My experience has been that the doc's prescribe an anti-depressant to help with the pain when you have Fibro. I have been on numerous anti-depressants (including Cymbalta). The one I am taking now is Lexpro. The other ones I have been on had bad side effects. So far this on is okay. I don't know how much it is really helping with the pain. I am going to talk to my doc at my next visit. He may increase the dosage. I hope you start feeling better soon.

Hello,
Sorry for your troubles. I've been on Cymbalta for 3 years for Anxiety & Mania Episodes. I always see it's given as a treatment for Fibro. I really have to say I couldn't see it helping with pain but I know were're all different. I guess what I'm trying to say is my Fibro & Myofascial diagnosis came about while I was taking taking Cymbalta.
From what I've read about these anti-depressants & Fibro is, they work on certain brain signals sent to the body. I'm sure there are others here who know way more than I do about this so maybe they can chime in soon to help you out.
I just know when I take Cymbalta it definitely does NOT help my pain.
Ralph

I was first put on Cymbalta but couldn't tolerate it. It made me worse than before when I was taking nothing. My doctor said many can't tolerate it and I know there are some major withdrawal symptoms if you ever want to get off of it. Directly following, my doctor put me on the generic for Prozac and it has helped with the pain quit a bit. You have to take if for about a month before you really feel the benefit. But in my opinion you are better off with Prozac than Cymbalta.

Cymbalta was the worst drug that I've ever taken for me personally. Know some people who have had good luck with it, but my experience was horrible and I got to the point that I could barely get out of bed. I very slowly tapered off 120 mg over several months without even telling my doctor what I was doing. I started seeing improvements, and I still suffer the side effects and have a lot of anxiety, but I can tolerate that better than I could handle the Cymbalta. It was just a gradual process and it was hard to determine the cause. I just thought that I had gotten worse, but for me, it was just a horrible drug. Have never been told about Prozac helping pain, but I'm glad to know that. I may give it a try. The Cymbalta did seem to help a little with my pain, but that was all the benefit that I got and the side effects far outweighed that one benefit. Good luck.

Most of the antidepresents are often precribed for pain. I dont know if the benzos are but trycilics, and things like cymbalta, savella. They seem to use these drugs as a all in one. The docs hand them off to u as if they are going to magicly cure all your problem, sleep, depression, and pain. But alot of times they make things worse. I know lyrica made my anxeity really go into overdrive, and its still there with savella. I dont know if they did some damage or m fibro is just getting worse. But to anwser the question, it may help your pain some but its nothing special. I have heard great things about prozac-but mainly helpin depression which you dont have.

Try to fight for cymbalta if you want to take it. There is no reason for insurance not to pay for it. Listen if they will pay for a small part of it, you can sign ok for co-pay relief and get reembursed for the co-pay. Up to 1500 dollars per year for the pain program. I can tell you how to sign up if you want to.

Hey Horseluvn,

I have a friend with fibro who is on prozac. She has been on it for years and swears by it. She has very mild depression. When I say very mild, I do mean very mild. It's probably more related to the other health issues like alot of people with chronic healtth problems. She swears the porzac helps with her pain, PMS, and it almost totally controls her anxiety. You may want to try it. It's your call. Good Luck. Hugs

I've never heard of prozac for pain, only for depression or anxiety. A friend of mine was on it for years and it did help her, but she had no physical issues.

I'd come right out and ask the NP/doc if she thinks your issues are purely psychological. See if she blinks. (Or he.) Works for me!

I was on Prozac for years, but it never relieved my fibro pain. I went to a new doctor who suggested changing me to cymbalta. I have been taking 60 MG daily for about 4 years. It does help my fibro pain, although not completely. Cymbalta does work differently than other antidepressants. Others are primarily used for depression/anxiety and cymbalta can be used to treat pain. I would research cymbalta on the internet as there is more detailed information there regarding this. Then have your doctor explain to the insurance company that the cymbalta will help with your pain. At least that has been my experience. Good luck!

Cymbalta does help my pain somewhat. It was added to my Lyrica and the combo works well for me. The insurance should pay for it since Cymbalta has been approved for Fibro. It's when they prescribe things off label, they don't want to pay usually.

I have medical assistance insurance and my Doc told me that my ins. won't cover somthing like cymbalta unless he can say to them that I've tried all the other stuff they will cover and it hasnt worked (when did I become a lab rat??) I had been on prozac and they switched it to try and tackle my anxeity n pain with something stronger. I tried effexor and Zoloft wich both made me depressed, extra sensitive and a crying blubbering mess!! I personally prefer the prozac (one of the most tried and tested anti-depressants out there) it kept me on more of an even keel and kept me from getting overwhelmed, don't know that it does much for my pain or anxiety but I would give it a try and see how it works for you, nobody knows your body better than you, so if your on somthin that isnt working for you ask a nurse if its somthin you can stop taking abruptly or do you need to ween yourself off of it. My doc said stay on the zoloft for now but I weend myself off and started taking the prozac again, he will find out next week when I go 2 see him. bottom line is do what you know is best for you!!

cymbalta is hard to get from what i understand. sorry you are having these troubles.
cymbalta only helped my migraines but didn't do much for the fibro.
i have not had any experience with prozac nor have i heard of it ever helping fibro pain.

however, I was on effexor (generic name is venlafaxine) for several years for my fibro pain and it worked wonders. it wasn't perfect but it helped me a lot, plus i had more energy. the only problem is towards the end i was getting a side effect of tachycardia and had to be taken off it. but if it weren't for that, i wish i could still be taking that medicine!

Hey, Horse,

They just were trying to give you Prozac to shut you up. I have been on Cymbalta and it didn't do anything for my pain. The only thing that helps my pain is Oxycontin. I am grateful for that drug since it is a time release drug and it doesn't suddenly leave you in a lot of pain in a public place or something like that. Once my doctor was giving me Tylenol 3 for my pain. This was hard on my kidneys after 6 years of it! Anyway, once I was in the back of Wal-Mart and my Tylenol 3 just quit working. I had to sit on the floor until somebody came by to get me a motorized wheel-chair.

Anyway, we have no better choice than Opioids. It's ridiculous that doctors refuse to treat our pain. No antidepressant I have ever tried, and I've tried at least 15 in the past 17 years, has done the least thing to lessen my pain. It's a joke. This pain is severe and it is being treated as if it is less than a toothache. In fact, in some cases, people with toothaches are given stronger drugs than some Fibromyalgics. You must see a proper pain specialist. If you don't get relief from him, move on to another doctor.

It's a fight, but it's worth fighting.

Good Luck,

Mizroze

prozac has actually helped me with energy levels..

I was actually diagnosed when I went OFF of Prozac. When I started taking it, I woke up one morning and realized that all the aches and pains and stiffness that I was attributing to "this is what's it's like to get older" (I was 40freakin4 LOL) were GONE.

When I stopped taking the Prozac the pain came back within five days, and that's when I realized something more was going on than just normal "aging" (again, I was 44 people LOL).

Prozac, like a lot of anti-depressants, is a SSRI which increases the level of serotonin in the brain. I am now on Savella, which is a SNRI (affects both serotonin and norepinephrine) and that's working well for me.

The thing that type of drug does best, in my experience, is to manage the "flu-like" aches that are so common to fibromyalgia. I also have MPS and it doesn't do shit for that but having the aches managed is a real blessing.

Cymbalta has worked well for me. Savella made me more depressed and angry like. I gave it up. Try the Prozac and if doesn't help, maybe then the insurance will pay for the cymbalta.