My doctor prescribed me Cymbalta 30mg for nerve pain in my knees. I also have lumbar spinal stenosis and I suffer from chronic pain in my lower back. I am also currently taking percocet 5/325mg 6 x day for pain. What other side affects will Cymbalta have?
Will Cymbalta affect my driving? Will it make me drowsy?
Question posted by dalejrfan71 on 19 May 2011
Last updated on 3 June 2011 by RESPIGHI
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5 Answers
RESPIGHI
3 June 2011
I've been taking cymbalta for 2 years. It does not make me drowsy or impead my driving in the least. Cymbalta really is good for pain and this should help your nerve problem considerably; good luck
dalejrfan71
29 May 2011
I am still nervous about taking cymbalta. When I was prescribed Lyrica, it worked great for a while, then I started puking my guts out once or twice a day. Will cymbalta make me yak my guts out?
LaurieShay
29 May 2011
Hey dalejrfan,
Don't think it will make you vomit but it might make you nauseous the first week or so. If you'll hang in there, this will subside with continued use. Taking it with food helped me. I would give it a try, a low dose of 30mgs once day is a good place to start. See how you do, like I said you will need to give it a couple of weeks to get past any side effects but after that you should feel some results for the nerve pain. If you haven't gotten enough relief at 30 mgs, the doctor may increase to 60mgs. Just to let you know.
Best wishes,
Laurie
RESPIGHI
20 May 2011
Hi
cymbalta can most definitely cause you to develop ed. I started taking it about a year ago and within 30 days I could not get an erection. I am now in the process of weening myself off of it. Wellbutrin is a drug that does not have sexual side effects. You should look into it,
good luck
dalejrfan71
20 May 2011
Hi Laurie, thank you for the response and information. I have been suffering from spinal stenosis for about 2 years now. My only other concern is that I take St. John's Wort twice a day for nerve pain that travels down my right leg. Will the Cymbalta help with nerve pain as well? This nerve pain can get so bad, it will wake me up out of a dead sleep.
LaurieShay
20 May 2011
Hey Dalejrfan,
The Cymbalta will help the nerve pain. The problem is you can not take St John's Wort along with the Cymbalta as it carries the following warning:
st. john's wort ↔ duloxetine
Applies to: st. john's wort, Cymbalta (duloxetine)
MONITOR CLOSELY: Concomitant use of agents with serotonergic activity such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, 5-HT1 receptor agonists, ergot alkaloids, lithium, St. John's wort, phenylpiperidine opioids, dextromethorphan, and tryptophan may potentiate the risk of serotonin syndrome, which is a rare but serious and potentially fatal condition thought to result from hyperstimulation of brainstem 5-HT1A and 2A receptors.
Symptoms of the serotonin syndrome may include mental status changes such as irritability, altered consciousness, confusion, hallucinations, and coma; autonomic dysfunction such as tachycardia, hyperthermia, diaphoresis, shivering, blood pressure lability, and mydriasis; neuromuscular abnormalities such as hyperreflexia, myoclonus, tremor, rigidity, and ataxia; and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
MANAGEMENT: In general, the concomitant use of multiple serotonergic agents should be avoided if possible, or otherwise approached with caution if potential benefit is deemed to outweigh the risk. Patients should be closely monitored for symptoms of the serotonin syndrome during treatment. Particular caution is advised when increasing the dosages of these agents. The potential risk for serotonin syndrome should be considered even when administering serotonergic agents sequentially, as some agents may demonstrate a prolonged elimination half-life.
So if you want to try the Cymbalta you will need to discontinue the St John's Wort.
Best wishes,
Laurie
LaurieShay
19 May 2011
Hey dalejrfan,
Cymbalta may make you drowsy but not that much. It is always best to see how a medication affects you before diving on it though. For future reference the following link lists the side effects:
https://www.drugs.com/sfx/cymbalta-side-effects.html
I must say that I took Cymbalta for years and had no problem driving. Generally the drowsiness as a side effect wears off after taking for a little while if you have it at all.
Cymbalta should help the nerve pain very well including your lower spine. It probably won't make all the pain go away but should help some.
Good luck with the new med and keep in touch,
Laurie
Related topics
cymbalta, percocet, pain, neuralgia, doctor, chronic, knee
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