New to Fibro, Questions about sysmptoms and Cymbalta

I am new to this section, after a year of getting tossed around by Doctors, Fibro seems to be the target now and I have a few questions.

I have had lots and lots of testing for all kinds of crap this year due to my other 'illness' that they say I no longer have (Crohn's) Nothing came back with any high inflammation rate, or any sort of indication of a RA/OA type disease. Meanwhile for the last 3 or so months, I have been struck with very bad joint pain. My new Rheumy says its most likely Fibro, and I wanted your opinion since you guys 'get it' and maybe I can have some comfort in knowing your opinions.

My joint pain begins in the morning. Morning stiffness, extremly stiff especially in my arms, kness, and mostly my feet, most notably in my achulles tendon. This usually goes away after getting up and strecthed.

During the day I can usually get by if I am at home and not doing a lot. I am actually fine and not hurting while doing things, like walking, cleaning, light activity. But afterward I suaully get extremy sore, like I ran a marathon. Skatiboarding with my son, hiking, being up and about too much, all cause me serious pain after the fact and keeps me down for a few days sometimes.

Even on light days, during the evening, my back usually starts to hurt and I have to sit and get a heating pad. My knees have extreme pressue on them, hard to explain, but no matter if I am standing, laying down sitting, there is no relief to the pressue. During a bath or shower, or heating pad help, but immeduately returns after.

I also play electric bass, which I put down for a while since playing causes my fingers to hurt for days, and my left shoulder and entire upper arm hurt and this seems to have stayed even though I havent played in a while.

Doctors had told m to try tylenol, aleeve, tylenol arthritis, I have also taken fish oils, extra vitamins, and done combos of the tylenol/Aleeve, all to no avail. The only thing that has ever helped was Vicodin/Norco which I had already from having Crohn's symptoms and pain attacks.

Looking at the fibo symptoms, I have a lot. Insomnia, headaches, fatigue, my memory seems to have gotten worse (I blamed it on being sick, or meds) my hands and feet fall aslep a lot, plus the obvious pain.

Question 1 - Does this sound like a Fibro case?

Next part, my rheumy Just Rx'ed me Cymbalta today and I will start it tomorrow. I am curious to know if it has been really helpful at all for Males, since everything I read says its the same as placebo for us dudes. I also worry about the side effects. From all my Crohn's meds I am no stranger to extreme side effects, but for some reason, this med worries me more than mostly anything else I have been on.

I think I had another wuestion, but I cant remember it (haha memory loss) but I appreciate this forum, and look forward to exploring this section and getting to know you all.

Adam.

Cymbalta didn't help me at all, and the side effects were quite bad. I was on it for nine months, but discontinued it. I am a woman.

FM usually takes some time to diagnosis, and other illnesses have to be ruled out. This sounds about where you are. Like anything else, there is a learning curve, which can be aggravated by other illnesses in conjunction with FM.

Still, the best overall treatment are the old decent eating, moderate exercise, and good sleep.

Welcome!

Have you seen an orthopedist for your nerve pain in your back and hands?  Most of us have more than just Fibro going on and the Fibro is hidden for many years by the other ailments until the pain is so bad that we feel out of control and the doctor's have thrown up their hands and have pretty much written us off. Never stop searching for answers no matter how much you are discouraged to by the doctors.  I was told 10 years ago all my pain was due to stress; now I see a Neuro-surgeon for my neck and back, Rheum for the Fibro, Ortho for the radial, ulner and carpel nerve issues. If I had given up I never would have discovered these other issues.  For me, knowledge is power and affirms I AM NOT NUTS!

So first day in the books, got slammed pretty hard with nausea. I even have Zofran and its not helping much. I also dont think its helping with my insomnia any, cant even get tired enough to sleep.

I take my Cymbalta in the morning. As far as zofran, it never helps my nausea. I used to get phenergren instead but my dr said that it harms veins and things so I don't take that anymore.
If you are having issues sleeping maybe you should ask your dr about elavil. That is what my neurologist put me on and it works very well, plus it works well with the Cymbalta to get my pain levels down. The nice thing about elavil is it isn't likely to make you sleepy the next day. I hope you find a combo that works for you.

Third day, second day on the Cymbalta, not nearly as much nausea today, hopefully it just gets better and better.

