Fluoxetine is a pharmaceutical drug used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, some eating disorders, and panic attacks. Fluoxetine (brand name Sarafem) is used to relieve the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, including mood swings, irritability, bloating, and breast tenderness. Fluoxetine is in a class of medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Fluoxetine works by increasing the amount of serotonin, a natural substance in the brain that helps maintain mental balance. A worsening of symptoms soon after starting the antidepressant fluoxetine suggests that the drug is unlikely to have a lasting beneficial effect.

Fluoxetine side effects
Side effects of Fluoxetine can include nausea, headaches, anxiety, insomnia, drowsiness, and loss of appetite. Fluoxetine has been implicated in serious skin rashes and vasculitis. Increased blood pressure can occur and should be monitored. Seizures have been reported as a serious Fluoxetine side effect. Life-threatening interactions can occur in combination with MAO inhibitors, such as nardil and parnate. A common Fluoxetine side effect is sexual dysfunction such as loss of libido, decrease in genital sensation, and erectile dysfunction.

Fluoxetine and Drug Interactions
Do not take Fluoxetine with MAO inhibitors or for at least a week after their discontinuation. MAO inhibitors medications should not be taken for at least three weeks after discontinuing Fluoxetine. The same is true for Haldol and antipsychotic drugs. Most medications affecting the brain have the potential to slow reflexes or impair judgment and caution is advised. Fluoxetine shoudl not be taken with 5-HTP or tryptophan.

Fluoxetine and Prolactin

What is the effect of Fluoxetine treatment on hormone levels, particularly prolactin? A study found that 5% of men and 22% of women with depression developed new onset hyper-prolactinemia following Fluoxetine treatment for a period of 12 weeks.

Brand names for Fluoxetine
Other brand names for fluoxetine besides Prozac include Erocap, Lovan, Zactin, and Auscap.
 

Fluoxetine emails
Q. I've been on Fluoxetine for three years and am in the process of weaning off the medication in the hopes of switching to 5-HTP or another natural alternative with fewer side effects. I've read that the withdrawal effects of stopping Fluoxetine can be incapacitating. In your experience, are there nutritional supplements that can mitigate the effect of withdrawal from Fluoxetine? If so, would you have your patients begin these supplements during the weaning process, or only after the weaning is complete and the patient has stopped the medication entirely? (I know I'll have to do this under the supervision of my doctor, but I was hoping I could use your Fluoxetine weaning philosophy as a point of comparison.)
   A. Each patient is different depending how long they have been on Fluoxetine or other SSRIs, the Fluoxetine dosage, how their body reacts, their current mood and disposition, their dietary habits and exercise program, their sleep patterns, etc. etc. Plus, each person responds differently to 5HTP, SAM-e, St. John's wort or other natural supplements, and the dosages and timing can make a huge difference. Each case is unique and hence we can't even give general guidelines.
 

Q. Last year after taking Fluoxetine for many years I decided to add L-tyrosine to my daily supplements. I added about 900 mg. a day. Soon after that I developed what's been diagnosed as "tics". I'm wondering if the addition of L-tyrosine could have had anything to do with this?
   A. It is possible, but we can't say for sure.

Q. Is tryptophan as good as Fluoxetine for depression?
   A. It's difficult to compare, although they both influence serotonin levels, their mechanism is different. I have not seen head to head studies involving Fluoxetine and tryptophan to know how similar or dissimilar they would be in terms of clinical improvement in depression. 5-HTP is another option in terms of increasing serotonin levels.
 

Q. Can Fluoxetine and Passion Rx be used the same day?
   A. We suggest not using Passion Rx and Fluoxetine or an SSRI the same day due to potential side effects. If you have a mild case of depression, and your doctor feels you can do fine being off the Fluoxetine a couple of days a week, you could Passion Rx on the off days as long as your doctor approves.

Q. Fluoxetine and libido. Are they related?
   A. Yes. Fluoxetine lowers libido by increasing levels of serotonin. Serotonin has an inhibitory effect on libido. Most doctors don't warn their depressed patients that a prescription of Fluoxetine leads to libido loss.

Q. i would like to look into converting from the antideprressant Auscap 20 to recommended products but do not know how. i am finding that the antidepressant Auscap is not relieving greatly my anxiety which i find i still can get slightly reved up. i have heard of 5 htp but looking at your website there seems to be other things too
   A. There are many natural options to treating depression than Fluoxetine, but each person is unique in which of the natural supplements or herbs they would respond to. Alternatives to Fluoxetine include 5-htp, SAM-e, tryptophan, fish oils, Mind Power Rx or a combination.

 Home