Zulresso vs. Cymbalta

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

Zulresso (brexanolone) Injection and Cymbalta (duloxetine) are antidepressants used to treat depression.

Zulresso is specifically used to treat postpartum depression (PPD) in adults. Zulresso is available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) called the Zulresso REMS.

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

Zulresso and Cymbalta are different types of antidepressants. Zulresso is a neuroactive steroid gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor positive modulator and Cymbalta is a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI).

Side effects of Zulresso and Cymbalta that are similar include drowsiness, sleepiness/tired feeling, and dry mouth.

Side effects of Zulresso that are different from Cymbalta include loss of consciousness, flushing, and hot flushes.

Side effects of Cymbalta that are different from Zulresso include nausea, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, and dizziness.

Both Zulresso and Cymbalta may interact with other antidepressants and other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing (sleeping pills, narcotics, muscle relaxers, or medicines for anxiety or seizures).

Cymbalta may also interact with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), blood thinners, buspirone, cimetidine, diuretics (water pills), fentanyl, lithium, St. John's wort, tramadol, tryptophan, some antibiotics, and triptans for migraine.

Some patients may experience withdrawal reactions such anxiety, nausea, nervousness, and insomnia when they stop taking Cymbalta.

Common side effects of Zulresso include:

• drowsiness,
• sleepiness,
• dry mouth,
• loss of consciousness,
• flushing, and
• hot flushes

Common side effects of Cymbalta include:

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

Zulresso (brexanolone) Injection is a type of antidepressant called a neuroactive steroid gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor positive modulator indicated for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD) in adults. Zulresso is available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) called the Zulresso REMS.

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

Zulresso may interact with CNS depressants (e.g., opioids, benzodiazepines) and other antidepressants. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant before using Zulresso; it may harm a fetus. There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to antidepressants such as Zulresso during pregnancy. Zulresso passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

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.

 

Zulresso should be taken at the same time everyday. Zulresso should be taken either always with or always without food.

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.