Paxil vs. Cymbalta

• Are Paxil and Cymbalta the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Paxil? (Side effects)
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Cymbalta? (Side effects)
• What is Paxil? (Uses)
• What is Cymbalta? (Uses)
• What Drugs Interact with Paxil? (Interactions)
• What Drugs Interact with Cymbalta? (Interactions)
• How Should Paxil Be Taken? (Dosage)
• How Should Cymbalta Be Taken? (Dosage)

Paxil (paroxetine hydrochloride) and Cymbalta (duloxetine) are antidepressants used to treat depression and anxiety disorders.

Paxil is also used to treat panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder, and a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (premenstrual dysphoric disorder).

Cymbalta is also used to treat pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy or fibromyalgia.

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

Common side effects of Paxil include:

• headache,
• nervousness,
• restlessness,
• drowsiness,
• dizziness,
• nasal irritation,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• nausea,
• constipation,
• weight changes,
• decreased sex drive,
• impotence,
• difficulty having an orgasm,
• dry mouth,
• yawning, or
• ringing in the ears.

Common side effects of Cymbalta include:

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

Paxil (paroxetine hydrochloride) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant used to treat depression, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (premenstrual dysphoric disorder).

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

Call your doctor immediately if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Paxil may interact with cold or allergy medicines, sedatives, narcotics, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, medicines for seizures or anxiety, other antidepressants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), blood thinners, cimetidine, fentanyl, fosamprenavir, ritonavir, St. John's wort, tamoxifen, theophylline, tramadol, L-tryptophan, heart medications, medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, almotriptan, frovatriptan, sumatriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, or zolmitriptan. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking Paxil. Paxil may cause heart defects or serious lung problems in a newborn if you take the medication during pregnancy. However, you may have a relapse of depression if you stop taking your antidepressant during pregnancy. Do not start or stop taking Paxil during pregnancy without your doctor's advice. Paxil passes into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Consult doctor before breastfeeding. Withdrawal symptoms may occur if you suddenly stop taking Paxil.

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 initial dose of Paxil depends on the condition being treated and ranges from 20 mg/day to 50 mg/day.

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.

When switching from another antidepressant to Cymbalta your healthcare provider