My pain management doctor gave me a prescription for cymbalta for nerve pain. You start off with 30 mg. at bedtime and after 5 days you go to 60mg./bedtime. According to the doctor FDA has now approved this for nerve pain. Anyone taking this or know anyone that does for nerve pain?

Thanks
Judy

Judy,
The answer to your question is no, however I'm wondering where your nerve pain is and how intensely you feel it?

Hopefully others can assist you with your question~

take care, Maria

Interesting this came on a UK Pain board I help on this week


How does it work?

Cymbalta capsules contain the active ingredient duloxetine hydrochloride, which is a type of antidepressant known as a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). This type of medicine acts on nerve cells in the brain.

In the brain there are numerous different chemical compounds called neurotransmitters. These act as chemical messengers between the nerve cells. Serotonin and noradrenaline are two such neurotransmitters and have various functions that we know of.

When serotonin and noradrenaline are released from nerve cells in the brain they act to lighten mood. When they are reabsorbed into the nerve cells, they no longer have an effect on mood. It is thought that when depression occurs, there may be a decreased amount of serotonin and noradrenaline released from nerve cells in the brain.

Duloxetine works by preventing serotonin and noradrenaline from being reabsorbed back into the nerve cells in the brain. This helps prolong the mood lightening effect of any released serotonin and noradrenaline. In this way, duloxetine helps relieve depression.

It may take between two to four weeks for the benefits of this medicine to appear, so it is very important that you keep taking it, even if it doesn't seem to make much difference at first.
What is it used for?


Nerve pain in the feet, legs or hands due to nerve disease in people with diabetes (diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain)


Also depression

Alstair, I just read the same article. As a matter a fact when I was researching it Wikipedia had information on peripheral polyneuropathy which described my symptoms to a tee. I have numbness in left thigh, electrical shock feeling in the left leg (this happens depending on what type of clothing I wear), I can no longer were any socks but athletic thickness type socks anything thinner will send the electric shocks through my ankles. It also described a sensation like stubbing a toe or hittling a finger with a hammer, sometimes it wakes me up where my big toe on the same side was hit by a hammer, no pain just the sensation. (weird I know). It just described exactly what type of pain and feeling I have. This is only on the left side. It did mention that this is sometimes is caused by acute trauma (including surgery) and all this started after my surgery. The back pain is all gone and now I have this.

This article also listed medications to try and they suggested cymbalta, neurontin, methadone and Tegretol which I never heard of. My doctor wanted me to try the cymbalta for a month along with the neurontin. If I felt relieve from the cymbalta then try backing off the neurontin to see if I would need both or just one.

Basically I can live with this and he said he will just keep trying different medications to see if any of them take this away. People just don't understand nerve pain and how bad it can be sometimes. I wake up in the morning completely pain free, it ususally starts after I am up and moving around and of course going to work and then by 10 am it starts and continues to increase throughout the day.
Well thank you and anyone has any advice please feel free to e-mail me.

Judy

I could be way off on this one - but 'cymbalta' made me VERY sick, sick, sick, to my stomach to where I could not even make it one week on the stuff. I vomitted repeatedly and took myself off of it. I know that different meds are good and bad for dif patients and thsi doc meant well, but I never made it to give trial on this one. Neurontin did well for leg nerve pain but I gained weight on it. Topamax did well, (does well, I am still on it) But my vision suffers from it) Thanks for allowing me to add to this post. I have been very quiet lately. I went back to work after 6 years of very harsh struggles and has been hard. Take care http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common.../icon_razz.gif

Well we react differently to drugs - - -do let us know how you get on with it Judy.

We seem to be having it prescribed in the UK now
Best
Alastair http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_smile.gif

I was given a prescription to take 60 mgs daily to start with for nerve pain. I'm real sensitive to medications and I'd probably never wake up taking that much. So I'm glad you posted that you were told to start with 30 mgs and at bedtime. I didn't get those instructions. I did so some searching on side effects and it can worsen stomach problems which I'm having so I haven't taken it yet.

I know that the older antidepressants, the tricyclics are often prescribed for pain and to help you sleep. I am currently taking Effexor XR for anxiety and depression which is also an SNRI but it doesn't help in the least with pain management. When I start any new medication I always halve the prescribed dose for a few days to see how I react to it. I.ve often found that a lower dose is enough for me.
Cathy

I was told to be patient and give it a month before I give up. Since I am leaving for a cruise tomorrow I decided to wait until I come back to start any new medication. At least now I know what to expect.
I will let you know when I start taking it and if I get any relief.

Judy