Difference Between Luvox and Prozac (With Table)

Luvox is a brand name for fluvoxamine which is an antidepressant medicine. It is used for treating social phobia or social anxiety disorder. It is known as an SSRI antidepressant that helps to reduce the urge of doing repetitive tasks like checking, counting, handwashing; and unwanted or persistent thoughts. This medicine restores the balance of serotonin in the brain.

Prozac is a brand name for fluoxetine which is an antidepressant medication used for the treatment of the panic disorder, PMDD or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and bulimia. Prozac may improve your appetite, mood, energy level, and sleep but may reduce the anxiety, fear, unwanted thoughts, urge to perform repeated tasks, like checking, hand-washing, counting.

Comparison Table Between Luvox and Prozac

What is Luvox?

Luvox is the brand name for fluvoxamine which is used to treat social phobia or social anxiety disorder. It also helps to reduce unwanted thoughts, the urge of doing repeated tasks, like hand washing, counting, or checking. It belongs to the SSRIs antidepressant drugs. 

The common side effects of Luvox are diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea, skin rash, dizziness, sore throat, dry mouth, yawning, weakness, drowsiness, muscle pain, gas, anxiety, and reduced sex drive. Because of the weight loss and decreased appetite side effects of Luvox, children aged between 8 to 17 years who are taking Luvox for a long period need to check their growth and weight; and consult with the doctor.

Although some medicines need to be avoided to be used with Luvox, otherwise they can be used with other medicines even if two of the medicines might interact with each other.

Generally, the medicines that are not recommended with Luvox are Methylene Blue, Pimozide, Eliglustat, Bromopride, Pargyline, Ramelteon, Metoclopramide, Eliglustat, Tizanidine, Selegiline, Isocarboxazid.Luvox is taken generally orally with or without food once (at bedtime) or twice (once in the morning and once at bedtime) in a day. The dosage of Luvox depends on the medical condition. In children, the dosage of the medicine depends on gender and age. For avoiding its side effects doctors generally suggested starting this medicine on a lower dose. 

What is Prozac?

Prozac is the brand name of fluoxetine which is an SSRI antidepressant drug. It is used to treat panic disorder, PMDD or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and bulimia. Prozac generally improves the appetite, energy level, and mood of the patient, and also reduces panic attacks, unwanted thoughts, anxiety, and fear.

Side effects of taking Prozac can be an allergic reaction like throat or face swelling, hives, and difficulty in breathing; severe skin reactions like purple or red skin rash with peeling and blistering, fever, burning eyes, skin pain. Other side effects might be trouble sleeping, anxiety, behavior or mood change, panic attacks. Any of these side effects need to be reported to the doctor.

Prozac can cause a severe heart condition. The risk gets higher if it is taken with other medicines for heart problems, malaria, depression, asthma, HIV, infection, mental illness, or cancer. Using this medicine with other drugs which can make the patient drowsy can worsen the health condition. Prozac needs to be avoided if the patient used an MAO inhibitor in the past two weeks. 

Prozac needs to be taken as per the exact amount the doctor prescribed to take. Prozac is taken orally and it may take four weeks to action against the symptoms. If you miss one dose you need to take it as soon as possible, but if it is almost time for the next dose of the medicine, you better skip that dose instead of taking two doses at once.

Main Differences Between Luvox and Prozac

1. Luvox is a brand name of an antidepressant named fluvoxamine, on the other hand, Prozac is a brand name of an antidepressant named fluoxetine.
2. Luvox is used for treating social phobia or social anxiety disorder but Prozac is used for treating panic disorder, PMDD or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and bulimia.
3. The side effects of Luvox are weakness, diarrhea, muscle pain, skin rash, gas, heavy menstrual periods, increased sweating, and yawning, on the other hand, the side effects of Prozac different that Luvox is heart palpitation, cold symptoms, weight changes, upset stomach, nervousness, impotence, and headaches.
4. Luvox can interact with sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, NSAIDs, clopidogrel, blood pressure or heart medicines, and so on. Prozac can interact with allergy or cold medicines, NSAIDs, MAOIs, and so on.
5. Initially, Luvox can be taken in fifty grams daily for an adult patient, and for children aged 8 to 17 years the initial dose of Luvox is 25 gms per day. Prozac needs to be taken according to the prescription of the doctors. The dose of this medicine needs to be exact of the prescribed dose.

Conclusion

Both Luvox and Prozac are antidepressant drugs that help in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders. Both of these medicines can interact with NSAIDs, alcohol, or other drugs that reduce breathing and help in sleeping. Both of these medicines have some similar symptoms like dizziness, anxiety, reduced sex drive, sleep problems, dry mouth, sleep issues, dry mouth, and so on.

The difference lies between these two medicines are Luvox is the Fluvoxamine medicine which is specifically used for treating social phobia or social anxiety. On the other hand, Prozac is Fluoxetine which is used for treating panic disorder, PMDD or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and bulimia.

References

1. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=luvox&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DqE1ji9hMcjIJ
2. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=prozac&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DIYeptY2a3rkJ