elmhar

Hi Greg,

Studies I have read indicate that while antidepressants are widely prescribed for fibro, only about 25% of those with fibro experience significant pain reduction from that particular treatment protocol. However, if you happen to be one of the 25 %, you may hit the jackpot. I notice that, while IndySasha finds Cymbalta helpful, she still takes narcotic medication.

SSNRIs like Cymbalta are currently being heavily promoted by Pharma. No doubt you have seen the "depression hurts" ads on TV. This ad really irritates me, as it fails to recognize the more common scenario, that chronic pain leads to brain changes & depression. Perhaps a fine distinction, but it's not helpful to reverse cause & effect. It does give me pause when a doc upfront recommends the hot drug.

Fibro (in past known as "fibrositis") has a reputation as a women's disease & carries some stigma as a result. For a LONG time, all that was promoted medically were AD drugs like amitryptilline (related to Triavil), because it was believed all fibro sufferers were just somewhat depressed, or somatizing. In a nutshell that all fibro was a psychiatric problem, "hysteria," in the Freudian sense. Since that time, there has been a little progress in med research, showing that our pain is "real."

There is no doubt that for many folks the SSNRIs like Cymbalta & Effexor are energizing. And that can help fatigue. However, side effects are not uncommon from these meds. And in particular, weaning off the SSNRIs can be a nasty (though not impossible) experience. In some cases, the SSNRIs are helpful for a period of time, then lose their effectiveness for fibro issues. But, of course, if one has a good year, 2 yrs., whatever, that is not to be dismissed.

I am surprised that your doc has Rxd the Cymbalta & Triavil together. Perhaps you suffer from a longstanding major depressive disorder? If so, that may be appropriate. I would hope that you have thoroughly researched these drugs & are comfortable with their potential side effects. It's fairly simple to pop a drug name into a search engine & find oodles of info.

Since fibro is a diagnosis arrived at by eliminating other possible causes for symptoms, I would hope that you have had an extremely thorough physical workup. All too frequently endocrine problems are an overlooked contributing factor to the symptoms of fibro. Thorough assessment of thyroid function (beyond a TSH screen), adrenal function, and testosterone level will often pick up subtle abnormalities which, when addressed, can make a world of difference.

I am not attempting to bash the meds you have been Rxd. I wish you well, but hope you will be cautious in your approach to medical recommendations. Let us know if the meds help.

Best wishes.