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My Father Was Taking Cymbalta And Switched To The Generic Form Of Cymbalta And Is Experiencing Side Effects
My father-in-law had been taking Cymbalta for a couple of months for nerve damage due to diabetes. Recently, he was switched to the generic form of Cymbalta, which is duloxetine. His dosage and schedule for taking it has not changed. However, since he switched to the generic, he has been experiencing side effects. The side effects are listed as being associated with both the name brand and the generic forms. He was not experiencing noticeable side effects when taking the name brand. Is this normal? What should he do?
Wed, 27 Mar 2019
Hello,
Even though theoretically the generic and brand-name medications should be the same, and if the brand-name medication is tolerated well, the generic should also be tolerated, I have heard reports of this from patients before, and there may be a difference in the way the drug is manufactured that causes the difference. I'm not sure what kind of side effect your father-in-law is experiencing, so it may be just a coincidence that he started having this reaction at the same time he switched to the generic, and maybe from something else. However, given the timing of it, I do think it would be reasonable to try switching back to the brand name Cymbalta and see if the side effects resolve.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Aaron Branch, General & Family Physician
Even though theoretically the generic and brand-name medications should be the same, and if the brand-name medication is tolerated well, the generic should also be tolerated, I have heard reports of this from patients before, and there may be a difference in the way the drug is manufactured that causes the difference. I'm not sure what kind of side effect your father-in-law is experiencing, so it may be just a coincidence that he started having this reaction at the same time he switched to the generic, and maybe from something else. However, given the timing of it, I do think it would be reasonable to try switching back to the brand name Cymbalta and see if the side effects resolve.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Aaron Branch, General & Family Physician
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