Duloxétine pour les troubles de l'humeur et les troubles nerveux

About duloxetine for mood and nerve disorders

Duloxetine is prescribed for the treatment of some mood and nerve disorders. These include depression, some anxiety disorders and also a certain type of pain caused by nerve damage in people with diabetes, called diabetic neuropathy.

People with depression have a consistently low mood and other symptoms severe enough to interfere with normal day-to-day activities. Depression can develop for no apparent reason, or it may be triggered by a life event such as a relationship problem, bereavement or illness. Duloxetine is thought to work by regulating the levels of certain chemicals in your brain (called serotonin and noradrenaline/norepinephrine) which may be involved in causing the symptoms of depression.

The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy and some anxiety disorders can also be improved by controlling the levels of serotonin and noradrenaline. If you have been prescribed duloxetine for either of these conditions, it will help to ease your symptoms of pain or anxiety.

Duloxetine is also prescribed for treating urinary symptoms, although a different brand and strength of capsule are used. There is a separate medicine leaflet called Duloxetine for urinary symptoms, giving more information about duloxetine when used for this condition.

Avant de prendre de la duloxétine

Certains médicaments ne conviennent pas aux personnes souffrant de certaines affections, et parfois un médicament ne peut être utilisé que si l'on prend des précautions supplémentaires. Pour ces raisons, avant de commencer à prendre de la duloxétine, il est important que votre médecin le sache :

• Si vous êtes enceinte, si vous essayez d'avoir un enfant ou si vous allaitez.

• If you have problems with the way your liver works, or with the way your kidneys work.

• Si vous souffrez d'une maladie cardiaque.

• Si vous souffrez d'une augmentation de la pression oculaire (appelée glaucome).

• Si vous souffrez d'hypertension artérielle.

• If you have ever had 'high' moods, such as mania in bipolar disorder.

• Si vous avez déjà eu une crise d'épilepsie.

• Si vous souffrez d'une maladie du sang qui augmente votre risque de saignement.

• Si vous prenez ou utilisez d'autres médicaments. Cela comprend tous les médicaments que vous prenez et qui sont disponibles sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médicaments complémentaires.

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

Comment prendre la duloxétine

• Avant de commencer le traitement, lisez la notice d'information imprimée par le fabricant qui se trouve à l'intérieur de l'emballage. Elle vous donnera plus d'informations sur la duloxétine et vous fournira une liste complète des effets secondaires que vous pourriez ressentir en la prenant.

• Take duloxetine exactly as your doctor tells you to. The usual dose is one capsule of either 30 mg or 60 mg daily. When starting duloxetine, your doctor may give you the lower strength of capsules to begin with, and then increase the strength as you go on.

• Try to take your doses at the same time of day each day, as this will help you to remember to take your doses regularly. You can take duloxetine either before or after meals. Swallow the capsule whole with a drink of water to help you to swallow it.

• If you forget to take a dose at your usual time, take it when you remember. If you do not remember until the following day then leave out the forgotten dose and take your next dose when it is due. Do not take two doses together to make up for a missed dose.

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

• Essayez de vous rendre à vos rendez-vous réguliers avec votre médecin. Il pourra ainsi vérifier vos progrès et revoir votre traitement.

• You may feel that duloxetine is not helping you straightaway. If you are taking duloxetine for depression or anxiety, it can take a week or two before the effect builds up and 2-4 weeks before you feel the full benefit. If you are taking duloxetine for nerve pain damage, it can take several weeks before you feel better. Do not stop taking the capsules after a week or so, thinking they are not working.

• If you are taking duloxetine for depression, you should expect that a normal course of treatment will last for around six months after your symptoms have eased. There are several types of antidepressants and they differ in their possible side-effects - if you find that duloxetine does not suit you then let your doctor know, as another may be found that will.

• If you drink alcohol, ask your doctor for advice about drinking while you are on duloxetine. Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of unwanted effects from duloxetine, such as dizziness and blurred vision.

• If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with duloxetine. This is because some herbal medicines (such as St John's wort) can increase the risk that you will experience unwanted effects.

• If you are having an operation or dental treatment, please tell the person carrying out the treatment that you are taking duloxetine.

• Keep taking duloxetine until your doctor tells you otherwise. Your treatment is likely to last for a number of months. Stopping suddenly can cause symptoms such as headache, sickness, anxiety, dizziness, shakiness and sleeping problems. Your doctor will reduce your dose gradually over a week or two to reduce the risk of these sorts of problems.

La duloxétine peut-elle causer des problèmes ?

Outre leurs effets utiles, la plupart des médicaments peuvent provoquer des effets secondaires indésirables, bien que tout le monde n'en souffre pas. Le tableau ci-dessous présente certains des effets secondaires les plus courants associés à la duloxétine. Vous trouverez une liste complète dans la notice d'information du fabricant fournie avec votre médicament. Les effets indésirables s'atténuent souvent au fur et à mesure que votre corps s'adapte au nouveau médicament, mais consultez votre médecin ou votre pharmacien si l'un des effets suivants persiste ou devient gênant.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes que vous pensez être dus au médicament, veuillez consulter votre médecin ou votre pharmacien pour obtenir des conseils supplémentaires.

Comment conserver la duloxétine

• Conservez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments