cymbalta for FMS and "the fog"

[real1992]

Hi I was diagnosed with FMS about 3 months ago. I have been in pain for as long as I can remember. I was diagnosed with Juvenile rheumetoid arthritis when i was maybe 10 and I'm now 39. Any way on with my question. The dr. put me on 30mg Cymbalta. I took it for 6-8wks with not much relief. However, it did make me more forgetful, clumsy, tired, etc. When I went back to dr with this info. they increased it to 60 mg and added ultram. It just made me more forgetful, clumsy and tired. I guess my question is... Is this normal and are there any other treatments that actually work. The pain makes me very irritable and the lack of sleep/rest isn't helping either.

[VaBreeze]

I'm happy to hear this.  It could very well be the medications causing the irritability.  Esp. since she increased the dosage of Cymbalta.  With the internet, you can always check for adverse reactions to any medications you might be placed on.  Often times the doctor will not mention this, nor the pharmacist...and one could have serious reactions to it.  I had tried Effexor and Ultram (because the doctor prescribed it) and I began having seizure activity the second night.  

Be safe and I wish you the best of luck.  Anytime we can help you with your questions, please know you can ask here.  We are all seeking answers for the pain.

[real1992]

Thanks for your reply. I did not realize there were so many risks combining these two drugs. I guess I was making the mistake of assuming (and yeah I know) the dr knew what she was talking about.  I have an appointment Tues I will definately ask about a change in meds or something I can't keep this up. The irritability is causing problems in my relationships. There are times when I can't hardly tolerate being around anyone.

[VaBreeze]

In general, the use of tramadol in combination with serotonin reuptake inhibitors should be avoided if possible, or otherwise approached with caution if potential benefit is deemed to outweigh the risk. Close monitoring is recommended for signs and symptoms of excessive serotonergic activity such as CNS irritability, altered consciousness, confusion, delirium, hallucinations, myoclonus, ataxia, abdominal cramping, hyperpyrexia, shivering, pupillary dilation, diaphoresis, hypertension, and tachycardia.

This is what I found when checking interactions of Cymbalta taken with Ultram.  It very well could be that your lack of sleep is due to the medications.  I found that I could not take these together due to it causing anxiety and loss of sleep.  You could try Lyrica or Neurontin, but both of these cause cognitive problems for some.  There is no one treatment that will work as of date.  A good treatment program would be what you find works the best for you.  Good sleep is vital for your body and mind and a lack of it could result in more pain.  

I wish there was a cure.  We are all here seeking answers and getting information on this puzzling illness.  You can find some good information in our Health Pages on the right hand side of the forum.  We do understand your frustration and hope you can find some relief soon.

Take care.