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. 2023 Feb 15;13(2):333.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci13020333.

Current Opinions about the Use of Duloxetine: Results from a Survey Aimed at Psychiatrists

M A Alvarez-Mon  1   2   3 , Cielo García-Montero  2   3 , Oscar Fraile-Martinez  2   3 , Javier Quintero  1   4 , Sonia Fernandez-Rojo  1 , Fernando Mora  1   4 , Luis Gutiérrez-Rojas  5   6 , Rosa M Molina-Ruiz  7 , Guillermo Lahera  2   3   8   9 , Melchor Álvarez-Mon  2   3   10 , Miguel A Ortega  2   3
Affiliations

Current Opinions about the Use of Duloxetine: Results from a Survey Aimed at Psychiatrists

M A Alvarez-Mon et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex psychiatric disorder that, presented alone or with other comorbidities, requires different adjustments of antidepressant treatments. Some investigations have demonstrated that psychoactive drugs, such as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), can exert more effective and faster antidepressant effects than other common medications used, such as serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), although these differences are still controversial. During the last five years, the SNRI duloxetine has shown favorable results in clinical practice for the treatment of MDD, anxiety, and fibromyalgia. Through an online self-completed survey, in the present article, we collected information from 163 psychiatrists regarding the use of duloxetine and its comparison with other psychiatric drugs, concerning psychiatrists' knowledge and experience, as well as patients' preferences, symptoms, and well-being. We discussed and contrasted physicians' reports and the scientific literature, finding satisfactory concordances, and finally concluded that there is agreement regarding the use of duloxetine, not only due to its tolerability and effectiveness but also due to the wide variety of situations in which it can be used (e.g., somatic symptoms in fibromyalgia, diabetes) as it relieves neuropathic pain as well.

Keywords: duloxetine; major depressive disorder (MDD); real world data; serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results. Adamed Laboratories only participated in the distribution of the survey.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
List of psychoactive drugs with which psychiatrists often associate duloxetine.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison between duloxetine and venlafaxine and symptoms for which they are more effective.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Situations for which duloxetine is the most and the least recommended antidepressant according to the doctors surveyed.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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