[Travelinglady]

My psychiatrist is asking me to consider going on cymbalta for my fibro pain and depression. Has anyone been on it? If so, then what has been your experience? Thanks!

[buttrfli42481]

I have been on Cymbalta for almost 7 years now. I have no side effects and really like it. I am on the highest dose, 120mgs, and also on Abilify now. I have only been on the Abilify for about 3 or 4 years I think. I don't have a chronic pain condition, so I can't tell you if it works on the pain or not. I do believe that when our depression is out of control so is our pain tolerance. With this in mind, I would say to you, go ahead and give it a shot. The worst that can happen is that it doesn't work for you. I hope it does work though.

[ChangingMyMind]

I was on Cymbalta in 2011 for 3 months, 30mg worked well but then stopped working after the 3 months but not many side effects. I tried it again over the weekend and I had horrible GI issues/pain and it made me feel low. Not sure what changed but it wasn't as helpful the second go around.

[TheOriginalMe]

I started Cymbalta three weeks ago. At 60mg, I've only very mild GI side effects but I have terrible earache (weird but listed as a side effect). According to the med leaflet, the effect on chronic pain takes several months to build up so don't expect miracles. I don't seem to be getting headaches (discounting the earache) and that's a bonus. Most anti-depressants seem to irritate my bladder but Cymbalta hasn't so far. All in all, I'd say give it a go.

Originally Posted by Travelinglady

My psychiatrist is asking me to consider going on cymbalta for my fibro pain and depression. Has anyone been on it? If so, then what has been your experience? Thanks!

I've been on Cymbalta for about 2 years. I switched to the generic a couple of months ago. It's been about the best antidepressant I've taken. I've also been on Prozac, Paxil, Effexor, & probably 1 or 2 others I've forgotten. It hasn't been wonderful for depression control, but it's been better than the others. One reason I've stuck with it is that I've always had anger control issues & the Cymbalta has been especially helpful for that. I also have a ruptured disc in my low back & sciatica in both legs. It's hard for me to say if the Cymbalta has really been beneficial with regard to that. I think it probably has. I've had virtually no side effects. So, all-in-all I'd say give it a try!

[Denman]

I've been on Cymbalta for months. I started at 20mg, than 30mg, than 60mg. It did not work at those dosages. My pdoc just increased the dosage to 90mg. and I am
hopeful that this will help me feel better.

[minus]

I am stopping Cymbalta after a month. I think it helped with my depressive symptoms a bit (too soon to really know) but I've developed a very fast heart rate--up to 120 sometimes. It comes and goes but is troublesome enough to stop taking it. There are plenty of other meds to try. I remember having this heart issue when taking Effexor several years ago, and both meds are in the same category. It's different for everyone, but if you've tried Effexor or another SSNRI in the past, you'll likely have a similar experience with Cymbalta.

I will say that coming off of it has been miserable--on day 3 now (switched from 30mg Cymbalta to 10mg Lexapro) and having brain zaps (they are improving) and serious itching all over my body--I've scratched my feet raw, even my eyeballs itch! Also some annoying stomach/bowel trouble. Again, it's different for everyone, but Cymbalta seems to be one of the tougher meds to get off of, from what I've read and heard.

[LaborIntensive]

I ma taking the 60mg version capsules and I have the random yawning (big time yawns) at various times. I am not sure how this stuff works but I do feel that I am no longer in a pit of despair but the weather and circumstances still have a big sway on my mood. I would say that one thing for sure is my dreams are very vivid and enjoyable now.

[kirby777]

Hi-

I am on Cymbalta. I had to start @ 30mg, as The NE caused my HR to increase @ 60 mg....AFter being on 30 mg for a month, I jumped up to 60mg..I have been on it for months, except for a trial of Fetzima (disaster for me). I was manic on Fetzima and I see that Cymbalta flattens my affect...but as another poster stated, I am not as angry on it. In the beginning it did cause daily headaches, but I was so depressed and anxious, I just tolerated it. I have learned, for me, there is no "magic happy pill"...I would rather be flat than how I was last year at this time...

It doesn't do anything for me but mess with my sex drive/ability to feel anything in a sexual context. I'm still just as "depressed" (I don't think I was ever chemically imbalanced) as I was before but now have even less happiness, hope, and joy. And my doctor won't take me off! And there is no way to go off of them without a doctor, unless you want to go through the terrible withdrawal (I've become homicidal in the past just missing a dose or two of 60mg, which isn't even the top dose.

It's possible it could work, but don't try it unless you can trust your doctor to get you off of it ASAP if you need to.

[SeekerOfLife]

I took it a couple years back. It made me extremely drowsy. And I was on the lowest dose.

[Vossie42]

It worked a little for my chronic pain with plantar fasciitis. It didn't help a whole lot, but it made a noticeable difference. I was willing to take any pain relief I could get. Coming off of it was unpleasant. The brain zaps and ringing in my ears. That lasted about three months. I had been on Cymbalta for a few years.

[aml59]

Originally Posted by Travelinglady

My psychiatrist is asking me to consider going on cymbalta for my fibro pain and depression. Has anyone been on it? If so, then what has been your experience? Thanks!

Hi - my wife was on Cymbalta for fibromyalgia and the major problem was water retention. She swelled up like a balloon. Watch carefully if your ankles swell it could be dangerous - good luck to you!

[PoorPrincess]

Cymbalta worked well for me in the past two years.
I found it to be mildly prophylactic as an antidepressant, the pain relief qualities I appreciated, even if it were but masking the physical pain.
No weight gain. No big side effects. I was quite comfortable with it.

I am just this week starting on it at 60 mg once daily for a week, then 120 mg.
I am unsure. I'm worried today about worsened tremors and shakiness.

Some drug info sites say if you have these symptoms, to call your practitioner.
Should I or wait it out? I really don't want a different rx.