Gabapentin and Cymbalta

Hello community. I thought I was just getting old but I kept getting worse and worse. My PCP was no help at all in the face of so many symptoms that didn’t seem cohesive and or indicative of any typical ailment. In exasperation I quit him and went to a new doctor and begged him to help me find out what was wrong with me. Long story short I was eventually diagnosed with Sensory Polyneuropathy. I was then fired from my job with the Social Security Administration for taking every bit of my medical and vacation leave while on probation. I was not able to continue seeing any doctors. I have discovered that I can’t live without Gabapentin. The pain is unbearable and I become suicidal. I know next to nothing about my own condition and I have by far more questions than answers. Please help me understand my illness. Anybody. Please. Some of my symptoms…sudden inability to swallow, feet and legs feel like lead and hurt badly especially at night, hands fall asleep and tingle constantly, extremely cold all of the time, NO short term memory, dizzy, can’t seem to think clearly, extreme sensitivity on different parts of my body (burning), NO balance, low low blood pressure, fainting, frequent falls, broken bones. There is more. Somebody. anybody, please help me understand what is happening to me. Annie

Good evening @annielucas99. Oh, my dear.....it sure appears that things have piled up on you in the most hurtful way. I am pretty bowled over by your treatment at Social Security. However, I have been through months of attempting to process support for a new skin health medication with Social Security and it has been a pretty heavy and lengthy trip. I just got my fourth letter this weekend, repeating the same information.

So let's see if we can tackle your "need to know" inquiries from the top down. Most, if not all, of your symptoms are listed under sensory neuropathy when I google it ...with the exception of short-term memory and balance issues. What you may have is something I have just finished spending the last six months studying myself. For the second time in the last three years, I have just been diagnosed with GAD........generalized anxiety disorder. The symptoms include short-term memory and other SFN (small fiber neuropathy) as well as a faltering memory. And of course, anxiety also creates pain/burning/heavy feet and legs as well as at least some of what I call the tingle tangles which then create more anxiety and then more pain, etc., etc., etc.

By the way.....have you recently been dealing with suicidal ideation? Did you know that the new number for help is only three numbers "988"? Please call for assistance at any time.

I also tried just googling Sensory Neuropathy and that is where I got this confirming symptom information. For additional information, I do recommend you spend some time with the following sites:
-- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20352061
-- https://www.foundationforpn.org/
-- https://neuropathycommons.org/
Knowledge is power and the best way to understand what is happening to you is to learn as much as you can about what is going on in your body.

And for the next step, you will begin to chat with other neuropathy members on Connect. We are firm believers in sharing......sharing what we experience, what we know, what we need to know, etc. with each other. That is how I learned about SFN (small fiber neuropathy) a condition I have been dealing with for 9 years.

In terms of supportive medication, Gabapentin is a good start. I take it every day at bedtime to keep my hands, wrists, and arms from interrupting my sleep. I can't tolerate it during the day but it certainly helps me get some rest at night. The other medication that helps me is Duloxetine.....also called Cymbalta. It is the best anxiety reducer I have tried and I have increased the dosage as needed over the years so that I get the best chance possible to have a pleasant and productive day.

So...let's call this the beginning Annie. What is your most critical issue right now?

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

I am so grateful for your answer. I had a doctor recommend duloxotine for me and I became very angry because I thought he thought it was all in my head. It is not. My biggest problems are pain and my hands falling asleep. I fall a lot too. I have so much reading/research to do. What you gave me is a very good place to start. As far as suicide I try really hard not to go to that dark place but there is a strong link between how much pain I’m in and my mental state. As far as SSA….I worked there and trust me when I tell you they don’t give a rats ass about the American public….. and the IRS is worse. I left the IRS to go to the SSA erroneously thinking it was a better place to work and they were more humane. The joke was on me.

Good evening @annielucas99. Thanks for responding. I hope you had a good reading/research day. Take your time. It does seem that you will become very knowledgeable about your condition and that your priority is to do whatever you can to be a health partner with your doctor. It was nice of you to acknowledge that you may have jumped the gun with the duloxetine. If appropriate, I hope it helps you.

It will probably become easier to turn your symptoms into a working diagnosis. Then you will be able to measure the impact of medications, treatments, and even some lifestyle changes. Don't hesitate to stop when you come to what appears to be a mountain to climb.

