Той действа, като пречи на обратното поемане на невротрансмитерите 5 - хидрокситрипамин (наричан още серотонин) и норадреналин в нервните клетки на мозъка и гръбначния стълб.
How duloxetine works in SUI is not clear but it is thought that, by increasing the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine and noradrenaline at the level of the nerves that control the muscle of the urethra (the tube that leads from the bladder to outside), duloxetine causes a stronger closure of the urethra during urine storage.