Can you take Cymbalta and paxil together for a week.

[bev458]

My Doctor prescribed Cymbalta. And i was taking Paxil for the last year. SHe told me to keep taking Paxil for just a week which she perscribed me cymbalta for 30 mg for a week with the paxil then she has me on 60 mg of Cymbalta and she told me to stop taking Paxil when i start taking 60mg. So is she weaning me off the Paxil along with the Cymbalta? And is this safe for a week of taking cymbalta 30mg and Paxil 20mg for a week?

[Paxiled]

It's not the way I would do it, especially since they're different classes of medication, cymbalta being an snri and Paxil an ssri.  Further, if you take both at the same time, you won't know if something you feel is a side effect of Cymbalta or of withdrawal from Paxil.  Both are very difficult for many to quit.  If it were me, I'd want to quit the Paxil slowly, tapering down, getting through any withdrawal before starting another strong med like cymbalta.  But that being said, many psychiatrists believe in starting a new med while weaning ostensibly because it also tempers the withdrawal, but they usually use Prozac, since it has a much longer half life in the body and therefore is easier to come off of.

[jimgreg]

in the ssri  or ssnr   you shoudnt  do them both together..to risk  too much serotonin overdose