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Occipital neuralgia caused by running?

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Posted 3/9/2007 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
Well, I saw my dr. this morning, and she really liked the idea of the Cymbalta! She told me to take 5 mg. Flexeril (muscle relaxer), 2 Advil, & 30 mg. Cymbalta every morning, then 5 mg. Flexeril & 2 Advil at night. She also said she would call a headache specialist who's a friend of hers and get his opinion on my case. I'm excited about that!

If you read HormoneJ's thread on "Strange Headache", she describes the CranioSacral Therapy that's helping her, and that sounds wonderful. I like the idea of doing something without medication!

Y'all keep those good ideas coming in!!

Nancy
Posted 3/12/2007 9:44 PM (GMT 0)
Bob-o,

So how is it going with the Cymbalta?
How many mg did they perscribe?

I had bad side affects the first day, nausia, pail, dry mouth, sweating. I did not like the feeling but thought I would give it some time. The first week was awful, I was taking 30mg once daily in the morning. After the first week I moved up to a 60mg dose. It was like I have not even been taking a drug all symptoms were gone and I felt great. My Dr. said it was a adjusting period before increasing the dose but 60mg is what I really needed. I have been taking Cymbalta now for 5-6 months and my real severe hedaches have been few and far between. I occasionally still feel the tenderness (I guess) in the back of my neck where the nerve is but it is something I can deffanetly live with.

Only problem I have is I don't like taking medication either. The research I have done, show that the only problem I can find with Cymbalta is trying to get off of it...It seems you would never want to quit this cold turkey. You must move down slowly... I guess like when I started... There will be side affects.

Rick

Let me know if you have any questions and I will try and help.
Posted 3/13/2007 4:45 PM (GMT 0)

Rick, I am forever indebted to you!!!!!  After 2 rough days with Cymbalta, I feel like a new woman!  I'm still on 30 mg. once a day.  It only lasts about 8 hours, so I've been waiting til about 11 AM to take it (for some reason, I'm feeling pretty good in the morning and can wait to take it), then when I start to feel the head pain after about 8 hours I take 2 Advil, then 2 hours before bedtime I take the muscle relaxer.  I'm feeling great most of the time and am getting a good night's sleep!

My main side effect that I hate is the weird feeling in my throat.  Whenever I yawn, it feels like I've sprayed my throat with Cloraseptic spray - like it's numb.  I don't like that, but it's better than the alternative!

Friday I'm supposed to go up to 60 mg.  Will it have the same side effects as it had on the first day?  I'll be traveling that day and going to a wedding the next day, so I sure don't want to be shaking and nauseated!!

Will we be on this medication forever?  What does your dr. say about that?

Thanks again!!!!!

Nancy

Posted 3/14/2007 8:23 PM (GMT 0)
I am glad to hear that it is working for you as well. I am also happy to hear that your side affects didn't last the full week like mine did. When I jumped up to 60mg is when I really started feeling good...on that same day. My bad side affects did not continue. He said I might be sleepy, but this med. has not made me sleepy at all, (except for the yawning in the begining).

Funny you mention the tingling while yawning. I had forgoten all about that side affect. I too had a strange feeling when I yawned and I seemed to yawn alot too. That will go away in a week or so, at least I think...I don't remember it lasting much longer than that.

When you go up to 60mg is it once daily or split up in two 30mg doses?

I started off, after the first week, at once daily 60mg. I kept getting a side affect of sweating, I would be hot all the time. I told my wife that I know what women must go through during menapause. I would get hot flashes. I asked my Dr. if that was normal and he switched me to 30mg twicw a day. That has been a lot better my hot flashes have gone.

On your last question...being on this forever... I asked my Dr. the same question. He basicly told me, YES!
But if I want, I can try getting off of it after a while and see if it returns. Which is what I am planning on doing. After I have gone a goon couple of months without feeling it at all, I think I am going to try and ween myself off. Hopefully, it will be gone. If not, I know what will work to make it go away again.

Let me know if you have any more question.

I am new to this forum thing... but I do enjoy reading what others are going through and that I am not alone.

I am also glad to pass on anything I have gone through if it will help someone else.

Rick
Posted 3/15/2007 2:44 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks a million, Rick! (My husband thanks you, too! This has been really rough on him, not knowing what was wrong with me or how to help me - or if he would even find me alive in the morning!) Tomorrow is the big day when I switch to 60 mg., so it's good to know what I might be experiencing.

Please keep reading the posts on this forum - I'm sure I'll have more questions as time goes by!!!

Able to laugh again,
Nancy
Posted 3/20/2007 11:43 PM (GMT 0)
Nancy,

   How did it go switching to 60mg dose? Are you taking two 30mg twice a day or one 60mg? I hope everything went ok for you. I also hope you are still doing good.

Rick tongue

Posted 3/20/2007 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
Rick, I've been able to take one 60 mg./day, and I haven't noticed any bad side effects from it.  It's still working well!!!  Today I didn't even have to take any Advil with it.  That's the first time I've gone without Advil all day.  I still feel something in my head, but it's NOTHING like before, and I can live with this, even if it doesn't go away completely.

I asked my dr. what the next step is, and she said to just slow down and enjoy this for awhile!!  And I am!!!  I'm wanting to start exercising again, but it still hurts when I bend over, so I may have to just stick to walking.

Thanks again,

Nancy

Posted 3/21/2007 12:39 PM (GMT 0)

I am glad that the drug has worked for you. I can't say that it has entirely worked for me. I was put on it because I am on Topamax and was becoming fatigued and depressed as a side effect of that and the constant headache pain. I also found out it was used for the nerve pain I was having.

I noticed right away that I was no longer fatigued and my mood did change right away. I was estatic! For a few days my headaches weren't as severe. I was given a nerve block and when it failed I became depressed even more so my doctor upped my dosage of the antidepressant. My body did not like this at all.

I had issues with insomnia, dry mouth, heart burn, and my hands and legs would shake. I told her I wanted to go back down to 30mg. She agreed and ever since then I am okay. I still have the dry mouth and my hands shake every now and then. I do find myself waking up at night, but I am able to go right back to sleep. I wish my side effects would disappear like they did for you.

Posted 5/9/2007 3:01 PM (GMT 0)

Rick, I'm just wondering if the Cymbalta is still working for you.  I've been on it for 2 months now, and it still hurts if I cough, sneeze, or bend over, and climbing stairs or walking a lot makes it worse.  The last 2 days I've had the pain at the base of my skull, and that's rather scary!

I'm going to join Aqua Therapies, a wonderful place where you can exercise in the water, and they even have massage therapy and other services.  I've tried it 3 times in the water (you get 5 free visits to try it out), and it feels wonderful at the time but makes it worse afterwards.  Once I join officially, they'll try the massage therapy, and hopefully that will help.  Have any of you with occipital nerve pain tried this?

I don't want to lose touch with you guys - I need all the help I can get!!

Nancy

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