never wish to repeat. Awful nausea and panics and terrible headaches so I had to empty out a little more of capsule each day over a period of a month. It turned out that most of the supposed side effects were part of my rheumatic condition but I would never go back on a drug again that was such a nightmare to get off.

Tried Amitriptyline for three years and loved it but finally it gave me severe heart palpitations so had to stop. Tried Gaberpentin for 3 weeks and it made me punch drunk and angry. Now I just take the odd Tramadol and am on imuran in the hope that by suppressing my immune system I will eventually calm the neuropathic pain.

Cymbalta
 

I Tried Cymbalta
 

I tried Cymbalta in September of 2014. I seemed to be ok with it coming off of Lyrica which is the only medication that ever worked but expensive. I started getting flu like symptoms the first of October and thought I had the flu as I was throwing up and loose bowels. This went on for 3 weeks and I was in bed until I began to wonder if they were just side effects. Told the doctor I could not stand this any longer and please put me back on Lyrica. Within 2 days all the other symptoms were gone. Needless to say I will never try Cymbalta again. I think if you have something that is working for you, why try an unknown. Good luck.

Some people have higher serotonin in the body than others.
These folks typically get the increased GI motility that the SSRIs and SNRIs cause as side effects. This is due to increased serotonin the gut.