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Posted 6/26/2011 11:09 PM (GMT 0)
I was taking 100 mgs of tramadol twice a day. Once I was diagnosed with fibro. My new doctors switched me to cymbalta. I have been taking cymbalta for almost a month now with NO relief. My pain is actually much worse now. How long does it take the cymbalta to work? I am in misery.....especially my shoulder blades (still) and my joints.
Posted 6/27/2011 12:51 AM (GMT 0)
Brownieccs2011,
Usually you can start feeling some relief around a month to 6 weeks. However, I would suggest contacting the prescribing doctor to let them know what you are experiencing and see if they possibly want to increase the dosage. My dosage was recently doubled because my Fibro pain is not in control and the doctor had me start taking the medication in the morning to get more relief. I hope you feel better soon.
PugMomma
Posted 6/27/2011 1:49 AM (GMT 0)
They took you off the tramadol? And then they gave you something that doesn't work for everyone? It sure didn't do anything for me! But then neither did a whole slew of other "fibro" meds. I am now trying Topamax, in the same category, at a very tiny dose - 1/8 of the 50 mg pill my pain doc prescribed because of side effects at 1/4. It does seem to help with pain. I'm just not sure about the side effects - dizziness and nausea in particular.

My pain doc too seems to want me off the tramadol, but I really like the seratonin effect. It makes me, and a whole lot of other people, feel in a better mood. He's got me cut back to 2-3 50 mg a day, which is OK unless I'm having a flare or another problem. I didn't get much mood help with SSRIs, which are another fibro med area.

Maybe Cymbalta would have done something for me in 6 weeks, but I am not going to sit around in the severe pain I have that long. I'd find another doctor if mine expected me to suffer with nothing for relief. I'd be willing to cut back on my tramadol, which is what I've done, as long as there was some indication that the new med was helping at least a little within a few days. If I have to cut out the tramadol altogether, I want something else to replace the serotonin effect as wel as relieve pain.

I went off tramadol for surgery a couple of weeks ago because, for me, it just reacts with everything I might be given. So I switchws to Vicodin for a week. That relieves pain, but it leaves me so miserable I couldn't wait to go back to my standby even though it doesn't stop pain as well.
Posted 6/27/2011 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
I had a Dr do the same thing to me. Cymbalta will never do the same thing tramadol does. If you have very bad pain, like I did, you will probably still need some kind of pain reliever. Maybe not as often, and not as strong. It took me about 3 months before I felt even remotely better though. And to be honest, I felt pretty bad the first month from side effects.

I'm going to be completely honest, I feel that Drs who do this don't understand or believe you are in as much pain as you are in. Cymbalta is not an overnight fix. No question about that. And seriously any Dr. that would have you do that probably isn't that best Dr. for you.
Posted 6/27/2011 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
Oh and I forgot to ask, is the Dr. who gave you the Cymbalta the same Dr. who diagnosed you with Fibro. The reason I ask is that what it sounds like to me is this scenario:

You were on tramadol for "real pain"
Then you were diagnosed with Fibro, and had "fake pain"
Dr. decided this "fake pain" no longer needed "real painkiller" and put you on Cymbalta.

Cymbalta can really help people, but I wonder if you Dr. is one that does not treat/believe in Fibro.
Posted 6/27/2011 2:34 AM (GMT 0)
Actually this is a new dr that I saw for the first time....after my original dr wouldn't do anything or even diagnosis me with an illness. An orthopedist gave me tramadol. The new dr told me to continue tramadol and start cymbalta. Of course I goggled cymbalta as soon as I got home and you aren't supposed to combine the two drugs. I called his office and he agreed....so he gave me lortab and restoril for pain and insomnia. Neither did anything. I hope this makes sense....anyway I think I would rather just take tramadol. It had been working pretty good for several months.
Posted 6/27/2011 5:55 PM (GMT 0)
Hmm.... I was given the RX for Cymbalta and Tramadol by the same doc. However, I wasn't taking it as often as you are so maybe in small doses its fine. I think you will just have to judge it yourself about how long you take the Cymbalta for. I will caution you that, at least for me, stopping it was horrible. You have to do it slowly, and I even still had really bad withdrawal. If you do stop, I would take a few months to get yourself off of it. The pills open and you can count individual balls on the inside. You can take some out so that you eventually only are taking a capsule with a few balls in it.
Do you think there's a possibility that you may have something else other than Fibro?
Posted 6/27/2011 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know....this all started last February 2010. I felt like I had the flu...with no fever. Aching all all over, like I had been beat down with a baseball bat and set on fire. Then I was mainly hurting in my back...across the shoulder blades. Horrible aching and burning pain. I have had cardio, GI, neurological work ups. My joints ache and my bones and muscles hurt. Horrible insomnia. This started about the same time I unexpectedly got pregnant. I don't know what else to do....or what other tests I need to have done. Mri's, xrays, bone scans. Blood work has all been normal. My appt is Wednesday. What should I ask? What else could it be?
Posted 6/28/2011 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
Well I can tell you that some DRs just give a diagnosis of Fibro when they have no idea what is going on. I've also read some people experience Fibro after a health event, like your pregnancy. So it may or may not actually be Fibro.

