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Anyone here dealing with peripheral neuropathy?

Neuropathy | Last Active: Oct 28 4:54pm | Replies (3050)
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@dbeshears1

Hi -
I am on Gabapentin (seems high compared to a lot I see on here, 3200 mg a day). But it has done WONDERS for me since I started 5 yrs ago (at lower dose, increased to 3200 mg about 3 yrs ago) I am not 100% with temperature extreme discomfort, but fairly tolerable in that that I don’t have to wear socks and gloves all year round and in bed, and also not burn up in pain terribly at other times. But recently, my neurologist of very few words said “let’s add Cymbalta”.
I have been staring at the full bottle for over 2 months ; the precautions and side effects I read terrify me, so I haven’t been able to bring myself to try one. I am already severely handicapped with this unknown PN and though I’ve learned to waddle around the house without a walker, my balance issue is severe and I am a big fall risk. I fear what an injury would add to my handicap, and fear Cymbalta would make me lose my bearings when I would need to get myself to the bathroom. I have unexplained liver damage as well, and Google says Cymbalta is not good on liver, but doc of few words said it’s ok.
So as I stare at my pills in fear, can you tell me from your experience what benefit you find that Cymbalta adds to your Gabapentin regime? I hate always second guessing doctors, and I know Google and warnings aren’t always well understood by us lay people, but trust me when I say I have caught several errors in my health care over the years because of any given doctor’s functional tunnel vision vs looking at my total body health picture. Thanks for your input on your Cymbalta experience. Debbie

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Replies to "Hi - I am on Gabapentin (seems high compared to a lot I see on here,..."
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Jan 29, 2022

Hi Debbie, There are a couple of other discussions you might find helpful on Cymbalta.

-- Gabapentin and Cymbalta: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/gabapentin-and-cymbalta/
-- Cymbalta: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cymbalta-2/

Are you able to talk with your pharmacist to see what they suggest on side effects or risks and interactions with other medications you take?

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pkagarwal | @pkagarwal | Jan 29, 2022

I started with 100 mg of Gabapentin about 9 months ago and then to 300mg to 600 mg to 1200 mg. In each instance it will work for 3 days to 2 weeks and then not effective. At 1200 mg (6 months ago) my doc added 30 mg of Cybalta. That worked for a few weeks. Then my neurologist upped Gabapentin to 2400 mg. It worked really well for 2 months (no nighttime pain) but now it is a hit and miss proposition. I am not aware of any obvious side effects so far.

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sf2021 | @sf2021 | Jan 29, 2022

I had been taking 1800mg gabapentin per day. But I still had symptoms. My doctor recommended adding Cymbalta (starting out with 30mf and increasing to 60mg). Like you, I did not want to take it. After two months of staring at the bottle on top of my dresser, I decided to take it as my symptoms were getting worse. It does take a week or two to get the effects but it has done wonders for me. The usual nerve pain is mostly gone on most days. It has been 5 months since I started this cocktail and still working so far. The only side effect for me is sleepiness so I take the Cymbalta at night. Hope this helps.

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ldr21 | @ldr21 | Jan 29, 2022

Thank you Debbie! So often the side effects are worse than what I would be being treated for--they want us to think is is a small percentage that side effects happen to--not good if we are one person in that percentage. I am happy you found something that works for you. I will ask my doctor about Gabapentin. I have also heard good things about Alpha Lipoic Acid, have you tried that?

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