I am on cymbalta, just started it, what can I expect? Should I try lyrics, no pain med just gabupentin and ibiprofin 2 to 3 times a day, is this not good?
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Personally I believe we can overload our bodies with too many drugs. A member from a support group I was a member of back in 1999 time frame, said Cymbalta helped her.
For me and I believe the fibro I live with is a milder form or what I’ve done over years makes it more manageable, I deal with more OA…
For pain I take 1 ibuprofen and 1 extra strength tylenol every 6 hrs with food in stomach. and tsp of MSM in water two times daily, MSM helps with pain…takes the edge off.
My favorite go to supplement is Grape Seed Extract and a friend was able to get off gabupentin she was taking for neuropathy once she got on Grape Seed Ex which for her is about 10 yrs. I’m taking it 25 yrs…love it.
As always do your research, I’m forever doing mine.
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I did not do well with Lyrica. It’s been a few years so I don’t recall what the issue was. I’m on generic Cymbalta now and briefly increased the dosage. I’ve been diagnosed with narcolepsy and I suspect Cymbalta is the culprit. I’ve been on it for a few years and am thinking about asking for an alternative.
Everyone is different so it’s hard to say what option is best. I’d suggest keeping a pain/symptom diary because change can be gradual.
Good luck!
Gabapentine helps me ,but it took awhile to get correct doses.I take ibuprofen,but antidepressants actually made me depressed,can’t handle them.I also take trampoline but I use it like gold and it helps.Gotta be careful with pain meds but som it’s all I can do to get up and moving.your body will tell you.
I have been on a combo of lyrica and then cymbalta. All went well until I developed profuse sweating which is a side effect of cymbalta, switched to Prozac no problems. But remember what works for me may not work for you. Good communication with your doctor telling him what works for you, or u want to try something else.
Hi, Michaelyl.
I’ve been on Cymbalta for a while now and it really helps to calm my nerve pain. But, everyone is different - You will have to see how your body responds to it. I’ve never taken Lyrica - I believe it is not compatible with some of the meds I’m on. I really trust my doctor to tell me these things before suggesting a medication. Good luck, and let us know how you’re doing! 
All the medical people I have worked with would encourage not changing/adding meds when you are trying something new (unless it will interact badly with the new meds and they should warn you about this). This way they are able to track positive effects and side effects more clearly. It saved me having to start from scratch when I had a negative reaction to a medication (sadly I am one of the people who copped additional muscle spasm from cymbalta). Don’t be afraid to bombard medical people with questions about the meds they offer you- sometimes it’s the only way to make forward progress with something as complex and variable as fibro is. Good luck, I hope you find something to give you relief.
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I am on Cymbalta and Lyrica and am able to function well. After I retired, I tried to get off of them since I was under much less stress, but the pain was immense, so I got back on. I also take a clonazapam at night and use Mobic most days. I’ve been doing this for 15 years and have managed to live on my own and take care of my dog. Quality of life is what counts to me. I am still doing 5k’s as well and have completed over 100 races of all lengths. Don’t give up, keep trying meds til you get it right, and above all, keep moving! I am 72 and plan to keep on keeping’ on!
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Trampoline? What do you mean?
I wonder whether @Eviemore meant “Tramadol”. Damned autocorrect!
Seenie
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I just LOVE you Seenie! You always make me smile! 
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That’s probably right. Trampoline sounds like more fun though! 
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Definitely! And it’s hard to think about your pain when your ka-boing ka-boing kaboing.
Aussiemom, I know, autocorrect can be a nuisance. On our PsA forum, one common supplement is “folic acid” (a form of Vit.B). Autocorrect does a number on that, too, and changes it to “frolic acid”. Sounds like something from the sixties!
I think you could have some bad drug interactions with that combo, frolic acid and trampoline!
S
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BEST laugh of the day, so far, Seenie!!! Send some frolic acid stat! 
I need some too, pleeeease! 
I took cymbalta for depression and it was very helpful. I took it for about 14 years? I’ve only had Fibro for a little over two years and it didn’t help my Fibro. I switched to Prozac in August. For me, nothing has helped my Fibro. But don’t be discouraged by that. Like AussieMom said, medications work differently for people. Please forgive me, I’ve been in a bad flare for 2 days and have had a headache all day.
So I might not be explaining things correctly.
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Freedom,
I think you are explaining things eloquently, despite the fibro flare. I’m sorry you are hurting right now. Sending prayers and gentle hugs, my friend. Hang in there!!!
I wasn’t able to tolerate Cymbalta…I had terrible nausea and chills…my doctor stopped me after only 3 days of taking it. I am now on Savella for about a year , twice a day 100 mg. I am doing better than I was but it seems like Savella has stopped working like it was. I am scared of gabapentin because of the possible mental side affects. I am trying to convince my doctor to just let me stop savella. All this medication (high BP, thyroid, cholesterol, gout, and savella) is affecting my liver. I was on quetiapine fumurate to help me sleep, but I stopped it myself, now I am using melatonin. There are some interesting studies on how it works with fibro. I don’t want to be on so many medications 
I take Gabapentin 300mg three times a day. If I take a higher dose, I’m tired, my brain is extra, extra foggy. The nice thing about Gabapentin is that the dose range is quite large. If you have a knowledgeable doctor, who is willing to work with you, you might want to try a very low dose of Gabapentin once a day. See how you tolerate that dose and then go from there.
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Wow, what a range of answers! @Michaelyl, was any of this helpful? Did you and your docs make any decisions about your medications?
I may as well add my 2c worth in. I don’t have fibro, I’m a Psoriatic Arthritis patient. For me (as for many others with autoimmune conditions, depression was a big issue. Cymbalta has been wonderful. Not only is it good for my depression, it has also noticeably helped the chronic pain I have as a result of joint damage.
Over the last years, I developed spinal stenosis as well. Surgery was planned, but there was going to be a couple of months before I could be booked for that. To tide me over, I took Lyrica. It did help the pain (dialed it down from, oh, about an 8 to a 5). In other respects, I felt wretched on it. (I can’t say enough bad things about that drug 
) I toughed it out, though, until the surgery.
Interesting how differently people respond to medications, isn’t it!
Seenie