What is duloxetine? Duloxetine is a prescription medicine. The brand name is Cymbalta. Cymbalta
belongs to a class of medicines known as SNRIS or Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors.
What is it used for it is used for? A variety of reasons including to treat depression and anxiety,
it can also be used to treat painful nerve conditions and diabetic nerve problems,it can
be also used to treat fibromyalgia and chronic musculoskeletal problems such as muscle and
joint pain. Duloxetine can be used off-label to treat stress urinary incontinence.
How to take duloxetine? You can take this medication by mouth with or without food
as directed by your doctor. This medication is usually taken once a day unless there's a specific
indication like stress incontinence or for the treatment of major depressive disorder and your
doctor would then put you on this medication at least twice daily. What dose should you start at?
Well, this would depend on a number of factors including your age your medical history and
what other drugs you're on. I typically start patients on lower doses which are 20 milligrams
or 30 milligrams and titrate the dose up weekly monitoring for tolerability and side effects,
the dose has to be adjusted if you have renal impairment and if your creatinine clearance is
less than 30. In older adults above the age of 65 for major depressive disorder I would recommend
you starting at the dose of around 20 milligrams daily and for generalized anxiety disorder
30 milligrams daily. Duloxetine side effects: 16 tips and advice to minimize or avoid these side
effects Number one there is a black box warning of increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior
especially in children, adolescents and young adults. If you do have these thoughts immediately
reach out to your doctor or your healthcare professional so that you can be helped and
be taken care of.Number two this medication can cause liver problems. The main symptoms would be
nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, yellowing of your skin and the white of your eyes
and dark colored urine. Your doctor should check your liver parameters regularly.
Number three another side effect would be orthostatic hypertension that means if you stand
up too quickly you might get dizzy lightheaded and fall when getting up from a sitting position.
Take your time, be cautious when you're going up or down the stairs. Number four this medication
may increase serotonin and rarely cause a very serious condition called Serotonin Syndrome:
you might be taking other medications that can interact with Duloxetine causing high levels
of the chemical Serotonin to accumulate in your body, this can result in a variety of symptoms
such as high fever, muscle twitching, fast heartbeat, hallucinations, loss of coordination,
dizziness, GI symptoms such as severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and also unusual agitation.
It is important that you speak to your Doctor about what medications and supplements you are
on to minimize any drug drug interactions. If you are interested in what drugs might cause
Serotonin Syndrome and potential drug drug interactions check this video where I explained it
with the drug Lexapro. Number five this medication can also cause an increased chance of bleeding so
talk to your doctor before a surgical procedure he might want to hold or stop the medication.Number
six if you are above 65 as the side effect profile is dose dependent your doctor will increase and
titrate the medication slowly. Do not start at a higher dose or increase the dose too quickly.
Number seven do not suddenly stop the medication as it can cause something called discontinuation
syndrome. You might have severe nausea, dizziness and electric shock-like sensations in your head
called brain shivers. Some people feel so unwell they're unable to work and in some situations
you might be needed to be treated symptomatically at the hospital. Number eight. Side effects also
include skin reactions such as contact dermatitis, bruising, rash itching, night sweats and skin
Photosensitivity. Discuss with your Doctor the options such as decreasing the dose or treating
the skin condition symptomatically. Rarely you might be faced with a life-threatening
skin condition called Steven Johnson Syndrome as a side effect. Number nine the medication can lower
your sodium. This is called hyponatremia. If the sodium is too low this can increase the chance
of a seizure.Your doctor will have to check your electrolytes periodically with a blood
draw. This medication can also cause acute-close angle glaucoma which can be an ophthalmological
emergency; the symptoms include eye pain, changes in vision, swelling and redness which can rapidly
lead to permanent blindness. If you're not treated in time make sure you follow up with your eye
doctor regularly. Symptoms include abnormal orgasm erectile dysfunction and decrease libido you might
want to discuss the dose with your doctor as well as consider the timing of the medication.
Number twelve Duloxetine may activate a manic episode especially if your depression is not
unipolar depression and rather bipolar depression, make sure when you're having the discussion with
your doctor that you are as honest and transparent with all your symptoms. A family history,younger
patients as well as a history of depression with psychotic features are considered risk factors for
this condition. Number 13 Duloxetine can increase your blood pressure. Check your blood pressure
regularly at your doctors. Number 14: Although the drug is used to help with stress incontinence,
post marketing surveys have found a rare association with urinary retention. If you
do have trouble urinating alert your doctor about this. Number 15:do not take this medication with
alcohol it's not a good idea! Number 16 Duloxetine can slightly increase your blood sugars so if
you're a diabetic make sure you're monitoring your blood sugars closely. And if you're
interested in the side effects of another common antidepressant click right here for a video.And
if you want to see more videos you can click right here or click right here or here or here
have a good day and THINK your health I kind of see this this is like a barrage of tongue
twisters it's not that hard and think your health okay i'm done i've got a stomachache now