Sooner or later, everyone gets the blues. Feeling sadness, loneliness, or
grief when you go through a difficult life experience is part of being human.
And most of the time, you can continue to function. You know that in time you
will bounce back, and you do.
But what if you don't bounce back? What if your feelings of sadness linger,
are excessive, or interfere with your work, sleep, or recreation? What if
you're feeling fatigue or worthlessness, or experiencing weight changes along
with your sadness? You may be experiencing major depression.
Also known as clinical depression, major depressive disorder, or unipolar
depression, major depression is a medical condition that exists beyond life's
ordinary ups and downs. Almost 18.8 million American adults experience
depression each year, and women are nearly twice as likely as men to develop
major depression. People with depression cannot simply "pull themselves
together" and get better. Treatment -- consisting of counseling or medications,
or both -- can be key to recovery.
Major Depression: What Are the Symptoms?
Depression shows itself differently in different people. Common depression
symptoms are:
Depressed mood, sadness, or an "empty" feeling, or appearing sad or tearful
to others
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed
Significant weight loss when not dieting, or significant weight gain (for
example, more than 5% of body weight in a month)
Inability to sleep or excessive sleeping
Restlessness or irritation (irritable mood may be a symptom in children or
adolescents too), or feelings of "dragging"
Fatigue or loss of energy
Feelings of worthlessness, or excessive or inappropriate guilt
Difficulty thinking or concentrating, or indecisiveness
Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide without a specific plan, or a
suicide attempt or specific plan for committing suicide
Depression Treatment: When Should You Get Help?
If you have five or more of these symptoms for most of the day, nearly every
day, for at least two weeks, and the symptoms are severe enough to interfere
with your daily activities, you may have major depression. It's important to
speak to your doctor about treatments to start helping you feel better.
Cymbalta is indicated for the treatment of depression in adults.Important Safety Information About Cymbalta
The most important information you should know about Cymbalta:
Antidepressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens, and young adults. Suicide is a known risk of depression and some other psychiatric disorders. Call your doctor right away if you have new or worsening depression symptoms, unusual changes in behavior, or thoughts of suicide. Be especially observant within the first few months of treatment or after a change in dose. Approved only for adults 18 and over.
Cymbalta® (duloxetine HCl) is not for everyone. Do not take Cymbalta if you:
have recently taken a type of antidepressant called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or Mellaril® (thioridazine)
have uncontrolled narrow-angle glaucoma (increased eye pressure)
Before taking Cymbalta, talk with your healthcare provider:
about all your medical conditions, including kidney or liver problems, glaucoma, diabetes, seizures, or if you have bipolar disorder. Cymbalta may worsen a type of glaucoma or diabetes
about all your prescription and nonprescription medicines. A potentially life-threatening condition has been reported when Cymbalta was taken with certain drugs for migraine, mood, or psychotic disorders
if you are taking NSAID pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners. Use with Cymbalta may increase bleeding risk
about your alcohol use
about your blood pressure. Cymbalta can increase your blood pressure. Your healthcare provider should check your blood pressure prior to and while taking Cymbalta
if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during therapy, or are breast-feeding
While taking Cymbalta, talk to your healthcare provider right away:
if you have itching, right upper-belly pain, dark urine, yellow skin/eyes, or unexplained flu-like symptoms, which may be signs of liver problems. Severe liver problems, sometimes fatal, have been reported
if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, which may be symptoms of a potentially life-threatening condition
if you have skin blisters, serious or peeling rash, hives, mouth sores, or any other allergic reaction. These may be serious, possibly life-threatening, skin reactions
if you experience dizziness or fainting upon standing. This tends to occur in the first week or when increasing the dose, but may occur at any time during treatment
before you stop Cymbalta or change your dose
if you experience headache, weakness, confusion, problems concentrating, memory problems, or feel unsteady, which may be signs of low sodium levels
if you develop problems with urine flow
Most common side effects of Cymbalta (this is not a complete list):
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of Prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Other safety information about Cymbalta:
Cymbalta may cause sleepiness and dizziness. Until you know how Cymbalta affects you, you should not drive a car or operate hazardous machinery.
People age 65 and older who took Cymbalta reported more falls, some resulting in serious injuries.
How to take Cymbalta:
Take Cymbalta exactly as directed by your healthcare provider. Cymbalta should be taken by mouth. Do not open, break or chew capsule; it must be swallowed whole. Cymbalta can be taken with or without food.
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