Luvox Tablets (Fluvoxamine Maleate) Patient Information: How Should I Take the Drug at RxList

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May 27, 2012

Luvox

Antidepressants: Get the Facts »

What does the new study say about the ineffectiveness of antidepressants?

In findings published in the February issue of the journal PloS Medicine, researchers conclude that when taken as a whole, the data show that only a small group of the most severely depressed patients benefit from taking one of the antidepressants.

For less severely depressed patients, the antidepressants were found to work no better than placebos, leading the researchers to conclude that most patients who take antidepressants probably shouldn't be on them.

Does this study contradict numerous positive studies on antidepressants?

Yes, it does. In a statement, American Psychiatric Association President-elect Nada Stotland, MD, maintains that studies like this one, which compare a single drug to placebo, do not accurately reflect the way doctors prescribe antidepressants today.

Stotland says many people who are depressed do n...

Read the Antidepressants: Get the Facts article »

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Luvox Tablets Patient Information including How Should I Take

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking fluvoxamine (Luvox Tablets)?

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.

How should I take fluvoxamine (Luvox Tablets)?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Do not crush, chew, or open an extended-release capsule. Swallow the pill whole. Breaking or opening the pill may cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

You may take fluvoxamine with or without food.

Do not stop using fluvoxamine without first talking to your doctor. You may have unpleasant side effects if you stop taking this medication suddenly.

Store fluvoxamine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

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