started cymbalta

[Dianne]

With much trepidation I started 20 mg. cymbalta this a.m. and am proud to report I made it past the first pill which is something that rarely happens for me! I have such severe reactions - usually esophageal spasms of heart attack magnitude. If not that, I itch, I puke, I'm nervous, and if that doesn't happen, when it hits my bladder in a couple of hours the pain is off the charts. Then by nightfall the bladder pain is gone but the urethral pain is substantial from passing it. But NONE OF THAT HAPPENED and I am so jazzed. I took it in the a.m. because we're pretty tired of middle of the night trips to the hospital for meds. reactions that I started at bedtime. I felt just a little bit sleepy at 2 hours and that's all that happened. I also had a fairly good day for a change. The Dr. said to do cymbalta in the a.m. for a week and continue the neurontin 300mg. bedtime/motrin 800mg. as usual and if I get relief, then will try to get rid of the neurontin first. I'm interested to know for people doing cymbalta, what dose did you land on and do you divide it in 2 doses am./p.m. or just one dose and if one dose, a.m. or p.m.? How soon did you notice relief? I even allowed myself to dream a little today after seeing that I tolerated the first pill - what it would be like for me to find something that worked. Wow. Can't even imagine it.

[ICLori]

Good for you, Dianne! Is Cymbalta a treatment for bladder/urethra pain? If so, I will have to ask to try this medicine...still looking for something that works besides Percocet...

Blessings, Lori

[Janie Miranda]

Glad to hear that it is working so far dianne. Hey are you still taking the aloe too?

[jeanababy]

Dianne,
Hope the Cymbalta works for you. What do you take, if anything, when you have an esophageal spasm? I get them occasionally with excruciating chest pain, profuse sweating and nausea. I also had one coming out of anesthesia after my last cysto/hydro (I expected bladder pain--not extreme chest pain)!
Jean

[Dianne]

Wooohooo! 2 days on cymbalta and no reaction, no increased pain. I'm not totally homefree as some drugs don't start to turn on me until the level builds up but usually that's drugs with sodium in them and cymbalta doesn't have sodium so I'm hopeful. I'm going to stay on the 20mg. for at least a week and then decide about increasing it. I'm hesitant to mess something up and the surprising part is both yesterday and today starting 2 hours after taking it and lasting almost 10 hours after, I felt quite a bit better. I don't see how it could work that fast but I've had 2 reasonable 1/2 days which just doesn't happen for me.

On the esophageal spasms, this is a new problem. Started several years ago and in response to a med. I've taken. It's the worst pain I've ever had. If it hits substernally then I puke out of control for hours. If it hits in back between shoulder blades, I don't get the nausea. My husband literally carried me to the car the first few times. I was screaming in pain and I'm very stoic to give you an idea. It took 4 EMT's to get me out of the car, I was kicking and thrashing. I couldn't help myself, it was that severe. I remember one guy saying "isn't that Dianne, the nurse from OB" and I wanted to die, I was SO embarrassed but you can't imagine unless you've had one of these. Donnatal works but it takes an hour and a half and my Dr. doesn't want me using it as a recovering person because of the phenobarb. but that's what I used the first few times. Then a Dr. also in recovery happened to be on and he gave me a shot of glucagon IM and it was gone in 90 seconds. It was the most amazing thing. I informed him glucagon was my new drug of choice and I would like a doggy bag please and thank you and they gave me two syringes. I had another episode last month after one dose of nortriptylene and spent the day in Urgent Care Clinic. So you can imagine what it takes for me to work myself up to trying a new drug. Then I'm so anxious, that certainly doesn't help! But I am so happy about tolerating the cymbalta so far.

[Sarojini]

Oh gosh. I have had esophogeal spasms before too! It is AGONIZING. I've never had it in the front, because mine always hit between the shoulder blades and also lower just beneath the rib cage (prob where the esophagus and stomach connect) and so I don't get the uncontrollable puking, but I do get nauseated. When they hit, they can make me drop to the ground wherever I am (literally -- at other people's homes, my kitchen, and once at a bar when I was in college) and curl up crying and screaming in a ball. I went to the ER the one time in college and they gave Donnatal but you are right, it took forever to work. It happens to me if I drink hard liquor of all things (so I cannot drink anything other than the occasional white wine), and a couple other things have done it too, but I can totally relate to your pain. For me, afterwards is bad too because I have fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome, and the spasm causes all the trigger points in my neck, shoulders and back to tighten up so even once the worst passes, I am in pain anyway. THEY SUCK.