Have you been tested for lyme disease? People seem to get diagnosed with Fibro but actually have this.

Have you had any other specific tests dones? What medications do you currently use?
Posted 6/28/2011 1:21 AM (GMT 0)
Yes....Lyme was negative....I have had so many blood tests. All have been normal. MRI of head neck and entire spine and shoulder blade. CT of head and chest. Echocardiogram. Transesophagel echo, endoscopy, sonogram of kidneys, liver, spleen, hida scan, bone scan. Etc. The medicine I take now is cymbalta and acebutol for SVT as needed). I have seen an orthopedist, neurologist, rheumotolgist, cardiologist. What else should I ask for? My pain went away for about 4 months but came back. Its weird. It moves around. One day my spine is sore...then it moves to my shoulder blade, then ribs, then sternum. My feet hurt when I wake up, my elbows are sore. My forearms hurt. My feet and hands get hot. I don't know what else to do :(
Posted 6/28/2011 2:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi brownie,

I can understand your frustration. I am taking cymbalta and people started noticing a change in my attitude after only a week and a half but I also take pain meds and I am now taking 60mg of it (started at 30) and I do not notice any benefits of pain relief I just notice my tolerance level has increased. I would go back to my dr (do you have a pain management dr) and explain that you are in a lot of pain and they should be able to help.

Take care
Rose
Posted 6/28/2011 2:57 AM (GMT 0)
First, I would have the Lyme retested. It often can give false negatives. All your thyroid levels ok? Hormone levels?

Are you having any GI issues? What about your gallbladder?

Make a list for your Drs Appt with all of your symptoms. Think of anything that you have done that makes it worse, or better. Everything from time of day to what you ate.

Have you seen an immunologist? Those specialists seem to be good a putting pieces of a puzzle together.
Posted 6/28/2011 4:58 PM (GMT 0)
I am on tramadol 300mg er (although before that was 50mg 1-2 every 4-6 hours) and about a month ago went on Cymbalta. I don't really notice anything with the Cymbalta in regards to the pain. However, I plan on talking to my doc about the Cymbalta because my chief complaint is I seem to have far more emotional (not in a good way) since being on the Cymbalta. It is the only new drug added lately so I'm pretty sure it is the culprit. Is your original prescribing doctor still willing to give you the Tramadol or even give you a reason for taking you off it?
Posted 6/28/2011 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
My hormone levels haven't been tested since I had the baby....thyroid is fine. Gallbladder is fine according to hidascan. Don't really have any nausea. I do have heartburn but take meds for that on occasion. Every test I have had has been normal. SED rate has been high, but other than that everything is ok.

Mobrook....I googled tramadol and cymbalta and saw that taking the two together can cause serotonin syndrome. My DR actually said I could take both, but then I called and asked after reading that, he agreed that I should stick with cymbalta only. I was taking 100 mg of tramadol int the morning and 100 mg at night. Sometimes I could skip the morning dose if I felt ok.

Now I am second guessing this diagnosis....maybe it is something else.
Posted 6/28/2011 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
My concern for you would be taking the Fibro diagnosis, when it's really something else that your Dr. just couldn't figure out. I think this happens way more than it should. You might also be having multiple unrelated things going on.

Did you have imaging of your gallbaldder or just the hidascan?

Do you have anything health problems or diseases that run in your family?
Posted 6/28/2011 9:26 PM (GMT 0)
No health problems or diseases in my family. I had an ultrasound of my liver, gallbladder, and spleen. Normal. I wouldn't even know what kind of tests to ask for because I have had everything tested (at least it feels like I have). Body aches, joint pain, insomnia, those are my main problems. Shoulder blade really bothers me. My appt is tomorrow.
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