AboutDr Alan Galbraith Expertise I can answer most questions on most drugs. Answers can be given in either technical or layperson terminology. My main areas of interest are psychiatric, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular drugs.
Experience I have been a university lecturer/head of department for almost thirty years, but am now retired. My research interests were alcohol, smoking and cardiovascular disease.
Organizations Institute of Biology, London.
Publications Author of "Fundamentals of Pharmacology" 5th Edition published in November 2007 by Pearson Education, Australia.
Question My doctor took me off Luvox/fluvoxamine (100 mg.@night) & prescribed Cymbalta (for GAD) @ 30 mg. the first week. I have gone 48 hours without fluvoxamine (my pharmacist recommended) and now I'm wondering if I should wait longer - what do you think? Thanks!
Answer Dear Justine
Unfortunately, there is drug drug interaction between these two antidepressants which can lead to higher than normal amounts of the duloxetine in the blood stream. It will be approximately five days until the fluvoxamine is completely cleared from your blood but after three days I would suspect (but cannot guarantee) that the levels will be low enough not to cause any problems. I would therefore recommend that you start taking the duloxetine anytime now. The risks of an interaction will now be so slight and are outweighed by the necessity of you continuing therapy for your GAD.
