Duloxitine

Just a quick question to ask whether anybody has been given duloxitine for diabetic neuropathy?

If so, has taking the drug increased your requirements for insulin?

I am taking duloxitine as my latest drug for fibromyalgia...and think it is great-however my basal and bolus rates that I am using have increased dramatically since going on to it, I just wondered whether there is anybody else out there that has been using duloxitine and found that it has altered their insulin needs at all in either direction. Really also wondering whether my body will get used to the new drug and will then need to alter my insulin downward again, as it gets used to it, or whether I should reckon on giving myself the higher rates constantly.

I understand that dulxitine is being prescribed a lot more now for diabetic neuropathy, so hoping there may be somebody that is using it?

All the other drugs like the citlopram and ampitryptalene actually lowered all my insulin needs, when the info packets said they could increase BG levels...this packet did say that they could increase, but at the moment I am having to do it daily.

When I first increased the doage from 30-60mg the instructions were to take them in the morning...this immediately gave me huge problems with itching and scratching...but pain wise and brainwise the tablets are good....so spoke to GP who said to take morning and evening instead. When I spoke to a pharmacist at a course I was on this week he said to bring the 2 tablets closer together in time and suggested the last one be 11am or noon...so have done this...no itching but now, all my increase in levels start 2 hours after I have taken the tablets...and am having to alter all my basal rates on the pump all over again.....I'm still trying to sort out the morning higher levels after taking the tablets...BG's aren't going above 8, but still this is much higher than I have been prior to taking them, and really don't know when I will level out.

Last weekend because I had a lie in until 9am, and my tablet was delayed by 2 hours...at 9am I went low both mornings....

Guess I will get there eventually....just so frustrating...at least I know from the phramacist that the drugs can be taken long term for pain and brain and they are helping me with these....so can't be all bad I guess.....it's nice to have a sharp brain again and a reduction in pain, so I will just have to appeciate that aspect and put up with changing basals till I get balanced again....Thanks Nigel...

At least you're able to plod along!!!LOL!!!

Yep, I tried pregabalin and gabapentin too, and both of those gave me worse side effects than these...Pre..had chronic itching on even the lowest does after 3 tablets I was beside myself with calls to chemist and gp...gabapentin sent my brain addled...none of them have cleared my brain like the duloxitine and helped so much with the pain...so I want to persevere with them. Tried to alter dose today from noon to 10am and started itching again, so think the closest time I can do is 7am and noon. On 60mg in total. Hopefully I can stave off ever having to go up to the maximum dose-as the itching would be tooooo bad.

Think I have to accept that if this is the effect it has on my BG's I will just have to keep raising my basals to cope...

Seriously glad to know that I am not the only one whose nervous system is affected...sometimes I think am I the only one??? I know I can't be, because they list the side effects, so others must have them too....just when you never meet people who have them it makes me feel odd one out!!!!

Glad you found the pregabalin has helped you plod on!!!!! Me too, I can really plod now, now up to a full sprint, but feeling so much better than I have done for past 15 years....

Ummm...I certainly found that this sort of tablet certainly alters basals....just been listening to an article on Radio 4 by a Dr Chris Fox who is has done study involving 13,000 people and their medications...saying how they interact with other medicines.....etc etc....mind you apparently the study was done in 1991-1993!!!! Obviously though, they do intereact with some people!!!

I know exactly what you mean about memory loss...I have had huge problems...the most annoying one to hubby is that I can watch a film one night-and have forgotten it by next morning....last weekend watched to old episodes of 'Cracker'-3rd and last episode this weekend, and I can't remember last weekends.....I have got used to this aspect of memory loss... but my brain now isn't in the 'fog' it used to be. Still have to use lists for everything though!!!! Brain is hsarp in the fact that I have some of my wit back, which is nice...it was numbed for a very long time....

Hope your DSN can help with your basals...are your levels higher or lower? or mixed?