duloxetine vs leflunomide
Side-by-side comparison of duloxetine and leflunomide. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
In patients taking leflunomide, exposure of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2 (e.g., alosetron, duloxetine, theophylline, tizanidine) may be reduced.
Recommendation: Your doctor may need to check if your duloxetine is still working well and might adjust your dose.
Cymbalta
Arava
Duloxetine is a medicine that can help treat depression and anxiety. It can also help with certain types of pain.
Leflunomide is a drug that can help reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. It works by slowing down the body's immune system.
Duloxetine can treat major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder in adults and children (7 years and older). It can also treat diabetic nerve pain, fibromyalgia, and chronic muscle or bone pain in adults. In children, it can treat fibromyalgia (13 years and older).
Leflunomide treats active rheumatoid arthritis in adults. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints. This medicine can help reduce these symptoms.
Duloxetine is a type of drug called an SNRI. It works by increasing the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in your brain. These chemicals can help improve mood and reduce pain.
Leflunomide is a pyrimidine synthesis inhibitor. This means it blocks a certain process in your body. By blocking this process, it can reduce inflammation and slow down the damage to your joints.
- • Nausea
- • Dry mouth
- • Sleepiness
- • Constipation
- • Decreased appetite
- • Diarrhea
- • Respiratory infection
- • Nausea
- • Headache
- • Rash
- Tiredness 4,788
- Feeling sick to your stomach 4,783
- Aches or soreness 3,698
- Head pain 3,653
- Loose stools 3,262
- Rheumatoid arthritis 24,921
- Pain 20,055
- Joint pain 16,943
- Swollen joint 15,567
- Tiredness 15,384
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teenagers, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening depression or suicidal thoughts. Tell your doctor right away if you notice any changes in mood or behavior.
This drug can cause serious harm to an unborn baby. If you are pregnant or could become pregnant, you should not take this medicine. This drug can also cause serious liver problems. If you have liver problems, you should not take this medicine. Your doctor will monitor your liver with blood tests.
Using duloxetine in the last month of pregnancy may cause problems in the newborn. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking duloxetine during pregnancy. Women who stop taking antidepressants during pregnancy are more likely to experience a relapse of depression.
Do not take leflunomide if you are pregnant. It can cause birth defects. If you are breastfeeding, you should stop while taking this medicine.
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How to Read This duloxetine vs leflunomide Comparison
duloxetine is classified in the Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) drug class, while leflunomide sits within the Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug (DMARD) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, duloxetine has 20,184 submissions while leflunomide has 92,870. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to leflunomide speeds up how fast your body breaks down duloxetine, which can lower the amount of medicine in your system and make it less effective.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between duloxetine and leflunomide - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.