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Has anyone had experience using cymbalta for pain relief?
Chronic Pain | Last Active: Jan 16, 2023 | Replies (177)Comment receiving replies
I took it 4 years for fibromyalgia. I had extreme nausea the entire time. I had so much trouble eating, I lost 100 lbs. When I got down to 110 my doc said he was going to hospitalize me if I lost 10 more. I started forcing myself to eat. It felt like I had a rock in my stomach, on top of the nausea, so very hard to eat. I became anemic and developed osteoporosis.
I complained constantly about the nausea and weight loss to my rheumatologist (prescriber), 2 different gastroenterologists, and 2 different internal med docs. All told me “Cymbalta won’t do that. Keep taking it”.
The side effects are more well known now, but they were not listening. The web was full of complaints, but again, no one was listening. I get that it was just individual experiences, not hard data, but sometimes where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
I stopped cold turkey, without side effects, but it took me a year to be free of the nausea. My new internal med doc says the first 2 weeks are rough, but then the side effects improve. So, I decided to give it another try. I took 1 pill and was sick 3 days with terrible nausea. That was it for me! I’m convinced Cymbalta caused my stomach problems; all the proof I need.
HOWEVER, that’s just me. My doc insists it’s a good med and helps many. If you have exhausted your choices, it’s worth a try, IMHO.
Good luck.
Replies to "I took it 4 years for fibromyalgia. I had extreme nausea the entire time. I had..."
so sorry you've gone through this nightmare. My husband had fibro..the only thing that would help him was amitriptyline. If he missed a pill in the am..he would suffer the terrible pains and stiffness fibro can cause. He also took a half of a percocet when the pain was just too much. He eventually ended up with PD..but still had the symptoms of fibro..to the end of his life. I donated his body to science..with his approval, of course...hopefully he will continue to be of assistance to others. I wish you the very best day possible!
It seriously messed with my stomach. It is also bad for the liver. More so than other medications. May be different for others. I didn't have neuropathy so it never helped me with pain.
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Thank you @isaratex for your complete and informative description of your experience with Duloxetine. The one truth to be aware of is that everyone is different. I was born to different parents, probably grew up in a different climate, and have experienced different medical incidents than you have. That makes it possible for me to react differently to Duloxetine (Cymbalta). It has been a lifesaver for me. My anxiety increased immensely with my SFN (small fiber neuropathy) diagnosis. I was dismayed and dismantled to be blunt.
At the time I was taking only nortriptyline at night. That left mornings as my most difficult part of the day. With duloxetine, I can confidently tackle my day without losing my way. And I don't need the nighttime help. In fact, as the SFN progresses throughout my body and the pain increases, I have doubled the duloxetine from 60 to 120 mg.
And this is what I admire about Connect. Everyone is considered. Sharing helps all of us learn more about our conditions and the alternative options for treatment.
I notice that you are a retired Biology teacher. That means you have a head start on all of us.
May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris