Treating Elderly Depression with Cymbalta Oral

Known by the brand name Cymbalta, the actual drug contained is known as duloxetine and has long since been associated with not only the treatment of depression and several anxiety disorders, but also has found off-label usage in the treatment of nerve pain associated with a plethora of conditions, but most commonly problems that are found to be indicative of diabetes induced complications.

In the classification of antidepressants, Cymbalta falls under the heading of serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors which are targeted at affecting the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain of a geriatric patient suffering from depression.

The goal of the medication is to help the elderly person to once again experience restful, sound sleep and reclaim a healthy appetite. This in turn will lead to a healthy intake in nutrients, rest, and thus will lead to overall heightening of energy levels and thus the ability to once gain pursue the activities she or he enjoyed to engage in prior to being struck semi immobile by the ravages of elderly depression.

Even as this is a preferred drug for treatment of depression in the elderly patient population, it is vital to remember that there are a number of medications with which Cymbalta adversely interacts, and as a geriatric patient you must be vigilant in disclosing each and every medication you are taking or may take. Most important is a report on any MAO inhibitor you may take or if you are taking sibutramine, tryptopha, or thioridazine. There drugs are thought to have sometimes fatal results when combined in sufficient dosage.

This may contribute to some doctors' hesitation to prescribe Cymbalta to an elderly population that is known to have a well stocked medicine cabinet and who, more than likely, is concurrently taking a host of other medications to deal with ailments, and to prevent certain illnesses from occurring. On the other side of the spectrum are the physicians who prefer prescribing this medication to those elderly suffering from depression as well as diabetes and who have evidenced exemplary disease management skills since even though Cymbalta has the reputation of adversely affecting blood sugar, those who are taking all diabetes management steps and keeping a close eye on nutrition to boot are also those who will be least likely to take over the counter drugs that might interfere with the effectiveness of the antidepressant.

It has been reported that treating elderly depression with Cymbalta oral sometimes runs afoul of the patient because she or he may be less willing to take a drug that indicates potentially fatal interactions with other drugs, even if the patient is not currently taking any of them. The very fact that a drug may induce such dire consequences scares off a good number of individuals and physicians will do well to counteract this fear and hesitancy with education. In the same way, the balance needed between keeping a patient safe and soothing their fears is sometimes a hard one to maintain and this is where physicians, patients, caregivers, and family members need to work together.