Duloxetine Use for Neuropathy
Peripheral
diabetic neuropathy is a one of several nerve disorders caused by
diabetes. People with diabetes can, over time, have damage to nerves throughout the body. Peripheral
diabetic neuropathy symptoms include numbness, pain, or other unpleasant feelings (such as burning or tingling) in the hands, feet, arms, or legs.
There are several ways that diabetes can cause nerve damage. Having high blood sugar for many years can damage the blood vessels that bring oxygen to some nerves. High blood sugar can also damage the covering on the nerves, called myelin. Damaged nerves may stop sending messages, or they may send messages too slowly or at the wrong times.
Duloxetine is approved to treat the pain associated with peripheral diabetic neuropathy in adults. While it can be effective for relieving diabetic nerve pain, duloxetine does not reverse or slow down the nerve damage. The best way to prevent diabetic neuropathy or to slow down damage to the nerves is to keep your blood sugar as close to normal as possible
(see Diabetic Neuropathy Prevention for more information). Also,
diabetic foot care is especially important for people with peripheral diabetic neuropathy.
Using Duloxetine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalized anxiety disorder (
GAD) is much more than the normal
anxiety people experience on a day-to-day basis. It is a chronic disorder and fills one's day with exaggerated worry and tension, even though there is little or nothing to provoke it. Having this disorder means always anticipating disaster and often worrying excessively about health, money, family, or work. Sometimes, however, the source of the worry is hard to pinpoint. Simply the thought of getting through the day provokes anxiety.