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You are likely in Cymbalta Duloxetine withdrawal at the moment. This page gives you quick solutions to the existing Cymbalta Duloxetine withdrawal side effects and gives guidance on how to proceed with a safe and effective Cymbalta Duloxetine withdrawal.
The most debilitating Cymbalta Duloxetine withdrawal side effect is something called brain zaps. An electrical jolt that usually starts at the base of the skull and feels like it runs into the brain. Cymbalta Duloxetine brain zaps is the leading cause of people stopping the Effexor Venlafaxine withdrawal process and they go back on a higher dosage of the Effexor Venlafaxine in the hope of relief.
Slow and steady will win this race!
There is Hope and There is a Solution
1. Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors
This chapter covers antidepressants that fall into the class of serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) reuptake inhibitors. That is, they bind to the 5-HT and NE transporters with varying levels of potency and binding affinity ratios. Unlike the selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), most of these antidepressants have an ascending rather than a flat dose-response curve. The chapter provides a brief review of the chemistry, pharmacology, metabolism, safety and adverse effects, clinical use, and therapeutic indications of each antidepressant. Venlafaxine, a phenylethylamine, is a relatively weak 5-HT and weaker NE uptake inhibitor with a 30-fold difference in binding of the two transporters. Therefore, the drug has a clear dose progression, with low doses predominantly binding to the 5-HT transporter and more binding of the NE transporter as the dose ascends. Venlafaxine is metabolized to the active metabolite O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV; desvenlafaxine) by CYP2D6, and it therefore is subject to significant inter-individual variation in blood levels and response dependent on variations in CYP2D6 metabolism. The half-life of venlafaxine is short at about 5 h, with the ODV metabolite being 12 h. Both parent compound and metabolite have low protein binding and neither inhibit CYP enzymes. Therefore, both venlafaxine and desvenlafaxine are potential options if drug-drug interactions are a concern, although venlafaxine may be subject to drug-drug interactions with CYP2D6 inhibitors. At low doses, the adverse effect profile is similar to an SSRI with nausea, diarrhea, fatigue or somnolence, and sexual side effects, while venlafaxine at higher doses can produce mild increases in blood pressure, diaphoresis, tachycardia, tremors, and anxiety. A disadvantage of venlafaxine relative to the SSRIs is the potential for dose-dependent blood pressure elevation, most likely due to the NE reuptake inhibition caused by higher doses; however, this adverse effect is infrequently observed at doses below 225 mg per day. Venlafaxine also has a number of potential advantages over the SSRIs, including an ascending dose-antidepressant response curve, with possibly greater overall efficacy at higher doses. Venlafaxine is approved for MDD as well as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. Desvenlafaxine is the primary metabolite of venlafaxine, and it is also a relatively low-potency 5-HT and NE uptake inhibitor. Like venlafaxine it has a favorable drug-drug interaction profile. It is subject to CYP3A4 metabolism, and it is therefore vulnerable to enzyme inhibition or induction. However, the primary metabolic pathway is direct conjugation. It is approved in the narrow dose range of 50-100 mg per day. Duloxetine is a more potent 5-HT and NE reuptake inhibitor with a more balanced profile of binding at about 10:1 for 5HT and NE transporter binding. It is also a moderate inhibitor of CYP2D6, so that modest dose reductions and careful monitoring will be needed when prescribing duloxetine in combination with drugs that are preferentially metabolized by CYP2D6. The most common side effects identified in clinical trials are nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, insomnia, asthenia, and hypertension, consistent with its mechanisms of action.
2. Burning mouth syndrome: a review and update
Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is mainly found in middle aged or elderly women and is characterized by intense burning or itching sensation of the tongue or other regions of the oral mucosa. It can be accompanied by xerostomia and dysgeusia. The syndrome generally manifests spontaneously, and the discomfort is typically of a continuous nature but increases in intensity during the evening and at night. Although BMS classically has been attributed to a range of factors, in recent years evidence has been obtained relating it peripheral (sensory C and/or trigeminal nerve fibers) or central neuropathic disturbances (involving the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system). The differential diagnosis requires the exclusion of oral mucosal lesions or blood test alterations that can produce burning mouth sensation. Patient management is based on the avoidance of causes of oral irritation and the provision of psychological support. Drug treatment for burning sensation in primary BMS of peripheral origin can consist of topical clonazepam, while central type BMS appears to improve with the use of antidepressants such as duloxetine, antiseizure drugs such as gabapentin, or amisulpride.
