Cymbalta when does it work

Overdose symptoms may include vomiting, dizziness or drowsiness, seizures, fast heartbeats, fainting, or coma. It could take duloxetine two to four weeks to work.

Once your symptoms improve, your doctor may recommend that you take it for another six months to a year longer, depending on your condition. Health Topics. Health Tools.

Cymbalta Duloxetine. Generic Name: Duloxetine. Reviewed: November 16, The U. You should not use duloxetine if you are allergic to it. Not approved for use by anyone younger than 7 years old. Tell your doctor if you have ever had: heart problems, high blood pressure; liver or kidney disease; slow digestion; a seizure; bleeding problems; narrow-angle glaucoma; bipolar disorder manic depression ; drug addiction or suicidal thoughts; or if you drink large amounts of alcohol.

Side Effects. Side Effects What are the side effects of Cymbalta Duloxetine? Call your doctor at once if you have: pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest; a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out; easy bruising, unusual bleeding; vision changes; painful or difficult urination; impotence, sexual problems; liver problems --right-sided upper stomach pain, itching, dark urine, jaundice yellowing of the skin or eyes ; low blood sodium --headache, confusion, problems with thinking or memory, weakness, feeling unsteady; or manic episodes --racing thoughts, increased energy, decreased need for sleep, risk-taking behavior, being agitated or talkative.

Common side effects may include: drowsiness; nausea, constipation, loss of appetite; dry mouth; or increased sweating. All patients being treated with antidepressants for any indication should watch for and notify their health care provider for worsening symptoms, suicidality and unusual changes in behavior, especially during the first few months of treatment. Last Updated: January This information is being provided as a community outreach effort of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists.

This information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This information contains a summary of important points and is not an exhaustive review of information about the medication. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding medications or medical conditions. Never delay seeking professional medical advice or disregard medical professional advice as a result of any information provided herein.

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Advocacy Crisis Intervention. Advocacy State Fact Sheets. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicines packet. Information: You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme. What to do about: difficulty sleeping - try taking duloxetine first thing in the morning headaches - make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids.

Do not drink too much alcohol. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller. Talk to your doctor if they last longer than a week or are severe. If you begin to feel dizzy, lie down so you do not faint, then sit until you feel better. Do not drive or use tools or machines if you feel dizzy, have muscle cramps or muscle pain, or if you just feel a bit shaky. If it lasts for more than a day or two, speak to your doctor as they may need to change your treatment. Try to exercise more regularly by going for a daily walk or run, for example.

If this does not help, talk to your pharmacist or doctor. Do not take any other medicines to treat diarrhoea without speaking to a pharmacist or doctor first. Make sure you take duloxetine in the morning with some food and try small, frequent sips of water if you're being sick to avoid dehydration. If this does not help, you may need to try a different type of antidepressant. Try taking duloxetine 1 hour before bedtime. Cut down the amount of alcohol you drink as this will make you feel more tired.

If this symptom does not go away after a week or two, ask your doctor for advice. It may also help to eat smaller meals more often and eat foods you really enjoy. If your appetite does not improve or you lose a lot of weight, ask your doctor for advice. Duloxetine and breastfeeding If your doctor or health visitor says your baby is healthy, duloxetine may be used during breastfeeding.

Non-urgent advice: Tell your doctor if you're:. Tell your doctor if you're taking: any other medicines for depression - some rarely used antidepressants can interfere with duloxetine to cause very high blood pressure even after you have stopped taking them medication used to thin the blood, such as warfarin diazepam, chlorphenamine or other medication that can make you feel more sleepy tramadol — this can increase the chances of you having certain side effects Mixing duloxetine with herbal remedies and supplements Do not take the herbal remedy St John's wort while you're being treated with duloxetine, as this will increase your risk of side effects.

Important Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements. How does duloxetine work? When will I feel better? Give the medicine at least 6 weeks to work. How will it make me feel?

You'll hopefully take things that used to worry you in your stride. How long will I take it for? How long you take it for depends on why you're taking it. Is it safe to take it for a long time? Yes, duloxetine is safe to take for a long time. How do I come off duloxetine? These include: dizziness feeling sick numbness or tingling in the hands or feet trouble sleeping feeling agitated or anxious headaches shaking Important Do not stop taking duloxetine suddenly or without talking to your doctor first.

How does duloxetine compare to other antidepressants? 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. This means it can affect the levels of other drugs that are also broken down by this enzyme. However, some medications can cause side effects if their levels in your body are changed slightly. Examples of these drugs include:. Before taking Cymbalta, talk with your doctor about all the medications you take. They can determine whether Cymbalta can be taken with your other medications.

Drugs that affect serotonin levels, such as Cymbalta, may increase your risk for bleeding. Before taking Cymbalta, tell your doctor if you take any of the medications listed above. This monitoring may include ordering blood tests. Or they may decide to use a different medication to treat your condition.

This is an herb that can be used to treat depression. Cymbalta can raise your serotonin levels. Because St. If you have any questions about eating certain foods with Cymbalta, talk with your doctor. Clinical studies of the drug have shown that taking it the month before delivery may increase the risk of severe bleeding immediately afterward postpartum hemorrhage.

The manufacturer of Cymbalta maintains a pregnancy registry. The registry tracks the results of pregnant people taking the drug. You can join this registry online or by calling You should also tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking this drug.

You can take Cymbalta at any time of the day. However, you should try to take it around the same time every day. This helps make sure you have a consistent amount of the drug in your body. The best time for you to take Cymbalta may depend on what you use the drug for and how often you take it each day. Your doctor can help you decide the best time for you to take Cymbalta. Doing so may affect how well your body absorbs the drug.

This could raise your risk for side effects or make the drug less effective. You can also call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at or use their online tool. But if your symptoms are severe, call or your local emergency number, or go to the nearest emergency room right away.

As with all medications, the cost of Cymbalta can vary. To find current prices for Cymbalta in your area, check out GoodRx. The cost you find on GoodRx. Before approving coverage for Cymbalta, your insurance company may require you to get prior authorization. This means that your doctor and insurance company will need to communicate about your prescription before the insurance company will cover the drug. The insurance company will review the prior authorization request and decide if the drug will be covered.

If you need financial support to pay for Cymbalta, or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available. Cymbalta is available in a generic form called duloxetine. And generics tend to cost less than brand-name drugs. To find out how the cost of duloxetine compares to the cost of Cymbalta, visit GoodRx. They may have a preference for one version or the other.

If you have questions about using other drugs with Cymbalta, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can review your medications and discuss treatment options with you. Cymbalta may cause harm to a fetus. However, more research is needed in this area. However, there have been a few reports of drowsiness, poor feeding , and trouble gaining weight in infants exposed to breast milk containing duloxetine.

Duloxetine is the active drug in Cymbalta. If you choose to breastfeed while taking Cymbalta, you should watch for any trouble feeding or drowsiness in your child. Together, you can weigh the risks and benefits of breastfeeding while taking the drug and discuss your other treatment and feeding options.

This drug has a boxed warning. A boxed warning alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.