Is Cymbalta (Duloxetine) Safe While Breastfeeding?

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When you are nursing your little one, there are many complications that you can face. At this stage there isn’t much you can do, as you aren’t sure what medication can affect your little one. And even if you take OTCs like Cymbalta to get relief, you will remain skeptical about the safety of this drug while you are breastfeeding.

If you can relate to the above situation or you simply want to know whether Cymbalta while breastfeeding is safe, you should consider reading our post. Here, we look at Cymbalta and breastfeeding and how safe it is to have while you are nursing.

What Is Cymbalta?

Cymbalta is the trade name of Duloxetine, a popular antidepressant that helps treat the symptoms of depression. Duloxetine belongs to a class of medicines popular as serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). The drug works on boosting the levels of neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine that regulate your mood and block pain signals that transmit to the brain (1).

Is Cymbalta Safe While Breastfeeding?

Cymbalta does pass into breast milk but in low amounts. So, consult your doctor before you go for the drug while breastfeeding. The doctor may recommend a 40 mg dose of the drug every 12 hours to you. The health benefits of Cymbalta outweigh the risks since infant exposure to the drug is less than 1%. So, you can go for the medication with your doctor’s guidance. Make sure you avoid having high doses of the drug (2).

Cymbalta And Breastfeeding – Know The Benefits:

Cymbalta increases the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in your body, which offer many health benefits. Here, we list some benefits of having Cymbalta while nursing.

1. Treats Depressive Disorder:

Improved levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in your brain due to the right doses of Cymbalta help minimize the symptoms of depression while you are nursing your newborn. The drug also helps treat various anxiety disorders. You can obtain quick relief from the symptoms of anxiety depression while breastfeeding (3).

2. Treats Fibromyalgia:

Fibromyalgia is a chronic health condition that can lead to pain, excessive fatigue, and adverse effects in several tender pressure points. Cymbalta is highly effective and provides you relief from the acute pain resulting due to fibromyalgia. Also, the drug offers you more consistent health benefits for the symptoms of fibromyalgia than any other antidepressants as it affects two crucial chemicals in your brain. Cymbalta also helps in treating pain in diabetic nerve damage effectively (4).

3. Treats Urinary Incontinence:

Urinary incontinence is the inability of your brain and body to exercise control over the urinary bladder. The health condition leads to leakage of urine while performing any physical activity. Cymbalta helps treat urinary incontinence while breastfeeding. Several medical studies reveal that about 50% individuals experience a reduction in incontinence frequency after having the right dosage of Cymbalta (5).

4. Minimizes Osteoarthritis Pain:

Certain medical studies reveal that having the appropriate dose of Cymbalta helps ease the chronic pain resulting due to osteoarthritis while breastfeeding (6).

Side Effects Of Having Cymbalta While Breastfeeding:

Even though Cymbalta offers you many health benefits, an excess of the drug can result in hazardous side effects. Find below common side effects of high doses of Cymbalta.

• Dry mouth
• Drowsiness and fatigue
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Constipation
• Muscle ache
• Headache
• Sweating
• Abdominal pain
• Increased urination
• Diarrhea
• Tremor
• Unusual bleeding
• Dark-colored urine
• Yellowish eyes
• Swelling of various body parts
• Pain in chest
• Panic attack
• Difficulty in breathing (7)

If you suffer from any of the above side effects while having Cymbalta while nursing your baby, stop using the drug and visit your doctor immediately.

Did you take Cymbalta while nursing your infant? How did you benefit from it? Share your story below.