Duloxetine
About
Duloxetine belongs to a group of medicines known as Antidepressants. It is primarily used for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Besides this, it is also used to treat neuropathic pain such as fibromyalgia associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and can be used to treat stress urinary incontinence in women. Depression is a mental illness or disorder characterised by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. Fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body. Urinary incontinence is the unintentional passing of urine. It's a common problem thought to affect millions of people.
Duloxetine contains Duloxetine. It works by enhancing the amount of mood-enhancing chemicals serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain. This action of Duloxetine balances out negative emotions, improves mood, sleep, and makes a person live a better life. In this way, Duloxetine relieves depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and many more.
Common side effects of the medicine include feeling sick, a dry mouth, headache, constipation and feeling sleepy. Most of these side effects of Duloxetine do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects are persistent, reach out to your doctor. A person taking this drug is not allowed to stop or reduce the dosage even if they start noticing an improvement in their condition without asking their doctor, as it may cause unpleasant symptoms including vomiting, agitation, confusion, etc.
Before taking the Duloxetine, let your doctor know about all your allergic or hypersensitivity reactions to medicines or food. Inform your doctor if you are suffering from kidney, liver, or heart disease. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please tell your doctor so that your doctor will weigh the benefits and any potential risks before prescribing it to you. Keep your doctor informed about your health condition and all the medicines you are taking before taking the Duloxetine to rule out any side effects.
Uses of Duloxetine
Medicinal Benefits
Duloxetine is used in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. This medicine is also used to relieve nerve pain associated with diabetic neuropathy or chronic pain associated with arthritis or back pain. This medicine acts by restoring the balance of serotonin and norepinephrine, a natural chemical present in the brain. In this way, this drug improves mood, appetite, sleep, and energy levels in patients and gives a sense of calmness in the body. Besides this, it can be used to treat stress urinary incontinence in women.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Duloxetine
- Difficulty sleeping
- Headaches
- Feeling dizzy
- Blurred vision
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Being sick (vomiting)
- Dry mouth
- Sweating
- Tiredness
- Less appetite
- Weight loss
- Feeling less interested in sex
- Erection issues
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Duloxetine should not be allowed to be used within 5 days before or 14 days after taking an MAO inhibitor such as rasagiline, selegiline, or linezolid as it may result in serious drug interaction. Don't stop taking Duloxetine without consulting with a doctor as it may cause serious drug with drawl symptoms. At the time of consultation, tell your doctor about heart problems, high blood pressure, liver or kidney disease, slow digestion, and a seizure. You should tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding with your doctor. Avoid doing any hazardous activity as these medicines cause sleepiness in the body, so rest only.
Drug Interactions
Drug-drug interactions: Tell all the medications you are taking to your doctor as this medicine may interact with other drugs, including antiplatelet drugs such as clopidogrel, 'blood thinners' such as warfarin, NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, certain quinolone antibiotics as ciprofloxacin, MAO inhibitors such as linezolid, etc.
Drug-food Interactions: Duloxetine may react with alcohol, so one should limit the consumption of it as it may increase the chances of liver disease.
Drug-disease Interactions: Tell your doctor about your past medical history and other ongoing diseases if you have any, as the use of medicine is restricted in some conditions that include: manic-depression, suicidal thoughts, alcoholism, serotonin syndrome, closed-angle glaucoma, high blood pressure, orthostatic hypotension, a form of low blood pressure, chronic inflammation of the liver, etc.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeTaking the drug along with alcohol may increase the side effects such as confusion, drowsiness, and trouble concentration. A few people may find it difficult to do mental tasks. A person needs to limit the use of alcohol while being treated with this medicine.
Pregnancy
cautionDuloxetine is only suggested to use in pregnancy if suggested by the doctor. This medicine increases the risk of deformities in infants, so one should tell their doctor if they are pregnant.
Breast Feeding
safe if prescribedLet your doctor know if you are a nursing mother before taking Duloxetine; your doctor will decide whether Duloxetine can be taken by breastfeeding mothers or not.
