Can you take fluoxetine when pregnant

If these happen and are a problem for you, go back to your doctor to see if there's another treatment you can try. Fluoxetine can make you feel less hungry than usual, so you may lose weight when you start taking it. If you start to have problems with your weight while taking fluoxetine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Some people can't concentrate properly while they're taking fluoxetine. It might be best to stop driving and cycling for the first few days of treatment until you know how this medicine makes you feel.

You can drink alcohol while taking fluoxetine but it may make you feel sleepy. It might be best to stop drinking alcohol for the first few days of treatment until you see how the medicine affects you.

Antidepressants, including fluoxetine, are just one of several approaches to treating depression. Other potential treatments include:. Cannabis with fluoxetine can give you a fast heartbeat. Cannabis can also make drowsiness worse with fluoxetine, especially in people who have just started taking it.

Methadone can increase the risk of side effects in people taking fluoxetine. It can be potentially dangerous to take fluoxetine with:.

Fluoxetine hasn't been properly tested with recreational drugs. Talk to your doctor if you think you might use recreational drugs while taking fluoxetine. Page last reviewed: 10 December Next review due: 10 December Fluoxetine including Prozac On this page About fluoxetine Key facts Who can and can't take fluoxetine How and when to take it Side effects How to cope with side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions.

About fluoxetine Fluoxetine is a type of antidepressant known as an SSRI selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today? It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks for fluoxetine to work. Common side effects include feeling sick nausea , headaches and trouble sleeping. They are usually mild and go away after a couple of weeks. If you and your doctor decide to take you off fluoxetine, your doctor will probably recommend reducing your dose gradually to help prevent extra side effects.

Fluoxetine is called by the brand name Prozac. Fluoxetine can be taken by children aged 8 years or older for depression. Check with your doctor before starting to take fluoxetine if you: have had an allergic reaction to fluoxetine or any other medicines in the past have a heart problem, as fluoxetine can speed up or change your heartbeat have ever taken any other medicines for depression.

Some rarely used antidepressants can interact with fluoxetine to cause very high blood pressure even when they have been stopped for a few weeks. Take fluoxetine once a day. You can take it with or without food. How much to take The usual dose of fluoxetine is 20mg a day in adults. What if I forget to take it? What if I take too much? Urgent advice: Call a doctor straight away if:. Common side effects These side effects happen in more than 1 in people. Keep taking the medicine, but tell your doctor or pharmacist if these side effects bother you or don't go away: feeling sick nausea headaches being unable to sleep diarrhoea feeling tired or weak Serious side effects It happens rarely in less than 1 in people , but some people may have serious side effects when taking fluoxetine.

Information: You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme. What to do about: feeling sick nausea - try taking fluoxetine with or after food. It may also help to stick to simple meals and avoid rich or spicy food.

Do not drink too much alcohol. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller. Headaches should usually go away after the first week of taking fluoxetine. Talk to your doctor if they last longer than a week or are severe. Signs of dehydration include peeing less than usual or having dark strong-smelling pee. Do not take any other medicines to treat diarrhoea or vomiting without speaking to a pharmacist or doctor.

Do not drive or use tools or machinery if you're feeling tired. Do not drink alcohol as it will make you feel worse. If these symptoms don't go away after a week or two, ask your doctor for advice. Fluoxetine and breastfeeding If your doctor or health visitor says your baby is healthy, fluoxetine can be used during breastfeeding. Non-urgent advice: Tell your doctor if you're:. Tell your doctor if you're taking these medicines before you start fluoxetine : any medicines that affect your heartbeat - as fluoxetine can speed up or change your heartbeat any other medicines for depression.

Some rarely used antidepressants can interfere with fluoxetine to cause very high blood pressure even when they have been stopped for a few weeks.

Mixing fluoxetine with herbal remedies and supplements Do not take St John's wort, the herbal remedy for depression, while you are being treated with fluoxetine as this will increase your risk of side effects.

Important Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements. How does fluoxetine work? When will I feel better? If you take a higher than average dose, Dr. Priyanka says there may be a reason to adjust the dose during pregnancy, but this should be discussed in detail with your provider before making any decisions.

Medications that are relatively safe during pregnancy are often safe to take while breastfeeding. Antidepressants like Prozac are generally considered safe to take while breastfeeding; however, research shows that the average amount of the drug in breastmilk is higher with fluoxetine than with most other SSRIs such as sertraline Zoloft.

Adverse effects from taking fluoxetine while breastfeeding include an increase in colic, fussiness, and drowsiness. If you have concerns about using Prozac while breastfeeding, make sure to talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits before making any decisions. That said, your doctor may also talk to you about serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors SNRIs like Cymbalta duloxetine , Lexapro escitalopram , and Effexor venlafaxine. You should always discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor regarding any of these medications while pregnant or during the postpartum period.

Click here to read the entire article on Single Care. Vaishnavi is a neuropsychiatrist, cognitive neuroscientist, and a psychiatrist with MindPath Care Centers. Leela Magavi, M. Key Takeaways A review of nearly …. Resources for You Is it safe to take Prozac fluoxetine during pregnancy? Key Takeaways A review of nearly … Read More. Most studies also find that SSRIs like fluoxetine do not appear to increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder ASD after accounting for the effects of maternal depression or other factors.

Most reports find no problems for breastfed babies. In a small number of cases, irritability, vomiting, diarrhea, and less sleep have been reported. One study showed that mental and physical development was normal for infants exposed to fluoxetine via breastmilk in their first year of life. In newborns less than two months of age, fluoxetine might have a higher chance of causing a side effect compared to older babies.

The product label for fluoxetine recommends people who are breastfeeding not use this medication. But, the benefit of using fluoxetine may outweigh the risks. Your healthcare provider can talk with you about using fluoxetine and what treatment is best for you. Watch your child for any symptoms. I take fluoxetine. Can it make it harder for me to get my partner pregnant or increase the chance of birth defects?

Fluoxetine and other SSRIs have been reported to cause some sexual side effects, such as lower sexual desire or problems with ejaculation. Studies looking at fluoxetine in a small number of males have seen that sperm quality can be negatively affected with long-term fluoxetine use. The sperm quality was seen to improve when the fluoxetine was stopped.

Though sperm quality was not as good with the fluoxetine, it was still considered to be within a normal range. The authors concluded that their data suggested the other factors, not the medication itself, was associated with a small increase in these outcomes. In general, exposures that fathers or sperm donors have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. National Pregnancy Registry for Psychiatric Medications: There is a pregnancy registry for people who take psychiatric medications, such as fluoxetine.

For more information you can look at their website:. Please click here for references. Media Inquiries Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to footer. What is fluoxetine? Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?