3. Bioaccumulation of therapeutic drugs by human gut bacteria
Bacteria in the gut can modulate the availability and efficacy of therapeutic drugs. However, the systematic mapping of the interactions between drugs and bacteria has only started recently1 and the main underlying mechanism proposed is the chemical transformation of drugs by microorganisms (biotransformation). Here we investigated the depletion of 15 structurally diverse drugs by 25 representative strains of gut bacteria. This revealed 70 bacteria-drug interactions, 29 of which had not to our knowledge been reported before. Over half of the new interactions can be ascribed to bioaccumulation; that is, bacteria storing the drug intracellularly without chemically modifying it, and in most cases without the growth of the bacteria being affected. As a case in point, we studied the molecular basis of bioaccumulation of the widely used antidepressant duloxetine by using click chemistry, thermal proteome profiling and metabolomics. We find that duloxetine binds to several metabolic enzymes and changes the metabolite secretion of the respective bacteria. When tested in a defined microbial community of accumulators and non-accumulators, duloxetine markedly altered the composition of the community through metabolic cross-feeding. We further validated our findings in an animal model, showing that bioaccumulating bacteria attenuate the behavioural response of Caenorhabditis elegans to duloxetine. Together, our results show that bioaccumulation by gut bacteria may be a common mechanism that alters drug availability and bacterial metabolism, with implications for microbiota composition, pharmacokinetics, side effects and drug responses, probably in an individual manner.
4. Duloxetine for treating painful neuropathy, chronic pain or fibromyalgia
Background: Duloxetine is a balanced serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor licensed for the treatment of major depressive disorders, urinary stress incontinence and the management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. A number of trials have been conducted to investigate the use of duloxetine in neuropathic and nociceptive painful conditions. This is the first update of a review first published in 2010.
Objectives: To assess the benefits and harms of duloxetine for treating painful neuropathy and different types of chronic pain.
5. Withdrawal Symptoms after Serotonin-Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitor Discontinuation: Systematic Review
Background: Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) are widely used in medical practice. Their discontinuation has been associated with a wide range of symptoms. The aim of this paper is to identify the occurrence, frequency, and features of withdrawal symptoms after SNRI discontinuation.
Keywords: Adverse events; Antidepressant drugs; Desvenlafaxine; Discontinuation syndrome; Duloxetine; Levomilnacipran; Milnacipran; Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors; Venlafaxine; Withdrawal symptoms.
6. Optimal pharmacotherapy pathway in adults with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain: the OPTION-DM RCT
Background: The mainstay of treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain is pharmacotherapy, but the current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline is not based on robust evidence, as the treatments and their combinations have not been directly compared.
Objectives: To determine the most clinically beneficial, cost-effective and tolerated treatment pathway for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain.
7. Is duloxetine an alternative in the treatment of osteoarthritis?
Introduction: Many osteoarthritis patients continue to present symptoms despite nonsurgical treatment. Duloxetine might be a viable alternative for such cases, but real clinical relevance remains unclear.
Methods: A literature review was conducted in Epistemonikos, the largest database for systematic reviews in health that compiles multiple sources, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane, among others. Relevant data were extracted, and information from the primary studies was reanalyzed. A subsequent meta-analysis was conducted, and summary of findings tables were constructed using the GRADE methodology.
Results and conclusions: Four systematic reviews including four randomized trials, were identified. In conclusion, while duloxetine slightly improves pain and functionality in osteoarthritis patients, its use is associated with frequent adverse side effects. Therefore, the benefit/risk balance appears unfavorable.
8. A randomized comparative study of methylcobalamin, methylcobalamin plus pregabalin and methylcobalamin plus duloxetine in patients of painful diabetic neuropathy
Context: Diabetic neuropathy affects 10.5%-32.2% of diabetic population posing clinical burden onto society.
Aims: We aimed to study the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of methylcobalamin, methylcobalamin plus pregabalin, and methylcobalamin plus duloxetine in patients of painful diabetic neuropathy.
9. Duloxetine Induced Hyponatremia
Hyponatremia can be asymptomatic or have a wide range of clinical presentations such as headaches, muscle cramps, nausea, seizures, coma, cerebral edema and may even result in death. Despite it has been suggested that duloxetine has a relatively less risk of hyponatraemia, the number of case reports are increasing. A 45- year old female patient with complaints of fear, anxiety, sleeplessness and headache was started on duloxetine (30 mg/day). In the first week of the treatment, she was admitted to the emergency service with dizziness, dry mouth, polyuria and polydipsia. She had to be transferred to the intensive care unit because of agitation, loss of consciousness and a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Blood levels of Sodium (Na+), Potassium (K+) and Chlorine (Cl-) were, respectfully, 121 mmol/L, 2.7 mmol/L and 87 mmol/L. Brain imaging displayed cerebral edema. Electrolyte levels were regulated with saline infusions. Amitriptyline was initiated for the ongoing headache and anxiety. In outpatient visits, hyponatremia did not recur in the following 3 months. Low dose duloxetine was associated with severe hyponatremia signs and symptoms in an individual who was not previously considered as high risk for hyponatraemia. The patient’s history did not reveal any complaints related to hyponatremia when she was treated with sertraline two years ago. Based on these, we discussed the risk factors for hyponatremia and risky antidepressant classes.
10. Efficacy and safety of duloxetine in chronic musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is a complex condition that is mainly treated with analgesic drugs. However, antidepressant intervention is also an important factor in the treatment of CMP. Duloxetine is an effective treatment option for patients with CMP as its antidepressant effect. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of duloxetine in treating CMP.