Taking Cymbalta and Alcohol Side Effects, Risks & Overdose

Cymbalta is an antidepressant medication that works in the brain. It is approved for the treatment of the major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP), fibromyalgia, and chronic musculoskeletal pain.


What is Cymbalta? (Duloxetine)

Cymbalta and Alcohol should be avoided. It may worsen your symptoms, and it can be dangerous. Cymbalta is a drug used to treat a major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, and central sensitization. It is marketed under the trade names Duloxetine and others. It is consumed orally. It is an inhibitor of serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake.

In addition, Cymbalta may enhance your mood, sleep, appetite, and energy level and reduce nervousness. It is also used to help relieve nerve pain (peripheral neuropathy) in people with diabetes or ongoing pain due to medical conditions like arthritis, chronic back pain, or fibromyalgia (a condition that causes widespread pain). It can also lessen discomfort brought on by some medical disorders. Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors include Duloxetine (SNRI). This drug works by assisting in the brain’s natural chemical balances of serotonin and norepinephrine.

 It is also used to treat ongoing bone or muscle pain, such as lower back pain or osteoarthritis (joint pain or stiffness that may worsen over time) in adults. Duloxetine is in a class of medications called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). It works by increasing the amounts of serotonin and norepinephrine, natural substances in the brain that help maintain mental balance and stop the movement of pain signals in the brain.

Do not stop taking Duloxetine, even when you feel better. Your healthcare provider will assess how long you need to take medicine with your input. Missing doses of Duloxetine may increase your risk for relapse in your symptoms. Stopping Duloxetine abruptly may result in one or more of the following withdrawal symptoms: irritability, nausea, feeling dizzy, vomiting, nightmares, headache, and paresthesias (prickling, tingling sensation on the skin).

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Cymbalta /Duloxetine Facts

Duloxetine

Duloxetine, sold under the brand name Cymbalta among others, is a medication used to treat major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain and central sensitization. It is taken by mouth. It is a serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.


CAS ID: 136434-34-9

Molar mass: 297.4146 g/mol

ChEMBL Id: 1175

ChemSpider ID: 54822

Boiling point: 466.2 °C

IUPHAR ID: 202

Metabolism: Liver, two P450 isozymes, CYP2D6 and CYP1A2

Drug class

Duloxetine belongs to a group of medicines known as selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs).


Indications

Duloxetine is a medication used to manage major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), fibromyalgia, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Off-label uses for Duloxetine include chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and stress urinary incontinence.

Cymbalta and Alcohol Interaction

There are 3 duloxetine interactions with alcohol that may also be linked to food and lifestyle. Caffeine may increase the blood levels and effects of Duloxetine. You may need a dose adjustment or more frequent monitoring by your doctor to use both medications safely.

This drug may harm the liver, and consuming alcohol while taking it may worsen this risk. Duloxetine alcohol interaction should be avoided or moderated. You should seek medical attention right away if you have any of the following: fever, chills, joint pain or swelling, extreme fatigue or weakness, unusual bleeding or bruising, skin rash or itching, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, or yellowing of the skin or the whites of your eyes.

Cymbalta is frequently recommended to treat depression, although it can occasionally cause emotional instability. Alcohol may also lessen the medication’s efficacy when used with it. This could make anxiety and depressive symptoms worse.

Cymbalta and Alcohol
Taking Cymbalta can improve mood, sleep, appetite, and energy levels while decreasing nervousness. For medical conditions such as chronic back pain and fibromyalgia, it works to relieve pain.

Cymbalta 30 mg and Alcohol

As prescribed by your doctor, take this medication by mouth 1–2 times daily with or without meals. Taking this medication with meals may help if you experience nausea. Completely inhale the pill. Do not chew, crush, or combine the capsule’s contents with anything other than water or food. This might cause the medicine to leak completely all at once, raising the possibility of negative effects.

Your age, health status, and treatment response all factor into the recommended dose. Your doctor might advise you to start this medicine at a low dose and gradually raise it to lower your chance of experiencing adverse effects. To reap the greatest benefits from this drug, take it frequently. Take it at the same time(s) every day to aid with memory.

Cymbalta 60 mg and Alcohol

Cymbalta 60 mg raises the neurological system’s amounts of serotonin and noradrenaline. Adults take Cymbalta to treat depression. disordered generalized anxiety (chronic feeling of anxiety or nervousness). Before raising the dosage to 60 mg once a day, some individuals may start with 30 mg once daily for a week. Children over the age of 13: Initially, 30 mg once daily. If necessary, your doctor could raise your dosage. The dosage, nevertheless, is often limited to 60 mg per day.

