Has anyone ever been on Duloxetine (Cymbalta) for nerve pain?

I hope you are living your best life whether on a medication or not. I think our romance with medicine beginning early in the previous century has been placated by modern abuses of Pharma excesses, and by insurance companies which do not adequately cover patient need. Healing is often misrepresented in our culture and that authority drawn from nature to heal and become healed, has consequently been recreated to cultivate forever and profitable commodities.

@jsb932l
One good resource might actually be the pharmacist themselves, they often are more up to date on such stuff, esp if the MD who put you on it isn’t a psychiatrist. The latter should also be up on that. I’m just not sure if a family doctor would be as familiar with the process.

@susanfrei I’ve been on Duloxitene for several years. Also, take Gabapentin. I know the Gabapentin works. Still not convinced on Duloxetene-but I’ve be n doing well but do see a pain doctor, counselor, pt, psychiatrist for meds, walk my dog, see friends, call family, work in the yard, listen to bendybodies podcast. Good luck.

Yes I got dizzy and had brain zaps from coming off 330 mg of cymbalta. It didn't help the pain.

I had tried that and it didn’t help

I have been on both from my family Doctor and I am no better. I feel emotionally nothing. I cannot cry as I have Sojourns disease and have no tears. So I find a spot where no one hears and scream. Thats my coping mechanism. 3 auto immune diseases and am in pain most of the time. Just had another fusion in back hook up to another fusion now that makes 4 fusions. 5 surgeries in my back. I fell in 2024 backwards and had another lower surgery lower. But my neck is what hurts the most neck shoulder wrist thumb and pointer finger. Which should be C6 but I already have a fusion in C567 so as the neurologist 2 of them and 2 orthopedics doctors says there is nothing causing the pain. A bit of confusion. So today I see a hand Dr. because it can’t be from my neck. Its already fused and no one want to be responsible for something goes wrong. So here I sit telling my story of painful broken overweight body that has plagued me for many many years. I have no answers. Its just my life.

@trinkitz007 It did not work on my pain at all.

@pamperme
I never had any luck with Gabapentin. I can’t even remember the highest dose I was taking? It just never worked.

As for Cymbalta, I was put on that for Depression at one time. I understand it’s supposed to help pain, but that also did not work for me however, I am now on 50 mg of Lyrica in the a.m. and 100 mg of Lyrica in the p.m. when I go to bed.

I used to have shooting electric pain going across the lower part of my back and since I’ve been on Lyrica, I do not have that shooting pain anymore.
I also will use a heating pad for relief and a tens unit (sometimes the tens unit is too irritating to use and is making the nerve endings worse)

If my pain ever does flare up and I can’t get my sciatica to settle down then I go in and get 30 ml Toradol. If you’re having so much pain and you can’t get in to see your doctor, then go to urgent care and if you can’t get in there, then go to the hospital. Toradol has saved my life !
Sometimes I’ve had to get a Toradol shot for 3 days in a row. But this only happens a couple times a year when I’m in that much pain.

I hope this helps.

@nanniesue4
Oh I can sympathize with you. I saw several back surgeons and the last one told me that fusing was an old way of taking care of back pain, but it didn’t always work and sometimes you are still left with the pain!
I had met with two other surgeons that were ready to slap some hardware in me. I just kept thinking there’s gotta be a better way.

The last surgeon in Walnut Creek CA told me not to let anyone fuse me. He told meto be on a comfortable stationary bike that supports your back and hips so it has to have a back on it and to be on the bike 15 minutes a day for the rest of your life. I suggest you invest in a comfortable stationary bike.

Have you tried an inversion table to decompress your neck?
Or seek manual help where someone holds your neck at the base with their fingertips on the base of your skull and slightly pulls to release tension and tightness.

I would suggest a neck cradle that you attach to a door knob and you lay on the floor and you put your neck in this cradle to help you leave the pain in your neck.

If you can’t find a cradle, then you can get a rope and tie a tea towel on both ends of the rope and put the rope over the door knob and then put your head in the cradle and move out enough to where your head can swing freely. I hope this makes sense to you.

I hope this helps.

Cymbalta caused insomnia right from the start. I don’t want it! Not taking!