Luvox

Luvox is an antidepressant classified as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It works to affect chemicals in the brain which may become unbalanced, causing obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. Luvox has been prescribed to treat social anxiety and OCD.

Luvox has been linked to serious side effects and birth defects.

In multiple studies, it has been seen that Luvox and other SSRIs have caused birth defects in infants whose mother took the drugs during the first trimester of pregnancy. Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in newborns (PPHN) has been identified as a side effect, while developmental delays and other handicaps have also been seen in infants who were exposed to antidepressants in the womb.

SSRIs like Luvox have also been thought to cause violence and suicidal thoughts in children and young adults. Although antidepressants were not FDA-approved for children under 18 until 2003, many doctors prescribed SSRIs for “off-label” uses. This showed an increase in child and adolescent violence and suicide in patients taking antidepressants.

In 2006, the FDA advised that a warning be placed on SSRI labels that warned about the dangers of young people taking antidepressants such as Luvox.

Serious side effects may include:

• Seizure (convulsions)
• Changes in weight or appetite
• Easy bruising or unusual bleeding
• Racing thoughts, feelings of extreme happiness or irritability
• Agitation, hallucinations, fever, fast heart rate, overactive reflexes, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination, fainting
• Very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, feeling like you might pass out
• Headache, trouble concentrating, memory problems, weakness, feeling unsteady, fainting, seizure, shallow breathing or breathing that stops

Less serious side effects may include:

• Decreased sex drive, abnormal ejaculation, trouble having an orgasm
• Mild nausea, upset stomach, loss of appetite
• Dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, yawning
• Increased sweating
• Anxiety, sleep problems (insomnia)
• Muscle pain
• Sore Throat