United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi Christopher,

Do you have any side effects? I'm currently on meth but it is starting to get hard on my stomach and the nausea is getting worse.

Henry

Hey Chris-

I'm a little confused. Last I heard, you were trying to kick the meds, which as you stated, you've been sucessful with getting off the opiates. I'm just past my two year mark and am on the same road of getting off Oxycotin that you already traversed. For that accomplishment, you have all my respect because it's a hell of a bumpy road.

I'm confused because I thought your next step was trying to stop taking Neurontin, which apparently you did. My question is, why did you start taking Cymbalta? Was the pain too bad to not be on any meds? I'm only asking because my goal is hopefully to be drug free within the next year or two. Is this an unrealistic goal? Everyone deals with pain and meds differently, but I'm just asking your opinion and your reasoning why to start a new drug.

THANX LOVE SUSAN

Chris,
Good to hear your posts again. You and I joined the club about the same time. I stayed with the neurontin (400 mg every 4 hrs)and stoped all other pain meds. How would you rate cymbalta compared to neurontin in pain control and side effects? Thanks...Karl...

ps..Congradulations Courtney on hitting the 1000 mark!

Hi!

Like two months ago I was at the hair salon and there was a nurse that asked me about my arm. As we talked I told her about the horrible pain I have. She told me that she goes to nursing homes to take care of her patients. She talked about results the good results that cymbalta was giving to her patients with neurophatic pain. She even wrote it down for me.

Hi Susan, Hey there Karl,
Susan, you're not the only one here that's confused. That makes two of us at the very least. I'm off all the opiates, which was a hell of it's own kind. For what ever reason, getting off the methadone was long and grueling. I understand, via my pain specialist, that my withdrawal time and experience was worse than normal. It took me a couple of months to feel 'normal' again after my last dose, and intestines are still a little weary four to five months later.

At the time I was almost off the neurontin as well, but was catching colds and fevers to easily, so my pain dr. recommended to hold off getting off of it till I was done with the methadone withdrawals. My father has been battling cancer, which got much worse at that same time, so I agreed it was the best choice. Not wanting to be wincing in pain while I was spending time with him seamed all the smarter, although still wanting to have all my mental faculties with me was a great importance.

So as it stands I'm up for one or two more corrective surgeries next week and hope to get off the neurontin directly after that. My year three mark on this odyssey comes mid december and I must be clean by then.

The cymbalta was a choice to nail two birds with one stone. The major life changes, and most likely the choice of drugs, and pain have left me a little (or a lot depending on the day) depressed. I think I've tried every antidepressant out there on the market with no real noticeable positive effect. Effexor was the last one I was on before changing to cymbalta, which was supposed to be the helpful for neuropathic pain as well, but I didn't find it doing much for depression or pain.

I hate the idea of being on anything for any longer period than a couple of months and find the ball and chain of having to take neurontin every six hours a true nuisance. I'm grateful that all these meds are there to help us in times of need, I'm just sick and tired of needing! My pain can be quiet unbearable and I seem to only have gotten better at masking it over the years, which in the end doesn't really add up to much for me. I'm only hoping that in the next months when I succumb to it in it's naked rawness, by ridding my self of all drugs, that I some how survive the gauntlet and become weathered and my pain receptors become leathery and callused. If not, the pill jar will be waiting for me come Christmas. I'll try and give myself a few months of being drug free and exercising my body as hard as possible so I can push into the natural endorphin frontier, before throwing in the towel.

I hope my rambling purge answers something for you. I hope your health is strong and resilient Susan! Be well.

Cheers,
Christopher

I was on cymbalta for 8 months. It is an effective antidepressant and helps some with pain as it contains an anti-inflamatory. I had to stop the medicine as it caused stomach problems - heart burn, indegestion, etc
bob

I got off Paxil and tried Cymbalta because my doctor said it had less sexual side effects which I think it does BUT I have had constant diarrhea most times up to 8 times a day. I take 30 mgs per day and am going to stop taking it because of what it's doing. I never experienced this problem with Paxil...........

I can't believe I'm posting on the TBPI board, but here goes...My 7 year old is OBPI and I am ususally on the General board.

I do not have a BPI, but had 2 sural nerve surgeries (following a post ankle reconstruction neuroma)this summer and suffer from horrible pain in my foot. I take 2400 mg of neurontin, mobic and percocet. I recently saw a psychiatrist because the Pain Clinic doc suggested that I may want to get off Paxil and try Cymbalta to manage both depression and nerve pain. The psych discouraged me from switching to Cymbalta because he does not believe that sufficient studies have been done. As a former Vioxx user, I chose not to try it.

Hope you don't mind a non TBPI posting here! I will watch this thread with great interest.

-Cori

Dear Brandon Hubbard,
Ihave been perscribed cymbalta
and am ond four other meds for pain and muscule
spasms, I feel like a walking pharmacy, and now this
new med cymbalta because of neuropathy and carpal
tunnel in both hands is just another to add to my
collection.
You,re e-mail is the first to be a positive one and could you tell me if my reasons are why you take it as today will be my first dose. Also about
any side effects you may have encountred.
Thanks so much,
Judy Williams

I have been on oxycontin for 3 years and now it's not helping much. Started on Cymbalta and Lyrica today. I am told that I will be able to reduce oxycontin or eliminate it. Has anyone else had any luck. Please share as I will also.
Wish me luck

John