About
Prozac
This is a summary of the most
important information about Prozac. For details, talk to your
healthcare professional.
Usage
Prozac is in a class of
medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
(SSRIs). Prozac is used to treat Depression,
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Bulemia Nervosa, and Panic
Disorder.
Precautions
Never take Prozac
if you are taking another drug used to treat depression, called
a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI), or if you have stopped
taking an MAOI in the last 14 days. Taking Prozac close in time
to an MAOI can result in serious, sometimes fatal, reactions,
including:
-
High body
temperature
-
Coma
-
Seizures
(convulsions)
Do not take a
MAOI within 5 weeks of stopping Prozac.
MAOI drugs
include Nardil (phenelzine sulfate), Parnate (tranylcypromine
sulfate), Marplan (isocarboxazid), and other brands.
Never take
Prozac if you are taking Mellaril
(thioridazine), used to treat schizophrenia. Also, do
not take Mellaril within 5 weeks of stopping Prozac. Taking
Prozac close in time to Mellaril can result in serious heart
beat problems.
Side
Effects
-
Suicidal thoughts or
actions: See
FDA Alert.
-
Stopping
Prozac:
Do not stop taking Prozac suddenly because you
could get side effects. Your healthcare
professional will slowly decrease your
dose.
-
Rash
and possible allergic
reactions:
Prozac may cause serious skin, lung and
allergic-type reactions. Contact your healthcare
professional right away if you get a skin rash or
hives, have problems breathing, or get swelling
of your tongue, lips, or throat.
-
Bleeding
problems:
Prozac may cause bleeding problems, especially if taken
with aspirin, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen), or other drugs
that affect bleeding.
-
Mania: You may become hyperactive,
excitable or elated.
-
Seizures: You may experience a seizure
(convulsion), even if you are not taking Prozac close
in time with a MAOI.
-
Weight
loss: Prozac
can cause weight loss. Children who take it for a long
time should have their growth and body weight measured
regularly.
-
Pregnancy
: Tell your
healthcare professional if you are or may be
pregnant because babies delivered to mothers
taking Prozac late in pregnancy have developed
problems, such as difficulty breathing and
feeding.
-
Sexual
problems: You
may have problems with impotence (erectile
dysfunction), abnormal ejaculation, difficulty reaching
orgasm, or decreased libido (sexual desire).
-
Other
side effects include nausea, difficulty
sleeping, anxiety, nervousness, and
sleepiness.
-
Tell
your healthcare
professional about
all your medical conditions, especially if you
have liver or heart disease, or diabetes. Tell
your healthcare professional if you are
breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed your
baby.
Drug
Interaction
-
Do not
take Prozac with Sarafem (fluoxetine hydrochloride), a
drug used to treat PreMenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
(PMDD), because they are very similar and you could get
an overdose.
-
Prozac
may interact with medicines other than the ones already
mentioned in this information sheet, causing serious
side effects. Tell your healthcare professional about
all medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements you
take, especially:
-
Those that affect
bleeding
-
Those used to treat diabetes,
seizures, anxiety, mental illness, or
depression
-
If you
plan to drink alcohol, talk to your healthcare
professional.
Directions
-
Prozac is
taken by mouth, with or without food, exactly as
prescribed by your healthcare professional.
-
Take the
weekly version of Prozac only once a week. Do not start
until 7 days after you’ve taken the last dose of the
daily Prozac.
FDA ALERT [07/2005] –
Suicidal Thoughts or Actions in Children and
Adults
Patients with depression or other mental
illnesses often think about or attempt suicide. Closely watch
anyone taking antidepressants, especially early in treatment or
when the dose is changed. Patients who become irritable or
anxious, or have new or increased thoughts of suicide or other
changes in mood or behavior (or their care givers) should
contact their healthcare professional right
away.
Children
Taking antidepressants may increase suicidal
thoughts and actions in about 1 out of 50 people 18 years or
younger. FDA has approved Prozac for treating children who have
depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Adults
Several recent scientific publications report
the possibility of an increased risk for suicidal behavior in
adults who are being treated with antidepressant medications.
Even before these reports became available, FDA began a
complete review of all available data to determine whether
there is an increased risk of suicidal thinking or behavior in
adults being treated with antidepressant
medications.
It is expected that this review will take a
year or longer to complete. In the meantime, FDA is
highlighting that adults being treated with antidepressant
medication, particularly those being treated for depression,
should be watched closely for worsening of depression and for
increased suicidal thinking or behavior.
This information reflects FDA’s preliminary
analysis of data concerning this drug. FDA is considering, but
has not reached a final conclusion about, this
information.
Reference Prozac
Article
U.S. Food and Drug
Administration
Health
Related Websites
The National Cancer
Institute
The National Eye
Institute
The National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute
National Institute on
Aging
National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases
National Institute of
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Institute on Drug
Abuse
National Institute of Mental
Health
National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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