Cymbalta Approved for Chronic Joint and Muscle Pain

Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride) has received expanded approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain, stemming from conditions including lower back pain and osteoarthritis.

Since its approval as an antidepressant in 2004, some 30 million people in the United States have used the drug, the agency said in a news release. The FDA also has sanctioned Cymbalta for diabetic pain, generalized anxiety disorder and fibromyalgia.

The most common side effects from Cymbalta use include nausea, dry mouth, insomnia, drowsiness, constipation, fatigue, and dizziness. More serious adverse reactions have included liver damage, allergic reaction, pneumonia, depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts and behavior, the agency said.

This drug is fantastic. I had neuropathic pain and depression, due to the chronic pain, for over six months. I tried NSAIDS and other drugs which did little, if anything. Cymbalta really saved me. I tolerated it well and had few side effects, dry mouth and a little wired for the first week on it but that was it. It did reduce sexual performance and cause difficulty with orgasm, but it was worth it. After 10 months I got off of it and everything returned but the pain.
Cymbalta provided amazing relief for my neuropathic pain and depression though it also seemed to have bad side effects. The night terrors I experienced were unimaginable and occurred almost nightly. I had taken this medication for over a year and after choosing to discontinue it, the withdrawal symptoms that followed seemed severe. I would advise a cautious approach.
 was originally prescribed Cymbalta for relief of pain caused by neuropathy in my leg. I have bipolar disorder. At the time I was unaware it was an anti-depressant. Bipolar patients should monitor themselves for symptoms of mania while taking Cymbalta. I was thrown into a wild episode of mania within 3 weeks of taking a 60 mg dose of Cymbalta.