Index
It corresponds to drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Fluvoxamine is a generic drug. It helps increase the amount of a chemical in the brain called serotonin.
This change helps treat the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The chemical formula of fluvoxamine
- C15H21F3N2O2.
Presentation
The active ingredient is fluvoxamine maleate, and it comes in two forms: an oral capsule and an oral tablet.
Indications of fluvoxamine
Depression: For the symptomatic relief of depressive illness and obsessive-compulsive disorder, fluvoxamine has been shown to reduce the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder significantly.
Obsessions or compulsions must be experienced as intrusive, markedly distressing, slow, or significantly interfering with the person’s social or occupational functioning.
Mechanism of action
The antidepressant and antiobsessional actions of fluvoxamine are related to its selective inhibition of presynaptic serotonin reuptake in brain neurons.
There is minimal interference with noradrenergic processes. In common with other specific serotonin uptake inhibitors, fluvoxamine has a very low affinity in vitro for the a1, a2, b1, dopaminergic 2, histamine 1, serotonin 1, serotonin two receptors, or muscarinic.
Dose
The dosage, form of the medicine, and how often you take medicine will depend on:
- Age.
- The condition is being treated.
- The severity of your condition.
- Other medical conditions in the patient.
- The reaction to the first dose.
Dosage for the obsessive compulsive disorder
Form: prolonged-release oral capsule.
Adult dosage (ages 18-64): 100mg, 150mg.
The typical dose is 100 mg per day, taken before bedtime.
Your doctor can increase your dose each week by 50 mg if necessary.
The maximum daily dose is 300 mg.
Fluvoxamine has not been confirmed to be safe and effective for use in people under 18 years of age.
A higher dosage (over 65 years): Older adults are more likely to be more sensitive to fluvoxamine and may process the drug more slowly.
So the drug stays in the body longer, which increases the risk of side effects and deficient sodium levels.
Your doctor may adjust your dose to prevent levels of this drug from building up too much in the body.
Side effects of fluvoxamine
Fluvoxamine oral capsules may cause drowsiness, and the side effects of this medication are slightly different for adults and children.
The most common side effects are:
- Sickness.
- Drowsiness.
- Soft spot.
- Dizziness
- Anxiety.
- Trouble sleeping
- Sexual problems
- Tremors
- Lack of appetite.
- Dry mouth.
- Diarrhea.
- Muscle pain.
- Throat pain.
- Abdominal pain.
- Yawning
Additional side effects for children can include:
- Hyperactivity or agitation.
- Depression .
- Heavy menstrual periods.
- Gases.
- Eruptions
If these effects are mild, they can go away in a few days or a couple of weeks. If they do not disappear or increase severity, the doctor should be consulted.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects and their symptoms may include the following:
- Suicidal thoughts.
- Acting with dangerous impulses may pose a danger to himself or other people.
- Aggressive or violent behavior.
- New or worse, depression.
- New or worse anxiety or panic attacks.
- Agitation, restlessness, anger, or irritability.
- Trouble sleeping at night.
Serotonin syndrome may occur. These symptoms may include agitation, hallucinations, coma or other changes in mental status, coordination problems or muscle spasms, fast heartbeat, sweating or fever, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, and muscle stiffness.
Eye problems can occur, and symptoms can include:
- Pain in the eye
- Vision changes, such as blurred or double vision.
- Swelling or redness of the eyes
Manic episodes can also be observed. Symptoms may include increased energy, severe sleep problems, racing thoughts, reckless behavior, excessive happiness or irritability, and talking more or faster than usual.
Warnings and Contraindications
This drug has a black box warning, the most serious of the Food and Drug Administration warning about the dangerous effects of drugs.
Among the warnings are:
Allergies
You should not take this medicine if you have ever had allergic reactions.
Retaking the medication could even cause death.
Suicide
The possibility of a suicide attempt is inherent in depression and can persist until significant remission occurs.
Therefore, high-risk patients should be closely supervised during therapy, and the possible need for hospitalization should be considered.
To minimize the possibility of overdose, prescriptions for fluvoxamine should be written for the smallest amount of medication compatible with good patient management.
Serotonin syndrome
This drug can cause a life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome.
This happens when medications cause an excessive build-up of serotonin in your body.
See a doctor immediately if you have any symptoms of this condition, such as agitation, hallucinations, coordination problems, or muscle stiffness.
Abnormal bleeding
This medicine can increase your risk of bleeding or bruising.
If it is co-administered with aspirin, warfarin, a blood thinner, or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (such as ibuprofen or naproxen ), the patient may be at increased risk.
Manic episodes
This drug can increase the risk of mania.
If the patient has a history of mania, the doctor should be consulted before using this medicine.
Seizures
Few cases of seizures have been reported during fluvoxamine administration.
Caution is advised when the drug is administered to patients with a history of seizures.
If you start to have seizures or the attacks occur more frequently, you should see your doctor to stop them.
Some people who have used this medicine have had seizures.
If you have unstable epilepsy, you should not take this medicine.
If you have a history of seizures or controlled epilepsy, your doctor should monitor you closely if you take this drug.
Electroshock therapy
Concurrent administration with electroshock therapy should be avoided due to the lack of studies in this area.
Combination with alcohol
Fluvoxamine can potentiate the effects of alcohol and increase the level of psychomotor impairment.
Occupational hazards
Sedation can occur in some patients.
Therefore, patients should be warned about participating in activities that require complete mental alertness, judgment, and physical coordination, such as driving a car or performing dangerous tasks, until they are reasonably sure that fluvoxamine treatment does not affect them. Negatively.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
The safe use of fluvoxamine during pregnancy and lactation has not been established.
Fluvoxamine is excreted in human milk in small amounts.
Therefore, it should not be administered to women of childbearing potential or nursing mothers unless, in the opinion of the treating physician, the expected benefits to the patient outweigh the possible risks to the child or fetus.
Kids
Safety and efficacy in children under 18 years of age have not been established.
Certain health conditions
Fluvoxamine should be used with caution in patients with closed-angle glaucoma, a history of myocardial infarction, or unstable heart disease.
Liver disease
If you have a history of liver disease, your body may not clear this drug as quickly as it should. This could lead to a build-up of this medicine in your body.
To avoid this, your doctor may start with a lower dose and monitor you carefully during the dose increase.
Sun sensitivity
Fluvoxamine can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, which increases your risk of sunburn.
The sun should be avoided as much as possible. If you can’t, be sure to wear protective clothing and sunscreen.
Fluvoxamine interactions
Fluvoxamine can interact with medications such as:
- Vitamins or herbs.
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, such as phenelzine or tranylcypromine.
- Linezolid.
- Thioridazine.
- Tizanidine.
- Pimozide.
- Alosetron.
- Ramelteon.
- Benzodiazepines such as alprazolam or diazepam.
- Clozapine.
- Methadone.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen.
- Lithium.
- Tacrine.
- Triptans, like sumatriptan.
- Tryptophan
- Diltiazem.
- Beta-blockers, such as propranolol or metoprolol.
- Warfarin .
- Tricyclic antidepressants (ATC).
- Serotonergic drugs.
If you stop taking medicine suddenly: stopping fluvoxamine can cause severe symptoms, such as anxiety, irritability, high or low mood, restlessness, or changes in sleeping habits.