Duloxetine dosage

Right. This is a REALLY boring post, apologies!

I was diagnosed with Fibro in early December. Because I have been on 75mg Venlafaxine for donkeys years I was just given 20mg Duloxetine. 2 weeks ago I had the V reduced to 37.5mg. Yesterday I stopped the V completely and started on 40mg D. My head feels like its in a vice already & I'm awaiting the Trainspotting strength withdrawal symptoms any time 😩. Heyho.

My question is, if I was on 75mg Venlafaxine, shouldn't I be on a similar dose of Duloxetine? What do most people take? Am I being thick? Or has the fog in my brain solidified?

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee]

not sure on comparative doses for these but meds in the same family will be different. For example a pregabalin dose is

approximately one-sixth that of the gabapentin dose for the same therapeutic effect.

[Hidden in reply to desquinn]

Is there a website with that kind of info or is that from the docs?

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee in reply to Hidden]

if you search on my comment on gabapentin you should find it but this sort of approach is less well studied and a learned approach that is then documented with small trials.

there are some sites on the swapping of various antidepressants with intra "family" and inter "family". Yours is intra as they are both snris. Some suggest stopping, doing a washout and then starting the new one and others say direct swap but your gp is taking the gradual swap. one comment did say that some will start the new med on a slightly lower dose and then increase while reducing the original.

While I sourced this info from good sources there is not something I found that would have been an easy link to hand over with info all in one place. but I think its just best to trust the gp as what your doing is what others have done.

[Hidden]

Have to admit when I started with Duloxetine had terrible headaches but they have now gone and I am on 60mg once a day.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes my head hurt for a couple of days at 1st but it does wonders for pain and helps sleep

[Wickedbiker]

I'm on a different cocktail because I've also got osteoarthritis, sjögren's and other bits bit the dose that works well for me is between 30mg and 60 mg once a day if I'm bad. I came off it over 5 weeks to try and reduce my medication but I became very depressed. It doe work as an antidepressant so be careful you don't find that you become reliant on it for that reason. X

[Hidden in reply to Wickedbiker]

They are toying with the Sjogrens idea for me. My eyes are horrendous. I have been suffering a few years with dry eyes, cloudiness and thinking my sights getting worse. Back and forth to opticians. The 1st answer was 'it's anxiety' and the 2nd was 'the astigmatism in both eyes'. You can't make this crap up! And osteoarthritis in my knees and lower back for years. I hate listing it all. I feel like a moaning, useless person 😩

[Wickedbiker in reply to Hidden]

I saw three maxillofacial specialists. Two said definitely and one said probably not! I've now got, eye drops, estriol vag. Cream and loads of different oral meds. Just another syndrome on my list. 🤔X

[Hidden in reply to Wickedbiker]

Whats estriol vag? x

[Wickedbiker in reply to Hidden]

Estrogen for vaginal dryness. Another sjögren's symptom. Eyes, mouth and vagina. Fun! X

[Hidden in reply to Wickedbiker]

Sorry lol duuuhhh! Didn't realise! No idea about that one. It closed up 9 years ago!! 🤣 sorry x

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee in reply to Hidden]

as Wickedbiker intimated the Sjogrens will normally affect more than eyes so keep that in mind when speaking with the GP. Sjogren's society are great as well.

[Hidden in reply to desquinn]

Yes I pointed out that I don't have a dry mouth. He ummmed & aahhhed about it being secondary or something. My GP I haven't actually seen in about a year. Saw a locum once in December. Its hard to talk to the GP over the phone who is extremely untalkative anyway. The rheumatology doc will be earning their money when I actually get an appointment. I have a long list of questions.

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee in reply to Hidden]

its more than just eyes and mouth and not just orifices so to speak but can also be internal organs. But sometimes people just have dry eyes.

[Caramia1964 in reply to Hidden]

i found it helpful to list all my symptoms , however insignificant it may seem and gave it to my rheumatologist along with photos of rashes etc . It will help them piece the jigsaw together ! good luck getting some answers. I have lupus with secondary sjogrens. x

[Hidden in reply to Caramia1964]

My mother has lupus. I have written a novel already 😉 x

[Foxydevil in reply to Hidden]

I have dry eyes , lots of floaters and sight has deteriorated a lot over last year.

[Hidden in reply to Foxydevil]

Same. It feels like I've got vaseline in my eyes and they need rubbing x

[Foxydevil in reply to Hidden]

Yes a film over them, I've been using optrex drops to clear it

[Hidden in reply to Foxydevil]

My optician recommended Hycosan Extra, several times a day. They have helped a little. X

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

your local pharmacist can often advise on normal dosages for a medication

[Ang54]

The dosage is relevant to the medication so some are more potent and lower dosages etc and your doc should monitor that with you. I was on duloxetine - didn’t help my depression at all so have now changed to fluoxetine 40mg which seems better for my depression- but we are all different, sometimes it is trial and error and seeing what is more effective overall

[releasethemagic]

The standard Duloxetine dose for fibromyalgia is 60mg. For flares a Consultant might suggest to a GP to try 90mg temporarily.

[Hidden in reply to releasethemagic]

Thanks. I thought it was about that x

[Caramia1964]

Hi I am a mental health nurse of over 30 years so have a lot of experience with different anti depressants. You cannot compare doses of different drugs as they don't equate. Often to change from one anti depressant to another you cross taper them which is how you were changed over. You can still however suffer withdrawal symptoms from the first one during this time and also side effects potentially from new one introduced. These however will reduce over time. It may be that your swap over was done too quickly for you! Everyone is different in how they experience side effects from medications. I am also on venlafaxine at 150mgs daily , I have been on duloxetine in the past but I couldn't cope with the side effects , tried other ant depressants too , but for me the venlafaxine is the one that works best for me. Again everyone is different in this respect. Hope the side effects pass soon and the transition from one to other is successful and works for you x

[Yassytina FMA UK Volunteer]

Hi there, I would phone your surgery perhaps for a call back from your gp , it never hurts to update the doc with symptoms you are having and questions you might want to ask as well. I am on 60mg one tablet a day, I do seem to get headaches in the morning , I take it before bedtime ,but mostly they go off eventually, for a piece of mind I would phone in the morning , take care x

[Hidden in reply to Yassytina]

He’s not chatty. If I do get him on the phone its like pulling teeth. It was difficult enough face to face but over the phone is impossible. X