Cymbalta experience- did it help you? I'm starting it today...

Status
Not open for further replies.

Jennifer V

Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2022
Messages
12
Hi everyone! I just got diagnosed with fibromyalgia and my rheumatologist wants me to start cymbalta because it can supposedly hel reduce fibro pain. Because I already take Lexapro, I will do a tapered approach to wean off the Lexapro and onto cymbalta.

I hope like hell that it will help my pain levels. The doctor seemed optimistic that it should start helping in 4-6 weeks, and online studies sound great. Because I'm used to the experience of taking an SSRI (I've taken Lexapro for many years) hopefully it won't be too difficult for me to acclimate to cymbalta.

But... reading real life stories from around the web, Google searches, makes me realize that it certainly doesn't help everyone with fibromyalgia. This is very sad and unfortunate.

Would you be willing to share your experiences with cymbalta or other prescription medications that help with fibro pain? Thanks in advance.

I'd be interested in hearing your cymbalta experience even if it wasn't a positive one. I want to get the reality of what people are experiencing. Thank you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nan
I made that same transition but it was because Lexapro did not work for my fibro. There wasn't a transition period, actually, they just switched me to it. It seems ok, nothing works entirely or forever for me, I guess. Lexapro made me feel very tight, clenched, where that doesn't happen with duloxetine. I hope it does something for you, any help is good help!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Con
I have experience taking Cymbalta for nearly two years, but it was prescribed to help with anxiety issues, not fibromyalgia (I have both).

I was working as an administrator at a behavioral health facility (mental health), so when I spoke with our medical director about some issues I was having that I believed were depression related, he told me that he believed that it was anxiety related rather than depression. He prescribed another antidepressant at first (Effexor), but due to side effects, he switched me to Cymbalta - which was purported to have less side effects. (I've always been really sensitive to meds... lots of allergies to them and adverse reactions.)

At the time I was taking Cymbalta, I also had fibromyalgia, but it had not yet been officially diagnosed. That came several years later by a rheumatologist when my primary care doctor sent me there to rule out RA or lupus, due to the increased pain I was having. The Cymbalta did help with the mood disorder I was dealing with, it settled me to a more even keel - less anxiety and depressive feelings. However, ultimately, after taking it for a year or so, I realized that it was almost TOO successful in evening out my moods. Although I wasn't feeling anxiety or sadness like I had been, I was also not feeling much of anything else. I felt "flat." Technically, it was called emotional blunting. I was losing all my highs and lows. I didn't get very happy or sad about anything. I found it to be very disconcerting. I mentioned it to a social worker on staff who said she'd taken Cymbalta and had the same reaction, and she told me she'd ultimately discontinued taking it.

When I mentioned it to my boss, he lowered the dose a little. As I said, I'm "sensitive," and it doesn't take much for me in the way of dosages of anything. My dentist used to joke that he had to give me a "toddler dose" when he gave me nitrous oxide gas, or it nearly knocked me totally out. So take my whole experience with a grain of salt - you may not have the kind of sensitivity to Cymbalta that I had.

Ultimately after a year or so I wanted to discontinue taking it. I'd been getting other nagging side effects (including brain zaps - a phenomenon you might want to Google), and I just felt it wasn't worth it anymore. My boss told me I needed to wean, wean, wean off of it - not to stop abruptly. He said it might take a couple of months of cutting it back before getting totally off of it. In the end, it took me nine months to wean off totally, because the withdrawal syndrome was difficult.

Don't get me wrong, it's NOT an addictive medication, but after a couple of years my brain was used to what it was doing up there, and it took time for it to get used to the idea of no more Cymbalta. It was a dependency, which isn't uncommon with many meds. To be honest, I could have gone on longer than 9 months with weaning, but I was just sick of it. Since I was getting mild withdrawal issues all through the wean anyway, I figured I might as well speed up the process and get it over with, and so I did. The "brain zaps," (not dangerous, just creepy) happened now and then for at least a year after I was totally off of Cymbalta.

My experience was not uncommon. Not dangerous, just unpleasant. I did the wean following suggestions online on how others did it, which mostly consists of opening the capsule and literally counting out the tiny pills inside to cut back very slowly. On the other hand, I have a relative who also took Cymbalta (for depression) and he didn't wean off of it - he stopped cold turkey. He said he did have unpleasant withdrawal effects, but he just pushed through it because he wasn't willing to do a lengthy wean.

I'm only telling you this because you asked to hear the bad with the good. What I can tell you is that my fibromyalgia symptoms (which as I said I didn't know was fibromyalgia at the time) were not affected in any way by the Cymbalta. Not for better nor for worse. No effect on the pain whatsoever. But considering that there were side effects while I was taking it, and withdrawal effects for a long time during and after the wean, I would never be willing to take it again. Should I have depression or anxiety issues again, I'd try to avoid SNRIs altogether. I'd already had a bad reaction to Zoloft (an SSRI), and SNRIs like Cymbalta have less side effects than SSRIs for some people, but it wasn't true for me.

I really do hope that Cymbalta helps with your fibro pain, but if it doesn't after a couple of months, I wouldn't keep taking it for the heck of it.
 
Hi,
My doctor prescribed Cymbalta to me after I was diagnosed with Fibro, along with PTSD, anxiety and depression.
My physical pain had been excruciating, especially in my legs and lower back but I never felt any better for taking it.
I was on it for about 6 months and it took about 3-4 months to get off it, but the withdrawal symptoms were horrific, my pain increased, I suffered panic attacks and horrible dreams.
All I would say is be aware of the side effects of what could happen and plan accordingly.
Good luck.....
 
