Julie, I’m exactly where you are with Cymbalta. Been taking it for years. Two years ago I took 60mg less, one pill. It was a process recommended by doc but at the end of the day no change in nerve pain or depression with the change. Agreed that I don’t know what comes first the pain or the depression. Whatever happens is so fast it’s impossible to separate the two. I’ve tried. Still taking it in case it helps. Good luck to. Keeping busy and engaged causes my focus to shift a bit with some relief…

@julie11, I was put on Cymbalta in the hospital stacked on top of many pain drugs. My depression was that no one was allowed close to me in fear of infecting a large area they were unable to close stomache. So even though I had visitors family and friends would stay in the corner. It did in fact help with this depression that was overtaking me. It may or may not have helped with pain. I agree it is very difficult to wean off. You are right in that being depressed can make pain worse, and has its own demons. We've touched on this fact on other drugs in this forum that while useful for acute conditions, long term effects of most strong drugs with have addiction and withdrawal pay back. Pain in this way is I guess is our body saying enough already. I hope doctors will consider this in getting patients off these drugs quicker, and not max the doses out without good cause.