Side Effects
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following side effects or notice any other effects not listed:
•Whole body: oversensitivity reactions may include itching, rash, which may be itchy, difficulty breathing, breathlessness, feeling faint or fainting, swelling of face, lips, throat, tongue or other part of the body, inflammation of blood vessels, “serum sickness”, chills, serotonin syndrome (feeling hot, stiff, confused, irritable, agitated, behaving strangely, or have twitchy muscles) and sensitivity of skin to light. Very rarely severe skin reactions may occur involving reddening, blistering and peeling of the skin (Lyell syndrome).
•Effects on the digestive system: feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, indigestion, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing and taste disturbances. Rarely changes in liver function (detected by blood tests) can occur, and very rarely hepatitis (inflammation of the liver possibly causing yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes).
•Effects on the nervous system: headache, nervousness, dizziness, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, abnormal dreams, loss of appetite, fatigue, drowsiness, unusually excited behaviour, fits, temporary abnormal movements (e.g. twitching, tremor), hallucinations (sensing something that is not real), hyperactivity, confusion, agitation, poor concentration and thought processes, panic attacks.
•Effects on the bladder and urinary system: difficulty urinating, frequent urinating.
•Effects on the sexual organs: altered sexual performance, changes in sexual desire, persistent erection of penis, production of breast milk.
•Other effects: hair loss, yawning, blurred vision, dilation of pupils, sweating, widening of blood vessels, joint pain, muscle pain, feeling faint on changing posture (e.g. standing up) due to lowered blood pressure, bruising. Rare cases of bleeding from the vagina, gut, skin or soft tissues have been reported. An increased risk of bone fractures has been observed in patients taking this type of medicines.
•Sodium levels: Low blood sodium levels (detected by blood test) occur in rare cases and appear to return to normal on stopping treatment with fluoxetine.
•Effects on the lungs: sore throat, difficulty breathing, lung damage which can be severe. If you experience any difficulty breathing or breathlessness tell your doctor.
