Cymbalta

Has anyone had any success or relief with Cymbalta?

Thanks Sherrine - I guess maybe it's worth a try. Also, can you please tell me where I can find out how to release trigger points in my hips? I know you said you have a book.

It's The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook. If you type the book title and put Amazon after it. It should be first or second on the list. Amazon let's you read a little so you get an idea about the book. It was around $15 last time I checked. Claire Davies (sp) is one of the authors. The book is blue. If you click on the book, you can scan down and read editorials from doctors...rheumies included...and also how it has helped people who purchased it. I use it for pain anywhere on my body.

Sherrine

Faith and Twiggy, I have been taking Cymbalta for years and it does help my pain. I havent had any side effects from taking it. I have seen the commercials about how bad the side effects are when you stop taking it. (Class action law suit) I don't worry about it though it helps me so I don't plan on stopping it and if I do I will do it with my Drs care. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have more specific questions and I'll try to help.

Remember for Cymbalta, it can take six to eight weeks to reach full potential, so it may take awhile to feel the benefits of it. Be patient...

Hugs, Karen...

Twiggy, welcome to the forum!!!

Faith, i also use that book..i had so much trigger point pain in the hips , i was having to spend too much time in physical therapy..so i started using techniques from the book...and have not needed physical therapy since..

You lay down, and the book says use a tennis ball under the hip..the tennis ball really hurt me so i use a rubber ball... It still releases the trigger points in the hip..you use it at the point of pain and out around it...

Getting By, thank you so much! I've been looking for a forum of people with the same issues and like mindedness! I want to try the Cymbalta, but my anxiety gets in the way.. It's so frustrating, I hear anything negative about a med and my mind takes over! All the possibilities of something going wrong and I won't follow through! I have 30mg tabs, is that comsidered low dose?

Hi everyone. I spoke to my doctor and she told me that there was a new medication out that she was going to call me tomorrow with it. I will let you know which way we decide to go.

Twiggy: I have the exact same problem. I get terrified of starting a new medication and am afraid of the side effects. My pharmacist told me 30mg of Cymbalta is a low dosage that they will start you with for a short time until your body adjusts and then 60 mg is a usual dosage. Like everyone is saying it may or may not work for you. I have a friend who hated it and I know someone else who is fine as Hallahan said. It's so frustrating. We just have to find the right mix of meds to make us feel o.k. Keep the faith, we will get there.

Hallahan: I know that feeling. I told my doctor I don't want to walk around like a zombie. We have to find the happy medium. A friend at work today asked if I was going to a company event that started at 6 p.m. and I said I wasn't sure because I get tired. I could see the look of confusion on her face and she knows about my diagnosis. Not sure she remembers and who wants to pull out a 12 page symptom chart at work - lol

Lots of burning pain in my back tonight, going to go rest. Goodnight.

I have been on Cymbalta for a while now, helps with my aches and pains. However, it was helping with my depression but stopped. So I had the dosage increased a few weeks ago, from 60mg to 90mg once a day, and no improvement. So have to possibly be switched. I have a doc appointment Tuesday for it...

My son is 16 and has been diagnosed with Fibro and Bipolar. He is severely depressed. He started Cymbalta last April at 30mg. He worked his way up t 90 mg, but it didn't seem to be helping. He stopped cold turkey and had horrible side effects. He went back on the 90 and we slowly decreased it 5mg at a time. I would take a capsule apart and take out one of the balls. We would stay on that dose for at least 5 days before decreasing again. He got down to 60 mg in a couple of months. He was very depressed so his psychiatrist recommended going back to 80mg. That is where we are at. He would rather be on something else because the withdrawal effects were so severe. He is currently being assessed by a new psychiatrist. We will see if he suggests something else. The Cymbalta does not seem to do anything for the pain or his depression. Withdrawal symptoms: vomiting, nausea, vertigo, brain zaps, sensory dissociation (loss of kinetic awareness). He still has brain zaps a couple times a day and he takes his 80mg cymbalta daily.
My only warning would be, if you need to go off Cymbalta, do it SLOWLY, 5mg at a time and stay at that dose for 5 days before reducing another 5mg. Glad it helps some, but it doesn't seem to be helping him.

Babs: I'd think there are better meds for bipolar. My daughter was diagnosed at 15 and she's 30 now and has no sign of it. Sometimes teens are diagnosed with it but don't have it. It was a rough time.
Get him really good talk therapy.
Barb