[yorkiemom]

Dianne, I cannot believe how much alike you and I are in regards to our body's reactions to meds. I, too, have had esophageal spasms--actually, only one--it turned into an esophageal bleed from a bad reaction to doxycycline. Turns out I'm allergic to the doxy. But the pain was in my esophagus; whenever I had to swallow, I screamed. I had to spit out all my saliva because if I tried to swallow, I was dead meat. Urgent Care knew exactly what it was the minute they saw me; don't recall what I took as it has been years ago but it eventually did calm down.

PLEASE keep us informed as to how you are doing on the Cymbalta. I asked my doctor for it last month, but he wants to wait because he wants me to try methadone first, which I haven't had the guts to try because like you, if I have a bad reaction, it's off to ER for a 5-hour wait.

Do you know why we can't take medicines that seem to help everyone else in the world? Or at least, everyone else can tolerate them? Is it something that happens at the cellular level in our bodies? Or the little nerve endings? My bladder goes biserk at just about everything I toss its way. And why is it you can tolerate Cymbalta? I figured it was in a class of drugs I'd already tried that I wouldn't be able to stand, so was a little chicken to try it. Just so you know, you're my little guinea pig--if you say you can't hack something, with 100% accuracy, I haven't been able to either. And you've been so helpful because you've always explained why which I could then explain to the uro who is always like "duh?" Thanks from one grateful girl for helping me so much. And be sure to keep us posted!!

[Dianne]

Day 3 - ok I'm bummed. I had a horrible night last night. There were two other variables - ate at a health food restaurant last night and although I read the ingredients, it didn't sit well and maybe something I ate since I took the Cymbalta in the a.m. and the flare didn't start til bedtime. Other variable would be I take a Cipro every 3 days - really helps with pain for whatever reason. I forgot to take it on day 3 and went 4 days without one so could be that and/or taking Cipro/Cymbalta the same day was just too many chemicals. But I'm so worried now I won't be able to tolerate the Cymbalta. I took day 3 this a.m. and will see how the day goes after eliminating the other two variables.

[ICLori]

Dianne, I'm so sorry. But still holding out hope that you just needed the Cipro. Remember, us IC'ers always have these opportunistic bacteria feeding on us, because our lining is damaged. So while we don't always have a real infection, there are always some bacteria in there, probably irritating us some. So that could account for why you (and I) (and maybe some others) feel somewhat better with the help of antibiotics, it keeps those icky bugs in check somewhat.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you that it's not the Cymbalta, that the Cymbalta is still your friend.

I know how disappointing it is to have meds turn on you like that, to have them not work. I feel the way YorkieMom does about this - I wonder, why, why, why???

Hope you feel better soon, my friend from back home,
Blessings, Lori

[Dianne]

The pain is definitely getting worse since I took day 3 this a.m. so I'm sure now it's the Cymbalta. My guess is after the serotinin started to increase, it caused the flare. What I don't understand though is I had the best 1 1/2 days after I took the first one. Something I just never get. I may wait til this is out of my system in a few days and try taking one every other day. Can anyone think of a reason why I would be so much better for 1 1/2 days and then have it go the other way? I'm baffled.

[sylvieCT]

I could not take any anti-depressants because they all effectred the IC. Then, my doctor told me to try Cymbalta and said that she had gotten excellent feedback from other IC patients - she was right! So far, it has not effected my IC>

[yorkiemom]

Dianne, two questions: 1) do you know why the seratonin causes a flare? 2) What about smaller doses of the Cymbalta, working your way up? Take 1/4 capsule for a few days, then a half, then 3/4, etc.

When I try something new, I'm better the first couple of days, too, then whammo, it hits me like a ton of bricks. I don't have a clue as to why this is, either. It's not because I have talked myself into it, because usually I'm skeptical, having had so many bad reactions over the years.

I really hoped the Cymbalta would work for you. I'm praying that you will find the answer soon and that you will be healed; you have been through enough.

[Dianne]

I didn't know that seratonin caused flares in some of us til I saw that either here or one of the newsletters just yesterday. Maybe someone else can answer. The capsules aren't supposed to be separated according to the lit. and I'm on the lowest dose. Wow this has been a miserable 24 hours. I'll be glad when it's out of my system. I'm bummed though. Started out so well and I really felt good on it. The pharmacist said I would be at about 75% of seratonin increase now so I'm sure that's what happened. It just caught up with my bladder.

[ICLori]

I'm sorry, Dianne. I can't do any of the SSRI's because they all tear up my bladder something awful. Actually I can't do much of any medicine at all without tearing up my bladder. I know how disappointing it is.

Blessings, Lori

[emilyrose197377]

I am glad cymblata worked for you it gave me insomnia for my peripherla neuropathy pain.