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Alcohol and Cymbalta Effects

People who take duloxetine with alcohol may experience effects such as reduced motor reflexes and dizziness. The drug Cymbalta is quite effective. When used with other drugs like alcohol, it might have detrimental consequences on your health. On their own, duloxetine and alcohol can each cause liver harm and signs of depression.

Can I drink alcohol with duloxetine? Avoid drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while you are taking antidepressant medications. They may decrease the benefits (e.g., worsen your condition) and increase the medication’s adverse effects (e.g., sedation). Alcohol increases the risk of liver problems with duloxetine.

Interestingly, because each person has a different genetic makeup and tolerance level, it is hard to predict how alcohol Duloxetine combination affect them. Duloxetine and alcohol should never be used since there is a potential for mild, moderate, or severe adverse effects.

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Alcohol and Cymbalta Side Effects

Mixing both substances may create different duloxetine and alcohol side effects depending on the dose. Many people feel stimulated and strengthened at low doses of alcohol and duloxetine. Mixing a small amount of alcohol and duloxetine is not recommended.

Cymbalta and Alcohol
Cymbalta is a potent medication. It can seriously affect your body, especially when mixed with other substances, such as alcohol.

Side effects of duloxetine alcohol combination can include:

  • Dizziness
  • Sluggishness
  • Drowsiness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Itching
  • Hives
  • Palpitations
  • Respiratory Depression
  • Cardiac Arrest
  • Coma
  • Seizures
  • Death

Cymbalta and Alcohol Blackouts

In extreme situations, using drugs like Cymbalta can result in major health issues, including liver damage. Additionally, amitriptyline and alcohol consumption together may cause blackouts.

Cymbalta and Alcohol Cravings

Some data suggest Cymbalta usage may lead to increased alcohol cravings. When using Cymbalta with alcohol, there are anecdotal reports of patients having greater drunkenness and blackouts, although these adverse effects have not been well-researched.

Cymbalta and Alcohol Liver Damage

Can you drink alcohol with Duloxetine? Drinking alcohol while taking Cymbalta increases the risk of liver damage in addition to making depression worse. On their own, Side effects of Cymbalta and alcohol can potentially harm the liver. When combined, the danger increases, particularly if you consume numerous beverages at once.

Worsened Depression

Some adolescents on Cymbalta may become anxious, irritated, or exhibit other strange behaviors. Additionally, it could make some people sad or have suicidal thoughts and impulses. Some patients may feel worse rather than better when beginning drugs like Cymbalta or adjusting the dose. You may sense more tense, restless, hostile, aggressive, and impulsive and feel like you are not yourself or become less hindered. You may have thoughts of suicide, hurting yourself or other people.

How much alcohol can you drink on Cymbalta?

Alcohol use is discouraged while using Cymbalta since it might intensify side effects, raise your risk of liver damage, and decrease the drug’s effectiveness in treating your anxiety or depression. Always heed the counsel of your healthcare expert when it comes to health.

Can you drink alcohol while taking Duloxetine? Alcohol with Cymbalta may intensify the effects of both drugs. Any negative affects you encounter with either Cymbalta or alcohol will probably be harsher when these two drugs are combined than they would be with just one since they both work on the brain similarly and influence the same molecules.

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Cymbalta and Alcohol Withdrawal

According to some research, taking Cymbalta after quitting drinking may help those experiencing alcohol withdrawal. For certain people under specific conditions, Cymbalta can lessen some anxiety sensations and other withdrawal symptoms from alcohol.[2]

While on duloxetine can you drink alcohol? According to one study, a low dose of Duloxetine during therapy dramatically reduced alcohol consumption. The study also discovered that a decline followed this decline in drinking behaviors linked to anxiety. Some research suggests that Duloxetine may be useful in lessening anxiety-like behaviors and alcohol intake, which may make it useful as a treatment during alcohol withdrawal.[3]

Always be conscious of potential dangers while consuming alcohol or other drugs. Please don’t assume that since drinking was permitted while taking one antidepressant, it would be permitted because each medicine is unique.

Cymbalta and Alcohol Withdrawal
However, if you withdraw from alcohol, you should never take Cymbalta or other medications containing Duloxetine without consulting your doctor.

Never self-prescribe Cymbalta for alcohol withdrawal symptoms; it should only be used as prescribed by a doctor. Depending on your circumstances, the doctor should evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using Cymbalta for alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

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