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My Cymbalta changed my life for better but after 5 years it stopped
It stopped working it feels. I had an anxiety relapse and now my OCD is back in full force. I’m struggling so much. Has this happened to anyone and have you switch meds?
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They recently stopped making the brand name. Perhaps the generic isn’t right for you…or maybe a higher dose?
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1 Reaction@charlie3330
Yes, I had taken Cymbalta 2020 to 2023 and then it seemed to stop working. I took it for chronic nerve and osteoarthritis pain and depression. When I weaned off this and bupropion (was taking both at the time and wanted to go off both to see how I did and determine if new medication was needed). I had major issues with coming off both medications and sank into a deep depression. I tried Prozac that caused brain zaps. Then went back on buprioion (Wellbutrin) but it didn’t seem to help. My doctor then tried combining bupropion with antipsychotics like Abilify (aripiprazole) and mirtazapine but they caused more pain and made me ravenous and I didn’t want to gain weight. The only thing that has helped over the last 2 years has been being only on bupropion at an increased dosage (now on 450mg).I tried gabapentin and Lyrica (pregabalin) but they actually caused more nerve pain and made me dizzy and couldn’t think/concentrate so I stopped taking it. I still have spine/nerve pain that goes into my buttocks/hips and sometimes ankles and need to find new options to help me with pain management.
@charlie3330
I meant to mention I may try going back on Cymbalta (duloxetine) now that I have been off of it for a little more than 2 years. It may work again for a while and I’ll take any pain relief. I don’t recall having many side effects on duloxetine. I may want to gradually increase the dosage (think I was on a max of 60 mg but not sure how high you can go on the medication without significant side effects).
The optimal dose for nerve pain is 120 mg. That said, many report effects at lower doses. Remember that it causes dry mouth which can lead to gum disease and cavities (that’s the reason I stopped it after 20+ years). You can partially counteract these effects with a variety of OTC products. My favorite is biotine lozenges. Also when I was taking it I went to the dentist 4x year.