Cymbalta
Duloxetine
Drug Class and Mechanism of Action of Cymbalta
Cymbalta is a serotonin-norepinepherine reuptake inhibitor. It helps to restore the neurotransmitters balance in the brain. The medication improves mood, sleep and generally decreases nervousness as well as pain appeared due to certain nerve damage.
Therapeutic Uses of Cymbalta
The medication is initially intended to treat such conditions as depression and anxiety. However it may also be used with aim to reduce nerve pain in diabetes patients.
Direction of use of Cymbalta
- Cymbalta should be taken orally with meal or without it once or twice a day. However you doctor may prescribe you another frequency of using the drug. Take the capsule at once without chewing or crushing it. Follow the prescribed schedule as it is based on your medical condition.
- Your therapy may start with low doses and gradually increase to bigger ones. Use the medicine in strict accordance with your doctor prescriptions.
- Don’t stop the therapy even in case your condition has improved. Avoid discontinuing the therapy without previous consultation with your health care provider.
- The use of the medication may be a cause of dependency. Thus sudden stop of drug use may lead to certain side effects. To stop the therapy doctor will gradually decrease the dosage use.
- The medication effect may show itself in 1-2 weeks after the start of the therapy. Let your doctor know in case your condition changed somehow.
Dose of Cymbalta, if Missed
In case you have missed to take the medicine do it at the time you have remembered about it. However skip it in case it is already a time for your next dosage and follow your common dosing schedule. Avoid taking two doses at once.
How to Store Cymbalta
The medication should be kept at the temperature of 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) in a dark and dry place beyond the reach of children and the pets. It is also possible to keep the medication at the temperature between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) within a short period of time. Avoid keeping the medicine in the bathroom.
In case the medication is already expired or no more needed in – discard it properly. Contact your health care provider to know how you can perform this. Avoid flushing the medicine in the toilet.
More Information About Cymbalta
Avoid giving the medication to the people who are not prescribed to use it. Make sure you keep the medical appointments.
Precautions to be Taken While Taking Cymbalta
Before starting the Cymbalta therapy let your doctor know:
- about any allergic reactions you have or may experience
- about your medical condition (especially in case you have severe kidney as well as liver disease)
- about your medical history (especially in case you or any one of your family experienced any psychiatric disorders, diabetes, glaucoma, dehydration, drug or alcohol dependency, seizure disorder
- about any medication (especially such MAO inhibitors as furazolidone, isocarboxazid, linezolid, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine) you already use as they may interact with duloxetinel.
The medication should not be used by the patients within the pregnancy or breast feeding period. Contact your doctor before starting the therapy in case you are going to become or already pregnant as well as you are within the breast feeding period.
Refuse taking alcohol within the medication therapy as it may increase the risk of liver disease.
The patient experiencing diabetes should pay attention to their blood sugar level as the duloxetinel may affect it.
The elderly patients should use this medicine with great caution as they may turn to be too sensitive to its effect.
In case you have overdosed the duloxetinel – contact your doctor as soon as it is possible.
Possible Adverse Effects
The use of this medication may cause certain side effects.
Contact your doctor in case you experience any of the following side effects for a prolonged period of time: nausea, dry mouth, constipation, loss of appetite, tiredness, drowsiness, dizziness, increased sweating, blurred vision, or yawning.
Contact you doctor at once in case you have any of the following serious side effects: fainting, unusual or severe mental/mood changes, shakiness, decreased interest in sex, changes in sexual ability, difficulty urinating, change in the amount of urine, weight loss.
You may also experience several quite rare side effects below. Contact your doctor immediately in case you have any of them: stomach pain, bloody/black/tarry stools, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, easy bruising/bleeding, muscle weakness/cramps, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine, seizures, unusual tiredness, fast/irregular/pounding heartbeat.
The use of the medications in combinations with such drugs as triptans (that are applied to treat migraine headaches) may lead to serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Contact your doctor immediately in case you have any of the following conditions: hallucinations, restlessness, loss of coordination, fast heartbeat, severe dizziness, unexplained fever, severe nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, twitchy muscles.
Various allergic reactions to the medication are quite rare though they may take place. Contact your doctor as soon as possible in case you have such symptoms as: rash, itching, swelling, severe dizziness, trouble breathing.