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. To answer a few questions made, no I have not seen an orthepedist yet. I had to fight against my primary and GI to let me see a Rhuemy, then after all that realized my insurance allows me to see them anytime without referral, doh! I am sure after the tests my rhuemy is doing I can get further answers or further testing if needed.

I asked my wife about muscle relaxers, but from my understanding of them, they are one of those 'addicting' drugs and it seems like I might not be able to just get them. Maybe I just feel weird about itm, just like I still get weird whe I have to ask for pain meds, Im in no way addicted, but I feel like I am seen as one just for asking, haha.

I had Trazadone for sleep, but I will never take that again, it made me sleep for 4 hours then I was wide awake all night and morning, and it made me feel sickly and nauseas. I'd prefer something a little mellower for sure.

Thanks again for the welcome, I'll be sure to update as my progress goes.

I am only newly diagnosed with Fibro, and a lot of your symptoms sound like what I experience. On bad days I am extremely stiff in the mornings anywhere from 30-60mins. Moving around or "light" walking hurts at first, pain is almost gone during, then once I stop - feels like I've been hit by a truck. The fatigue, memory loss or "fibro fogg" it's horrid - some days I feel like a dummy.

I can really relate to how you feel, but as for Cymbalta - I haven't tried any Fibro meds currently. Trying to get my AS under control first.

GL with your health, and I hope you feel better soon :)

After about a week and a day I couldn't take it anymore. I was either not getting to sleep or waking up super early with amontster headache every night. My vision during the day was very foggy, and I didnt like the general feeling I had while on it. The nausea went away after a while, but I still felt way crappy the days I was taking it.

I just got back from being in Mexico for a week so I need to call my DR and see whats the next step.

I was diagnosed with fibro over 23 years ago and in that time have taken many, many prescriptions, supplements, alternative treatments, psychotherapy, you name it, I tried it. My concern for you is your Crohn's and the side effect I had from Cymbalta and Pristiq. I began Cymbalta at the 30 mg dose and stayed at that dose for 30 days and then went to 60 mg. At 30 mg, I began to have diarrhea...not every day so at first I didn't associate it with the Cymbalta. I also have irritable bowel, affected by weather changes and anxiety and stress. When I went to 60 mg, and did this because the 30 mg did nothing for my depression and anxiety, the diarrhea became extremely bad. So bad that I didn't want to leave the house. I discussed this with my psychiatrist and she told me to split the dose, 30 in the am, 30 in the pm. Made no difference. I really thought I was ready for Depends. So, she took me off the Cymbalta after about three months, and put me on Pristiq, telling me in no way would I have the same side effects. I started on 50 mg and was told the majority of people stay on 50, never needing to go to 100 mg. Guess what? After six weeks, I was at 100 mg because the 50 mg did nothing...depression and anxiety seemed even worse than before and with it came diarrhea, just as bad as when I was on Cymbalta. Psychiatrist said stay with it, the diarrhea will go away. After several weeks of not getting any relief of depression or anxiety, or diarrhea, I called her and said get me off this drug. I tapered off it and as of this past weekend, I'm off Pristiq.

For the past 23 years, I have been subscribing to a journal, FM News Network, which is written for physicians as well as patients. Some of the articles are difficult to understand, written for physicians, explaining studies that are being conducted, but I muddle through them and get the gist of what they are trying to tell me. This last issue has an article called " depression and anxiety, is your fibro to blame?" The article discusses several different studies being conducted; response to pain, FM versus depression, influence of sleep, etc. An article written by Robert Dantzer, Ph.D of the University of Illinois in Urbana states "Many serotonin boosting antidepressants can tone down inflammation, although each class differs in its cytokine reducing ability. on the other hand, cytokines that promote inflammation can lower the production of serotonin. This association may explain why LESS THAN 50% OF PATIENTS BENEFIT FROM ANTIDEPRESSANTS, BECAUSE IMMUNE ACTIVATION CONTINUES TO IMPAIR BRAIN FUNCTION AND TOY WITH EMOTIONS." This is only a portion of the article, but it was certainly enough for me to realize that SNRIs simply do not work for me. I have gone back into psychotherapy with a wonderful woman I worked with over two years ago who helped me taper off an antidepressant back then, along with an antianxiety, and a sleeping pill. She has now introduced meditation along with psychotherapy.