Elavil vs. Prozac

• Are Elavil and Prozac the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Elavil?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Prozac?
• What Is Elavil?
• What Is Prozac?
• What Drugs Interact with Elavil?
• What Drugs Interact with Prozac?
• How Should Elavil Be Taken?
• How Should Prozac Be Taken?

Elavil (amitryptiline) and Prozac (fluoxetine) are antidepressants used to treat depression and panic disorders.

Elavil may also be used to treat other conditions including mood disorders, nerve pain, eating disorders, and anxiety.

Prozac is also used to treat bulimia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

The brand name Elavil is no longer available in the U.S. It is available as a generic.

Elavil and Prozac are different types of antidepressants. Elavil is a tricyclic antidepressant and Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant.

Side effects of Elavil and Prozac that are similar include drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, weight changes, and headache.

Side effects of Elavil that are different from Prozac include blurred vision, trouble urinating, increased hunger, and changes in taste.

Side effects of Prozac that are different from Elavil include nausea, upset stomach, anxiety, sleep problems (insomnia), nervousness, heart palpitations, changes in appetite, cold symptoms (stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat), decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.

Both Elavil and Prozac may interact with alcohol, other products that cause drowsiness (antihistamines, sleeping pills, drugs for anxiety, muscle relaxants, and narcotics), MAO inhibitors, other antidepressants, aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or blood thinners.

Elavil may also interact with arbutamine, disulfiram, thyroid supplements, other drugs that can cause bleeding/bruising, anticholinergics, high blood pressure medicines, cimetidine, terbinafine, drugs to treat irregular heart rate, amiodarone, cisapride, dofetilide, pimozide, procainamide, quinidine, sotalol, macrolide antibiotics, isoniazid, phenothiazines, or theophylline.

Prozac may also interact with St. John's Wort, L-tryptophan, medicines to treat mood disorder or mental illness, medicines to treat ADHD or narcolepsy, or migraine headache medicines.

Do not stop using Prozac suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Common side effects of Elavil include:

• drowsiness,
• dry mouth,
• dizziness,
• blurred vision,
• constipation,
• weight gain,
• trouble urinating,
• headache,
• increased hunger, and
• changes in taste.

Common side effects of Prozac include:

• nausea,
• upset stomach,
• constipation,
• headaches,
• anxiety,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• drowsiness,
• dizziness,
• nervousness,
• heart palpitations,
• loss of appetite or increase in appetite,
• weight changes,
• cold symptoms (stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat),
• dry mouth,
• decreased sex drive,
• impotence, or
• difficulty having an orgasm.

Elavil (amitryptiline) is a tricyclic antidepressant used to treat depression and mood disorders. Elavil may also be used to treat other conditions including nerve pain, eating disorder, anxiety, and panic disorder. The brand name Elavil is no longer available in the U.S.

Prozac is a prescription medicine used to treat depression. It is important to talk with your healthcare provider about the risks of treating depression and also the risks of nottreating it. You should discuss all treatment choices with your healthcare provider.

Prozac is used to treat:

• Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Bulimia Nervosa*
• Panic Disorder*
• Depressive episodes associated with Bipolar I Disorder, taken with olanzapine (Zyprexa)
• Treatment Resistant Depression (depression that has not gotten better with atleast 2 other treatments), taken with olanzapine (Zyprexa)*

*Not approved for use in children

Talk to your healthcare provider if you do not think that your condition is getting betterwith Prozac treatment.

Elavil may also interact with MAO inhibitors, arbutamine, disulfiram, thyroid supplements, other drugs that can cause bleeding/bruising (antiplatelet drugs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], blood thinners), anticholinergic drugs, and certain drugs for high blood pressure.

Prozac may interact with cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, medicine for seizures or anxiety, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), other antidepressants, blood thinners, or migraine headache medicines.

Prozac may also interact with alprazolam, clopidogrel, clozapine, flecainide, haloperidol, nebivolol, vinblastine, or seizure medications.

Withdrawal symptoms may occur if you suddenly stop taking Prozac.

Elavil is taken by mouth in tablet form. The medication may take up to four weeks to take full effect.

Take Prozac exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider may need to change the dose of Prozac until it is the right dose for you.

Prozac may be taken with or without food.

If you miss a dose of Prozac, take the missed dose as soon as you remember.If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your nextdose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Prozac at the same time.

If you take too much Prozac, call your healthcare provider or poison controlcenter right away, or get emergency treatment.