Cymbalta, a brand name for duloxetine, is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Doctors can prescribe this FDA-approved antidepressant for medical conditions such as depression and anxiety, as well as:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Major depressive disorder (MDD)
- Fibromyalgia
- Diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP)
- Chronic musculoskeletal pain
The dosages are always the same, no matter the medical conditions being treated. Doses start at 20 milligrams twice a day, then increase to 30 milligrams at the same intervals each day. Eventually, the dosage shifts to 60 milligrams once a day, and the maximum daily amount prescribed is 120 milligrams.
The drug can be taken for weeks continuously before a patient shows signs of improvement. However, some physical symptoms may begin to improve much earlier. Energy levels, appetite, and sleep can get better within two weeks, but mood can take up to eight weeks to start improving.
Patients under the age of 25 tend to have an increased suicide risk due to using Cymbalta. It’s crucial to monitor patients of any age who use the drug as an antidepressant for suicidal thoughts and behavior. Suicidal thoughts can occur more frequently when using the drug because it can change the way people perceive stimuli in their environments.
Cymbalta Regulations and Abuse
Cymbalta is not a scheduled drug because it does not lead to misuse or cause dependency. Yet, it would help if you had a doctor’s prescription to get duloxetine. The drug is available in the form of a time-released capsule.
Cymbalta is rarely misused, but when it is, individuals snort it or attempt large doses in a short amount of time. When abused, Cymbalta can heighten side effects, including hallucinations, nausea, and severe skin reactions.
People who prematurely stop using Cymbalta and similar antidepressants may begin showing signs of a discontinuation syndrome. It can likely occur since the brain’s cell receptors must adjust to the reduced serotonin levels. Because the drug is in a quick-release form, it will leave the bloodstream fast. This causes worse levels of discontinuation syndrome.
How Cymbalta Affects the Brain and the Body
Duloxetine is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. It carries out its functions by altering serotonin and norepinephrine levels. These are critical neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. The neurotransmitters help control emotional responses and enable the body to mitigate pain by rebalancing moods and control.
Low levels of these critical neurotransmitters lead to depression. Cymbalta raises the levels of chemicals, modifying their natural behaviors and inhibiting the body from absorbing serotonin and norepinephrine. This helps manage the levels of chemicals in the brain. As such, the brain can fight more effectively against depression.
The drug also has pain-killing or analgesic effects. It assists in controlling symptoms that are associated with bone pain. These include fibromyalgia and diabetic neuropathy. The ability to control pain is believed to result from the drug’s sodium ion channel blockade.
The Half-Life of Cymbalta
It takes around two and a half days for Cymbalta to leave the body altogether after a person takes his or her last dosage. About half of the drug will have already left the body in about 12 hours. The discontinuation symptoms will start when at least 90% of the drug has left the system. Following this, the brain will not take in the serotonin required, and this lack of balance has adverse effects.
Factors Influencing How Long Cymbalta Stays in the System
Even though Cymbalta leaves the system quickly, the discontinuation symptoms are known to last longer. The length of withdrawal usually depends on how long you have been using the drug.
Dosages and individual physiology also have an impact. Lower dosages do not have severe withdrawal symptoms. Tapering off the drug usage will reduce the withdrawal effects’ length and severity.
How Long Does Cymbalta Stay in Hair, Blood, and Urine?
People might get worried when they think of Cymbalta appearing in urine, hair, and blood. The drug is an antidepressant, and external perceptions of this might have nasty effects for some. It is not common to detect Cymbalta in blood, hair, or urine during a drug test. Additionally, employers typically do not include antidepressants in drug screenings.
Twelve hours is the typical duration that the drug will remain in the body. It gradually metabolizes by the body’s systems, and within a few days, it is no longer present in your body. You don’t have to worry about traces of the drug in your hair, urine, and blood.
Withdrawal Symptoms of Quitting Cymbalta Abruptly
Suddenly stopping Cymbalta can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. These can linger for weeks or even months. It is recommended to reduce the dosage and stop slowly to avoid the symptoms. Signs of the Cymbalta discontinuation syndrome include:
- Severe nausea
- Brain zaps or shivers
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nightmares
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Vertigo
- Irritability
- Tingling sensations of the skin
The Importance of Aftercare
Addiction treatment is for people who are struggling with a discontinuation syndrome. One Kentucky man known as Christopher Huff attempted to taper off the drug in March 2014 after seven years of using Cymbalta. Despite slowly weaning off the drug, he experienced suicidal thoughts. He also had a ringing in his ears, stomach discomfort, anxiety waves, and public fear.
Proper care for patients getting off the drug is essential and helps them avoid worsening withdrawal effects. Some aftercare includes:
- Dual Diagnosis Support: Patients who misuse antidepressants face several issues and might also be dealing with extra mental or physical illnesses. This combination of substance and mental health problems should both be monitored.
- Mental Health Tracking: Patients often begin self-medicating to cope with depression and loneliness. Depression is known to be a severe and life-threatening condition, so it’s essential to have regular meetings with your doctors to track your mental health and discuss treatments
- Therapy Sessions: These meetings will inform you about brain development changes due to addiction. You also are in a better position to make sound decisions and judgments. Doctors may recommend that you go to a rehab facility if the condition worsens or if side effects get severe.
- Professional Guidance: It is not good to deal with mental illness all on your own. A doctor, psychiatrist, or counselor can provide essential support. You should get help if you are struggling with the discontinuation syndrome of Cymbalta. Consider a specialist if you are also struggling with Cymbalta’s withdrawal effects.
- Black Box Monitoring: This helps track suicidal thoughts and behavior. Cymbalta discontinuation can trigger severe withdrawal, including suicidal ideation, by disrupting brain chemistry. When you notice any discontinuation side effects, ensure that you seek medical help immediately. It will ensure that you are adequately treated and prevent the side effects from worsening and uncontrollable actions.
Granite Recovery Centers
The Granite Recovery Centers have been designed to help drug users find relief from the use of substances. It has all the necessary resources to record and keep you fully informed about your substance use and mental conditions. While you are at the treatment center, you will learn about potential side effects and the impact of drug use on your mind, putting your condition in perspective.
There is comprehensive support for Cymbalta discontinuation through specialized mental health treatment and medical detoxification. Our well-trained and experienced professionals provide personalized care plans and monitor your progress, ensuring safer withdrawal than attempting to manage symptoms alone. Our programs will also keep you cheerful and not thinking about suicide.
The center’s supportive environment is conducive to self-improvement and lacks features that might remind you of depression. We include emotional treatment and detoxification to eliminate drug traces and manage withdrawal effects. Through detoxification, you will have a chance for your brain to recover. Medical detoxification is available for stable patients who can self-evacuate in emergencies and aren’t at immediate risk.
Our dedicated staff provides round-the-clock support throughout your recovery journey, creating a therapeutic community where you’re never alone. Through this friendly and helpful approach, we’ve successfully guided many patients through Cymbalta discontinuation and recovery. If you or a friend are experiencing side effects of Cymbalta discontinuation, reach out to us. We are available to get you into a treatment program that can manage your condition and provide the assistance you require.
