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Cymbalta vs Tramadol Comparison: Understand Effectiveness for Anxiety and Pain Relief

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Cymbalta vs Tramadol

Patients have been dealing with pain issues a lot nowadays, and it is becoming a bit difficult to live normally. Doctors turn to two of the most believable and effective pain medications available today, and they are Cymbalta and Tramadol. These two drugs provide one with the best solution to their unbearable pain, and because they provide the similar effects, patients wonder which is better between Cymbalta vs Tramadol. Some also think if they should mix the two medicines. They must know these drugs are only for prescription use, and must know why to avoid some things to do when you are using the drug.

Cymbalta vs Tramadol: Finding Out the Difference and Which is a Better Medication.

What is Cymbalta?

Cymbalta helps a patient deal with anxiety, depression, and another problem called Fibromyalgia. It is a condition where chronic pain resides in many skeletal muscles. Cymbalta is also known by other names like Irenka and Drizalma Sprinkle, and its generic name is Duloxetine. It works when it binds with receptors, which release serotonin and norepinephrine, which stop the pain signals from reaching the brain. This makes the patient feel relaxed from pain. Cymbalta is taken as an oral pill once daily, around 30-60 mg per day. Even though Cymbalta is not a controlled drug, it can only be taken if prescribed.

What is Tramadol?

Tramadol is a dedicated painkiller that one can use to find relief from moderate and severe pain. It is an opioid analgesic that can react with certain opioid receptors in our system to produce a chemical named O-demethyltramadol (M1) and also release chemicals like serotonin and noradrenaline (or norepinephrine) into our brain. All of these chemicals work together to help us feel relieved from extreme pain. Tramadol is available with other brand names such as Qdolo, Conzip, Ultram, and Ultram ER. Tramadol can be very addictive, and as many can abuse it, it is approved as a Schedule IV controlled drug, used only when a doctor prescribes it.

Are Cymbalta and Tramadol similar?

Well, there is one major similarity between the two medicines, i.e, both Cymbalta and Tramadol release serotonin and norepinephrine for pain relief. But to say that there are many similarities between Cymbalta and Tramadol can be wrong. They are two different medicines having different primary uses, and their similarity is limited to a few points. One obvious similarity is that both are used for treating chronic and severe pain. These severe pains can include diabetic nerve pain or fibromyalgia, which can be handled by both medications effectively. Another similarity between the two drugs is not so positive, as both have the ability to increase serotonin levels to an abnormal level, leading to the very dangerous serotonin syndrome.

Differences between Cymbalta and Tramadol

One can find out many differences between Cymbalta and Tramadol by understanding the drug class they belong to, what is their approved status, how their mechanisms differ and so on. Here are some of the differences:

  • Tramadol is an opioid analgesic painkiller, while Cymbalta is an SNRI antidepressant predominantly used for depression and anxiety, but can also treat severe pain issues like fibromyalgia.
  • Cymbalta is only a prescription medicine, not a controlled drug, whereas Tramadol is both a Schedule IV drug and a strictly prescribed medication.
  • While there is similarity in the mechanism of Cymbalta and Tramadol, the primary action of Tramadol involves binding with mu-opioid receptors to create the chemical M1, which produces euphoric properties, helping in pain relief.
  • As a controlled substance, Tramadol has a high risk of abuse, but Cymbalta is not that addictive.

Cymbalta and Tramadol Interaction

A lot of drugs interact with Cymbalta and Tramadol, but before we give out the list of all those drugs, we need to understand what happens if we mix these two drugs. Many patients have wondered about this possibility, and it is very dangerous if anyone takes both medicines together. Their individual overdose can already risk the condition serotonin syndrome, taking them together is surely going to put one through that risk. One can suffer from issues like hallucinations, confusion, inability to think, seizures, bad heart health, and in worst cases, death. We will now take a look at other drugs it can interact with.

Cymbalta Drug Interaction:

Tramadol Drug Interaction:

Side Effects of Cymbalta and Tramadol

There arises a need to understand the other side effects that can come with Tramadol and Cymbalta, after knowing that we can get affected by serotonin syndrome.

Cymbalta Side Effects:

  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Insomnia
  • Diarrhea

Tramadol Side Effects:

  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Drowsiness
  • Blurred Vision
  • Breathing Problem
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache

Which is better: Tramadol or Cymbalta?

The answer to this question completely depends on the patients, and what their pain demands. Cymbalta and Tramadol for pain have their own benefits and disadvantages, and after understanding them precisely, one must know which medication will help them better. When a patient is dealing with diabetic neuropathy or fibromyalgia, doctor would prescribe Cymbalta. But in cases of severe pain, let’s say a post-surgical pain, then Tramadol is one of the unanimous choice of a doctor. So, not one medicine can be chosen as better than the other. Cymbalta and Tramadol provide effective pain relief, and their comparison should only be done to understand why we should use them, and not which one we should not.

Conclusion

No one should restrain to take the right pain medication. Everyone must know that their pain issues have a solution waiting for them, and it’s in the form of Tramadol and Cymbalta. Both have all the properties to fight the pain. They may be very effective, but patients have to avoid getting addicted to it, as the overdose can lead to unwanted side effects and even make suffer with serotonin syndrome, which one cannot afford to have at any cost.

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