HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

How long to put up with Cymbalta side effects?

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 8/9/2014 11:15 AM (GMT 0)
I started Cymbalta on at bedtime on Tuesday and have had horrid insomnia from the get-go. I took my fourth dose yesterday morning instead of bedtime, hoping that I would sleep better last night, to no avail. I slept about an hour from 230-330 this morning and am wide awake again, and irritable as all get-out. This was even after a muscle relaxer and an ambien at 1030 last night. I know others have had insomnia issues with cymbalta, but how long should I put up with it before I give up? I can't talk to my doc until Monday, and I feel like if I don't get some good sleep soon I'll lose my everloving mind.
Posted 8/9/2014 1:53 PM (GMT 0)
I would give it about two weeks at the most. If you aren't back to normal by then, I would call the doc.

Cymbalta seems to help a lot with pain from what I have heard. I hope it helps you...

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 8/9/2014 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
EVENKEEL
I would agree with miss Karen. If you can hang that long. Then it could take up to Atleast 2 months to notice a change. It could be sooner though, as you know everyone is Sooo different. I hope the side effects subside and it works for you! !!!
Posted 8/9/2014 5:03 PM (GMT 0)
When I started Wellbutrin, I had horrid side effects for about ten days, and then they went away. Your body takes time to adjust to new scripts.

So, two weeks at a minimum. I generally like to try for four weeks. If a drug CAN work, I want to give it a fair shot. I stopped two drugs due to long-lasting side effects: a statin and Cymbalta. It wasn't insomnia with me, but horrid anger and depression.
Posted 8/9/2014 8:22 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the input. I've decided that I can't deal with the side effects. I'd welcome the insomnia if I had energy to go along with it but I have none. I was so jittery and jumpy and anxious that I seriously felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin and my brain was "buzzing". I got about three hours of sleep this morning and feel marginally better but am dealing with what might be GI upset from withdrawal, either from the Cymbalta or from the fluoxetine I didn't taper off of before starting the Cymbalta. I didn't know that you could have rumbly, burning intestines with nausea and be starving at the same time. I'll give my doctor a call on Monday and ask what he wants to do now.
Posted 8/9/2014 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
I had horrible side effects with Cymbalta. They started with the speedy feeling you are having and within 2 weeks I was experiencing full body spasms, uncontrollable vocal outbursts, jaw clenching, my hair started falling out and my hands were shaking so hard that I couldn't even open the medicine bottle to get the pills out on my own. I have learned that I am incredibly sensitive to meds, especially any kind of seretonin or epenipherine reuptake inhibitors, but this was really scary. Follow your instincts!
Posted 8/10/2014 8:53 AM (GMT 0)
I haven't slept any more yet, so I went to the ER. The doc said no more Cymbalta (uh, you think?) and that it should start wearing off any time now. He said I'd all ready tried what he would usually suggest and gave me a shot of ativan, for what it was worth. It didn't work at all. Well, I hope I crash soon, then, and I'll be talking to my doc on Monday.
Posted 8/10/2014 11:35 AM (GMT 0)
I'm so glad you stopped it and also had a doctor verify your decision. I will only put up with side effects for around three days. I have tried some drugs for another one of my illnesses and ended up taking only one pill. I figure if you are putting chemicals I. Your body and you get these type symptoms, your body is telling you something.

I'm taking a new med for diabetes right now. When I first tried it I got severe constipation. I stopped it after three days. I waited a month tried it again, and got severe diarrhea this time! I stopped it one day after restarting it. I again waited another month to give it one last try. I cut the pills in half and took one half a day. My body accepted that. Then I started taking a half in the morning and a half in the evening and that has worked out fine. So sometimes playing around with the medication helps if you really think the medication will help you. But always ask your doctor first.

I like to go with as little prescription medication as I can get away with. I know you have been here for a while, but have you tried the magnesium malate and vitaminD3? Quite a few members have gotten relief using these supplements. A muscle relaxer, Robaxin, has helped me significantly, also.

I do hope you get some rest. Being so tired is awful and totally unhealthy for you. I hope you find other things that will help you with your pain, too. I chose not to take Cymbalta, Lyrica, or Savella because of side effects that many have. I searched until I found things that did help without side effects. I just listened to my body.

Sherrine
Posted 8/11/2014 10:11 AM (GMT 0)
I fell asleep around 6 yesterday morning and slept most of the day. I'm awake for the potty now but will probably be asleep again soon, so I think we're over the hump. I usually tolerate side effects pretty well but this was really, really severe and when people suggested two weeks to put up with it (which I usually use as my guideline anyway) I literally started crying. There was absolutely no way I could, partly in regards to the extra pain from not being able to shut down for a few hours. I thought about messing with the dose after reading online about people doing that but considering that I'll have to break open capsules to do it I'll run it by my doc first. I only have 60mg capsules and was taking 30mg ones to taper up, so I don't know where or how I'd start out again. I tried magnesium a while ago and got horrid GI issues after a few days, which I took as a sign that I'm okay in that area. I am taking vitD plus a multivitamin and I don't know how much it helps but I son't have issues with it so I keep taking it. It's so unfortunate that the cymbalta didn't work because I actually got some relief from it.
Posted 8/12/2014 1:51 AM (GMT 0)
I wouldn't take Cymbalta again. I had a similiar reaction where I would jump at any noise and symptoms you described. I was in the hospital when I started taking it. He diagnosed it as serotonin syndrom and gave me Ativan. I take remron for antidepressent which helps you sleep well. It took awhile for my hearing to get back to normal. It got affected too.

I hope you can find something that works for you. You just have to keep trying to find the right treatment for you. I use subutex for pain which really has long acting effect and less addictive.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply