This is my first post but been a member for a year. I need some help regarding medication. GP given me Amitriptyline for night 10mg for night and Duloxetine 30mg to take morning. I complained to GP that I don’t feel well after Duloxetine and I stopped but GP insisted that side effects wear off after some time. But both tablets don’t help. The tiredness the fatigue never goes away, feel like going blind day by day, pain never seems to end, feels like buzzing sounds and constant tingly sensations everywhere.
I’ve got FMS so is the symptoms all the time? Is ther any med that helps?
Thankyou
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Cleverclog22
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I didnt get on with Duloxetine either, gave me an upset stomach. I've been taking a closely related drug, Venlafaxine, as a chronic migraine preventative, for just over a year now. I take it as a low dose but still suffered from nausea for several months.
Side effects often do subside, but not always, and you have can have an unpleasant few weeks whilst you adjust. The other meds often prescribed for Fibro are Pregablin or Gabapentin. I cant speak from experience as neither suited me either.
I kust admit Duloxetine didn't suit me either. Managed to stick it for a month but the side effects were getting worse. Pregablin helped me with some symptoms. I am afraid trial and error seems to be the only way as our bodies react differently. Good luck with finding something that helps.
Amitriptiline did work for me. Initially it was 10mg but it did nothing. Dr up it to 50mg and still didn't help with sleepless nights and pain. So Dr added cocodemol and Amitriptiline. It helps until 5a.m the pain comes on. Ive taken for 6 yrs. Side effects is foggy and ringing ears. But helps relaxing muscles and stiffness. Gabapentine didn't work and side effects was bad. Keep trying and you will find the one that suits you.
Hi, I tried amitriptyline first and then Duloxetine but they didn't help me either. I stuck with them for months and the side affects didn't settle. The withdrawal wasn't great either coming off either, especially the Duloxetine but for some these medications work really well. Best of luck, you know your body the best and we all react differently. If it's not helping, try something else, try anything you can face and afford! x
Sorry you’re not feeling good. I am on exactly the same medication as you, and I felt the same at the beginning, I bearded with it and it definitely did help with the pain, it didn’t completely go away. I would suggest persisting with it, it took me about 2 1/2 weeks for my body to settle down with it and the side effect when, I felt nauseous all the time, hyper in the morning and then crash around 10am, the pain didn’t ease till about 2 weeks. At first I would take cocodamel and paracetamol, then I just took paracetamol. At first the Duloxetine make me hyper, as if I had a massive hit of caffeine I too felt really tired after the crash but the Amitriptyline helped with not waking as much in the night, I’ve been on this for year and feel I need this upped.
Everybody is different on how their body reacts to these drugs, but for any time of drug we normally have to wait a little while for our body’s to get used to it. I hope you get sorted soon with what ever you chose to take but persist with them first
hi there, for me amitriptyline does help at only 10mg & I couldn’t do without it. Duloxetine does take a while to settle in so gp is right in a way. However if you do carry on with it, it is a devil to come off if you ever have to. You can’t just stop it without bad and lengthy side effects. So if you have stopped it and see your gp again get them to try you on something else before you decide. It’s a journey I wish you well on xx
Morning, I am on 40mg of amitriptyline at night but orginally when i started taking it i was on 20mg , being weaned off it as the side effects are awful still, some days i can't function due to worsened brain fog and drowsiness, and now throw in dry mouth and dizziness. Im on high pain meds but nothing touches the pains some days, so I have to take to my bed when ur a single parent this is not helpful. You know your body best, and if your struggling with side effects I would be insisting to have medication changed. Is it your gp who deals with your medication? Or your consultant? If it's your gp, I would be asking for a referral back to consultant, as they know more about the fybro ect.
Unfortunately the fatigue that comes with fybro, is always going to be there, some days worse than others, the same with the pain, its about managing the pain and finding what meds work best.
hi, so sorry to hear about your experience. I was put on Duloxetine after suffering ongoing nerve pain. I didn’t think it was beneficial at all until due to a medication blip I had about 5 days without it and the pain was unbearable again. I would say stick with it, I was prescribed it to go alongside the Gabapentin I’m taking as it works really well together to reduce the nerve pain.
Duloxetine made me feel dreadful and effects didn't wear off. Amytriptiline did absolutely nothing except making me feel fuzzy headed all day but certainly didn't help me sleep. Years of increasing Gabapentin failed to do anything except chronic bloating and huge weight gain. Cymbalta and Lyrica nothing. I consider that there is probably nothing out there that does much unless you're one of the lucky ones. I hope you are x
Nearly 8 months in & I am still having pretty awful side effects from Duloxetine. I take it with Naproxen & have dropped the dose from 60 to 30. I have the additional problem of quite nasty back problems & it does seem to help with that pain, however I am really not sure how much longer I can tolerate the Duloxetine side effects. It’s a nasty so & so in so many ways. Worth watching a Harley street doctors video on this for pain relief via your usual search engine. He discusses the subject of it’s success & side effects, although these are not the same side effects I have .
Is it worth asking your doctor if you can take one every other day? I’m not sure if you will receive the same kind of pain relief, but it may be worth a try.
I wish you well & hope your doctor is understanding.
I’ve commented on here before about my personal trip on Duloxetine. I had extensive side effects (migraines, distracting ear noises, and many more) so I have been slowly tapering off this medication for OVER THREE YEARS! The side effects of the taper are similar to taking it, but I am now finding much improvement with my current minimal dosage, perhaps now only about 5mg. If doctors would take it long enough to feel the effects/before prescribing this *nasty poison* there would possibly be far fewer prescriptions written …. My current internist actually discounts my need to taper so slowly.
Important to note: I’m merely expressing my opinion about my personal experience over the past 12+ years (8+ years taking it, and the remainder of time tapering off at this “snail’s pace” ...) I am not a healthcare provider. You should continue to research, then do what your situation requires — people can always have different reactions.
To”Positivethoughts” …. I also have extensive back problems causing chronic pain. I continued use of Duloxetine long-term because I wasn’t aware it was the culprit. Only upon stopping it did I see just how bad the effects had been: those migraines and ear noises, etc., abated rather quickly!
Perhaps if you request a referral to the pain clinic they could help, or a referral to one of the fibro clinics dotted around the country. Fibro treatment is very much trial and error to find what suits each individual. I can't take any meds at all so I rely on diet, chiropractor, hypnotherapy, heatpads, tens machine, biofreeze gel etc. along with a diet free of any processed foods or refined sugars.
Good luck in your quest to find what works for you.
I was given both as well on diagnosis but had to stop after a few days. Started having problems with liver using Duloxetine and also had a large hemorrhage on one of my legs. I was told the same. Not worth the risk for me. I would rather find an alternative solution.
Hi I took amitryptiline for 12years. It made me hungry?, ringing in the ears, dry mouth and eventually insomnia although initially it helped me sleep. It wasn't nice coming off it long withdrawals. Nice that mouth felt better teeth stopped decaying, breath fresher, tinnitus stopped. Pain returned horrible. However I read longterm use can lead to Alzheimers. I'm trying duloxetine which has helped the pain but side effects are horrible. Don't know what to do yet. Will persevere with duloxetine and hope it gets easier. Maybe ask to try pregablin as well to help insomnia
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I too felt really tired after the crash but the Amitriptyline helped with not waking as much in the night, I’ve been on this for year and feel I need this upped.
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