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Wedding in three weeks...start new med?

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Posted 8/19/2011 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
I am getting married in just over three weeks. I recently posted that gabapentin was helping me, but unfortunately, we also determined based on timing that I must have been one of the lucky 1% who gain weight on it. I gained 15 lbs in 2 months, and so we decided to d/c the gabapentin.

I am supposed to start Cymbalta instead, but I am very nervous about starting it so close to the wedding. I know nausea is one of the common side effects and that it usually goes away in "about two weeks". But what if I'm still nauseated at the wedding? Or get one of the freaky rare side effects? At the same time, I'd also like to maximize the chances of having a low pain wedding.
Posted 8/19/2011 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Heather I take Cymbalta and I didn't get any side affects from it. Hopefully you won't either if you decide to take it. I take it for depression. I sure hope it helps you.

I bet you're really getting excited about the wedding. Wow, you don't have much longer now. Jerome and I have been married for 17 years and I can still remember what it felt like the last couple of weeks before our wedding. I was so excited.

I wish you good luck with the Cymbalta. I hope you're having a low pain night.

love and hugs
Loretta
Posted 8/19/2011 3:46 AM (GMT 0)
For most people, so long as they are starting at the 30 mg/day dose the side effects they have, if any, are mild and short lived. It is when the doctor does not fully understand how to dose this medication and start someone off at 60 mg or more that the side effects can be bad.
Posted 8/19/2011 3:53 AM (GMT 0)
Heather,
Congratulations! I am getting married in October, and am so excited too. I just began Lupron, which stays in my system for 3 months, and has caused me to do some of the same wondering about timing and how to cope with the pain.
Jim and Loretta have given you some good advice, but I also want to tell you to talk to your doctor and pharmacist about it. If you are worried about nausea, there are medications that your doctor can prescribe to you to help with that. I take phenergan, but I recommend that you be careful of drowsiness with some of them.

That being said, I am sure that your day will be beautiful and your pain low.

Mindy
Posted 8/19/2011 3:48 PM (GMT 0)
I have been married for 36 years and like Loretta said...I can remeber the feelings I was experiencing. I was so happy and I felt like a princess.
Talk to your doctor.

Betsey
Posted 8/19/2011 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
Heather, I was started out on Cymbalta at 30mgs and I did not have any problem, like Jim 69 said, it was the higher dosage that really caused some side effects for most. Most side effects are gone in two weeks, so you would still have another week any way. There are also some OT meds available for nausea that do not cause grogginess like phenergren. I have to go to bed when I take that, it knocks my lights out. You are right, you do not want to be in horrible pain on your wedding day.

Take care and good luck.
Posted 8/20/2011 4:08 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, I talked to my doctor and decided to start it now so any early side effects should be over in time. Fingers crossed.
Posted 8/20/2011 12:02 PM (GMT 0)
Heather, congratulations.

Good luck with starting your Cymbalta. I had horrendous side effects with it, but they were rapid in onset and disappeared within a couple of days of me ceasing it.

Laura
Posted 8/23/2011 2:56 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. I started the Cymbalta four days ago, and so far, everything is okay. I have wicked dry mouth, but that is normal for me with most meds. My doctor suggested I take it at night with food, and so I haven't experienced the nausea. I also have lost a few pounds since discontinuing the Neurontin, so that's nice.

Physically I'm feeling pretty good! The shots I got in my hips for bursitis have mostly cleared up the pain. My partner has been a champ about helping me with the PT exercises I can't do on my own, and so I have most of my joint pain under control. I'm one of those people who gets fibro pain both in joints and muscles.

Also, I am SO GRATEFUL for the choice we made of wedding shoes. They are Orthaheel orthotic sandals, but they are cute AND feel great on my feet.
Posted 8/23/2011 9:29 PM (GMT 0)
Heather lynn,Congrats on your wedding,Ihope it turns out to be a beautiful day its great you have love and support from your partner.I wish you two the most happiness togathers.So cute ,you found comfortable shoes as well ,take care
Posted 8/24/2011 1:39 AM (GMT 0)
Heather since dry mouth is a problem be sure to suck on sugar free candy to put some moisture back in your mouth or even sugar free gum. Dry mouth can lead to bad dental problems.

I am very glad to see that you are doing fine with the Cymbalta and feeling better.

Sounds like everything has fallen into place very well, awesome.
Posted 9/3/2011 2:54 PM (GMT 0)
How are you feeling Heather? Is your wedding next weekend?? You must be getting so excited!! I hope you can post

some pics of your special day for us. Where are you going for your honeymoon? Post when you can to let us

know how you are getting along ok.

Take care
Suzane
Posted 9/3/2011 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, hope the wedding goes very good and is a very special day for you.
many many well wishes...and sure hope the cymbalta can help you...
keep us posted when you can and many many well wishes on your special day
Posted 9/4/2011 4:25 AM (GMT 0)
Suzane and Chartreux, thanks for thinking of me. We are only one week away, and I am very excited! We're busy this weekend making schedules and sending email to our wedding party and taking care of all those last minute details. We leave on Tuesday to go to Massachusetts (that's where I grew up) to get the marriage license and then out to Cape Cod where our wedding will be.

I'm not sure if the Cymbalta is helping yet, but I am actually feeling pretty good. The fibro pain is still there, but my back and hip pain is mostly under control. I am really, really blessed to be feeling well before the big day, and I am hopeful I'll feel good in a week too.

For our honeymoon we are going on a cruise to Mexico. It doesn't leave until the end of the month though, so we'll be back two weeks before we go. I'm really excited about that too, and trying to plan a mix of active things and restful things so I don't overdo it.

