Antidepressant Medications Anti-depressant Drugs Antidepressant: fluvoxamine, Luvox, Faverin
Antidepressant: fluvoxamine, Luvox, Faverin
Generic Name: fluvoxamine
Brand Name(s): Luvox, Faverin
Common Use: Antidepressant
Anti-OCD
Antipanic
Antidepressant - Antiobsessional Agent
For the symptomatic relief of depressive
illness.
The effectiveness of fluvoxamine in long-term use (i.e.,
for more than 5 to 6 weeks) has not been systematically
evaluated in controlled trials. Therefore, the physician
who elects to use fluvoxamine for extended periods should
periodically re-evaluate the long-term usefulness of the
drug for the individual patient.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:
Fluvoxamine has been shown to significantly reduce the
symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The obsessions
or compulsions must be experienced as intrusive, markedly
distressing, time consuming, or interfering significantly
with the person's social or occupational functioning.
Fluvoxamine should not be administered
together with MAO inhibitors or In patients with known
hypersensitivity to the drug. At least 2 weeks should
elapse after discontinuation of MAO inhibitor therapy
before fluvoxamine treatment is initiated. MAO inhibitors
should not be introduced within 2 weeks of cessation of
therapy with fluvoxamine.
Adverse Side Effects
In clinical trials, the most commonly observed
adverse events associated with fluvoxamine administration,
and not seen at an equivalent incidence among placebo-treated
patients, were gastrointestinal complaints, including
nausea (sometimes accompanied by vomiting), constipation,
anorexia, diarrhea and dyspepsia; CNS complaints, including
somnolence, dry mouth, nervousness, insomnia, dizziness,
tremor and agitation; and asthenia. Abnormal (mostly delayed)
ejaculation was frequently reported by patients with obsessive
compulsive disorder, primarily at doses over 150 mg/day.
Fifteen percent of approximately 25000
patients who received fluvoxamine in clinical trials discontinued
treatment due to an adverse event. The more common events
causing discontinuation from depression trials included
nausea and vomiting, insomnia, agitation, headache, abdominal
pain, somnolence, dizziness, asthenia and anorexia. The
most common events causing discontinuation in patients
suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder included
insomnia, asthenia and somnolence.
Overdose
The most common symptoms of overdosage
include gastrointestinal complaints (nausea, vomiting
and diarrhea), somnolence and dizziness. Cardiac events
(tachycardia, bradycardia, hypotension), liver function
disturbances, convulsions and coma have also been reported.
Among 300 patients reported to have taken deliberate overdoses
of fluvoxamine, there have been 15 deaths, all but one
of which occurred in patients who were confirmed to have
taken multiple medications.
There is no specific antidote to fluvoxamine.
In situations of overdosage, the stomach should be emptied
as soon as possible after tablet ingestion and symptomatic
treatment initiated. The repeated use of medicinal charcoal
is also recommended.
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