Prozac

Generic name: Fluoxetine hydrochloride

Prozac is prescribed for the treatment of depression—that is, a continuing depression that interferes with daily functioning. The symptoms of major depression often include changes in appetite, sleep habits, and mind/body coordination; decreased sex drive; increased fatigue; feelings of guilt or worthlessness; difficulty concentrating; slowed thinking; and suicidal thoughts.

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Prozac is also prescribed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. An obsession is a thought that won't go away; a compulsion is an action done over and over to relieve anxiety.

Prozac is thought to work by adjusting the balance of the brain's natural chemical messengers. It has also been used to treat obesity and eating disorders.

Most important fact about prozac:
Serious, sometimes fatal, reactions have been known to occur when Prozac is used in combination with other antidepressant drugs known as MAO inhibitors, including Nardil and Parnate; and when Prozac is discontinued and an MAO inhibitor is started. Never take Prozac with one of these drugs or within 14 days of discontinuing therapy with one of them; and allow 5 weeks or more between stopping Prozac and starting an MAO inhibitor. Be especially cautious if you have been taking Prozac in high doses or for a long time.

If you are taking any prescription or nonprescription drugs, notify your doctor before taking Prozac.

More common prozac side effects may include:
Abnormal dreams, abnormal thinking, agitation, allergic reaction, anxiety, bronchitis, chest pain, chills, cough, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness and fatigue, dry mouth, flu symptoms, frequent urination, hay fever, headache, inability to fall or stay asleep, increased appetite, indigestion, itching, joint pain, lack or loss of appetite, light-headedness, limb pain, muscle pain, nausea, nervousness, sinus inflammation, sore throat, stomach/intestinal disorder, sweating, tremors, weakness, weight loss, yawning

Less common prozac side effects may include:
Abnormal ejaculation, abnormal gait, abnormal stoppage of menstrual flow, acne, altered sense of taste, amnesia, apathy, arthritis, asthma, bone pain, breast cysts, breast pain, brief loss of consciousness, bursitis, chills and fever, confusion, conjunctivitis, convulsions, dark, tarry stool, decreased sex drive, difficulty in swallowing, dilation of pupils, dry skin, ear pain, eye pain, exaggerated feeling of well-being, excessive bleeding, facial swelling due to fluid retention, fever, fluid retention, fluttery heartbeat, gas, hair loss, hallucinations, hangover effect, hiccups, high or low blood pressure, hives, hostility, infection, inflammation of the esophagus, inflammation of the gums, inflammation of the stomach lining, inflammation of the tongue, inflammation of the vagina, intolerance of light, involuntary movement, irrational ideas, irregular heartbeat, jaw or neck pain, lack of muscle coordination, low blood pressure upon standing, low blood sugar, migraine headache, mouth inflammation, muscle spasm, neck pain and rigidity, nosebleed, ovarian disorders, paranoid reaction, pelvic pain, pneumonia, rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat, ringing in the ears, severe chest pain, skin inflammation, skin rash, thirst, tooth problems, twitching, uncoordinated movements, urinary disorders, vague feeling of bodily discomfort, vertigo, vision disturbances, vomiting, weight gain

Rare prozac side effects may include:
Antisocial behavior, blood in urine, bloody diarrhea, bone disease, breast enlargement, cataracts, colitis, coma, deafness, decreased reflexes, dehydration, double vision, drooping of eyelids, duodenal ulcer, enlarged abdomen, enlargement of liver, enlargement or increased activity of thyroid gland, excess growth of coarse hair on face, chest, etc., excess uterine or vaginal bleeding, extreme muscle tension, eye bleeding, female milk production, fluid accumulation and swelling in the head, fluid buildup in larynx and lungs, gallstones, glaucoma, gout, heart attack, hepatitis, high blood sugar, hysteria, inability to control bowel movements, increased salivation, inflammation of eyes and eyelids, inflammation of fallopian tubes, inflammation of testes, inflammation of the gallbladder, inflammation of the small intestine, inflammation of tissue below skin, kidney disorders, lung inflammation, menstrual disorders, miscarriage, mouth sores, muscle inflammation or bleeding, muscle spasms, painful sexual intercourse for women, psoriasis, rashes, reddish or purplish spots on the skin, reduction of body temperature, rheumatoid arthritis, seborrhea, shingles, skin discoloration, skin inflammation and disorders, slowing of heart rate, slurred speech, spitting blood, stomach ulcer, stupor, suicidal thoughts, taste loss, temporary cessation of breathing, tingling sensation around the mouth, tongue discoloration and swelling, urinary tract disorders, vomiting blood, yellow eyes and skin

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