My Doctor prescribed it for nerve pain , but I'm not sure it's that effective at that . I do have nerve pain and I have arthritic joint pain including in my lower back and hips and bone on bone knee pain.
What's a good replacement for cymbalta?
Question posted by rondos1 on 17 Jan 2013
Last updated on 2 December 2018
10 Answers
cindy-59
12 Aug 2018
Hi rondos1. I have taken Lyrica for 7-8 years and Cymbalta and the generic Duloxetine for 8-9 years. They all have so many side effects that I couldn’t handle them anymore. Getting off them is a nightmare. It can take years to taper off them. I would never advise anyone to take these drugs! Do your research and you will see what other people are going through with these medications. I am not going to take anymore drugs for the pain. It has diminished slowly as I’ve tapered off these medications. I will stick to ‘natural remedies’. You can find them on Google. Please take care and best wishes to you. Cindy
drewsauder
27 Nov 2018
Ok for the record, I am not a doctor, or have any medical training. But I do know how I feel. My doctor put me on cymbalta. But previous to that. I got messed up with drugs. My pusher was a medical doctor. for 3 years, he put me on 12 different meds. The stress and pain I went through was unbearable. My doctors were reacting to the pain and or withdrawal from the meds, not from my true medical situation. I can't recommend this to anyone, but I have fought through the pain, and cut down the meds to almost zero. It was scary, and finger was on 911 speed dial most of the time. The only thing I can say, is get a second opinion, and stay away from prescription happy doctors.
Rx101
12 Aug 2018
I get hip and knee injections for the pain.last anywhere from 6-8 months from my pain dr
Rx101
12 Aug 2018
At certain does, cymbalta works for certain things from what I read. Ask your doctor or google cymbalta doses.
I just started cymbalta generic. Take 7 to 10 days to start to notice something but full effect in 6-8 weeks I read.
Teachabout
3 Dec 2018
Please, if all possible DO NOT start the cymbalta!!! It worked wonders at first but the HELL of withdrawal is something I would not wish on anyone!!! Weight gain, brain zaps, emotional breakdowns, and that is just some!!! I was taking the smallest dose!!! I know that the pain can make one want to try anything BUT NOT THIS!!
MeggieGirl
11 Sep 2015
The first response is going to be Neurontin or (I can't remember) the other one people have already said. I am telling you, though - I have been through major knee trauma. I have NO cartilage, I have a torn meniscus that didn't heal after surgery, I have a ruptured ACL and a ruptured MCL (as in, they're not connected), so I have constant knee instability. Surgery did a lot to help because they scooped out the rough cartilage so at least it wasn't catching on burrs, and made it more smooth. Yet I was limping and unable to really put any weight on it; and I was on all the prescription drugs, including Cymbalta. Still limping. I had doctor after doctor telling me to take glucosamine chondroitin, blahblah, I never listened to them; I think I tried it once, I thought - yeah, snake oil.
Then I tried one VERY specific bottle, and within 2 or 3 weeks, I wasn't limping anymore. I stayed on it for maybe that first year - I didn't even take the recommended dose - I took 1 per day instead of 2 per day. I told my friends who also limped, and they stopped limping. The only people it didn't help were people who actually needed to be on an operating table. It is the ORANGE labeled Triple-strength bottle made by Ortho-BiFlex. You can buy it anywhere, but I recommend you go to Walgreens. And a big tip on that... the bottles go on crazy sales ALL THE TIME, but they don't label them, so you think you're buying a bottle for $30 and don't realize that you could have grabbed a second bottle and paid only $2.99 for it. Look on their website first and check for them to be on sale, and then go. I would sometimes grab 4 bottles at a time when the sale would hit (they're on sale pretty often, but I'd get 'em while the gettin' was good). It builds up the synovial fluid in your joints so things move more fluidly, and I have walked without the slightest limp or a twinge of pain in 2 years. I do use care when walking up stairs, but that's normal for anyone with our problem. Don't forget the color Orange. :)
CritterCow
10 Sep 2015
I have used it for a depressant and pain for fibromyalgia. I already take Lyrica and Ultracet. I have already given a prescription for depression but need one for pain (my PA has said).