Driving
unsafeDuloxetine can cause sleepiness or may affect a person's ability to drive so one should avoid driving or doing any work that needs clear attention.
Liver
unsafeDuloxetine is restricted to use in patients dealing with liver disease. Inform your doctor if you have any preexisting liver disease. Your doctor will weigh the benefits and potential risks before prescribing Duloxetine.
Kidney
unsafeDuloxetine is not approved to use in patients dealing with severe kidney disease.
Children
cautionThe usage of Duloxetine is not allowed in children below seven years old. However, this medicine can be used in children above seven years after a doctor's recommendation.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Eat healthy foods that can improve the overall mood. The easiest way to do so is to cut out junk food. Avoid food high in saturated fats and include Omega-3s and omega-6-rich food such as fish, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, and olive oil in your diet.
- Neurotransmitters are responsible for keeping good mental health, so these neurotransmitters are made up of amino acids. Include amino acids in your diet as these food play an important role in improving mental health.
- Exercise is the best way to relax the body as it helps the body to produce more antidepressants which in turn alleviate depression.
- Losing weight is an important step that improves overall self-esteem and health so if you are overweight, then try to lose weight and manage it according to body mass index.
- Meditation is the best way to relax the body and relieve stress.
- Try to do deep breathing exercises, which help to calm down your mind and let you sleep better.
- Lying awake in bed does not calm down the brain, so it is important to have a good night's sleep. Thus take 7- 8 hours of sound sleep.
Special Advise
- Do not make any change in your dosing schedule without asking the doctor.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Major depressive disorder: Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder that affects the mood, behaviour, and physical activities of a person. The common symptoms of depression include reduced interest in daily activities, changes in appetite, sudden weight loss or gain, changes in sleeping patterns, restlessness, slowed movement, and speech and tiredness.
Generalized anxiety disorder or GAD: Generalized anxiety disorder is a mental illness that makes a person worry more than normal. Common signs and symptoms of GAD include Fatigue, Shaking, restlessness, problems in focusing, trouble in sleeping, feeling jumpy or dizzy, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or shortness of breath.
Diabetic neuropathy: In this condition, nerves of the body get damaged by the high blood sugar in the body. This condition especially affects the nerves of the legs and feet. The common symptoms of this disease include bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
Fibromyalgia: Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that causes musculoskeletal pain, followed by sleeping issues, fatigue, memory, and mood issues. It can start at any age and is more seen in women than in men. The pain may be triggered by physical injury, hormonal change, or emotional trauma. The common symptoms of fibromyalgia include pain for at least three months, tiredness, trouble falling or staying asleep, shortness of breath, headaches, memory problems, difficulty in concentrating, or anxiety.
FAQs
Duloxetine work by increasing the amount of mood-enhancing chemicals serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain.
Although Duloxetine is not addictive in nature taking it higher or for prolonged use of time may cause drug dependence. Thus one should only take this medicine or the time suggested by the doctor. Do not try to increase the dose for fast results as it may worsen the side effects.
No, the person having a liver problem facing us, symptoms like itching, dark urine, right-sided upper stomach pain, jaundice is not allowed to use this medicine.
Duloxetine has been used safely for a long time. Long-term negative effects are not present.
Report it to your doctor on an urgent basis, as they will either change the dosing strength or change the medicine.
The use of Duloxetine is restricted if a patient has used an MAO inhibitor (Selegiline etc), within 5 days before or 14 days as it may result in serious drug interaction.
There's no evidence to suggest that duloxetine will reduce fertility in either men or women. But speak to your doctor before taking it if you're trying to get pregnant.
If you have been feeling better for six months or more, your doctor may suggest coming off Duloxetine. Your doctor will probably recommend reducing your dose gradually over several weeks or longer if you have been taking Duloxetine for a long time. This is to help prevent any extra side effects you might get as a reaction to coming off the medicine.
