Has anyone or know anyone who takes Cymbalta

[soocool]

Apparently, Cymbalta was originally prescribed for depression and general anxiety and now it is FDA approved for chronic musculoskeletal and lower back pain due to osteoarthritis which my dad suffers from. My dad has been in such severe pain that it is hard for him to walk now and was wondering if Cymbalta would help him.

Dad hates to take any medicine unless absolutely necessary , but I hate to see him in so much pain.

 

[kittybean]

I take it as part of the migraine prevention regimen prescribed by my neurologist. I have chronic, persistent migraines, and I have had quite a bit of success with it in this regard. However, I also take a number of other preventative medications and get accupuncture, so it's hard for me to say how much responsibility Cymbalta has for me feeling better.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

I took it for one miserable week of my life for anxiety. It was so scary and I felt the way that people describe being high. Like I was lost inside myself and my eyes and the world were so far away. Anything I did wasn't really me, it was this weird body, detached from me feeding me and walking me. I've also read that it is very addictive and difficult to get off of. Honestly, that experience scared me away form all prescriptions and doctors. My psychiatrist (he did not prescribe it and told me to immediately stop it) said to me that Cymbalta in the right circumstances can work miracles, but it it also very powerful and needs to be taken with great caution.

 

[soocool]

I take it as part of the migraine prevention regimen prescribed by my neurologist. I have chronic, persistent migraines, and I have had quite a bit of success with it in this regard. However, I also take a number of other preventative medications and get accupuncture, so it's hard for me to say how much responsibility Cymbalta has for me feeling better.

Wow, Kittybean I did not realize that Cymbalta could be used for migraine prevention. From what I read on the website, it seems like a wonder drug. I wish my dad would try accupuncture but he calls it "voodoo" medicine. Oh, what comes out of the mouths of 80+ year olds!

 

[soocool]

I took it for one miserable week of my life for anxiety. It was so scary and I felt the way that people describe being high. Like I was lost inside myself and my eyes and the world were so far away. Anything I did wasn't really me, it was this weird body, detached from me feeding me and walking me. I've also read that it is very addictive and difficult to get off of. Honestly, that experience scared me away form all prescriptions and doctors. My psychiatrist (he did not prescribe it and told me to immediately stop it) said to me that Cymbalta in the right circumstances can work miracles, but it it also very powerful and needs to be taken with great caution.

Sparkly Blonde, so sorry to hear about your horrible experience with this drug. I am just a my wits end trying to seek help for my dad. Every doctor says to take arthritis formula Tylenol and that does nothing. His hips hurt, his lower back, his knees, his hands that he used in his craft for over 50 years. Sometimes he cannot use eating utensils because the joint pain is so bad. He does go for massages and goes in a whirpool tub, but I have hope that perhaps this drug would allow him to do some of the things he can no longer do pain free.

 

[lulu]

I started taking cymbalta a few years ago for depression and the unexpected side effect was the improvement in my back pain. It was amazing-I was able to stop all narcotics.It's worth a try.

 

[kittybean]

I took it for one miserable week of my life for anxiety. It was so scary and I felt the way that people describe being high. Like I was lost inside myself and my eyes and the world were so far away. Anything I did wasn't really me, it was this weird body, detached from me feeding me and walking me. I've also read that it is very addictive and difficult to get off of. Honestly, that experience scared me away form all prescriptions and doctors. My psychiatrist (he did not prescribe it and told me to immediately stop it) said to me that Cymbalta in the right circumstances can work miracles, but it it also very powerful and needs to be taken with great caution.

Wow, SB, that sounds really intense and scary! I hope that is not a common reaction. Personally, I had no strange or negative side effects after getting on it, and I've gone off of it on a couple occasions while we were trying other medications, and I had no difficulty at all discontinuing it (I did a very quick taper-off). Another positive side effect I've had is that my anxiety on planes has lessened significantly. I used to have to take an anti-anxiety medicine when getting on a plane, and since being on Cymbalta, I don't need to essentially down tranquilizers anymore. It's such a welcome change!

 

[Miss Sparkly]

I'm not sure. I'm fairly textbook when it comes to drug reactions and it's very difficult to find things I can take okay. Sounds like it's worked for a lot of people so I hope it works for soocool's dad.

 

[Diamond.Lover]

SparklyBlonde, I'm going to guess that what you experienced was a reaction. Most medication, used for anxiety purposes, take more than a week to see results/relief. Most doctors have you start at a lower dose and then, after a week or two, they will increase the dosage. With all that said, I'm sorry you had such an horrible experience. It must have been awful!

 

[House Cat]

The withdrawal profile is terrible for this med, but the flipside is that you stay med compliant because of this. If you are more than a few hours late taking it, you will begin to have "brain shivers," a feeling like the earth is falling out from under you...hard to describe, but anyone who has felt this, knows it.

It IS a powerful med, but at this point, if your father is in so much pain, it sounds like it might be a very good option for him. His quality of life could improve immensely. IMHO, At that point, who cares about this withrawal profile? The only thing this withdrawal means anyway is that it will take about a month to slowly wean off the drug. It isn't "addictive." After you wean off the med, you won't crave it or need it in the way an addict would crave their drug of choice.

 

[soocool]

Dad has an appointment with the doctor in 2 weeks. I will ask for the Cymbalta then. The last treatment given my dad aside from injections into the joints was prednisone and vicodin. After taking one vicodin he threw the rest away.