Kayaem

Cymbalta and Neuropathic Pain

Posted on 09/18/09, 08:21 am

Hello. I am a new member and have not yet accepted what has happened to me. I think of suicide often. I had osteomyelitis/discitis. I had back surgery on Sept 2/09. I am on a PICC line with two antibiotics - vancomycin and ceftazidine for at least 8 weeks to combat the infection. So try dragging two bags with portable pumps around with you 24 hours and have to be plugged in all night -- especially when you have to pee 5-15 times in a night because of the medications. If this wasn't enough, the surgery caused neuropathy in my right leg below the knee and down into the foot and toes. During the day it is there and I am in pain -- have to wear socks and shoes all day. At night there is no relief from the screaming pain. Lycrica and Gabapentin caused edema to where my legs, ankles and feet were almost twice their size. I was just prescribed Cymbalta. I took one at night a couple of days ago and the symptoms were excruciating but the neuropathy pain was gone. Then last night I did not take one and the neuropathy pain was excrutiating. So I took anyother Cymbalta, this time first thing in the morning. The side effects are already starting -- chills, agitation, etc.

I traded one problem with pain for another problem with the same excrutiating pain and I really don't want to live any longer. I am 55 year old female who had a career that now looks to be gone. It looks like I'll be forced into early retirement through disability. What's the point??!!! Even if the Cymbalta works for the pain I don't think I can handle all of the side effects.

• Reply #1 09/22/09  12:19pm
  
  DustinW
  Hi Kayaem, my name is DustinW. I won't bore you with hang in theres, but you may have a long fight ahead of you so find some peace some how. I have been battling chronic pelvic pain and now fibromyalgia for 3 years now and every time I think it can't get worse it does. I hate to be a bummer like that but you need to know that you are not alone. I also suffer from bi-polar 2 and struggle with those dark thoughts too. Reach out to others like yourself research on line your conditions these things have helped m, talking to you now is helping me as I am currently in pain with neuropothys in my legs and arms. You are not alone and there are people who get it even when Drs and others don't.
• Reply #2 09/24/09  9:17pm
  
  ColleenH
  Hi Kayaem. I know what you are going through.
  
  When pain is not controlled, it will take over your mind and bring you to some very dark places. Are Gabapentin, Lyrica and Cymbalta all that have been given to you for pain? Gaba is very similar to Lyrica only a different formula. As for Cymbalta, well let's just say I do not believe in it (for me). I had terrible side effects from it. One of its side effects is anxiety. It really bothers me when I see the commercials where people just get off of the couch and start leading normal lives. It is very misleading in that those who do not understand chronic pain think it has to be in our heads. I believe depression does not cause pain--it is the other way around. Yes, I am sure it does help some people.
  
  I, too, gave up a legal career quite young. Many doctors do not like to prescribe narcotic pain medicines because they can be addictive. Well, many non-narcotic medicines can be addictive. What works for some, does not work for others. Getting your pain under control is critical. I am fighting debilitating pain, weakness and fatigue every day of my life. I do know that when you are in horrible pain you cannot possibly even think let alone concentrate. And, it is very important that you break the pain cycle. Your brain remembers constant chronic pain. During sleep, the body needs that restorative time to heal.
  
  I hope this little bit of info has been helpful.
  
  Please keep me posted on how you are doing. Hugs to you.
  
  Colleen
• Reply #3 09/28/09  1:02pm
  
  jaynemichele
  i had terrible side effects, like colleen.
  my husband wanted me to give the cymbalta a week. the 1st pill i took, after a few hours, i was messed up. i could not talk, think, hardley walk. it was a bad drug for me.
  i also tried nerontin and the same thing happened, and the gabapentin.
  my 1st fusion of the C spine was in 1998, and i had the last in may 2008.
  i'ne tried everything for the nerve pain caused by all the scar tissue and nerves being cut, etc.
  if you look up those drugs on the web, it will tell you all the side effects.
  then you have to choose if the side effects are worse or better then the pain relief you have.
  it's been 11 years going to a pain Dr. and it is soooo hard to find the right drug for YOU.
  the drug my Dr. has me on now is making me ill.
  i can not tolerate cymbalta at all, but some people can.
  good luck
  
  jaynemichele
  
• Reply #4 10/07/09  8:28am
  
  serenity94
  The thing to remember about any drug is that with perseverance, the side-effects will almost all wear off when your body has adapted to that particular compound being in your body.
  
  I was at the pain clinic yesterday and I have been prescribed Cymbalta - I start on 30mg for a week, then move to 60mg for another week, then 90 then 120mg - after I have been on that level for a couple of weeks I then start to reduce my other meds such as Gabapentin (Neurontin), and Amitriptyline. I dunno if it'll work but I'll give it a try! Watch this space.
• Reply #5 10/11/09  3:03pm
  
  tracey19063
  neuropathy is so hard to deal with and painful. if you can tough out the side effects of the cymbalta, they didnt last long for me...the cymbalta should help with hte pain. i know about the edema from the gabapentin, i have had it in both legs, which eventually ceased somewhat, but the side effects do stop the more your system gets used to the cymbalta. im here if you need to talk! good luck!
• Reply #6 10/14/09  3:41am
  
  meganK08
  Im so sorry that this has happened to you. I can understand about the edema my feet and even my hands and face swell so much if i walk for a while or even standing I had to buy new shoes because they would be so swollen my feet hurt worse. I agree about the side effects of the meds. The cymbaltas side effects went away after 2-3 weeks I know it seems a long time. The lyrica will also cause weight gain I gained prolly 30 pounds. I hope that they can help get your nerve and back pain under control soon. I know that it is hard but this is a great group if you ever need to talk to someone.
• Reply #7 10/14/09  11:24am
  
