TAMOXIFEN & CYMBALTA
I read that Tamoxifen should not be taken with Cymbalta as the Cymbalta can make the Tamoxifen ineffective as well as increase the side effects. Is this true and if so, can someone recommend a replacement for Cymbalta?
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Hi @ruby_tuesday , You are correct that Cymbalta reduces the effectiveness of tamoxifen. You could ask a pharmacist which antidepressants don’t react with tamoxifen and have a discussion with your doctor about which one of those would be best for you. I hope you find one that works well.
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@ maggie15 , Thanks so much for your response! I have to find a new Oncologist as my insurance has changed. Then I will discuss this matter. I have been suffering through this for almost 2 years. Just now finding out that Cymbalta has made the Tamoxifen ineffective and was also increasing my side effects is infuriating! The first thing the nurse does at every appointment is review my list of medications yet the Dr. has never made this connection? I've been on Cymbalta for probably 15 years. I am dumbfounded. It has been beaten in my head at every appointment how important it is to take this medication yet two years pass without picking up on this.
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@ruby_tuesday, Pharmacists are good at noticing potential drug interactions but doctors don't seem to have the time to keep up with it. I was really annoyed when my insurance changed my inhaler to a different drug in the same class that I knew would interact with my blood pressure meds. My pulmonologist asked for an exception but was told I had to try it to see what happened. I ended up in the ER so the exception was granted. Here is a website where you can check for possible problems.
https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html
I always ask when I'm going to be given a new med and my PCP will go to a site like this. She has had to change what she was going to prescribe twice. I hope your new oncologist comes up with a solution.
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Please don't get me started on insurance companies, lol. Thank you so much for that website. Very helpful! So sorry you had to go through that. I'm sure the insurance company wasn't held accountable for your hospital stay. That is unacceptable.
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