cymbalta for pain

@srwolfe I too have the sweating experience with Cymbalta but find it tolerable compared to the pain.

I wonder if a lower dose might be the answer? Or, since you are experiencing it particularly at night, a divided AM/PM dose?

Another option that works for some people is LDN or Low Dose Naltrexone. My husband uses it to manage arthritis and neuropathy pain because he cannot take NSAIDS and many other drugs.
Here is an explanation from Sloan Kettering:
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/low-dose-naltrexone
You can also search for discussions about it here on Connect.
Sue

I will talk to my Dr. Great info thank you

I cannot take nsaids either and will check this out....I felt great on Cymbalta and hardly had any pain but it constipated me so badly that I stopped it after 5 days of no bowel movement. I wish that I could take it. I've been using Voltaren cream and it does help but not like the Cymbalta did.

I have small fiber neuropathy and osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease causing spinal stenosis. I had been on Cymbalta (Duloxetine is the generic) before and probably need to go back on it. It really did help manage my overall chronic pain and the depression that comes with it. They started me on 30 mg per day then increased it to 60 mg. I switched to taking it at night to help with drowsiness which was my main reaction (willing to be a little drowsy for the major reduction in pain…extra fatigue not helpful as I am also hypothyroid). My sweating now, especially at night, while off Cymbalta is due to going through menopause. Such fun! 😁

Just a warning about cymbalta. I’m on a very low dose (30g every second day), having started taking it about 10 years ago. Last year I tried to go off it, very gradually as advised, but a couple of weeks after completely stopping I had terrible and frightening withdrawal symptoms. I assume I’d been on cymbalta for too long.

Cymbalta and Gabapentin are what I take and I do not have any major problems. My doses are split up throughout the day. I also find that B12 and ferrous sulphate helps me with the movement disorder and nerve pain.

I can’t reduce my Cymbalta to every other day either due to intense pain. But reducing the dose does not bother me at all. So I am down to 20 mg a day. I will try to drop a dose after I have been on this low dose for a month or two and hope I can tolerate it.

Cymbalta does help with pain.

But, for me, it made depression worse. And I experienced truly evil withdrawal symptoms while tapering it down: insomnia, hand tremors, panic attacks, etc.

Gabapentin is another that had wicked withdrawal symptoms for me. Panic attacks even worse than the ones Gabapentin was causing in the first place.

I was on both for anxiety & depression for 4 years. I liked not having as much joint pain as a side effect. But they were clearly NOT helping for the anxiety & depression.

It took months to taper and get through the withdrawal symptoms. But I like having my brain back.

Ibuprofen at the level I'm taking likely isn't good. But I am enjoying not having anxiety attacks & major depression.

I drink about 2-3 ounces of Whole Leaf Aloe Juice to keep me from getting constipated, and it also helps to heal my whole digestive track while it is at it.

Ok I just came from my Dr and he wants me to try 20mg Cymbalta every other day. Hopefully the extreme sweating will be les and manageable. I was originally using 30 mg Cymbalta a day. I was taking it at night. I'm going to try taking the 20 mg in the morning and see if the night sweats are less. I really hope this works. Back is killing me along with all the other constant pain of arthritis and multiple surgeries on hips, knees and shoulder. Please let me know if you have this same issue. The Cymbalta 30 mg was best pain medication I ever had prescribed but side effects were extreme