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[Sharkyjb1]

I wanted to post this message to see if anyone out there has been having the same health problems as I have had over the past year or so. I am just trying to see if the cymbalta is the root of the cause or something else. Pre-warning this is a long story.

Back in July of 2011 I started having this weird pelvic pain. The pain is only on my right side about six inches below my belly button but mid way between my hip and center line. The pain for the most part radiates out roughly the size of a grapefruit. The pain is constant but can range anywhere from a level 2-3 (on a 10 pain scale) up to a 7 or 8 take your breadth away type pain. I also get an occasional pain that radiates down my right leg to about the mid thigh and upwards to the middle of rib cage. The nature of the pain is not like any other type of pain I have had. Its part constant nag with occasional sharp stabs. Honestly I feel like someone has their hand inside me and is opening and closing and twisting in. In addition to the pelvic pain I am also extremely, extremely fatigued. To the point where daily care, like showering and cooking, is difficult after a work day. I can't seem to get enough sleep and I have this feeling of my body being heavy. NSADS, Ice, heat, rest and even Vicodin and Norco don't make this pain go away its just always there.

When the pain first began I saw a nurse practitioner at my PC's office. After accusing and demanding that my husband was unfaithful she diagnosed me with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease took some cervical samples and some blood work, then loaded me up on a really strong antibiotic. After a few days my test results came back and surprise surprise I did not have PID. Then the lame nurse just told me it must be just GI discomfort. After I demanded more tests the NP finally ordered a pelvic ultrasound. Pelvic ultra sound came back normal.

I waited about a week and the pain got worse and I discovered a strange lump in the area of the pain. This really concerned me so I went to the ER. The ER did blood work and urinalysis both normal. They also did a CT scan with contrast. The CT scan showed some inflammation in that area and that I was really constipated. The ER doc assumed I had a GI infection and again loaded me up on a different strong antibiotic, cipro I think this time. Doc also recommended that I follow a soft food diet for a few weeks and to see my PCP for a second round of antibiotics if symptoms continued. So I ate "white" food rice, bread, chicken broth and took the meds. This did nothing so back to my PCP who still thinks its a GI infection suggests that I continue the white diet, ups the cipro and gives me flagyl (anti fungal med). Of course this does nothing.

In the meantime my friend gets my CT report for me from the hospital and I see that I have an enlarged liver and some "spots" on my liver. Bring this up with my PCP and she just tells me the "infection" I am having is causing the liver enlargement, not to worry.

Now were into August the pain is getting worse and worse so I ask some co-workers (actually the Dean and some Doctors at the medical school I work at for some help). I get in to see one of the US leading Gastroenterologist. He thinks I could have Crones Disease and orders a colonscopy (I am only 30) and more blood tests and urinalysis and and MRI enterography. Colonscopy, MRI and test results all normal. GI recommends I see an OBGYN.

So instead of seeing an OBGYN I go back to PCP who now thinks I have a hernia or a lipoma and sends me to a surgeon. Surgeon agrees that it's a lipoma or a hernia and I have surgery. Yea they put me under w/o knowing what they were operating on! Turns out I had about 5 small lipomas under the area that is in pain. Surgeon says the tattoo you have there must have caused the lipomas.

I feel great for about a month think all my problems are gone. I go off my birth control and begin to plan the wean off other drugs so we can have kids soon.

End of November comes along (Surgery was mid-October) and surprise the pain is back and the lump is still there. Pain gets worse and worse for about a month so back to the PCP. She orders another pelvic ultrasound and it all comes back negative. I also demand a liver ultra sound but this comes back normal too. I switch to Kaiser and they want me to see an OBGYN. I see the OBGYN who thinks I am crazy and says basically the pain isn't even coming from the right areas to be GYN related. Then I see the Kaiser PCP, who again thinks I am crazy tells me to just wait out the pain and eventually it will go away but does agree to some blood work. Blood work says I am low on Vitamin D everything else is normal.

I get fed up on all these "stupid" doctors, sorry I'm just a bit angry, and just try to work on overall health and hope it will go away. Since January I started getting regular back massages (I have back muscles that are hard as rocks from an old major auto injury). Massages help a bit and seem to be helping with fatigue a little bit. I also started to take a ton of vitamins (omegas, B complex, Vit D, Vit C, Prenatal, probiotics) and two supplements zyflamed and willow bark to help with the pain. The vitamins help take the edge off of my pain and slightly help with fatigue.

Then I give up on all traditional methods and I go see a psychic who specializes in medical conditions. I got the recommendation from a dear close friend. This psychic kept my friend from literally dying when traditional docs couldn't find answers and stopped trying to help. (My friends organs began to fail from extreme fatigue, toxin buildup from a severe injury and major nutrient deficiencies.) The Psych thinks I have something viral and can see inflammation in the pelvic area and an upset liver. She recommends a Hep C and HIV test, thankfully negative. She also recommends castor oil packs. I didn't heed her advice on the castor oil packs until I started the cymbalta withdrawal and man do they help. I am only on week two of withdrawal and I feel about 60-70% human. Last week I just wanted to curl up and die, and leave my husband....

So now I sit hear using this site to help with the withdrawal symptoms and I see that so so many people have had all of these weird side affects from the cymblata and have developed all sorts of odd conditions during or after use. I am wondering if maybe possibly this drug is causing my pelvic pain. Especially considering that the docs can't seem to find anything else. I also experience many of the other things that so many of you have described such as lack of interest in anything, emotionless, NO sexual desire, the inability to orgasm (its been 3 years), weight gain (up 35lbs), extremely low immunity, inability to focus or concentrate, no drive, hair loss, constantly cold, forgetfulness, overall sense of fog, major relationship strain and I am sure I can go on. Not that I hope that anyone here has my symptoms because these past 10 months have been a nightmare.... But it would be nice to see if by chance I am not alone.

Again I am so so sorry for the long story but this is just my life right now...