Here are my "hints" of the day. 1. Falling. There are exercises you can do to help with stability and balance. I am currently working on everything from climbing stairs to doing a meditation walk along the river. There are practices like mindfulness and guided meditation that are uplifting to say the least. I just returned from a three-day retreat where we focused on improving our "equanimity" or what I call, "riding the waves."

There are alternatives to prescription pain medications. For example, I totally control my SFN pain with medical cannabis. And the topper for tonight is an introduction to MFR, myofascial release therapy. I have two sessions a week with two therapists.

Here are some folks who I know are waiting to meet you when you decide to take your head out of those reference websites and articles. @jenniferhunter is our resident MFR expert. She understands all the medical terms with which I am still struggling. @johnbishop is our resident researcher. He has only numbness and no pain with his neuropathy. Go figure! And I hope you get to meet @rwinney a colleague who has turned her life around by controlling her pain.

Let me know if you have questions.......someone on Connect just may have answers.
How was your diagnosis made? Did you have any tests?

May you be safe, protected, and free from inner and outer harm.
Chris

I wrote in another neuropathy group yesterday about my surgery mistake damaged my intercostal nerves. That resulted in a flank bulge, which I had never known I had a FLANK and it’s now called pseudo hernia. Once the intercostal nerve is damaged, a recent study indicates there’s a domino effect to other nerves resulting in neuropathy pain and in my case ET, essential tremors. It was 6-8 months after the surgery that both those issues appeared. Of course, the neurologist prescribed gabapentin. I had been prescribed that drug previously and have it on my Allergy List. I use lidocaine topically and have Tramadol for other pain in the pseudo hernia.
The neurologist wanted me to use gabapenatal/Lyrica. No. My friend says she feels like a zombie. I had anxiety and confusion and trembling. No!

Hello @gshfmb, welcome to Connect. How unfortunate that you've had all these problems. I know the challenges of pain management can be confusing and frustrating. Mixing Gabapentin and Lyrica is an extreme measure. I hear it works for some if you can get past the side effects to determine if the pain relief outweighs. You say, "No!"

Let me ask you this, have you considered the alternative, such as a pain rehabilitation program? Mayo Clinic offers an incredible pain rehabilitation program at all 3 Mayo locations. It encompasses a comprehensive plan of treating both the mind and body. Is it something you may be interested in?

I highly respect Mayo and know its great history. I’m working with a Pain Management doctor now and physical therapy. 😊 I see way too many doctors now and Mayo isn’t close to my home. None of the doctors are either. Alas. When you live on an island, it’s an issue. Thanks for your response. 🙏🏼💕

@gshfmb You're welcome. It's good to hear you're working with physical therapy. I hope they provide you help not only while working with them but to use at home when you work with yourself. "Motion is Lotion" as we say in Mayo Pain Rehab. The important key is to learn how to move appropriately.

I hear you about the island. It's not easy to pop into a Mayo Clinic. I flew from NY to FL and was blessed to have Medicare cover my whole 3-week pain rehab experience, however I incurred the expense of travel, hotel and meals.

Recently Connect was privy to have access to Dr. Sletten's Mayo PRC Family Day videos. Dr. Sletten is the director of the PRC in FL and breaks down concepts to the families of participants each of the 3 weeks they are there. The videos contain an inside peek of the principles and tools used for rehabilitation. I graduated the PRC almost 2 years ago and it was the hardest thing I've ever done, but most rewarding and life changing. My husband was able to learn about what I was experiencing in rehab each week so he could support and encourage me.

I'm happy to share the Week 1 video with you, and any other Connect member out there who is curious about Mayo PRC or who knows they can't get there but wants to pick Mayo's brain on how this program works. There is no shame in the game in learning or hearing about a plan you may be able to apply to your current situation, especially if its beneficial. Dr. Sletten explains the "Cycle of Pain" and the science behind "chronic". He educates on many factors and presents on how lifestyle changes can empower you. He's also kind of funny. Take a peek...

Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center - Family Day Week 1:

If you, @gshfmb, or any other Connect member watches the Week 1 video and would like to see the following Week 2 and Week 3 please do not hesitate to let me know and I'd be happy to share. There are always ways each of us can continue to improve, even in pain. Keep your chin up, you're not alone.

I watched the video. Thank you for sharing.
I recommend anyone to watch and you’ll benefit from the information even if you do not plan to do the PRC program!
🙏🏼😊💕

@gshfmb Awesome! May I ask you to share what your biggest take away was?