I suffer from panic disorder and nerve pain. I'm so scared to take medication but I need help. I have Cymbalta but I'm so scared to even try it.
Is Cymbalta safe to take?
Question posted by Cmm1980 on 6 Aug 2022
Last updated on 8 August 2022
3 Answers
I am in the same boat you are basically! I have nerve pain in my back which is extending down my leg and causing severe muscle spasms! It's absolutely horrible! At times I can barely walk and when I can I only get about 30 minutes before I have to stop! I was to subscribe Cymbalta and I am scared to death of it! I already take alprazolam for my anxiety and I think the Cymbalta was prescribed to me for the nerve pain. As a matter of fact I know it was prescribed to me for the pain but so far after 3 days it hasn't done anything for me! I'm supposed to take one week with one pill and the next week with two pills a day and the next week with three pills a day and then go on to a higher dose one time a day! This doesn't feel right to me and I don't like taking pills I will most of the time.
I've never had a prescription where I had to really work up a tolerance I guess you would call it to the actual prescription itself?? I don't want to be addicted to anything! I'm not addicted to my alprazolam! Or maybe I am?? I just know that as long as I have my alprazolam everything is good and I take a very low dose. So I'm scared what they are really trying to accomplish with the clothes on a pan and I heard you gain horrible weight with it and they're a bad side effects when you stop taking it. So that being said I'm still not sure if today will be the last day or not!! I don't know if I completely comprehend everything I have read about it and it seems a lot of people have different reactions from it. I just don't want to be one of those people that is being used to try something that they don't know that much about yet! Or to me it seems like they don't know that much about it! I really need something that works for the pain and I really don't want to get hooked on something and then have to come down and have withdrawals because I have had a medication withdrawal once in my lifetime and I never ever want to go through that again. I hope this helps! It's just what's running through my head about the Cymbalta episode so far! Have a nice day...
You start at a low dose to avoid or eliminate side effects and to find the lowest dosage that is effective for you as an individual. It's standard procedure because these medications are NOT like what you're used to where either "one size fits all" or the dose is tailored according to your weight.
Keep something in mind... the bad reviews are written by the minority of folks who've had a bad experience not by the tens of thousands of happy customers who're now living anxiety/pain/depression free.
Personally, I took Cymbalta for many, many years with no side effects except an initial headache for the first 2 days. When I had to stop the medication temporarily for an unrelated medical condition I did so over two weeks with no discontinuation symptoms. I also didn't gain an ounce on it.
I think you're letting your anxiety do the talking for you and you're being told the worst case scenario is about to happen. The worst case would be if you started the medication and it didn't work for you like it does for the aforementioned tens of thousands of patients.
Best regards and best of luck to you.
Hi, Cmm!
Yes, it's safe and FDA approved or your doctor wouldn't have prescribed it for you. Some people will have some side effects initially but most people don't and it makes their lives so much better. It works very well for many people but not as well for others just like any other medication.
It's certainly worth a try.
You might be interested in these reviews:
https://www.drugs.com/comments/duloxetine/cymbalta.html
Best regards and I hope it's going to be your answer.
Cymbalta is very safe and works for me better than any other anti-anxiety medication I’ve tried. My joints and muscles feel a lot better too. My step-son is on it for fibromyalgia and it definitely helps him. Try it and good luck.
Related topics
cymbalta, pain, panic disorder, fibromyalgia, neuralgia, medication, nerve, disorder
Further information
- Cymbalta uses and safety info
- Cymbalta prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Cymbalta (detailed)
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