Nerve endings in the brain release these chemicals and take them back up again after they have targeted their receptors in what is known as a recycling process. Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors SNRIs — like duloxetine - work by blocking recycling of released serotonin and noradrenaline back into the nerve endings. It takes two to four weeks for duloxetine to start helping.
It could take some weeks or months to get its full effect. Scientists believe that at first the higher levels of serotonin and possibly noradrenaline have direct effects which do not help relieve the depression or anxiety. In fact, you are likely to feel a bit more anxious or on edge for a couple of weeks. After some days of regular treatment, the brain adapts, which leads to improvements in mood and anxiety. Your doctor might start you on a low dose and then increase it slowly over two to four weeks to your full dose.
A side effect of duloxetine can be not feeling as hungry as normal, which might lead to weight loss. In studies, some children and young people aged under 18 who took duloxetine had some weight loss at first, but after six months of treatment they went back to normal compared with other people of the same age. You may want to let your family and friends know you are taking duloxetine so they can support you and help you look out for side effects.
For guidance on this, check out our page on getting support with your medication. You can feel sleepy in the first few days of taking duloxetine. However, this should get better after the first week or two. If you experience any of these side effects and have been taking duloxetine for more than a month, you should go back to the doctor and see what else you could do.
Drinking alcohol every day, however, can make the symptoms of depression worse and you will not feel the benefit of your medicine.
During the first few days, it might be best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you, or until the effects pass. Cannabis and other drugs may have their own side effects on your mental health, like anxiety or psychosis. For more information, have a look at our drugs and alcohol page. Methadone can make sleepiness worse with duloxetine. The duloxetine could increase the concentration of methadone in your body. Taking duloxetine with cocaine or ecstasy or amfetamines could bring on serotonin syndrome.
You need to go to hospital if this happens. Tell the doctor everything that you have taken. If you smoke, you will probably need a higher dose of duloxetine than someone who does not smoke. If you stop smoking, the level of duloxetine in the body rises, and you might need to reduce your dose of duloxetine slowly.
It is the smoke, rather than nicotine, that has this effect so it should not be as much of a problem if you only vape. Do not take duloxetine if you take an antidepressant medicine called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor MAOI , or if you have taken one in the last two weeks.
MAOIs include drugs such as moclobemide, isocarboxazid, phenelzine and tranylcypromine. Always talk to the doctor if you are taking other medicines. Tell the pharmacist you are taking duloxetine if you buy medicines including things you put on your skin for common illnesses.
If you drink a lot of coffee, cola drinks or other caffeine drinks when taking duloxetine, it can put you at a higher risk of getting serotonin syndrome. Large doses of caffeine can bring on or worsen generalised anxiety and panic attacks, or bring on mania , so it may also make the underlying problem worse. Taking duloxetine may affect your concentration, which could, in turn, affect your ability to do things like driving a car, riding a bike, using machines, or anything else that needs a lot of focus.
It might be best to stop driving, riding a bike or operating machinery for the first few days, until you know how it affects you or until the effects pass. You should use good contraception when you are taking duloxetine. This is because we do not know for sure the effects of duloxetine on a developing baby although when taken in usual doses there does not seem to be any link with malformations.
If you do become pregnant while you are on duloxetine, you should carry on taking the medicine but go back to your doctor as soon as possible to discuss whether you should stop or change your medicine.
Remember that you need to stay well through your pregnancy, and you may need a medicine to help you do that. If you and your doctor agree that you will carry on taking duloxetine, you should tell your midwife that you are taking it before you give birth.
If duloxetine is taken in the last five months of a pregnancy, it may cause a condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the new-born PPHN. PPHN can make the baby breathe faster and look a bit blue in colour. This happens in the first 24 hours after birth. You will need help from the midwife and doctors, so it is better if they are looking out for symptoms.
These might not happen straight away, so you should look out for them over the first few days after the baby is born. A small amount of duloxetine is passed to the baby in breast milk. Breastfeeding can help with settling any withdrawal symptoms. If your baby becomes restless, very sleepy or develops feeding problems, quickly seek help from your doctor. These effects should pass after the first couple of weeks. If they do not, and this is a problem for you, go back to the doctor and see what else you could try.
The good effects of duloxetine may, after a while, have a positive effect on your sex life as your mood lifts and you become interested in life and relationships again. In tests, duloxetine did not affect male fertility, and only affected female fertility at doses much higher than we would normally see. Talk to your doctor about your duloxetine if you are trying to get pregnant. Taking duloxetine may affect your ability to do things like riding a bike, competitive gymnastics, or anything else that needs a lot of focus.
