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Suggest An Alternative Drug Of Cymbalta For Schizophrenia
Question: taking cymbalta 10 mg and abilify 10 mg since 2 years for schizophrenia, too much weight gain, is there alternate medicine for cymbalta
Brief Answer:
Bupropion is an option
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I can understand your concern regarding weight gain due to your medications. You are currently on two medications, abilify (aripiprazole) and cymbalata (duloxetine).
Aripirazole is an anti-psychotic and is the primary drug in your case for schizoprhenia. It is the anti-psychotic with least possibility of weight gain.
Duloxetene is an anti-depressant and one of its side effects is weight gain. However you are just on 10 mg/day dose. The usually recommended dose range for duloxetine is 40-120 mg/day. So, it is very less likely that it is causing weight gain in your case.
Considering everything, I would recommend three options which you can discuss with your psychiatrist and take further action:
1. Continue the medications as such and add exercise to your daily routine and consider necessary diet modification.
2. Review the need of duloxetine. It's current dose is too low and can completely be stopped even if required.
3. Consider Bupropion as an alternative for duloxetine, if an anti-depressant is really required. Bupropion does not cause weight gain.
I do hope that I was able to answer your query. Please feel free to ask any further query that you might have.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sunil Gupta
Bupropion is an option
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I can understand your concern regarding weight gain due to your medications. You are currently on two medications, abilify (aripiprazole) and cymbalata (duloxetine).
Aripirazole is an anti-psychotic and is the primary drug in your case for schizoprhenia. It is the anti-psychotic with least possibility of weight gain.
Duloxetene is an anti-depressant and one of its side effects is weight gain. However you are just on 10 mg/day dose. The usually recommended dose range for duloxetine is 40-120 mg/day. So, it is very less likely that it is causing weight gain in your case.
Considering everything, I would recommend three options which you can discuss with your psychiatrist and take further action:
1. Continue the medications as such and add exercise to your daily routine and consider necessary diet modification.
2. Review the need of duloxetine. It's current dose is too low and can completely be stopped even if required.
3. Consider Bupropion as an alternative for duloxetine, if an anti-depressant is really required. Bupropion does not cause weight gain.
I do hope that I was able to answer your query. Please feel free to ask any further query that you might have.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sunil Gupta
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
kindly advise what dosage of bupropion to take, currently on cymbalta 30 mg
Brief Answer:
Starting dose is 150 mg per day
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for following up.
Bupropion can be started at a dose of 150 mg/day of sustained release tablets. The dose range is 150 mg to 450 mg/day. Further increase can be decided according to the response and occurrence of any adverse effect. The dose of cymbalta can be tapered of gradually over 2 weeks.
I would recommend that whatever change you plan to make in your current medications should be done under direct supervision of a psychiatrist so that he can monitor the effect as well as possible side effects.
I hope that answers your query. Please let me know if you have nay further questions. I will be happy to help. In case you don't have any further queries, please do close the discussion and rate the answer.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sunil Gupta
Starting dose is 150 mg per day
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for following up.
Bupropion can be started at a dose of 150 mg/day of sustained release tablets. The dose range is 150 mg to 450 mg/day. Further increase can be decided according to the response and occurrence of any adverse effect. The dose of cymbalta can be tapered of gradually over 2 weeks.
I would recommend that whatever change you plan to make in your current medications should be done under direct supervision of a psychiatrist so that he can monitor the effect as well as possible side effects.
I hope that answers your query. Please let me know if you have nay further questions. I will be happy to help. In case you don't have any further queries, please do close the discussion and rate the answer.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sunil Gupta
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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