Gabapentin and duloxetine

Hi. I'm taking 160 mgs duloxetine and 2400 mgs of gabapentin daily. So far I haven't had problems. The duloxetine is for severe depression caused by chronic pain and the gabapentin is for restless leg syndrome and nerve pain. They both help a lot especially gabapentin. I'm sorry you're having problems and hope you find relief soon.
Maddiemae

Thanks for the info. It is the side effects at the beginning that are frustrating. The nurse practitioner did go through the possible side effects and suggested it may be a month before the body adjusts. I am lucky, my depression is seasonal so it is not considered that I will need to go higher than 60 mgs of duloxetine but there will certainly be an increase in gabapentin.

Hello,
I have been on 1800mg of gabapentin daily since my MS dx in 2015. It has been prescribed for the neuropathy (atypical) that I experience in my feet and lower legs. It is not painful, but comes with a very weird sensation of tightness and pressure (I feel like I am wearing shin guards and compression hose).

I am a bit resistant to up my dose of gabapentin and have no idea what I will experience if I titrate down or go off of it. My neurologist prescribed cymbalta to be taken for 3 months to see if it helped decrease any of the neurological symptoms. I took it religiously as prescribed (60 mg/day) and at the end of the 3 months I reported that I felt no relief and that my neuropathy remained the same. I am currently titrating down off of the duloxetine to go off of it.

Just wait for the side effects when you try to get off them!

I’ve had peripheral neuralgia for decades and was started on Cymbalta many years ago, I recently started taking Gabapentin 200mg at night for neurogenic pain. I also have had major depression and generalized anxiety for decades. I had uncomfortable side effects at first with both meds which took 6-8 weeks to calm down. These meds have improved my pain & sleep greatly. Try to stick with them if you can, call your Doc if it’s not possible and they can make an adjustment. This is the best drug combination I’ve found, good luck! Take it one day at a time my friend💖. —Bartling
-s-

I was laid low the first time Cymbalta 40 mg was prescribed for me…literally laid out on the couch all day due to nausea and dizziness. I only took it one day. But it was a miracle for my Mom, resolving so much of her pain. So I decided to try again and just gut it through. But wisely, my new doctor prescribed a lower dose along with promethazine 25 mg. for nausea. It was successful with only 1 dose of the anti nausea med. I had zero side effects and it helped my sitting pain tremendously. But now I have a new spinal cord stimulator and am trying to get off Cymbalta (and next, Lyrica)and it is very difficult. However, I will keep trying.

@bunnybear - I can sympathize with you. I was on duloxtine for a few years for severe back
pain. It did not relive any pain. I decided to go off of it seeing it was not helping. It was pure hell. It took me months to wean off of it. The brain zaps were unbearable, along with mood change & nausea.
Finally I am free from this drug. Never again will I take it.
Don’t give up weaning off if this is what you want. It’s not an easy drug to get off seeing it’s for depression also.
I wish you the best.

Thanks @ladeedi51 for the info. At least I know what to expect. So far I haven’t had the side effects you did. I “just” have the return of very severe, debilitating, pain in my lower buttocks and hips. Pretty much what I took it for. But this is similar to what happened when I was occasionally taking hydrocodone. It seemed to me that if I took a pill, I could count on my body “calling” out for another one a few hours later. That is how addiction works I think. The brain wants that drug and so it amplifies the pain you were hoping to relieve at the time another dose is allowed. Amateur psychology/science I know. Congrats and thanks again!

I have changed my diet as gluten increases my pain I ha pain in all my joints and take gabapentin and tramadol I have halved the dose my doctor ordered and wish I didn’t have to take them joint pain since Covid vaccine no more boosters for me I now have peripheral neuritis and joint pain

I was able to come off of 600mg of Gabapentin (300mg 2x daily). My Neurologist told me to stop my morning dose cold turkey, but that increased my pain. My pain doc told me to titrate down much more slowly, and that worked. You definitely need to do it under medical supervision. Good luck.