Ok, 4th dose of Cymbalta and it sucks!

[catmama]

As I mentioned above, I am up to my 4th dose of 30 mg Cymbalta for neuropathy, and I am having a very hard time with side effects. Beginning to think they're more adverse reactions than side effects.

My feet and legs are more painful and prickly than before, as well as much more weak, so much so, that I can hardly walk. It also feels as though my heart is racing.

My eyesight has become horrible, my head and face are tingly, and of course I am soooooooo tired and feel like a complete zombie.

I don't know if it's worth it or not, literature says side effects should subside within a week....I don't know about that. And forget calling the old neuro, all I ever get is his wife (who knows absolutely nothing.)

What do you all think about this????

Cat

[lemstar]

How about reducing the dose? I think often doses are too high. Can you call the doc and ask about reducing?

[Spydre]

30 mg is the lowest dose. Talk to your doctor. I don't remember any of those reactions other than the tiredness when I started taking cymbalta. The tiredness you overcome as you get used to it.

[catmama]

Thanks Spydre....

How long did it take for you to overcome the tiredness? Actually, yesterday was a much better day, maybe I'll hang in for another week or so.

How long before you actually increased your dose (assuming that you did) and what dose are you currently on? Do you find it helpful with neuropathy?

Thanks again,
Cat

[mtnwillow]

I'm interested in hearing how you fare with Cymbalta. I saw my primary today and he switched my Celexa to Cymbalta to see if it will help with chronic pain. I didn't fill the Rx yet as I still have 2 weeks of Celexa left in the bottle. Have you tried taking the Cymbalta at night? I have so much fatigue already I don't want to add anything that might make it worse.

[Spydre]

I've actually been on it twice now. The first time I was on it, I started at 30, and never got past that, because we were attributing random symptoms from various causes to the cymbalta (the perfect storm happened for this stuff to happen). And at that time, I was a bit overmedicated anyway, so I was always tired, had to wait until like 10 am to take my meds. When I went back on Cymbalta, we knew what had caused those random symptoms and those were taken care of - I have fibromyalgia too, so my psychiatrist prescribed it for me (I also have bipolar disorder) when the Prozac stopped working, hoping that it would work for both my depression and my fibro.

I was started out at 60 mg, then 90, now I'm on 120 (plus another AD as well). Truthfully, I've had a lot of things going on medication wise, I couldn't really point to when it stopped making me tired - more like some other things made me more tired. But it works great! My fibromyalgia doesn't bother me that much anymore (ironically it flares when my MS flares, though). I do still get nerve pain, and I'm on amitryptilene for that as well. But this has been a bad few months for nerve pain for me, it's really the first time I've had breakthrough nerve pain when I didn't have a fever (the nerve pain I get is all along my skin). But this has just been happening since May. Before that it was pretty well controlled.

**Post broken into paragraphs by Moderator for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print.**

[tommylee]

I took it for a month and thought it sucked also.
Not a fan at all!

[catmama]

Thanks for the info....

This is actually my third try with Cymbalta. The first time was at my initial dx and I was also on high dose steroids, which for me, can cause a mild psychosis, so I stopped it then. I was also started on a 60 mg dose, which now I certainly see why you need to titrate it.

The second time, I was on several new drugs (migraine, and some others that can effect the CNS) as well as having knee surgery, and facing foreclosure. As you can imagine, my stress level was already through the roof and my anxiety level felt high constantly. So I stopped it again.

This time I stopped all other drugs, including Synthroid, Copaxone, Lipitor, and all vitamin and mineral supplements. And yes, I did it without my doctor's knowledge. Let's face it, sometimes we just have to do what we have to do, besides, my ex-neuro is worthless. I plan to add a drug at a time and see how it interacts with the Cymbalta. This is really the only way I could figure how to determine if it was in deed the Cymbalta causing the nasty side effects.

So tomorrow night will be my 7th dose (1 week as the literature suggest for side effects to subside). I think I will give it another week or so and depending on how I feel, I'll either taper off of it or increase the dose to 60 mg. Then the decision will be 60 at once or 30 BID .

If I can't tolerate it, then this will be my last attempt with it. I am really giving it a chance this time around, the neuropathy is just about unbearable.

Still welcome more input!
Thanks,
Cat

[mtnwillow]

cymbalta

So far I'm having 2 side effects to Cymbalta: I'm forever sleepy and I've lost my appetite. I hope my appetite does not return until I've lost a few pounds.

[DianeD]

cymbalta

My neuro gave me samples of Cymbalta, enough to try at 30 mg. for two weeks and then 60 mg for two weeks. I am still wondering what the benefits are. I'm continuing to take it at the 60 mg. dose. My doc gave me this as a replacement for my citalopram. I haven't noticed side effects. I did have an episode of constipation, but not sure it was related, though I don't usually have that problem.

My Neuro said to take it once a day, after meals.

I'm very sympathetic to your situation. I have great difficulty with med side effects. Never know what to expect.

One medication the doc gave me, Lyrica, is just horrible for me. I will be posting about it in this Forum.

Best to you...Diane