Duloxetine for fibromyalgia pain

[TheLadyAnneNeville]

Has anyone else had horrid side effects and weight gain with this?

I hope you feel a bit better soon.

I take 120mg a day for depression. Ive had weight gain, sugar cravings and dry mouth as side effects but it’s really helped my depression. My psychiatrist did warn me of the difficulties of coming off it but at the time I needed something that would help. I’ve no plans to come off it yet but will aim to reduce slowly so I’m not on such a high dose.

What are ‘brain zaps’?

Ask for pregablin, it's expensive which is why they don't like prescribing it but little to no side effects and it's very effective

Just had a look at Pregablin. Many many side effects. Of course, I do understand that you maybe won’t experience ANY. Or you may get the lot! 🙄

I think I’ll wean off these and see how I cope with paracetamol and Codeine phosphate occasionally at night. If I get to the stage where I’m crawling about in pain or not being able to turn over in bed at night again, I’ll need to try something else.

I used to be so fit. Cycling. Running. The gym. Hiking up and down hills with the dog. I’m shocked how “old” this “whatever it is that’s wrong with me” has made me.

Awful side effects for me too yes to weight gain and brain zaps whilst on it and trying to come off.

I’m fed up with drugs and all the side effects

@Dontsayyouloveme brain zaps are a feeling in your brain like an electric shock, very alarming and unpleasant.

Horrible drug. I came off it in about a fortnight - I wouldn't advise it as I felt sick constantly. But my pain didnt increase. I tried to come off nortrypaline and the pain was horrendous.

I would just be sitting and would jump as if being electrocuted, brain zaps are horrible

Oh dear. Starting to ache. Wrists and fingers took a fair bit of getting going this morning and woke in the night with such pain in the hip I was sleeping on that I had to use a pillow on that side to stop me rolling into it again. Great 😡

In case you’d be open to this... there’s a Facebook group on using CBD oil for pain etc, it’s run by an ex-nurse who is a fibromyalgia sufferer herself. Might be worth considering: www.facebook.com/groups/CBDConsumerGroupUKEU/?ref=share

Very interesting I'm on it for trapped nerve pain. I suffered with side effects for 2 weeks. Sick , dizzy, fuzzy brain. Kept at it and now ok. But having night sweats didnt realise it could be causing them. I still have dizzy times but it is helping my pain.

@Bigpooh13, because my gp told me any side effects “usually” disappear within 3/4 weeks I kept at it because it WAS helping my pain. But the woolly-ness, the constant nausea and dizziness. No. It’s not worth it. Each week I thought it’d feel better but for me, it didn’t.

@SparklingLime, thanks for the link. I don’t do Facebook unfortunately.

I've still got the bad taste in my mouth. But gonna stick at it for a while. But not upping the dose as they want me too.

@Bigpooh13...it was when I went from 30 to 60mg a day that they started to work for pain. And then all the nasty side effects kicked in.

Hope you can find something that works - I had similar side effects on duloxetine. Basically I felt like I had flu, could hardly move from the sofa... vertigo, nausea, chills, was horrid. I persevered for 5 weeks. Then the shaking came back, which was the reason I'd stopped Prozac. That was the last straw. It's a shame because it was great for pain. I am on pregabalin and it's manageable side-effects-wise, though I do take quite a cocktail so probably have some interactions going on.

Saw GP yesterday, she’s given me a last prescription for Duloxetine 20mg. I’m to take two weeks of one a day then every other day. Something tells me, from what I’ve read, that it may take longer.

On a positive note I’ve started doing Couch25K but (I know this sounds odd) I’m only brisk walking at present. Will work up to running as and when. Walking with the dog doesn’t count as she stops every ten seconds to sniff! 🙄

I can't give any advice over your meds as I realised part of FM for me was being very sensitive to the side effects of medication.
I have spent the last year try lots of different ways to improve my FM symptoms and have managed to get them sorted about 90%. I'm working full time and going out and most days as fine. Every now and then I need a crash couple of hours and as I work from home mainly I can do this.

I've had fibromyalgia for over 20-years and and for the last 5 only been able to work part-time. So I read loads of research and decide to try everything that I could afford.

So am now:
Completely wheat free
Eat a low gi diet
Do yoga nidri (deep relaxation 3 times a week using youtube)
Do a relaxation bodyscan up to 10 times a day (only takes about 30 secs)
Do yoga at least once a week in a class
Do cardio exercise at least twice a week
Walk for at least 30 mins a day
Take CBD oil every day
Take magnesium

It has changed my life. I dont think their is ever gojng to be a pill or one lifestyle change that will cure FM, it needs a all ways attack.

I do know that for me some are more important than others. Like if I even eat a bit of wheat in soy sauce I will feel shit for a week.

Come off the meds very slowly. Cut them up and spend about 6 weeks reducing down in 1/8ths if a pill every 3 days.

That is fast withdrawal. Cutting down was far easier than giving up together IME hopefully you will manage better!

@RandomMess... I did mention to her that I’d read that it was a particularly difficult one to come off. She didn’t really comment. According to her, I should be off it fully in 4-6 weeks 😐

Well alternated 20 with 10 (home made) for a couple of weeks then 10 every day for a week or so then 10 with 5 and so on...

I suspect you will need to go back for a repeat!

How's it going?