Hi all! I have a call into my doctor but wondered if anyone else has a similar problem. I started taking Cymbalta 30mg 2x a day and Nortriptyline 75 mg 1x nightly. Both were started last Monday 01-07-13. Now I started itching on my side a rash is developing, and now I am very itchy EVERYWHERE. Like my face, scalp, armpit, leg just everywhere. I noticed last night this red patch ion my face and red splotches that kind of look like hives but aren't raised or anything. I feel like tiny itchy bugs are alll over my body and I can't get the itching to stop. other than medication there has been no major changes, like soap and detergent. I seriously cant stop itching....anyone else feel like that?

I did not have a rash or itching when I tried it, BUT I remember reading that if you have one, it should be reported "immediately" to a doctor as it may be an indication of a relatively serious side effect.

The statement below is from drugs.com regarding Cymbalta.

"Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Cymbalta: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat."

I think if it were me, I would discontinue the Cymbalta until you talk to your doctor.

Good luck and keep us updated....

Birch,
I am waiting to hear from the doctor. I read that as well. I know that some rashes are common with Crps too, which is really what I was asking. I guess just wondering how bad rashes can get, i swear I am insanely itchy. I am almost constantly scratching something. It's really all over not in 1 particular place, though my sides/face.scalp are the most itchy. Very odd I was wondering if anyone else had symptoms similar to mine. Also I checked the drug interactions of what I;m taking and all three together have a high chance for Serotonin syndrome. I will talk to my doctor about that as well.

He's going to have me wean off then Cymbalta first then the Nortriptyline, if the rash doesn't go away. If it still stays off the meds then it's just from the CRPS. Dr. Bala is my new PCP and he's trying to get my care coordinated with a neurologist and new pain management doctor. Hopefully with better care and coordination I will get better as well. I know I still have a long road, but I am already tired!
I am itching CONSTANTLY right now, it actually makes it hard to sleep, so I have to go get a new prescription for the itching woo hoo lol I sure hope it helps!

Stay the course songbird.

Because the rash and itching started only 8 days since you started your new drug regime, my money is on the Cymbalta being the cause. It is NOT an unusual side effect of this drug. Follow your doctors "wean" instructions.

Finding the right combination of drugs that works for you can be challenging. What works for others may or may not work for you. Took me about a year or so and I'm still tweaking on occasion. Took me about a year (and a lot of docs) to diagnose, a year to find the right meds and therapies, a year to settle down the condition and now in year four, I'm definitely better; still symptomatic to be sure, but better. And thankful to be sure. This can be a tough journey. Gotta stay strong both physically and mentally; depression is common for many of us with CRPS so keep tabs on your mood and don't hesitate to get help for that if needed.

I use gabapentin, naproxen, amitrypyline and trazodone daily, with ultram for breakthrough flares. Started with percocet but didn't want to become hooked on it and use it long term, so weaned myself off of it (yuk!!) and with the help of my doctors, found a reasonable drug cocktail that is non narcotic.

Not sure what to tell you about the itching, but if they prescribed something, I'd sure try it. Nothing worse than constant itching; I can remember when I had chicken pox, if it is anything like that.

Good luck to you!

Thank you for letting us know of your dr. calling. sounds like a good move to wean off the cymbalta first. sounds like you have a good plan to see neuro and pain doc- this disorder calls for the long haul approach. But, I've found after 16 years, I'm in a much better place pain wise-sensitivity to touch better, the electric shocks are gone after years of high dose neurotin. the burn, tingling is still pretty bad, as dealing with the 'heat' of the body. Going thru the pain of physical therapy and getting use of harms, hands, toes, etc was well worth it, but tough at the time. So for those just starting the road, hand in there- it can and often does get better. Keep us posted how you are doing. loretta

It's unusual to start cymbalta on a 2x30mg dose daily. Normal protocol is to start on 30 mg daily for a week or two and build up to 60. It can even be done by taking the 60 only on alternate days for a while to make it even more gradual. It's not that helpful to start you on 2 new drugs at the same time because it creates exactly that problem you now have of having to get off both because nobody knows what is causing the problem. Slow and steady and one at a time is better and safer.

Keep hanging in there with the "marathon not sprint". It is tiring especially when all your hopes are invested in the next appointment, drug, treatment, person etc and each time they are dashed. You will eventually learn not to invest all of your hopes like this to protect yourself from the emotional roller coaster but it takes a bit of time and practice. I was hopeless at it for the first 2 years! After that I got great at it!

So lovely I started developing more of a rash now. I'm not entirely sure whether it's from a reaction to the medication or if it's just my CRPS acting up, and spreading. My face has turned bright red and it is all over my face. It almost looks like I put a dry my red mask on my face, except that I itch all over! I was able to talk to my doctor's office and he prescribed me hydroxyzine, but it hasn't seemed to help yet. I stopped taking the Cymbalta, so hopefully that is what it is. I just hope I get over this really soon and it is not the CR PS. My skin burns when I touch it on my face so I don't know if it is the medication or not. I am just getting really tired of this lol it's very hard to get to sleep when you're itching like crazy. Anyways I'm going to try to get a picture of my face and then post it maybe some of you have had the same thing, whether it be from CRPS or medication reactions. It just doesn't seem to matter whether I scratch or leave it alone, my scalp my face my arms my legs you name it itches even my eyelids get itchy. I guess we'll see how I feel in the morning leave it at that thanks for listening lol I was kind of going a little crazy with the itching

My face is still red, I still itching and my vision is blurry. I also have a headache and sore throat. It also feel like my nostrils and skin of face are burning......sigh Is that what crps of the face is like?

SO since my rash was spreading and not getting better my doc's office had me go to urgent care. I went I explained what was going on. My new PCP had me stop Cymbalta and Nortriptyline. And gave me Hydroxyzine for the itching. but I was still itching like crazy and the rash which had been along mu lower right jaw last night moved to the entire face late late last night and this morning. The urgent care doctor says it's the Tramadol...I told him I've been taking that since I got hurt 10-25, with -0- side effects other than constipation. That I didn't itch or anything on it and that i had read that Cymbalta has a "more serious" side effect of a rash/allergic reaction. And that my doc's officer sent me. He said well itching is a "narcotic" side effect. And that he highly doubts it's the Cymbalta. He didn't know what CRPS is until I said RSD then he looked at me like I was crazy, or something. He said I won't prescribe pain pills, I told him my pain is fine right now, that I needed help cuz the Hydroxyzine wasn't helping much with the itching and poss allergic reaction to the Cymbalta. He again insisted it wasn't the it was the Tramadol and prescribed some Prednizone?


Grr. anyways the rash IS starting to tone down a LOT less red than last night!! And since I'm still taking the tramadol I willing to bet its not the problem! I and still pretty Itchy but better than yesterday! Hopefully we will try one of the other medications soon as my arm and feet are hurting pretty badly right now, but at least I'm not peeling off my skin trying to get it to stop itching!