I can't sleep when taking Cymbalta: What else can I do for pain?

On 50mg, take gabapentin and zopiclone.

I recently started taking Cymbalta in the mornings. My pain specialist said it is a seratonin reuptake inhibitor. I have neuropathy -- the pain has been breaking through the Lyrica and Gabapentin - he thought that Cymbalta would enhance the effectiveness of the anti-seizure meds. I haven't noticed any side affects -- I will watch for them. Thank you all, Peggy

I was also put on Cymbalta for neuropathy after taking Gabapentin. The Cymbalta has helped me a lot and it also has helped with depression. I find taking it in the morning is best for me.

I have just started Cymbalta as of last week. My doctor had me try it last May, but I became very sick with severe intestinal distress and weight loss. We were not really sure that it was the Cymbalta because I developed a UTI just after starting it. Then there were several anti-biotics which may have also caused the problem.

I should tell you that I have a long laundry list of problems: GERD, constant migraines, fibromyalgia, costochondritis, Raynaud’s, Sjogrren’s, high CK level, leg cramps, neuropathy in my feet, osteoporosis-arthritis in my neck, back, wrists, and hands. (Other things as well, but I won’t bore you!). The only pain killer I can take is Tylenol. Recently I came to realize that as fall/winter approaches, I always become a bit depressed, especially since cold weather causes me to tighten my muscles. Not so great for fibro. So my doctor, who is a very good listener has suggested Cymbalta along with the Lyrica I already take.
I am only taking 20mg every other day to start. So far, there has been some intestinal upset, but not too bad. If this works out for 2 weeks, I am supposed to try 20mg everyday. Then we’ll see after that.

Those of you taking Lyrica and Cymbalta have given me hope that there may be some days ahead without pain because of your positive comments. I have read that Cymbalta doesn’t usually have an effect for one to four weeks. I will be marking off the days on the calendar. Thank you for writing about your experience. I appreciate hearing your stories.

Has anyone had success with Cymbalta for back pain? Any experience with the prescription would be appreciated.
Thank you.

Hello @esperanza22, You will notice that we merged your discussion with an existing discussion of the same name. If you click VIEW & REPLY at the bottom of this email notification you will be taken to the discussion where you can meet @iplaybunco1970 @elmay @pfbacon and other members discussing Cymbalta.

Hello @esperanza22

A good question! I think all of us want to know what others feel about new medications. It is important to remember that we are all different and so what might have been a terrible med for one person might work quite well for another.

That said, I've been taking Cymbalta for about 2 years now and find it very helpful with both pain and sleep. I just take a low dose (25 mg) once a day. I really believe that starting with a low dose is the best way to go. It keeps any side-effects from discouraging you from taking it and a low dose makes it easier to go off of it in the future if you need to try something else.

The one thing I found about Cymbalta is that it takes a while for it to become effective. While I have noticed a change in my symptoms right away with a lot of meds, with Cymbalta it took about 6 months before I really began to feel better.

Please remember, though, each person is different in the way they respond to meds. You might have a very different experience than others.

Thank you so much for replying to my question. I am going to refill my prescription in a day or so.
Again, so nice!

@hopeful32250 We are talking about medications so I thought I would ask. Has anyone been prescribed and used Diclofenac Sodium Topical Gel for neuropathy in the feet. The pain on the top of my left foot, ankle and toes gets me really down. I have other topicals that help, but the doctor thought this would work better. I know they have this over the counter, but mine is a prescription, I am on several medications and concern myself with an interaction. Is anyone familiar with this?

Hi @summertime4, Since this discussion group is specifically about Cymbalta, you would be best to post this question in the neuropathy discussion group. As I don't have neuropathy, I'm not familiar with all of the meds used by others. Here is a list of the general neuropathy discussion groups, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/neuropathy/?pg=3. Perhaps, John (@johnbishop) can help you find a Member who has used this topical gel.