Compare Cymbalta vs. Tegretol
Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.
Improves mood and relieves certain types of pain.
Cymbalta (duloxetine) is good for treating depression, anxiety, and some forms of chronic pain, but it is more likely than other antidepressants to cause problems if you drink alcohol or have high blood pressure.
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3.6/ 5 average rating with 496 reviewsforCymbalta
Treats seizures and epilepsy.
Tegretol (carbamazepine) is useful for preventing seizures and relieving certain types of nerve pain, but reduces how well many other medications work.
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3.3/ 5 average rating with 61 reviewsforTegretol
Upsides
- Cymbalta (duloxetine) may help relieve nerve pain from diabetes and other forms of chronic pain.
- Cymbalta (duloxetine) has several uses, which may be good for people with multiple conditions.
- Available as a generic, which is cheaper.
- Lowers the frequency of seizures, especially for people with tonic-clonic and partial seizures.
- First-choice option for trigeminal neuralgia (nerve pain involving the face, head, and neck), and can relieve other types of nerve pain.
- Equetro is helpful in stabilizing mood for people with bipolar disorder.
- Available as a generic in many forms: pill, extended-release pill, suspension, and chewable tablet.
Downsides
- Cymbalta (duloxetine) may not be a good option if you're a heavy drinker, or have liver or kidney problems.
- Cymbalta (duloxetine) can increase high blood pressure.
- Like most antidepressants, Cymbalta (duloxetine) can cause higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior for people aged 24 and younger.
- Takes several weeks to feel the full effects.
- Interacts with many other medicines and supplements.
- Higher risk of skin reactions compared to other antiepileptic medicines, ranging from mild to life-threatening rash.
- Requires routine blood tests to see how the medicine is affecting your body.
- Can't take the suspension form with other liquid medications.
Used for
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage)
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic muscle pain
- Urinary incontinence (women)
- Partial seizures
- Generalized tonic-clonic seizures
- Mixed seizure patterns
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Nerve pain
- Pain
- Agitation
- Depression
- Psychosis
- Alcohol withdrawal syndrome
- Restless legs syndrome
Dosage forms
- Pill
- Extended release
- Pill
- Extended-release pill
- Suspension
- Chewable tablet
Price
Lowest price
$12.69
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$25.33
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Reviews
496 reviews so far
58%
saidit'sworth it
49%
saiditworked well
24%
saidit'sa big hassle
Have you used Cymbalta (duloxetine)?
Leave a review61 reviews so far
56%
saidit'sworth it
43%
saiditworked well
23%
saidit'sa big hassle
Have you used Tegretol (carbamazepine)?
Leave a reviewSide effects
12possible side effects
- Nausea23%
- Headache14%
- Dry mouth13%
- Drowsiness10%
- Fatigue9%
- Difficulty sleeping9%
- Constipation9%
- Dizziness9%
- Diarrhea9%
- Decreased appetite7%
- Excessive sweating6%
- Abdominal pain5%
The Tegretol (carbamazepine) FDA package insert doesn’t have numbers about how common side effects are.
Risks and risk factors
- Suicidal thoughts or behavior
- Age 24 years or younger
- Serotonin syndrome
- Taking tricyclic antidepressants, lithium, tramadol, fentanyl, amphetamines, certain headache medications (triptans), St. John's Wort
- Withdrawal
- Stopping Cymbalta (duloxetine) abruptly
- Increased bleeding
- Taking other blood-thinning drugs (including aspirin, NSAIDs such as Advil, warfarin)
- Changes in blood pressure and risk of falls
- Elderly patients
- History of gait disturbances
- Taking more than 60 mg of Cymbalta (duloxetine) daily
- Taking other medicines that lower blood pressure
- History of high blood pressure
- Bipolar disorder
- History of bipolar disorder
- At risk for bipolar disorder
- Life-threatening skin reactions
- Carrying HLA-B*1502 gene
- Asian ancestry
- Blood disorders
- Suicidal thoughts or behavior
- History of depression
- Serious allergic reactions
- History of allergic reaction to Trileptal (oxcarbamazepine)
- Pregnancy
- Mental changes due to low sodium
- Age 65 or older
- Dehydration
- Taking diuretics (water pills)