Hi everyone! I have now been on the Cymbalta for 3 weeks and a few days, 60 mg for 2 weeks and a few days. I definitely felt some improvement this past week, especially the past 2-3 days. I can now sit on the floor cross-legged and get up without any problem, whereas I could not before. My right upper arm (at the deltoid muscle) is much better. I could not raise it outward and up at all or over my head and can now do so with only minimal pain. My right wrist is becoming much more mobile. I can flex and extend with hardly no pain at all. I still can't lift or push anything heavy yet with it. My hips are slowly improving when sitting. I find I can sit longer when typing and when I get up they are still sore (especially the right), but not nearly as bad where I am almost crippled when I first walk like before. My right knee pain is all but gone. My left ankle is still bothersome when I walk after sitting for a bit, but it comes and goes now instead of staying all the time.

As far as my sleep, I still wake up periodically through the night, but go back into a deep sleep in between and feel a bit more rested in the mornings. The irritable bowel is completely gone!

I am still trying to get up and move during the day for the hips and legs. Still trying to make it to the gym 2-3 times a week and walk and do light weight machines. This seems to really help.

As far as side effects of the Cymbalta, they are almost all gone now. Maybe a little bit of tiredness and weakness in the muscles, especially the legs, but not nearly like the first couple weeks. I guess this is the drug for me, at least so far. I just am so afraid it is going to stop doing its thing and the severe pain will return. But,so far, so good!! Anyone else having good results with this medicine?

Cherio :bouncing:

I have been taking Cymbalto for over 6 weeks. After the first three weeks the irritable bowel problem was gone. The pain was gone. The headaches were gone. No side effects at all. As you describe, I still wake up at night but I go back to sleep and I do not feel like falling asleep in the daytime. I have more energy and a couple of weeks ago hiked in a forest with no pain afterwards.

Then yesterday the pain in my neck and shoulders started to come back and today my hands are hurting again. I am a bit upset. I was hoping this would be a lasting help. I don't want to discourage you. Maybe I overdid it this week and got over tired because I was feeling so much better. I think I still need to watch what I do even though I feel better. Good luck. I really want to know how other people are doing on this drug.

Maybe this is just a short flair or something. I agree with the not overdoing. I think I have sat too much today typing and am worried that I'm going to pay with more hip pain. I guess I need to get up and walk some! Good luck and keep us posted how it goes from here.

Cherio :)

Hi Cherio,
Exciting to hear of positive solutions. I'm not sure anything will be a "cure" at leastnot for many years. But gaining 80% mobility with little pain with the occasional small flare isn't bad at all.

Good Luck and I hope it keeps working.

Love - Andy

I have had fybromyalgia for several years. For the past 6 months I have been taking 30mg of Cymbalta. I have a lot of muscle tightness and pain in my neck and shoulders and clenching my teeth. I'm concerned this may actually be caused by the Cymbalta (I've had clenching as side effect from other antidepressents)and wonder if anyone else has experienced this. thanks

hi pea, ive never taken anti depressents because im not considered depressed by my docs, but sme years ago, about 12 to be exact, i started having bladder problems and a doc gave me a prescription for a drug which contained imipravine, which is used to give children with bladder problems. i was very ill on that drug and attempted to tolerate it, but it gave me horrific cramps and stomach pain. also i became dehydrated with it and had to stop taking it.

i used to go to the gym, most of my life and exercise classes, all sorts of hobbies that way, gave up the weights when i started to experience muscle tics, after collapsing a few times. but i believed then the saying about 'if you ache exercise more' it's like falling of a horse, you just keep getting back on it again, until one day it throws you and you can't. it's true moving about as much as possible is good but when you are too painful and get exhausted it's rest you need. people feel guilty about resting these days. i didnt think about that when i was younger, i just kept on over-doing it, until i couldnt make a fist with my hands and collapsed bigtime. that was the turning point, when i had to learn to slow down and listen to my body. giving up dancing was the hardest, it came to a point where after 5 mins my legs would buckle under me, people would think i was drunk, but those who knew me and were with me knew i didnt drink. i have a limp because i drove myself too hard for years. having the sense to know how far to exercise is the answer, each one of us is different and at different stages of fibro, and listening to self is important instead of trying to keep up with others who are able to be more active. peer pressure goes a long way to pushing us over our limits. ive recently discovered the word 'no'. and prioritise the things i have to do, then concentrate on the things i want to do.

Hi Everyone,

I also am on Cymbalta. I have had Fibro for probably 10 yrs, and have been on every anti-depressant on the market with NO help. All I ever got was awful side effects, so when my Dr. suggested this new "miracle drug" for fibro, I cringed..... I was in such a huge flare, that I agreed, just to shut her up about the drug. For the first 4 days on it, I thought I was going to die. I was ssssssssooooooooo sick. She assured me that things would get better, take it at night, and stick with it. I am so glad that I did. It's not a CURE for fibro, but for me, it has helped to the point that I feel human again. It has also helped with the depression. I workout 7 days a week. Light weights, 2 miles on the treadmill, and some back excersices. This is the best I have felt in yrs.

I only hope that others have the same results that I have had. Keep up the hard work everyone, keep moving, and don't stop looking for the things that will help.

Good luck.....