Unbelievable... shouldn't they have to... gosh, I don't know... accomplish something in order to clear FDA? Oh it works for 1 in 10 or 2 in 10? Spectacular, let's clear it through and start the beat-them-over-the-head marketing straight to the consumer.

That level of efficacy I could accept in a cancer or AIDS treatment effort. But chronic pain is not fatal, and considering the side effects of anti-depressants, it seems foolish to increase the chance of death. Don't get me wrong, chronic pain will drive one up a wall (I should know, it makes me cranky beyond reason), but we have pain killers and anti inflammatory meds already.

Here we have it again, 45 percent experience an improvement in pain on the placebo. When will someone study the placebo effect? Also, the phrase "improvement in pain" concerns me. Note how the phrase "decrease in pain" is not used. This is probably not because the studiers are functionally illiterate but instead some cautious language put in by lawyers. Officially, fibromyalgia is considered to have "a psychological component" hence the anti depressants which I think folks who think they have fibromyalgia don't like.

Speechless...

Cymbalta has certainly been marketed along these lines from the beginning -- at least judging from the long-running ads on TV, the ones that emphasize the "physical" pain of depression. It's already used in neuropathy pain for diabetes -- so it is not surprising that Lilly is extending the range of pains for which Cymbalta is the purported killer. (no pun intended....)

Did you know that Lilly wanted to get an indication for Zyprexa to treat migraines? Thank god that failed.

The alleged fine line here is people with depression have increased pain complaints, as they are more focused on somatic issues when depressed. So, does an antidepressant really affect pain by itself, or does it decrease depressive features which then decrease the rumination on negative issues, like pain?

Watch the takeoff of Lyrica with its Fibromyalgia indication now. Its poisons will certainly be more apparent by the end of '08.

Thank God I know what Cymbalta is considering I live with 2 knees that flare up from old injuries. Physical therapy worked for both (one very mangled in a car accident)I also would rather do swimming, yoga or meditation, eat Advil --rather than take an SSRI for something like this.Nothing like having the Cymbalta not work, still have pain and then suffer withdrawals. Nice try Lilly. No thanks.(yes, I've had negative experiences on SSRIs)

A portable TENS unit can be very useful. I have one for my L5/S1 issue that can get through sitting in a car or shopping trips. It's certainly no cure, but I've been able to avoid narcotics thus far.