Starting Cymbalta, advice needed

[Guzzy]

Hi everyone
I am due to start Cymbalta tomorrow for nerve pain and anxiety.

I've tried Elavil- it was too sedating and made me very grumpy although it was great for the nerve pain.
Lyrica did not work for the pain at all and I have developed panic attacks on it, so it's time to try Cymbalta.

So my question is what time of the day is best to take Cymbalta at? I am finding it difficult to sleep at the moment so maybe any sedating effect at night will be welcome!
Thanks

[KalikaLily]

Hi!!
I am on a really high dose of ctmbalta right now (90mg) and I take it at night!!!
The best time to take anything like that, that has the chance of causing drowsiness I take at night (sooo most of my meds ;P )
And remember, just because it may cause drowsiness doesn't mean it will help you with your sleep (unfortunately) it's just better to be safe than sorry
<3
Heather

[Spydre]

I take my Cymbalta (120 mg) in the morning. With a lot of my other medications, I have problems with being sedated in the morning, but the Cymbalta is not one of them!

[maximumlite]

I used to take cymbalta but I was working at the time. I was sitting on the edge of a machine working on it, and it had a table that rotated, and I fell asleep, I tipped right over into the machine and luckily the operator hit the emergency stop. I had to stop taking it because it would cause me to just fall asleep without warning, but it did help me sleep at night, I always took a few hours before bed time but was always tired it seemed.

[DianeD]

My advice is be very hesitant

Everyone has to evaluate the cons and pros of all the meds they consider. I tried 30 and then 60. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but at what cost.

For me being tired ALL the time when I already have fatigues issues was not worth it. Maybe you get to the point where that diminishes, but at what cost.

Google it and particularly 'going off' Cymbalta. I've only taken it for about 6 wks. and it is extraordinarily difficult to quit it. I read the same in so many articles; literally dozens of posts and all negative.

Oh yeah, my neuro will not be happy and I guess I'll itch :-(. There is no magic in anything we take for symptoms in my mind.

Good Luck, Diane

[mtnwillow]

I've been on Cymbalta for 3 weeks and believe it is helping my pain however for the past 3 days I've been anxious and irritable, also blood pressure has been elevated with headaches. I'm making an appointment to see my primary as I believe these are side effects from the Cymbalta.

[aktcmm]

been on cymbalta for 3 years!

I love this medication it is the only one that has worked for me with the pain depression and the panic attacks! I take mine in the morning if I take it too late in the day then I do not sleep that night so with that being said, we all are different and have to learn what works for us! Good Luck!

[catmama]

Be cautious

I agree with DianeD, be very aware of how you feel with this drug.

I had started a couple of threads about Cymbalta, looking for any information I could obtain.

If you happen to find my threads/posts, don't be alarmed at what was written. I know of several people who have had great success with their neuropathy on Cymbalta.

I don't know how your script was written, but in the prescribing information that should have been included, it talks about titrating up to a therapeutic dose. It also mentions the initial side effects that you may experience, and that they should subside over time.

I tried taking it in the morning and at night, but was still really tired, no matter what time I took it. I found that I just could not tolerate the side effects, for me it just was not the right drug for me.

I hope Cymbalta helps you, please keep us updated!

Cat

[Guzzy]

Thank you all

Appreciate all the replies. It seems so mixed - some of you have done well on Cymbalta, for others, your experience on it sounds truly awful.

On day 3, I feel like cr*p, but I know that it can take 2 weeks for this stage to pass.

I am taking it in the morning now but still can't sleep properly at night and yet I am fatigued in the afternoon. My brother takes Effexor, which is similar to Cymbalta, and he experienced this for the first week and then it passed, so I'm optimistic this might pass for me too..........

I had a look at the weaning off it, I had the withdrawal 10 years ago from Paroxetine and it was horrendous and lasted months, so I will approach coming off it extremely cautiously if I have to.

[DianeD]

Uh, uh....not the drug for me.

I wish I'd never taken Cymbalta.

For me it's NOT good. I'm off it about 10 days and it is still 'with me' in the sense I am still having sleep issues. I mostly find I have panic type feeling at night. That is not typical of me at all.

Cat: My doc loaded me up with samples and told me he'd do that as long as he could. He gave me two weeks of 30 mg. and two weeks of 60 mg.

Looking back I wish he'd given me more of the 30mg. I think you should start real slow on this.

Having said this, I still thinks the dozens of Cymbalta users that had a horrible time going off it, is a cautionary note.

This drug is widely prescribed for people with mental disorders by the way.

Diane