Bfly73
12 March 2013
I take Neurontin (generic is gabapentin) for neuropathy (nerve pain). I have chronic back pain (4 back surgeries... helped some) and fibromyalgia. It helps me more than the Methadone pain meds I take, that I have actually finally lowered!! I take alot of Neurontin ... 3200 mgs a day, but I have been on it for 10 years. It can be a little weird when you are getting used to it, but if you stick it out it works. I tried Lyrica and it didn't help me. I had bone on bone in my back and I do not miss that pain... sorry you have that! Oh, for arthritis the vitamin or mineral, not sure which it is :) I take Glucosamine Sulfate... has to be sulfate, so check labels. It has really helped my parents and me. We take really pure vitamins by Andrew Lessman or check a health food store maybe. Hope that helps... God Bless! :)
Lynnrd123
1 April 2014
I take Cymbalta for an antidepresant... even with part D I pay for... the price is almost $300.00...
So, I would like to change for less.
lynnrd
Rx101
12 Aug 2018
Omg 300.00 ?? The generic???
Medicare an Medicaid will not allow and manufacturer discount cards to be used at all. Have you tried the generic cymbalta? I noticed costco pharmacy is much much lower in price than any other pharmacy. Call for price quote. One of my meds was over a hundred $ with no insurance and I got it at costco for 40.00. No need for membership to fill rx at the pharmacy there. Promise
cindy-59
12 Aug 2018
I’ve taken Cymbalta and the generic Duloxetine and both of them are horrible drugs! I had so many horrible side effects from both of them. Then getting off them is a nightmare. Just taking 60mg can take years of tapering off. Just research them and you will see. I would never advise anyone to take these drugs. Cindy
PoisonAlice
17 Jan 2013
I take gabapentin for nerve pain and it works rather well. Granted, it doesn't get rid of ALL my pain (I have a screwed up back, so no amount of drugs will do that!), but it gets rid of the worst of the nerve pain. I started off on Lyrica when it was still in clinical studies for fibromyalgia and only on-label for diabetic neuropathy and shingles pain, and I went from the baseline dose to the max dose in under a year and it didn't work, but the gabapentin worked as soon as I switched over to it (in fact, I was off the Lyrica before it was even approved for use for fibromyalgia). I've been on gabapentin for years now and take 2400mg a day. Sounds like a lot, but there are people out there that are on larger doses, and considering my tolerance for all medications, that's actually GOOD for me! Talk to your doctor about getting on either Lyrica or gabapentin (Neurontin) for your nerve pain.
I really don't think that the widespread prescribing of antidepressants for pain is a good idea, as I've noticed that it only works for a small fraction of people with chronic pain.
As for your arthritic pain, are you on an NSAID for that? If not, ask about getting on a prescription NSAID like Mobic or nabumetone. If you can't take NSAIDs (like myself), see about getting on a corticosteroid like prednisone. If your doctor has reservations about putting you on that because of possible bone mass loss from long term use, tell him you'll take calcium + vitamin D supplements with each dose you take, and actually do it! That's how I was finally able to convince my doctor to put me on prednisone, and it's helped a bit with my inflammation-related pain.
Msteil
17 Feb 2017
I also have been taking Gabapentin for nerve paid due to Shingles - 1 year - and I am at/above the max, and it's not working. I can't afford the Lyrica but am too afraid of the Cymbalta. Does anyone else have any suggestions?
kennymathews1017
28 Feb 2018
Please research Cymbalta. It's a powerful medication
butterflylynn
17 Jan 2013
Usually for Nerve pain the Drs. Prescribe Lyrica or Neurontin as both of these are more effective for Nerve pain. I am actually surprised they started you on Cymbalta to begin with.
I would bring up both drugs with your Dr. as they have done alot for my nerve pain.
Best of luck, Kathy
Qiniselani
17 Jan 2013
I was in and out of antidepressants and sleeping tablets 6 months on them and out in again out this is my 13th year I'm realy tired and my lever is damaged. Now I went heath shop I'm strictly taking heath meds without side effects. They do have sleeping meds as well I sleep like baby. I just started but widrawal from cymbalta still gives me problems but I'm not going back to antidepressants. Love you
PoisonAlice
17 Jan 2013
Depends on what you're taking it for, because replacing Cymbalta with another drug for pain is going to be quite different than replacing it with another drug for depression.
Related topics
Further information
- Cymbalta uses and safety info
- Cymbalta prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Cymbalta (detailed)
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