  Kayaem
  Thanks to everyone who replied and supported me. I haven't been on this site much in the last few weeks so I would like to give everyone an update. My back appears to be healing and the antibiotics appear to be working since the surgery on Sept 2. I had an MRI on Oct 8 and I will find out how it turned out when I see the surgeon on Oct 21. BTW, at the last appointment he gave me a lecture on pain meds and then prescribed me some percocet. I walk every day and yesterday I walked for one mile. It took 30 minutes (twice as long as before) but I walked it. In the beginning I could only walk about 5 minutes max. The neuopathic pain in my leg, ankle and foot is being controlled anywhere from 60-80% by 30 mg Cymbalta. I haven't had to use the Percocet much. I am mostly using Advil & Tylenol #3. I hope the 30mg dosage lasts a long time as the side effects were horrible but appear to have subsided except for occasional aggitation. I would hate to have to go to 60mg and go through side effects again! The toes in my right foot are still numb and where I had a bunion and the big toe are where quite a bit of the pain is. There may be nerve damage as I cannot lift my toes towards me as far as my other foot and I cannot stand on my heel on that foot where I can on the other...meaning I cannot lift the foot very far at the ankle. I'll ask the surgeon about that. I am no longer suicidle. The pain is managed down to below a "5" and mostly around a "2" which is good considering my pain before was off the pain scale. I am hoping the surgeon will start me on physio and let me go back to work part time and working at home by the end of the month.
  
  On one note, I have turned to God. With the pain and the infection that no one can figure out how I got, I started to think that this cannot all be random, and if so then what is the point of living? I'm not trying to preach to anyone, just telling you what is helping me through this trying time. I have changed. I am a more patient person and I have softened quite a bit. I am more understanding. I have noticed for the first time this whole world where there is so much pain and suffering. Sorry for rambling but sometimes I still get overwhelmed!
• Reply #8 10/31/09  2:13pm
  
  nursedeborah
  Hi,
  I was on Cymbalta and it does help the neuropathy pain, but for me the side effects were just so awful, and it turned me into someone I don't ene know. My so called depression at the time turned into what I thought was untreatable depression, and went back to the shrink. This is when he reduced my dose from 60 mg to 30 mg, and 6 days later I had the most horrific withdralws. Nightmares, couldn't really call it sleep, abdomainal pain, and crapming, itching, severe constipation, memory really awful, foucs none, no feelings, no motivation to the point of not even being able to cook , clean of shower, anxiety really sever, on of coming off.
  
  Then I knew it was not me, and that it was the drug. I found a support group that has taught me how to get off this crap. Doc's do not know how to taper the does, don't know about the real side effect, or the brutal withdralws, and that they can last 6 mo - 2 years! yes we are all different, but the groups I belong to there are over 8,000 of us, and growing daily with new people who are going through the withdrawls
  due to the way the doc's are decreasing them from this med.
  
  This dug has made the brain addicted to it, and if not decreased in a very slow taper one will have such terrible withdrals. There is a way to stop this, and get off this drug in time, and still find a way to function too.
  
  I am now down to 21 mg, as of Aug 31. If anyone would like to learn how to get off this stuf, let me know.
  
  Debbie
• Reply #9 11/01/09  1:46pm
  
  djcbrit
  Getting to the point quickly, I'm on Dilaudid (4 mg 2-3x day), Klonopin (2 mg at night) and Cymbalta (20 mg morning and 60 mg at night). This combo seems to keep the pain damped down except for certain days when I'm just in agony no matter what. Ice on my neck/head help a lot. The Dilaudid works pretty well even though I know I'm addicted, my neurologist and I agree that I have to function and w/o it I can't. Walking just one block a day helps loosen up the muscles because I was just staying in bed or my recliner ALL the time. I've thought of suicide a million times but have 2 boys and my sister killed herself 4 years ago so I can't do that to my parents or my kids. Write down what you are grateful for -- what you do have in your life. It might surprise you to see it in writing and realize there are good things. I've been on disability for 3 years. Am a lawyer. Have had no life. But VERY slowly things are improving. And I mean VERY slowly. So I have hope that I will get my life back one day and will titrate off the Dilaudid or to a minimal dose. PLEASE don't give up. Get counseling. Talk to us. Cry. Give yourself a break. I'm here if you want to talk. Just reach out to me. I know how hopeless you feel. 2 weeks ago I bawled for 2 hours and wanted to be institutionalized. But I got through it. Please don't give up.
• Reply #10 11/01/09  2:03pm
  
  nursedeborah
  djcbrit,
  Sounds like you know about pain, but I am so grateful tah you get relief at times.
  I also know about addiction, and there is a big difference between having to have a drug in order to just do a little bit of normal living. I was so concerned about my getting addicted to all the meds, but the therapist I saw specializes in pain management, and he is the one that helped me to make sense of it all.
  
  I hate being on any meds period, but am having to just accept that sicne my failed back surgery, it's that or not walk, sit, stand, or function at all.
  
  Debbie

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