It's wonderful to know people here are thinking of me. Thank you so much for the support. :-)
Posted 9/5/2011 2:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Heather I'm so excited for you. It's wonderful that you're feeling pretty well. I pray that it continues throughout your wedding and also throughout the cruise. Please do let us know how you're doing and please post pics of the big day when you can. We would love to see them. I'm glad that you found shoes that are comfortable for you.

Take care.

love and hugs
Loretta
Posted 9/6/2011 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Heather, I must of been MIA when you joined (I went missing for awhile) so I wanted to jump on and say Hi and congratulate you on your upcoming wedding!

Like Loretta said, please post some pics when you can...I am sure the wedding will be amazing! Take care.
Posted 9/8/2011 6:43 AM (GMT 0)
A wedding on Cape Cod sounds spectacular, not to mention the honeymoon to Mexico! I could use one of those right now. Good to hear that the Cymbalta is working for you. I know my wife was stressing out big time about weight gain before the wedding, and she didn't even have to deal with drug side effects. I didn't get it, course she always looks beautiful to me. Wishing you and yours the best, congratulations on your wedding!
Posted 9/8/2011 11:23 AM (GMT 0)
I took Cymbalta a few years ago, and while on the low dosage of 30mgs, I didn't really have any side effects. It was when I was raised to 60mgs that I had side effects of insomnia and nausea.

I think as long as you are at the low dosage you should be just fine. Good luck! And congrats on the upcoming wedding!
Posted 9/8/2011 1:47 PM (GMT 0)
 

         Good morning Heather!

              Gongrat's on the up comming marriage! yeah

      My Dr just started me on Cymbalta two weeks ago at my request for lower back pain, in hopes I can reduce the pain med's. He started me out on 30mg, and it really messed with my head for a good week....felt very weird, and shaky. shakehead

      After a week on the 30mg, I began to feel better, and I believe I noticed a small reduction in pain. However I have been there before and reduced my med's too early, and pulled the same trick again this time. My Dr said it usually takes two weeks for patients to see a reduction in pain, if there is going to be any, but has had patients who have reported a reduction in as little as five days.

     We now started the 60mg, two days ago, and I'm experiencing some of the weird shaky feeling again, but not a severe as when I started the 30mg. Im expecting it to go away in about a week. Again, I believe I'm seeing a reduction in pain, but am unsure how much of it is contributed to the Cymbalta, or if I'm just going through a good cycle, which has happened before. We will see! rolleyes

       My hope are high and really want to see if I can reduce the pain med's, as you all know I hate them. It will be interesting to see how we all do on this med.

       Heather please keep in touch with us, and let us know how you are doing on this med. Prayers out to you, and again Congrat's on the marriage. It is an exciting time in you're life, and I wish you all the best. Always give to each other from the heart. Life is short! Work as one unit like a team working for the same goal. Find hobbies and activities that you both can share.

         Take care,

       SE wink

 

Posted 9/8/2011 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
 

    Hi Heather, I wanted to wish you a beautiful weekend for your wedding.

I pray that you will feel well and be happy on your special day. Can't wait to hear

all about it.

Congratulations,

Suzane

 

Posted 9/11/2011 12:11 AM (GMT 0)
Congratulations on your wedding! Soooo exciting. I've been married 18 1/2 years......may you have a lifetime of happiness.....and pain free - ;-)

I too take Cymbalta, have taken it for awhile now with no problems.

Hope we get to see some pics ~

Lisa
Posted 9/13/2011 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much everyone! The wedding was wonderful - we had so much fun, it was wonderful to be surrounded by friends and family.

I'm back and paying the price now though. I actually had a fall on Wednesday before the wedding - tripped and hit my head/face/hand and got a concussion. So the irony of course is that my chronic pain was under pretty good control, but I had acute pain! It all worked out okay though - getting married is a pretty good distraction from the pain. Now I'm home and exhausted and achy all over, but I expected that. Just resting and using heat and ice as needed.

SE, I hope you do well on the Cymbalta. I had a similar feeling of being jittery the first few days I took it and again with the dose increase. It has definitely gone away though. I have definitely had a reduction in pain - I can tell because it doesn't keep me up at night anymore.
Posted 9/13/2011 2:42 PM (GMT 0)
A lot of people would say that if something didn't go "wrong" with the wedding you really didn't get married.

Congrats on your big day and I am glad you got to enjoy it.
Posted 9/14/2011 7:24 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Heather!

Hey!….Congrat's! You got Hitched eh! We all hope life will be a little more fun for you now that you have a band on that finger! wink

Are you still taking 60mg of the Cymbalta?…..or did you go higher with it yet. I have read that it is of little benefit to go higher than 60mg for lower back pain, but a buddy of mine at work said that the 90mg worked even better for him.

I have two pills that look similar, and I accidentally took an extra 60mg Cymbalta tonight. I hope it doesn't mess me up over the next few hours. As soon as I swallowed it, I realized my mistake, but it was too late to do anything about it. I miss a dose of my med's every once in a while, but I never take extra by mistake. I also noticed that constipation is something that a person has to watch with this med as well, so I increased my prune intake.

Take care of that man, and enjoy the marriage.

SE wink
Posted 9/15/2011 1:31 AM (GMT 0)
SE, I'm actually on 90, and it's for both my fibromyalgia and low back pain. My doctor wanted to give me the higher dose because I was switched from a fairly high dose of a different anti-depressant. Typical for fibromyalgia is 60-90, so I suspect I'll stay at 90.
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