It can affect your eyesight, make you feel dizzy and sleepy, and make you feel restless and unable to sit still. It might be best to stop such sports for the first few days, until you know how it affects you or the effects get better. Your eyesight may be affected, and you might have sleep problems or feel very sleepy during the day. You may also feel restless and find it hard to sit down and keep still. You should talk to your doctor about any future exams if you are starting duloxetine.
You might decide together to delay starting it until you have done them. If they are more than a month away, however, you might find that it is better to start duloxetine to lift your mood and improve your motivation to study. You need to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment with duloxetine if any of the following apply to you:. You and your doctor should talk about how long you need to take duloxetine before you begin your treatment.
If there has been no good effect after four weeks on duloxetine, it is probably not the best medicine for your condition. People normally take duloxetine until they feel better around one to two months then continue to take it for a further six to 12 months, as advised by their doctor, to avoid symptoms returning.
You will get the best effect from duloxetine if you take it regularly at the dose prescribed by your doctor.
Make sure that you know your dose. If it is not written on the label, check with your pharmacist or doctor. People usually take duloxetine once a day at the same time. This could be a mealtime, or when you brush your teeth.
If you are taking duloxetine for depression , you are likely to start taking it at the standard treatment dose. If you are taking it for anxiety , you may be started on a lower dose, which gets increased gradually.
You can take duloxetine before or after food. Swallow the capsule with a drink of water - if you chew it, it tastes bitter. If you forget to take it for a few days, you may start getting withdrawal symptoms. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.
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This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. This content does not have an English version. These results show that people taking Cymbalta had reduced anxiety symptoms for a longer period of time than people who took a placebo.
Cymbalta is FDA-approved to treat pain from diabetic neuropathy nerve damage. Diabetic neuropathy is a common condition in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. People with diabetes have high levels of glucose sugar in their blood.
Over time, having increased glucose levels can cause nerve damage. Symptoms of diabetic neuropathy include numbness, pain, tingling, or weakness in your hands or feet. Clinical studies have shown Cymbalta to be effective for treating pain from diabetic neuropathy. Researchers in one study randomly assigned adults with diabetic nerve pain to take either Cymbalta or a placebo every day for 12 weeks. They assessed pain again after the study to compare how Cymbalta and a placebo affected pain.
Cymbalta is FDA-approved to treat fibromyalgia. This is a chronic condition that can cause:. Fibromyalgia is often misdiagnosed and can be difficult to treat. Clinical studies have shown Cymbalta to be effective at treating fibromyalgia. One study compared Cymbalta with a placebo in adults with fibromyalgia. Before the study, these adults had an average pain score of 6. People in the study took either Cymbalta or a placebo every day for 6 months. The researchers then measured their pain scores again to see if there was any improvement.
Cymbalta is FDA-approved to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain. This refers to pain in the bones, muscles, ligaments, nerves, and tendons. Chronic pain is pain that lasts for more than 3 to 6 months. Clinical studies have shown Cymbalta to be effective for treating chronic musculoskeletal pain. These studies involved adults with chronic low back pain or chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis a joint disorder that causes swelling and pain.
In one study , adults with chronic low back pain took either Cymbalta or a placebo every day for 13 weeks. Before the study, people rated their pain on a scale of 0 no pain to 10 worst pain possible.
The researchers had people rate their pain again at the end of the study. Clinical studies have shown Cymbalta to be effective for treating these conditions in children. Cymbalta belongs to a class of medications known as serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors SNRIs.
It affects your levels of both serotonin and norepinephrine. SSRIs, on the other hand, only affect your serotonin levels. Controlled substances are medications that could cause either physical or mental dependence. With dependence , your body needs the drug to feel normal.
The Drug Enforcement Administration DEA sets limits on who can make, possess, and use medications that are controlled substances. However, Cymbalta could cause withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking the drug suddenly. Addiction is different from dependence. Over time, someone with addiction needs more and more of a drug to feel its effects. This is because the drug affects your central nervous system CNS.
If you have questions or concerns about your risk for dependence with Cymbalta, talk with your doctor. Cymbalta is approved to treat mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Because it affects your mood, some people report feeling calm or as if their mood is boosted while taking the drug.
If you have questions about how Cymbalta may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. This was one of the more common side effects of the drug in clinical studies. In the studies:. If you have questions about side effects from Cymbalta, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You may wonder how Cymbalta compares with other medications that are prescribed for similar uses.
Here we look at how Cymbalta and Lexapro are alike and different. Lexapro contains the active drug escitalopram. Lexapro belongs to a class of medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs.
Both types of drugs are commonly used as antidepressants. Cymbalta comes as capsule that you take by mouth. Cymbalta and Lexapro have some similar side effects and others that vary. Below are examples of these side effects. This list contains 10 of the most common mild side effects that can occur with both Cymbalta and Lexapro when taken individually :. These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Cymbalta, with Lexapro, or with both drugs when taken individually.
