Cymbalta vs. Lyrica

• Are Lyrica and Cymbalta the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Cymbalta?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Lyrica?
• What Is Cymbalta?
• What Is Lyrica?
• What Drugs Interact with Cymbalta?
• What Drugs Interact with Lyrica?
• How Should Cymbalta Be Taken?
• How Should Lyrica Be Taken?

Cymbalta (duloxetine) and Lyrica (pregabalin) are used to treat pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy or fibromyalgia.

Cymbalta is also used to treat depression and anxiety disorder.

Lyrica is also used to treat partial onset seizures in adults.

Cymbalta and Lyrica belong to different drug classes. Cymbalta is a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressant and Lyrica is an anti-epileptic drug (anticonvulsant).

Common side effects of Cymbalta include:

• nausea,
• dry mouth,
• constipation,
• diarrhea,
• fatigue,
• tired feeling,
• drowsiness,
• difficulty sleeping,
• loss of appetite, and
• dizziness.

Common side effects of Lyrica include:

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Loss of balance or coordination
• Dry mouth
• Constipation
• Edema
• Breast swelling
• Tremors
• Blurred vision
• Weight gain
• Problems with memory or concentration

Cymbalta is a prescription medicine used to treat a certain type of depression called Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Cymbalta belongs to a class of medicines known as SNRIs (or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors).

Cymbalta is also used to treat or manage:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain (DPNP)
• Fibromyalgia (FM)
• Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Lyrica (pregabalin) is an anti-epileptic drug (anticonvulsant) used for neuropathic (nerve) pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy or postherpetic neuralgia, and for treating partial onset seizures in adults, and fibromyalgia.

Do Not take Cymbalta if you:

• take a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI). Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if you take an MAOI, including the antibiotic linezolid or intravenous methylene blue.
• Do not take an MAOI within 5 days of stopping Cymbalta unless directed to do so by your healthcare provider.
• Do not start Cymbalta if you stopped taking an MAOI in the last 14 days unless directed to do so by your healthcare provider.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines that you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Cymbalta and some medicines may interact with each other, may not work as well, or may cause serious side effects.

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take:

• triptans used to treat migraine headache
• medicines used to treat mood, anxiety, psychotic or thought disorders, including tricyclics, lithium, buspirone, SSRIs, SNRIs or MAOIs
• tramadol and fentanyl
• amphetamines
• cimetidine
• the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, enoxacin
• medicine to treat irregular heart rate (like propafenone, flecainide, quinidine)
• theophylline
• the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) (like ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin).
• over-the-counter supplements such as tryptophan or St. John's Wort
• thioridazine (Mellaril). Mellaril together with Cymbalta can cause serious heart rhythm problems or sudden death.

Ask your healthcare provider for a list of these medicines if you are not sure.

Do not take Cymbalta with any other medicine that contain duloxetine.

Lyrica may also interact with alcohol, other medicines that can make you sleepy (sold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for anxiety), or rosiglitazone.

Take Cymbalta exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. Your healthcare provider may need to change the dose of Cymbalta until it is the right dose for you.

Swallow Cymbalta whole. Do not chew or crush Cymbalta.

Do not open the capsule and sprinkle on food or mix with liquids. Opening the capsule may affect how well Cymbalta works.

Cymbalta may be taken with or without food.

If you miss a dose of Cymbalta, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Cymbalta at the same time.

If you take too much Cymbalta, call your healthcare provider or poison control center at 1-800-222-1222 right away, or get emergency treatment.

The recommended dose of Lyrica is 75-600 mg daily. Alcohol and drugs that cause sedation may increase the sedative effects of Lyrica. There are no adequate studies of Lyrica in pregnant women. If you become pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry to track the outcome of the pregnancy and to evaluate any effects of Lyrica on the baby. It is unknown if Lyrica passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Breastfeeding while using Lyrica is not recommended.