Will Cymbalta Become the Second Drug Approved for Fibromyalgia?

Hmm.. maybe; 

But, and it is a BIG BUT, the medicare drug-plan does NOT allow for Lyrica in it's formulary;  perhaps they would now allow Cymbalta?  After all, it is NOT a very NEW drug.  All I know is, it really did not help me. 

SO, I'm going to try and find out if the "new' med my neuro gave me for nerve pain, Trilpetal", will be covered.  Thusfar, it hasn't done anything other than make me feel awfully hung-over and .. uughhh.  awful mornings and, if I wake at night, feels weird.. but, I do need to give it some more time to possibly work for me, I suppose.  And, though my doc has told me to double it after three days, the side-effects have prevented this.. Thusfar!

So, who knows?  I hope that they do approve it but, I also hope that most insurance companies DO decide to cover it!  Otherwise, what good will it do for the majority of us?

Thanks, Karen, for updating on this!

Anne

Hi Karen,

I read your post about Cymbalta with interest.  I currently take Cymbalta and have been on it for about a year and a half.  It has all but gotten rid of my back and neck pain, and my migraines have been reduced to practically nothing over the past several months. 

Although I have never been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I have had all the symptoms of it.  A day at the office sitting at my computer screen for eight hours, used to leave me riddled with pain.  Since taking Cymbalta, I am a new woman at work.  I can put in 12 hours and not have any pain.  It is quite amazing.  The great part is that I do not have any side effects that I am aware of, although I have gained weight.  I can't really blame that on the Cymbalta, though, since I am a compulsive eater and can ingest 1,000 calories at one sitting.

I wish they would find something for binge eating!  That would truly be a miracle!  Ah, but that is another topic, altogether.

Back to Cymbalta - I am very impressed with the good it has done for me.  I think for anyone who is in doubt, you might want to have your doctor prescribe it for you, on a trial basis - especially if your insurance will pay for it (it is very expensive if not covered by insurance).  If it doesn't work for you, then you can move onto something else.  It couldn't hurt to give it a try; and, who knows, it might even do you some good.

Enough of my pro-Cymbalta talk.  Everyone has their own reaction to medications, so I suppose each person has to work with their doctor to decide what is best for them.

Warm thoughts and hugs to all,

Kay

I'm glad to hear that Cymbalta has worked so well for Kay, especially since she is still working full-time.

I'm a stay-at-home Mom, and I tried Cymbalta for my migraines and fibromyalgia, at the suggestion of my doctor. It seemed to help some at first, but, then, like so many other meds, the headaches and pain went right back to their old patterns. So, I decided to go off the Cymbalta. (Yes, I did notice I was gaining weight, so why be on a med that didn't seem to be helping anymore anyway?) I'd decided at that point I was going to make some aggressive diet and exercise changes, and give the drug stuff a rest.

Oh boy.

I had thought getting off Neurontin, and Ultram was challenging.

That was NOTHING compared to getting off of Cymbalta.

I detailed this pretty thoroughly in my blog, and on YouTube, but here's the 30-second version-- it took THREE MONTHS to withdraw from Cymbalta. Longer than I was actually ever on the medication. Do a Google search on "Cymbalta withdrawal" or "Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms" and you'll see what I mean. I am not alone in this. The worst symptom by far was the dizziness. I was afraid to drive, particularly with my child in the car. So, I had to keep taking the drug!

How nice for Eli Lilly!

Isn't that how the street drug operators work?

I worked with my doctor on a slow, slow, slow weaning dose-- ridicilously slow, and even then it was still a painful, dizziness filled ride. By the end, I was breaking even the tiniest of pills in half. I was taking Benadryl to counteract the dizziness. (Yes, the Benadryl made me very drowsy but I had to do something for the dizziness.)

And, here's the real kicker...

Even after I took the very LAST dose, I still had withdrawal symptoms!

FOUR WEEKS worth!

Yes, my body continued to suffer withdrawal from the drug four weeks after I took the very last dose of Cymbalta.

My doctor said this is because the neurotransmitters in the brain are "resetting."

Is this drug a miracle drug?

I guess it depends upon what type of miracle you are looking for.

I think it's more of a miracle that I am finally off of the drug.

But, everyone's pyschiology is different, and I wish everyone the best of success in finding something that helps them manage their pain.

BUT, before you try ANY NEW DRUG, always grill your doctor like a candidate answering the final question on Jeapordy about WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. If the doctor does not answer you very specifically and give you complete answers, then do not take the pills! (Or, better yet, do some "Google" searches before popping the pills!) Do not let pain desperation make you do something you will later greatly regret!

Because the only one who wins in this situation is Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and the others, who make $11 a pill, on this stuff.

(Hence, all the lovely drug company-themed pens, notebooks, mousepads, posters, and other paraphenelia crammed into every corner of your doctor's office. And, this is the reason why on every doctor's visit you end up bumping into an attractive drug rep in a short skirt, either on their way in, or out of your doctor's office with their bags full of drug samples, pens, pads, and gifts.)

(Some of these former drug reps have written books, and posted videos about drug company sales tactics on YouTube. They are worth watching. If you have a chronic disease, it is worth be an educated consumer.)

Good luck.

Regards,

Diana

I have personally experienced Cymbalta withdrawal and can tell you first hand that it was brutal. Mine lasted for over 19 days and included flu like symptoms, brain zaps (electrical zap feeling in your brain), canker sores, total malaise, explosive anger and horrible dreams.

I have a blog What Winners Do where I posted an article titled Cymbalta Withdrawal Symptoms Suck on which I have received literally hundreds of comments from people experiencing the same severe withdrawal. People need to be informed of this prior to being prescribed this medication.

I actually got on this drug when it first came out. I had severe FMS, and it helped, a lot.

I have worked over the past year and have reversed the Fibromyalgia, so the doctor and I decided to wean myself off of the Cymbalta. 

I found this when I googled "Cymbalta withdrawl", because I thought I was going NUTS. Lightheadedness, sick, thought I was going to pass out, screaming at the boyfriend, angry. And that is NOT ME.

I'm three days in on being completely off of it, and it's terrible. I'm not quite sure how they are getting away with this.