People often write to me asking about the effectiveness and side effects of popular antidepressants on the market. This article is about the antidepressant - Cymbalta.

Cymbalta is a brand name for duloxetine, which is a drug used to treat generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. Duloxetine is a Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) which is basically a class of antidepressants that act upon two neurotransmitters in the brain that are known to play an important part in mood, namely, serotonin and norepinephrine.

Cymbalta was created in 1991 by the Eli Lily Company (same manufacturers of Prozac) and was finally approved by the FDA for Major Depressive Disorder in August 2004. The drug took a while to approve not because of a great deal of adverse reactions, but apparently the company needed to tweak the effective dosage amount.

When serotonin and norepinephrine are released from nerve cells in the brain they act to "lighten mood". When they are reabsorbed into the nerve cells, they no longer have an effect on mood. It is thought that when depression occurs, there may be a decreased amount of serotonin and norepinephrine released from nerve cells in the brain. Duloxetine (Cymbalta) works by preventing serotonin, norepinephrine, and to a lesser extent dopamine from being reabsorbed into the nerve cells in the brain

Is Cymbalta Right For Me?
Cymbalta sets itself apart on the market because it has also been approved to manage diabetic nerve pain -so it is marketed as a treatment option for people who suffer from aches, pains, and fatigue caused by depression.

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Lisa Angelettie, "GirlShrink" is an online advice authority. Her site GirlShrink.com is the #1 "Advice & Counseling" site on the web and contributing author of "101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life". Instantly get a FREE Bonus when you sign up for her free Better Choices Ezine. Please visit us for more discussion on this topic in the depression forum to talk about it further. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for topics in the news, new articles, website & book reviews, and other useful mental health resources. Subscribe below.