Cymbalta Drug Information
Description
Cymbalta is an antidepressant medication that affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression. Cymbalta is used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) and for the management of pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. There may be other destinations, but we recommend you to consult with your doctor if you want to use Cymbalta for different purposes than listed here.
Recommendations
Take Cymbalta exactly as prescribed by your doctor. If you do not understand provided instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you. Take each dose with a glass of water. Cymbalta capsules should be swallowed whole and should not be chewed or crushed, nor should the contents be sprinkled on food or mixed with liquids. Cymbalta may be taken with or without food. Try to take Cymbalta at the same time each day. Do not stop taking Cymbalta without first talking to your doctor. It may take several weeks before you start feeling better.
Precautions
Do not take Cymbalta if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) during the last 2 weeks. Wait at least 5 days after you stop taking Cymbalta before taking such medication. Serious, and sometimes fatal, reactions have occurred when these medicines have been used together. Also, do not take Cymbalta if you are taking thioridazine (Mellaril). Dangerous, even fatal irregular heartbeats may occur if these medicines are taken together. You must wait 5 weeks after stopping Cymbalta before taking thioridazine (Mellaril).
Tell your doctor about any medications you have been taking, even if you have stopped taking them, before you take Cymbalta.