The use of Cymbalta and Lexapro in treating depression in adults has been compared in a meta-analysis. A meta-analysis is a type of study that looks at the results of numerous clinical studies to see if there are any consistent results across the studies. In this meta-analysis , researchers looked at 16 different clinical studies that compared Cymbalta to other antidepressants, including three studies that compared Cymbalta with Lexapro.
The researchers found the two drugs to be similarly effective for treating depression. Cymbalta and Lexapro have also been compared in a meta-analysis for treating anxiety in adults. The researchers looked at 41 clinical studies involving a total of 11 antidepressants, including Cymbalta and Lexapro.
They found Cymbalta and Lexapro to be similarly effective for treating anxiety. According to estimates on GoodRx. Lexapro is available as a generic drug called escitalopram. Cymbalta and Effexor XR are prescribed for similar uses.
Here we look at how these drugs are alike and different. Effexor XR contains the active drug venlafaxine ER. Duloxetine and venlafaxine ER both belong to a class of medications known as serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors SNRIs. This medication class is commonly used as antidepressants.
Cymbalta and Effexor have some similar side effects and others that differ. This list contains 10 of the most common mild side effects that can occur with both Cymbalta and Effexor XR when taken individually :.
These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Cymbalta, with Effexor XR, or with both drugs when taken individually. The use of Cymbalta and Effexor XR in treating depression in adults has been compared in a meta-analysis.
In this meta-analysis , researchers looked at 16 clinical studies comparing Cymbalta with other antidepressants , including three studies that compared Cymbalta with Effexor XR. A clinical study directly compared Cymbalta and Effexor XR for treating anxiety in adults.
In this study, the researchers randomly assigned people to take either Cymbalta, Effexor XR, or a placebo a treatment with no active drug once a day for 10 weeks.
At the end of the study, the researchers found that people who took Cymbalta or Effexor XR had improved HAM-A scores compared with those who took a placebo. They found Cymbalta and Effexor XR to be similarly effective for treating anxiety. Effexor XR is available as a generic drug called venlafaxine ER. Other drugs are available that can treat your condition. Some may be a better fit for you than others. They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you.
Note: Some of the drugs listed here are used off-label to treat these specific conditions. Examples of other drugs that may be used to treat depression include:. Examples of other drugs that may be used to treat anxiety include:. Examples of other drugs that may be used to treat diabetic neuropathy diabetic nerve pain include:. Examples of other drugs that may be used to treat fibromyalgia include:. Examples of other drugs that may be used to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain pain in the bones, muscles, ligaments, nerves, and tendons include:.
On its own, Cymbalta has caused liver damage and liver failure. In rare cases, this liver damage was fatal. Therefore, drinking heavily during your Cymbalta treatment could raise your risk for liver damage even more.
If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor before you start taking Cymbalta. Depending on the amount of alcohol you consume, they may decide to have you try a different medication for your condition. Cymbalta belongs to a drug class called serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors SNRIs.
Cymbalta begins working as soon as you take your dose. It takes about 3 days for levels of the drug to become stable in your body. For example, in clinical trials , some adults with pain caused by diabetic neuropathy nerve damage , as well as some adults with fibromyalgia, noticed improvement within 1 week of starting the drug. However, the National Alliance on Mental Illness notes that full improvement of depression symptoms may take up to 8 weeks.
If you have questions about how Cymbalta works, or how long it takes to work, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Cymbalta can interact with several other medications. It can also interact with certain supplements. Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works.
Other interactions can increase side effects or make them more severe. Below are lists of medications that can interact with Cymbalta. Before taking Cymbalta, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take.
Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Cymbalta can increase serotonin levels in your body. Using Cymbalta with other drugs that also increase serotonin may raise your risk for serotonin syndrome.
Serotonin syndrome is a rare but potentially life threatening condition. Taking multiple medications that increase serotonin levels could cause serotonin to build up to dangerous levels in your blood.
Before taking Cymbalta, be sure to tell your doctor if you take any of the medications listed above. They may want to monitor you for any signs of serotonin syndrome. Or they may have you take a different drug to treat your condition. Taking Cymbalta with these drugs may increase Cymbalta levels in your body.
Slowing down this process could raise your risk for side effects from Cymbalta. Certain drugs have stronger effects on these enzymes. Examples of strong CYP1A2 inhibitors include:. Examples of CYP2D6 inhibitors include:. Before you take Cymbalta, be sure to tell your doctor if you take any of these medications. They can determine which drug is the best fit for you.
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