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I Have Been Perscribed Lovan 20 And Was Wondering About Side Effects

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Posted on Wed, 12 Mar 2014
Question: hi There, I have been perscribed Lovan 20 and was wondering about side effects. I have never taken antidepressants before. The perscription is for hormonal changes as I am 45 and am having huge pms 2 weeks before my menstrual cycle. The recomended dose is to take one a day for two weeks and then none at all until my next cycle is due. What information can you give me regarding this drug. I don't generally take anything at except panadol or nurofen or magnesium and lyasine. thats it.
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Answered by Dr. Shehzad Topiwala (41 minutes later)
Brief Answer: Fluoxetine Detailed Answer: Lovan is Fluoxetine. It is used by doctors worldwide for various medical conditions, PMS being one of them. As you may realize, every medication comes with a benefit/side effect profile. Doctors prescribe it when they feel the likelihood of benefits will overweigh the anticipated adverse effects. So the common side effects with Lovan are: Gastrointestinal: Diarrhea (8% to 18% ), Indigestion (6% to 10% ), Loss of appetite (3.8% to 17% ), Nausea (12% to 29% ), Dry mouth (4% to 12% ) Neurologic: Weakness (7% to 21% ), Dizziness (2% to 11% ), Insomnia (9% to 33% ), Sleepiness (5% to 17% ), Tremor (3% to 13% ) Psychiatric: Anxiety (3% to 15% ), Feeling nervous (3% to 14% ) Respiratory: Sore throat (3% to 11% ), Runny nose (16% to 23% ) Other: flu-like symptoms (3% to 12% ) And then there are uncommon but serious side effects too. Cardiovascular: Prolonged QT interval Dermatologic: Erythema multiforme (skin reaction) Endocrine metabolic: Low sodium Hematologic: Bleeding Immunologic: Anaphylactoid reaction (allergic reaction) Neurologic: Seizure (0.2% ) Psychiatric: Depression, worsening, Mania, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide Other: Serotonin syndrome A word of caution regarding these listed adverse effects. I do not typically go over them all with a given patient in front of me because it may cause unnecessary panic. I assess them to see which ones may potentially occur in the individual. Similarly, your prescribing physician should assess your individual circumstance and discuss the pros and cons , and then advise you regarding side effect profile.
Note: For more information on hormonal imbalance symptoms or unmanaged diabetes with other comorbid conditions, get back to us & Consult with an Endocrinologist. Click here to book an appointment.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Dr. Shehzad Topiwala

Endocrinologist

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 1663 Questions

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I Have Been Perscribed Lovan 20 And Was Wondering About Side Effects

Brief Answer: Fluoxetine Detailed Answer: Lovan is Fluoxetine. It is used by doctors worldwide for various medical conditions, PMS being one of them. As you may realize, every medication comes with a benefit/side effect profile. Doctors prescribe it when they feel the likelihood of benefits will overweigh the anticipated adverse effects. So the common side effects with Lovan are: Gastrointestinal: Diarrhea (8% to 18% ), Indigestion (6% to 10% ), Loss of appetite (3.8% to 17% ), Nausea (12% to 29% ), Dry mouth (4% to 12% ) Neurologic: Weakness (7% to 21% ), Dizziness (2% to 11% ), Insomnia (9% to 33% ), Sleepiness (5% to 17% ), Tremor (3% to 13% ) Psychiatric: Anxiety (3% to 15% ), Feeling nervous (3% to 14% ) Respiratory: Sore throat (3% to 11% ), Runny nose (16% to 23% ) Other: flu-like symptoms (3% to 12% ) And then there are uncommon but serious side effects too. Cardiovascular: Prolonged QT interval Dermatologic: Erythema multiforme (skin reaction) Endocrine metabolic: Low sodium Hematologic: Bleeding Immunologic: Anaphylactoid reaction (allergic reaction) Neurologic: Seizure (0.2% ) Psychiatric: Depression, worsening, Mania, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide Other: Serotonin syndrome A word of caution regarding these listed adverse effects. I do not typically go over them all with a given patient in front of me because it may cause unnecessary panic. I assess them to see which ones may potentially occur in the individual. Similarly, your prescribing physician should assess your individual circumstance and discuss the pros and cons , and then advise you regarding side effect profile.