Cymbalta (duloxetine) causes 5.3 lbs weight loss

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Monday, July 25, 2005 8:42 am Email this article
The antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine) caused an average weight loss of 5.3 pounds when given to patients for depression according to a recent study from Lilly Research Laboratories. Depression improved in 70-80% within two weeks

Seventy to 80 percent of patients experienced some improvement in their depression within two weeks.

Dose: 80-120 mg per day

These dose used was 80 to 120 mg per day given as 40 to 60 mg twice a day.

One-year study; 520 patients

The study lasted a year. It started with 1279 patients of which 520 completed the study.

One-sixth dropped out due to adverse effects

One-sixth (17 percent) of patients dropped out due to adverse effects.

The most most common adverse events which caused patients to dropout were:

• nausea (1.5%)
• somnolence [sleepiness] (1.4%)
• vomiting (0.9%)
• hypomania [a mild form of mania, characterized by hyperactivity and euphoria] (0.8%)
• pregnancy (0.8%)
• dizziness (0.6%)
• insomnia (0.6%)
• hypertension (0.5%)

Common adverse effects

Adverse effects that that occurred in more than 10 percent of patients included nausea, insomnia, headache, somnolence, dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, sweating increase, anxiety, diarrhea, and fatigue.

Among patients who dropped out due to dizziness, every one out of twelve (8.3 percent) experience an increase in dizziness after quitting the drug.

No clinically significant increase in blood pressure

Blood pressure increased by less than 1 mmHg.

How does it work?

Cymbalta (duloxetine) inhibits reuptake of both serotonin and noradrenaline.

REFERENCE

Raskin J, Goldstein D, Mallinckrodt CH, Ferguson M. Duloxetine in the long-term treatment of major depressive disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2003 Oct, 64(10):1237-44.

AUTHOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

Joel Raskin
Lilly Research Laboratories
Eli Lilly Canada, 3650 Danforth Avenue
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada M1N 2E8
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