Good evening @jnana. I am so glad to welcome you to Connect. I want to answer your question about Cymbalta, aka duloxetine for treating SFN. I began using Cymbalta about two years ago for a couple of reasons. The main purpose was to give me a head start in the morning to keep my anxiety under control. I was beginning to have panic attacks as my SFN became more of a major issue. My PCP also requested that I have psychological testing as I felt the new presence of cognitive decline.

The test results put me in the category of general anxiety. The first step was to taper off the nortriptyline I was taking at bedtime. It was great for inviting sleep but didn't do anything for the morning anxiety. So...I replaced the bedtime meds with medical cannabis and began an introductory dose of Cymbalta in the morning.

At the end of that year, my PCP and I had a good shared discussion about what needed to be re-visited. She recommended that I increase the Cymbalta to 90 mg. That turned out to be a great idea and it still works very well. In February, we will have another of our yearly chats and see what can be done at this point to keep up with the progressive nature of SFN.

The other activity that has helped me is mindful meditation. I devote special time every day to a mindfulness practice and yoga.

Would you tell me a little more about your current situation? Have you been diagnosed with SFN? What medications are you currently using?

May you have happiness and the causes of happiness.
Chris