My experience with Cymbalta

[SueJohnson]

I have two problems. One is restless legs. The other is muscle pain in my legs that kept me from sleeping at night. After getting off ropinirole, I increased my gabapentin and at 900 mg my restless legs were gone, but I had to increase it to 1400 mg to get rid of the muscle pain so I could sleep. But I still had muscle pain in the daytime, so I was prescribed cymbalta. I knew it made restless legs worse but I thought since I was taking so much gabapentin that wouldn't be a problem so I was willing to try it. Boy was I wrong. I took it for 3 days. I am now up at 3:15 am and my whole body is affected. Every muscle has constant micro vibrations. Even my fingers so I am having trouble typing this. They are quite different from the occasional vibrations in my legs that I had at night that I could stop by doing my exercises. DON'T EVER TRY CYMBALTA.

[LotteM]

Hi Sue, I am very sorry to read about your muscle problem, especially since you have done so well getting off the ropinirole. And I am pleased to read that gabapentin works for your RLS.

Unfortunately I can not advise you on the muscle issue. The only thing that I want to share that sprang to mind reading your description of what happens with your muscle, is that it made me think of Parkinsons disease. You don't want that, of course, but it may be wise to have it ruled out by a PD specialist. Otherwise, it sounds more like a nerve problem that a pure muscle problem to me. The gabapentinoids are also indicated for nerve / neurological issues? If the gabapentin doesn't work for it (but it may require higher dosing and thus maybe a switch to pregabalin), maybe for the short time you could try whether painkillers touch it? Kind of like a diagnostic criterium. Cocodamol?

Anyway, Cymbalta and the likes are clearly bot good for you, thus you will need to get your doctor (gp or specialist?) to keep an open mind and review multiple possibilities, both on what may be causing the muscle vibrations and how to treat it.

Don't you hate it too, having problems that are not standard textbook and very debilitating? I feel you you. Wishing you good luck with finding out what is wrong.

[SueJohnson in reply to LotteM]

The muscle vibrations were caused by the cymbalta. Otherwise I don't have muscle vibrations. I'm pretty familiar with Parkinson's disease as my brother and uncle had it, so don't think that is my problem, thank goodness. I tried higher doses of gabapentin up to 3600 mg a day and it didn't help, unfortunately. I really don't want to try opiods like codeine. In fact my husband has forbidden me from them. And yes I hate it having problems that are not standard textbook and very debilitating