Talk me down Man! Talk me down!!

[320Bob]

Yeah, I think I have had enough of this, I'll be talking to my doctor tomorrow. I'd rather be in pain than feel the effects I've felt in the last week.

Hopefully there is another drug that will relieve your pain without the side effects you have had to endure these past week. Good luck.

[skolbe]

Hang in there and get off the medication and inform the Dr.

[Stray Cat]

Hi Scott, just saw your post...I'm not on the forum much these days...Good call, get to the doc so it doesn't really mess you up worse. Life is only better with chemicals that work, the others are poison. Good luck..

[Steve500dancer]

Hey Scott, I have Ben takin cymbalta for about 5 years. I had a major back surgery (double fusion) at 40 years old they told me surgery or paralysis from my neck down. Surgery went great...back to work in two days, (supposed to be off for 6 weeks) wore a full neck brace for 30 days. On day 1 with out the brace. I was in a bad car wreck, some stupid women pulled out of a side street with two little kids in her Toyota Corolla and I tried to miss her in my Full size Denali, I hit her rear quarter panel after swerving to avoid her kids and went through a brick community entrance wall. Tore up all the nerves in my neck and right arm. Back in a neck brace for 6 more weeks and terrible pain since.

Pain management team put me on everything,I was taking 5 OxyContin a day, 3 anti inflammatory, Lunesta, Lerica. You name it, I felt like a zombie. They finally gave me Cymbalta for nerve damage. I felt like **** for about a week. Now it is all I am on and learned to deal with the pain. You may have to try several mess before you find the right one. Hang in there man and keep a journal of how you feel and give it to the doc so he really knows. It is hard to sit there and explain all the side effects, on the bright side it doesn't sound like you got the anal leakage....think positive. Watch Jerry springer it always makes me feel better about my life.

Steve

[Rxflyer]

Unfortunately, the meds in the category which includes Cymbalta (SSRIs), have laundry lists of adverse effects. Generally, it takes a number of weeks to adjust to them, and some folks experience few, and others find them intolerable. You gotta realize that their primary use is 'adjusting' the neurotransmitters in your brain, and the use for chronic pain came along later in the program. Only you can determine if its worth the adjustment period to possibly help with the pain. I don't recall for sure if it's on the FAA 'hit list' either, so if you still do some flying, that's something else to consider. I'm pretty sure they are disqualifying. If there's any questions I can help you with, I'll be glad to help. I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I am a Pharmacist. Good luck.

[villain style]

Scott, I agree with keep a journal, document symptoms and see the doctor again. Couple years back I was diagnosed with a blood disorder called ITP and DR put me on 120MG of Prednisone daily. I was lit up like a christmas tree, ears ringing, jaws hurt, never slept, and wanted to fight everyone which is not like me... Thankfully in 6 months I was down to minimal to none predisone. Hang in there!! I hope you feel better soon. Living in pain is exhausting and depressing.....

[sfergson727]

Unfortunately, the meds in the category which includes Cymbalta (SSRIs), have laundry lists of adverse effects. Generally, it takes a number of weeks to adjust to them, and some folks experience few, and others find them intolerable. You gotta realize that their primary use is 'adjusting' the neurotransmitters in your brain, and the use for chronic pain came along later in the program. Only you can determine if its worth the adjustment period to possibly help with the pain. I don't recall for sure if it's on the FAA 'hit list' either, so if you still do some flying, that's something else to consider. I'm pretty sure they are disqualifying. If there's any questions I can help you with, I'll be glad to help. I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I am a Pharmacist. Good luck.

I did check the approved med list and it is definitely disqualifying, which is another reason to try to get by without cymbalta and other meds like it. I'm still a ways away from getting back to the flight deck, but I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet.

I've been off the medicine for a week now, and am pretty much back to normal, which means near constant pain when I am sitting or lying down....but I'd rather be in pain than suffer through those side effects again.