what time of day is best to take cymbalta?

Question

depression prescription drug cymbalta. best time for taking dose

Answer 1

It can cause drowsiness, so early evening or right before bed would be most effective.

Answer 2

I take it in the morning because I have trouble sleeping, all the time no matter what, and anti-depressants that are not just traditional SSRI's like Cymbalta give me a little boost. Not enough to notice if I am awake but enough to notice if I am trying to sleep. It works very well. Switching from Zoloft to this I felt better, more energy than with traditional SSRI's.

Answer 3

Take it in the morning if you want it to work during the day and have maximum effectiveness. Take it at night if you want it to work during the night. The average half-life of the concentration is 12 hours. Cmax occurs 6 hours after dosage. So say you take it at 8am, 6 hours later at 2pm you're at Cmax, 12 hours later at 2am you're at half of Cmax. Also note that the medication is less effective at night. Food also delays the time it takes to work by as much as 3 hours and the medication's effectiveness by decreasing the absorbtion into the stomach by as much as 10%.

from the Cymbalta prescribing information at www.cymbalta.com...

Duloxetine has an elimination half-life of about 12 hours (range 8 to 17 hours) and its pharmacokinetics are dose proportional over the therapeutic range. Steady-state plasma concentrations are typically achieved after 3 days of dosing. Elimination of duloxetine is mainly through hepatic metabolism involving two P450 isozymes, CYP2D6 and CYP1A2.
Absorption and Distribution — Orally administered duloxetine hydrochloride is well absorbed. There is a median 2-hour lag until absorption begins (Tlag), with maximal plasma concentrations (Cmax) of duloxetine occurring 6 hours post dose. Food does not affect the Cmax of duloxetine, but delays the time to reach peak concentration from 6 to 10 hours and it marginally decreases the extent of absorption (AUC) by about 10%. There is a 3-hour delay in absorption and a one-third increase in apparent clearance of duloxetine after an evening dose as compared to a morning dose.

Answer 4

I was just prescribed Cymbalta this morning. My doctor said to take it in the morning as it can interrupt sleep; however, it has also shown to make some drowsy. As with most medications, you need to pay attention to how it affects you and judge when to take it accordingly.

Answer 5

When I first started it I took it before bed because the doc said it could cause nausea for the first week, and I thought it would be great to sleep through the nausea. After the first week I switched to taking it in the morning after breakfast because it kept me awake at night! Taking it in the morning helped somewhat, but it still prevented good sleep. It made me feel like I was on speed, and made me laugh a lot! I was glad to stop taking it because it made me feel not-normal.

Answer 6

You should probably talk to your doctor about the best time to take it. If you are on any other medications, it could interfere with how they work.
All the best to you, I hope the Cymbalta helps you.

Answer 7

Well it makes me feel nauseated, so I eat my breakfast first, then take it in the morn. Cymbalta has to be takin first thing in the morning. But the best thing to do is to ask your DR when they want you to take it.

Answer 8

Before bed. It'll make you drowsy if you take it in the morning and you'll want nothing better than going back to bed two hours later. Trust me. I took it for a while too. Celexa works better for me.

Answer 9

I take it in the morning after I eat breakfast, and it works fine for me. But everyone's different...