Fluoxetine

ProzacŪ; SarafemŪ Logo

Brand name(s): ProzacŪ; SarafemŪ

What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking fluoxetine,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to fluoxetine or any other medications.
• do not take fluoxetine if you are taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, including phenelzine (Nardil) and tranylcypromine (Parnate), or have stopped taking them within the past 2 weeks. Do not take fluoxetine with thioridazine (Mellaril).
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. Be sure to mention any of the following: alprazolam (Xanax); anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin); antidepressants (mood elevators) such as amitriptyline (Elavil), amoxapine (Asendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil), and trimipramine (Surmontil); aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn); diazepam (Valium); digoxin (Lanoxin); flecainide (Tambocor); insulin or oral medications for diabetes; lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid); medications for anxiety and Parkinson's disease; medications for mental illness such as clozapine (Clozaril), haloperidol (Haldol), and pimozide (Orap); medications for seizures such as carbamazepine (Tegretol) and phenytoin (Dilantin); sedatives; sleeping pills; sumatriptan (Imitrex); tranquilizers; tryptophan; and vinblastine (Velban). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had, or anyone in your family has or has ever had, depression, bipolar disorder (mood that changes from depressed to abnormally excited), or mania (frenzied, abnormally excited mood), or you have, or anyone in your family has, thought about or attempted suicide. Also tell your doctor if you have recently had a heart attack and if you have or have ever had diabetes, seizures, or liver or heart disease.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking fluoxetine, call your doctor.
• you should know that fluoxetine may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
• remember that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this medication.
• you should know that your mental health may change in unexpected ways, especially at the beginning of your treatment and at any time your dose is increased or decreased. These changes may occur at any time if you have depression or other mental illness, whether or not you are taking fluoxetine or any other medication. You, your family, or your caregiver should call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: new or worsening depression; thinking about harming or killing yourself, or planning or trying to do so; extreme worry; agitation; panic attacks; difficulty falling or staying asleep; irritability; aggressive behavior; acting without thinking; severe restlessness; and frenzied, abnormal excitement.Be sure that your family or caregiver knows which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor when you are unable to seek treatment on your own.

Last Revised: 01/01/2005

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