Fludac

What Fludac is used for

Each Fludac capsule holds 20mg of fluoxetine, the SSRI used for depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD: thoughts that keep returning, and rituals done to quiet them) and bulimia (binge eating followed by purging). Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, a widely used group of antidepressants. It also has a place in panic attacks and in premenstrual dysphoric disorder, the mood and physical symptoms some women get before a period.

How fluoxetine works

Nerve cells pass serotonin to one another, and mood is partly steered by how much of it is around. Once a signal is sent, the sending cell normally draws the serotonin back in; fluoxetine holds that step back, so more of it stays in the gap between cells. Nothing happens overnight. Small improvements can show after a couple of weeks, and the full effect takes four to five weeks or longer.

The first few weeks on Fludac

One capsule a day, at about the same time each day, is the usual routine, and morning is the common choice. Food makes no difference to how it works, so breakfast or later in the day both suit; swallow the capsule whole with water. Headaches, nausea, looser stools or broken sleep are common early on and usually ease as the body adjusts. Depression treatment often runs for months, and the dose is stepped down slowly at the end — stopping overnight can bring dizziness, tingling, anxiety and disturbed sleep.

Side effects and other medicines

Diarrhoea or constipation, weight change, sweating, blurred vision, dizziness or drowsiness, sleeping trouble, and sexual effects such as a lower sex drive can all appear. Drowsiness, dizziness or blurred vision are reasons to leave driving and machinery until they pass. A fever with sweating, shaking, twitching muscles and confusion is serotonin syndrome, which needs urgent treatment; unexplained bruising or bleeding, blood in the stools, or a mood that turns unusually high and excitable are also serious. Hives, trouble breathing or swelling of the tongue or throat is an allergic emergency.

An MAO inhibitor (phenelzine, tranylcypromine, linezolid) must never overlap with fluoxetine. Tramadol, triptans, St John's wort or a second antidepressant can also push serotonin dangerously high. Ibuprofen, aspirin and similar painkillers make bleeding more likely.

Fludac next to plain fluoxetine

Fludac comes in one strength, 20mg. Someone who wants to begin lower or later step up can look at the Fluoxetine capsules, sold in 10mg, 20mg and 60mg. It is the same active ingredient under another name.