Luvox vs. Cymbalta

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

Luvox (fluvoxamine) and Cymbalta (duloxetine) are antidepressants used to treat depression.

Luvox is also used to treat social anxiety disorder (social phobia), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Cymbalta is also used to treat general anxiety disorder, and pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy or fibromyalgia.

Luvox and Cymbalta are different types of antidepressants. Luvox is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and Cymbalta is a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI).

Side effects of Luvox and Cymbalta that are similar include loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, dizziness, drowsiness, and sleep problems (insomnia or unusual dreams).

Side effects of Luvox that are different from Cymbalta include gas, sore throat, weakness, yawning, anxiety, increased sweating, skin rash, heavy menstrual periods, muscle pain, decreased sex drive, abnormal ejaculation, or trouble having an orgasm.

Side effects of Cymbalta that are different from Luvox include constipation, fatigue, and tired feeling.

Both Luvox and Cymbalta may interact with alcohol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing (sleeping pills, narcotics, muscle relaxers, sedatives, or medicines for anxiety, depression, or seizures), diuretics (water pills), lithium, St. John's wort, tramadol, L-tryptophan, blood thinners, and migraine headache medications.

Luvox may also interact with clopidogrel, methadone, omeprazole, tacrine, theophylline, heart or blood pressure medication, or medicines to treat psychiatric disorders.

Cymbalta may also interact with buspirone, cimetidine, and some antibiotics.

Abrupt discontinuation of Cymbalta may cause withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, nausea, nervousness, and insomnia.

Common side effects of Luvox include:

• loss of appetite,
• nausea,
• diarrhea,
• gas,
• dry mouth,
• sore throat,
• dizziness,
• drowsiness,
• weakness,
• yawning,
• anxiety,
• sleep problems (insomnia or unusual dreams),
• increased sweating,
• skin rash,
• heavy menstrual periods,
• muscle pain,
• decreased sex drive,
• abnormal ejaculation, or
• trouble having an orgasm.

Common side effects of Cymbalta include:

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

Luvox (fluvoxamine) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant used to treat social anxiety disorder (social phobia) or obsessive-compulsive disorders.

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

Luvox may interact with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing (sleeping pills, narcotic pain medicines, muscle relaxers, or medicines for anxiety, depression, or seizures), clopidogrel, diuretics (water pills), lithium, methadone, omeprazole, St. John's wort, tacrine, tramadol, L-tryptophan, theophylline, warfarin, antidepressants, heart or blood pressure medication, migraine headache medications, medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, sedatives, or seizure medications. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

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.

 

The recommended starting dose for Luvox tablets in adult patients is 50 mg, administered as a single daily dose at bedtime. The recommended starting dose for Luvox tablets in pediatric populations (ages 8-17 years) is 25 mg, administered as a single daily dose at bedtime.

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.

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