Has anyone had experience using cymbalta for pain relief?

@artscaping, @isaratex, @colleenyoung, and all...
I love this drug. I say this with full knowledge what a blessing this is as others have had different experiences. I began Cymbalta years ago for fibromyalgia, as off label and new to that use. It helped the overall body pain soon after beginning the drug. I'm now taking 120mg each morning. No side effects. It has made my life with pain bearable and allowed me to stop taking heavier meds with serious negative side effects...Lyrica, oxycodeine, oxycontin, neurontin, even ibuprofen. I'm thrilled with the results and no brain fog, no tummy issues, less fatigue, etc.
With the addition of marijuana tincture at bedtime, I'm sleeping with less pain, general discomfort, less anxiety. Thank you, Lord, for this drug. Thanks to my Connect friends for your great support and insights.
Hopefully you will find help for your pain control. Be blessed...elizabeth

I tried to try Cymbalta, because I thought it would help me after researching it. Gave it my all -- twice -- each time for a week. Unfortunately, it gave me headaches all day long, so severe that I couldn't lift my head off the pillow. Also had nausea, which I would have been willing to cope with, but I just didn't want more pain (the headaches) to add to what I already have.

A few months ago, my PCP told me that the antidepressant Remeron (generic mirtazapine) is a very bad antidepressant, but a very good sedative, and can alleviate pain. So I've been on that, can now sleep every night, at least for a few hours, and have had some alleviation of my pain. It does make my restless legs worse, but it's not so bad that I can't eventually sleep, and that is a blessing. I've found that if I can't sleep, or can only sleep an hour or two, my ability to cope with my pain is greatly diminished during the day.

I'm new to Mayo Connect. Hope I'm doing this right! I've been reading a lot in several forums, groups, and threads, and hope to start sharing more. Wishes for a better day today to all. Take care.

I have occipital neuralgia among other things and it has helped. Then I started seeing bad stuff about it. Hard to get off of it, bad for liver, but everything else they tell me to take is bad for your liver soooo.. … But I’ve only been taking it for 3 or 4 months and it does help

I’m so happy it helped you. My new internal med doc loves it. There are so few things that help with fibromyalgia. It’s insidious how it affects our lives in such a negative way, but we look OK…

Lyrica made me eat like I was starving, lol I gained 20 lbs! Nope!

I am a 2D6 poor metabolizer, 5-10% of the population. It is a major enzyme that metabolizes many, many drugs. My speculation is that I could not metabolize it and it built up in my system. I am certainly no biochemist or Dr., so this is pure conjecture.

It would explain a lot. My pain doc did the testing when I did not respond to several opioids.

I wish you continued success with this med and your fibromyalgia. It’s all about being able to live and not be controlled by pain.

All I wanted to do was eat on Lyrica , lol, gained 20 lbs. in 1 month. My doc said “ Sara , who does this?” Couldn’t be helped. Lots of meds don’t work well on me because I’m a poor metabolizer.

Maybe that's why when I pulled my jeans on they were too small. lol. I can blame Lyrica! I guess I'll keep working for my medication. Much better than anything that can be prescribed for me. (wink)

I don’t know that it affects others the way it did me; my body definitely reacts differently to drugs. My appetite was obviously different from my normal and unrelenting.

However, it did NOT make me nauseous, cause stomach ache, or headache. It just made me ravenous. My appetite went back to normal within a few days of stopping. When you work with brain chemicals, the effects can be wonderful, weird, or just unwelcome, lol.

Did it help my fibromyalgia? I could not tell a difference, but 1 month may not have been long enough. If it works for you, without side effects, that is wonderful. I truly wish it did for me. I am still on my pain adventure, lol.

That’s wonderful news that it works. I want to emphasize that between Lyrica and Cymbalta, many people ARE helped with fibromyalgia, which is very painful and debilitating. I’m going to describe it as
“insideous”, again, because you look fine, but the deep pain affects all areas of your life.

Yeah, I was ~110 lbs at the time, after losing so much with Cymbalta. The extra 20 lbs, was shocking, but I actually needed the nutrition, lol. I’ll probably have to wait until they develop a new med that’s not 2D6 dependent for metabolism. I’m pushing 70, so I hope it won’t be long!

Thank you for the reply. It is indeed wonderful you have something to help you through this maze of meds, docs, tests, insurance & $$$ we all have to navigate.

I feel I was unclear, though. My complaint is not with Cymbalta or Lyrica. They just didn’t help me and the side effects were untenable. (That might be due to drugs that need to be metabolized by the 2D6 enzyme. From 5-10% of the population are poor metabolizers, like me. My pain doc did the testing when I failed to respond to most opioids.)

My complaint is with all the docs I saw who would not listen to me. I literally could not eat much of anything not forced down. They pushed me to continue that course month after month after month as I lost 100+ lbs. Their paternalism would have eventually killed me.

As it is, anemia is still a problem. Osteoporosis means I broke 3 bones in my big toes when I lightly kicked a chair, accidentally. I have to be very careful not to fall; hard with the pain of fibromyalgia and tons of damage, and extreme stiffness from RA.

I want to encourage folks to question their docs, especially when the results are not positive or adequate. Educate yourself from good sources, take notes, and hold them accountable. Don’t put up with “cookbook “ medicine. Change docs if you are not getting the results you need. Be a squeaky wheel, not a sheep like I was.

I wish you continued success with your meds. Neuropathy would give me high anxiety, too.

Thank you, Elizabeth. I am truly happy for you and encouraged that I’ll soon find more help.

I do have a ITC pain pump implant. The tube goes into my spine. It provides a micro dose of fentanyl, which scares the Hell out of me. After 3 years of no help, my doc has finally put in fentanyl which helps maybe 30%. She is still adjusting it, but still a scary road that I’m on. A very expensive road that won’t be available to many.

It was so much easier, cheaper, and probably safer for me to take an oxy 3 times a day. I had no negative side effects, and certainly no abuse or addiction. (I’m 69 yrs.) However, I was forced out of a med that was working and into this pump. My doc is making out like a bandit, lol.

I’ve tried the quite expensive cannabis lotion and a tincture. Neither worked. I’m still exploring this avenue, but refuse to buy it from my pain doc. It seems unethical for him to make money off cannabis while refusing to give me what does work. For ~10 yrs, I was a perfect patient while taking oxy. Perfect drug tests and zero side effects.

I’m very upset, I’m sure you can tell, lol. People in my age group had low abuse numbers, but now some are being pushed to street drugs. They either can’t get what they need legally or afford the treatment. I spent $7K plus out of pocket at my pain doc last year, WITH decent health ins. I’m lucky.

Continued good luck and vibes to you on this crazy journey we’re on.