What is fluvoxamine?
Fluvoxamine is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Fluvoxamine affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
Fluvoxamine is used to treat social anxiety disorder (social phobia), or obsessive-compulsive disorders involving recurring thoughts or actions.
Fluvoxamine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
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Precautions
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Instructions
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Side Effects
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Interactions
Precautions
You should not take this medication if you are allergic to fluvoxamine, or if you are also taking:
- alosetron (Lotronex);
- tizanidine (Zanaflex);
- thioridazine (Mellaril);
- pimozide (Orap); or
- an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), or selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam).
Some of these medications can cause serious or life-threatening drug interactions when taken together with fluvoxamine. You must wait at least 14 days after stopping an MAO inhibitor before you can take fluvoxamine. After you stop taking fluvoxamine, you must wait at least 14 days before you can start taking an MAOI.
Before taking fluvoxamine, tell your doctor if you have:
- liver disease;
- seizures or epilepsy;
- bipolar disorder (manic depression); or
- a history of drug abuse or suicidal thoughts.
If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take fluvoxamine.
You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking fluvoxamine, especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Tell your doctor if you have symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts during the first several weeks of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.
Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first 12 weeks of treatment.
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may cause serious or life-threatening lung problems in newborn babies whose mothers take the medication during pregnancy. However, you may have a relapse of symptoms if you stop taking fluvoxamine during pregnancy. If you are planning a pregnancy, or if you become pregnant while taking fluvoxamine, do not stop taking the medication without first talking to your doctor.
Fluvoxamine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Do not give fluvoxamine to anyone younger than 18 years old without the advice of a doctor.
Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of fluvoxamine.
Cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, anxiety or depression can add to sleepiness caused by fluvoxamine. Tell your doctor if you regularly use any of these medicines.
Fluvoxamine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
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Instructions
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have taken too much of this medication. Overdose symptoms may include blurred vision, lack of coordination, extreme drowsiness, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate, trouble breathing, fainting, and coma.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next regularly scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
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Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:
- seizure (convulsions);
- unusual thoughts or behavior;
- anxiety, restlessness, memory problems, trouble concentrating, hallucinations, feeling like you might pass out;
- high fever, chills or goose bumps, loss of coordination, overactive reflexes, stiff muscles; or
- confusion, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats, and rapid breathing.
Less serious side effects may include:
- loss of appetite, weight loss;
- dry mouth, mild nausea or upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation;
- sleep problems (insomnia);
- dizziness, drowsiness;
- decreased sex drive, impotence, trouble having an orgasm; or
- unusual dreams.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Interactions
Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine for pain, arthritis, fever, or swelling. This includes aspirin and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Voltaren), indomethacin, piroxicam (Feldene), nabumetone (Relafen), etodolac (Lodine), and others. Taking any of these drugs with fluvoxamine may cause you to bruise or bleed easily.
Many drugs can interact with fluvoxamine. Below is just a partial list. Tell your doctor if you are using:
- carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol);
- clozapine (Clozaril, FazaClo);
- a diuretic (water pill);
- linezolid (Zyvox);
- lithium (Lithobid, Eskalith);
- methadone (Dolophine, Methadose);
- mexiletine (Mexitil);
- omeprazole (Prilosec);
- phenytoin (Dilantin);
- propranolol (Inderal, Inderal LA);
- quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, Quin-Release);
- ramelteon (Rozerem);
- St. John's wort;
- tacrine (Cognex);
- tramadol (Ultram);
- tryptophan (also called L-tryptophan);
- theophylline (Aerolate, Bronkodyl, Slo-Bid, Theo-Dur);
- a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
- a sedative such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), midazolam (Versed), or triazolam (Halcion);
- almotriptan (Axert), frovatriptan (Frova), sumatriptan (Imitrex), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), or zolmitriptan (Zomig);
- medicine to treat psychiatric disorders, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), haloperidol (Haldol), perphenazine (Trilafon), and others; or
- an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), clomipramine (Anafranil), imipramine (Tofranil), and others.
This list is not complete and there are many other medicines that can cause serious medical problems if you take them together with fluvoxamine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.
Other Names
Luvox, fluvoxamine, and Luvox CR
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Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04
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