Hi Jennifer, if you click on the magnifying glass / search box in the top left of the forum and type in Cymbalta or duloxetine you'll find lots of experiences.
Characteristic for this forum is that quite a few us here have had bad side effects with meds and so have renounced them totally, preferring supps and physio, not so much diet (but trying all the same), and the mental route: relaxation types & therapy.
Meds can maybe be a life-belt for a short time (I'd always say definitely less than @Scott Nicholls' 6 months. 4 months of amitriptyline was too long, altho I was experimenting a lot with the dose first, from 2mg to 26mg. But much better for stopping. Amitritypline is maybe a cousin of duloxetine, also an )
The other reason for swapping to the alternative is that meds tend to suppress symptoms, not heal them, so we aren't doing our body or brain a favour, we are fogging it over and continuing our lifestyle without adjusting it to new deep self care we need.

Amitriptyline has more evidence than duloxetine for fibro pain, but it did nothing for me aside from zombifying me all day, but not leading to restorative sleep at night. My kindergarten as fibro treatments go.
 
Cymbalta helped me almost immediately. Hope it helps you.
 
Hi Jennifer,
My doctor prescribed Cymbalta for peripheral neuropathy. It helps a little with the numbness and tingling in my feet. I was already taking it when I was diagnosed with fibro, but I don't feel that it helps with fibro pain, although I am questioning even the fibro diagnosis because my main symptom is extreme exhaustion and being out of breath after just tying my shoes. The pain I have could be more attributed to Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, and bone spurs blocking nerves in my spine, although fibro could explain why just running my hands down my legs feels like my skin itself hurts, and the "costochondritis"-like pain in my chest I've had for years. But anyway, my doctor then wanted me to take Lyrica along with the Cymbalta, and I may have been feeling better but that was overshadowed by the instant weight gain in just a week, which I absolutely could not accept. So I weaned off of Lyrica, and am considering weaning off of Cymbalta too. I like the idea also of trying supplements instead of medication. Right now I am testing Co-Q10, have been on it for about 3 weeks and no noticeable change yet. Read posts in the forum about Acetyl L-Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid, which are other supplements to try for pain, and my doctor had suggested both for neuropathy. I am going to try Alpha Lipoic Acid next. It's just so time-consuming because it's difficult to tell which is working if you don't try one thing at a time and that takes 4-6 weeks (at least for me) to know if there are results. It certainly is a journey you have to have patience for!
My only suggestion would be that you do try some of the alternatives, like ALC and ALA, and others that are mentioned in these forums, before taking a prescribed medication, I wish you the best of luck, and it's good that you found this forum. It's been so helpful to me.
 
JayCS, I also have experience taking amitriptylene, as it turns out. Brand name is Elavil in the US. Again, it wasn't prescribed for fibro but rather for severe headaches - not migraines, but probably tension headaches. Doctor back then said it would help me get more restorative sleep and thus allow my muscles to relax and alleviate the stress causing the headaches. It did help the headaches. Unfortunately, after a number of months of taking it I began to develop suicidal ideations, which was absolutely, totally out of left field for me! I advised my doctor, and he immediately discontinued the Elavil, saying that sometimes suicidal ideations can happen with Elavil. It's always something!
 
Thanks to everyone for your replies so far. I'm kind of bummed that there aren't many positive cymbalta experiences, but I appreciate your honest input so I have a reasonable idea of what to expect. Best wishes to everyone and hope we are all feeling better soon!
 
I too was on Lexapro prior to diagnosis and was switched to Cymbalta. I did not wean off Lexapro. Initial dosage was increased a month or two in before we added gabapentin. I am almost eight months in and happy that it has helped this long. I was just thinking I need to change up something but not sure what it will be. Everyone is different and you have at least made a start in this journey. Good luck.
 
So for you, did the cymbalta help with the fibromyalgia pain? And how long did it take to help? Are you at 30 or 60 mg? Sorry for so many questions... I just have so much to learn. Thank you!
 
I too was on Lexapro prior to diagnosis and was switched to Cymbalta. I did not wean off Lexapro. Initial dosage was increased a month or two in before we added gabapentin. I am almost eight months in and happy that it has helped this long. I was just thinking I need to change up something but not sure what it will be. Everyone is different and you have at least made a start in this journey. Good luck.
Did the cymbalta end up helping you?
 
sometimes suicidal ideations can happen with Elavil
Mirador - Yep, I'd seen that as well. For me it was increased focal seizures that were the last straw besides 7+ other side effects...
 
I too was on Lexapro prior to diagnosis and was switched to Cymbalta. I did not wean off Lexapro. Initial dosage was increased a month or two in before we added gabapentin. I am almost eight months in and happy that it has helped this long. I was just thinking I need to change up something but not sure what it will be. Everyone is different and you have at least made a start in this journey. Good luck.
Wow, yeah, my thought/feeling exactly. I'm on Gabapentin max, and they added buspirone also max. I am currently trying a step down on the Gabapentin (because of being in a fog like constantly) and using an herb called kratom. So far, I'm content with it...
 
I think it has as far as replacing the Lexapro. With the discomfort of my Fibro it wasn’t enough and why we kept increasing the gabapentin.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top